CM: Monica, Frank and Maria "Photon" Rambeau Appreciation 2021

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Doctor Light and Captain Marvel

By AcrossCrossovers

[CosmiComic]

Yes, Sam was a social worker. I thought it was a good idea to make Sam a military vet and counselor in the MCU.

I can't say I was huge on militarizing him. Not everyone needs to be a soldier. Counselling other vets was a good choice, though, but after that he never went anywhere with it.

I do think it would've been good if MCU Monica kept part of her 616 backstory as well. However, her 616 origin as Captain Marvel always seemed a bit random to me.

[Micabe]

I can't say I was huge on militarizing him. Not everyone needs to be a soldier. Counselling other vets was a good choice, though, but after that he never went anywhere with it.

I do think it would've been good if MCU Monica kept part of her 616 backstory as well. However, her 616 origin as Captain Marvel always seemed a bit random to me.

Monica Rambeau's origin as written was supposed to be random.




Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16

[Baby_Hater666]

Wwwhhhoooa!

very that.

[JudicatorPrime]

I can't say I was huge on militarizing him. Not everyone needs to be a soldier. Counselling other vets was a good choice, though, but after that he never went anywhere with it.

That's interesting. Aside from myself and my father, every other man in the family going back several generations served in the military at some point or another. It's kind of the family business, so to speak. That and the legal field. I guess I don't think much of it if I see more than a token number of African Americans with military service. But I can see how that can be problematic when the MCU already has a good number of characters with a military background.

However, her 616 origin as Captain Marvel always seemed a bit random to me.

Well, there are only so many ways to endow a character with powers. Stan gave up on the concept at one point, which is why mutants were introduced. He got tired of finding new and unique ways for someone to get powers. Monica's origin is no more random than the Flash, or a Green Lantern ring showing up out of the blue (or maybe I should say green) and choosing its next wielder.

What I like about Monica's origin is that her powers are uniquely hers. She's linked to a mysterious extradimensional energy source that isn't derivative or shared by existing lore. It's not the Power Cosmic, or even simply cosmic energy. It's not the Power Primordial. It's whatever a future writer wants it to be. The best characters are those whose powers allow them to define themselves. She may have been handed down a mantle for a moniker, but even among a corps of Captain Marvels, Monica is unique and a total badass.

[CosmiComic]

[CENTER][SIZE=3]Monica Rambeau's origin as written was supposed to be random.

I see. I guess they achieved that.

That's interesting. Aside from myself and my father, every other man in the family going back several generations served in the military at some point or another. It's kind of the family business, so to speak. That and the legal field. I guess I don't think much of it if I see more than a token number of African Americans with military service. But I can see how that can be problematic when the MCU already has a good number of characters with a military background.

For me it's that he had a more unique origin, but the MCU made him more generic, and frankly outside of FaWS, he hasn't been that interesting. As you said, the MCU already has plenty of military characters, and the MCU is a bit "have it's cake and eat it too" when it comes to militarism, at least IMO.

Well, there are only so many ways to endow a character with powers. Stan gave up on the concept at one point, which is why mutants were introduced. He got tired of finding new and unique ways for someone to get powers. Monica's origin is no more random than the Flash, or a Green Lantern ring showing up out of the blue (or maybe I should say green) and choosing it's next wielder.

What I like about Monica's origin is that her powers are uniquely hers. She's linked to a mysterious extradimensional energy source that isn't derivative or shared by existing lore. It's not the Power Cosmic, or even simply cosmic energy. It's not the Power Primordial. It's whatever a future writer wants it to be. The best characters are those whose powers allow them to define themselves. She may have been handed down a mantle for a moniker, but even among a corps of Captain Marvels, Monica is unique and a total badass.

I was mostly referring to her being called Captain Marvel. A lot of heroes have random origins, as you point out, but her name seems a bit out of nowhere IIRC.

But she does have interesting powers, and I hope we get to see more of that in future MCU appearances.

[Ichijinijisanji]

i think sam being ex-military in the MCU hurt Joaquin Torres more than it did Sam
in the comics he was a DACA kid who tried to aid refugees, in the movie he was just.... a military guy.

Some additional effects were red wing, instead of being a bird, is a drone, and sam's wings are drone tech, which can be only really be passed on to another military guy.

But in of itself, Sam being a former military vet counsellor is interesting

[JudicatorPrime]

I was mostly referring to her being called Captain Marvel. A lot of heroes have random origins, as you point out, but her name seems a bit out of nowhere IIRC.

I hear you.

It wouldn't be the first time that a hero adopted someone else's moniker. Power Man comes most immediately to mind. So, too, does the Vision, the Human Torch, the various individuals who stepped in and became Captain America after Steve initially disappeared, and on and on and on.

I hate to frame it this way, but knowing what I now know about Marvel's bullpen back then and the views of its "safe place" fanbase, I really believe that Monica becoming Captain Marvel was only an issue because of who she is. There's no way to prove this now, but I'd stake my wealth on it that if Clint Barton had somehow gotten his hands on the Nega Bands and took the name Captain Marvel, we would not have heard a peep from anyone.

[CosmiComic]

i think sam being ex-military in the MCU hurt Joaquin Torres more than it did Sam
in the comics he was a DACA kid who tried to aid refugees, in the movie he was just.... a military guy.

Some additional effects were red wing, instead of being a bird, is a drone, and sam's wings are drone tech, which can be only really be passed on to another military guy.

But in of itself, Sam being a former military vet counsellor is interesting

I agree about Torres. But even Sam's tech makes him more of an Iron Man-lite than comic Falcon

I hear you.

It wouldn't be the first time that a hero adopted someone else's moniker. Power Man comes most immediately to mind. So, too, does the Vision, the Human Torch, the various individuals who stepped in and became Captain America after Steve initially disappeared, and on and on and on.

I hate to frame it this way, but knowing what I now know about Marvel's bullpen back then and the views of its "safe place" fanbase, I really believe that Monica becoming Captain Marvel was only an issue because of who she is. There's no way to prove this now, but I'd stake my wealth on it that if Clint Barton had somehow gotten his hands on the Nega Bands and took the name Captain Marvel, we would not have heard a peep from anyone.

Tbh, I don't have a problem with her as CM. And I'd take her as CM over Clint Barton any day. But it probably is only an issue for people just because she's a Black woman (I assume that's what you mean). Heck, even a White woman gets bashed for it. Tbh, I never understood the appeal of Mar-Vell in the first place. I don't get why Monica lost the codename either.

[Ichijinijisanji]

I agree about Torres. But even Sam's tech makes him more of an Iron Man-lite than comic Falcon

don't get the phrasing of "more of a iron-man lite".... he was never iron man lite in any sense
"tech based hero" is also not necessarily iron-man's wheelhouse. For one, sam uses his skill to fly more than tony who uses algorithms and doesn't wear full body armor. Similar to how clint uses his skill to fire his techy arrows.

[CosmiComic]

don't get the phrasing of "more of a iron-man lite".... he was never iron man lite in any sense
"tech based hero" is also not necessarily iron-man's wheelhouse. For one, sam uses his skill to fly more than tony who uses algorithms and doesn't wear full body armor. Similar to how clint uses his skill to fire his techy arrows.

By that I meant his only power is flying, using technology developed by Stark IIRC. Comics falcon also had telepathic abilities.

[Ichijinijisanji]

By that I meant his only power is flying, using technology developed by Stark IIRC. Comics falcon also had telepathic abilities.

The OG suit was developed by the air force in mcu. The later suit is more about stark outfitting all the avengers with tech (including spider-man). Currently his wingpack is made by wakanda and of vibranium

[CosmiComic]

The OG suit was developed by the air force in mcu. The later suit is more about stark outfitting all the avengers with tech (including spider-man). Currently his wingpack is made by wakanda and of vibranium

Oh, ok. Still, he comes off a big IM-like to me. At least if he had some mental powers, it would make him more distinct.

[ed2962]

I agree about Torres. But even Sam's tech makes him more of an Iron Man-lite than comic Falcon



Tbh, I don't have a problem with her as CM. And I'd take her as CM over Clint Barton any day. But it probably is only an issue for people just because she's a Black woman (I assume that's what you mean). Heck, even a White woman gets bashed for it. Tbh, I never understood the appeal of Mar-Vell in the first place. I don't get why Monica lost the codename either.

Well, it's not like Mar-Vell was ever a big seller. The version that fans like was a massively revamped version of a character that didn't really catch on at first and his title was cancelled at least twice.

As for why Monica had to lose the name...eh. They have to put out a comic with the Capt Marvel title every so often. I imagine someone in the office thought that Genis with his mullet hair-do was more hip and with it and would appeal to kids. Plus Legacy was Mar-Vell's son so there's that connection.

[Ichijinijisanji]

Well, it's not like Mar-Vell was ever a big seller. The version that fans like was a massively revamped version of a character that didn't really catch on at first and his title was cancelled at least twice.

As for why Monica had to lose the name...eh. They have to put out a comic with the Capt Marvel title every so often. I imagine someone in the office thought that Genis with his mullet hair-do was more hip and with it and would appeal to kids. Plus Legacy was Mar-Vell's son so there's that connection.

right, the vol 1 was 60 issues but lasted 11 years, simply because it was cancelled a couple times, and by the end they were publishing it bi-monthly. Like, mar-vell was CM for about 14 years, padded by the book. I'd imagine if you calculated it, Monica would technically have had the mantle as long as him (some of it padded by her semi-limbo). She's the second longest running CM chronologically.

But asking why monica had to lose the name is like asking why mar-vell had to die, or genis had to go away. The CM name wasn't ever as big as it is now to begin with. It wasn't hugely important, it was passed around so much, especially by the mid-late 2000s. It wasn't ever guaranteed a book or regular ongoing. It only became a big deal (spotlight-wise) to have it when Carol got the name, and only because the MCU was already interested in her even when she was Ms. Marvel. Of course, many perceive this as other captain marvels being robbed of the spotlight, so to speak, though I don't feel this is particularly accurate. The individual characters who had the name managed to become more important than the title itself. What this means is they might be obligated to put out a Captain Marvel titled comic every few years, but that's the bare minimum they need to do, beyond that its all about the character holding the mantle. This is something measurable through comic sales, google trends etc.