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

[Will Evans]

I just realize when they put together team of Avengers on screen again Monica could be leading them.

Correct. We know her MCU self is a leader.

[CosmiComic]

Correct. We know her MCU self is a leader.

Who'd be on that team?

[Adam-X]

I remember the feeling. I was a huge Mar-Vell fan as well. At the time I was still very disappointed that they killed him off. But Monica definitely did the Captain Marvel name justice. And then some.
By the way, in the MCU Monica's mother is technically Photon. That was her fighter pilot callsign. Monica may get that same callsign if the MCU folks prefer it that way, but the usual custom is for others to give the aviator a unique callsign. It's not like comics where, say, Carol sees that the callsign "Captain Marvel" isn't being used and takes the name for herself. It's bad form to name your own callsign. (That doesn't apply to Monica, because the press called her Captain Marvel -- she didn't give the callsign to herself.) At this point, I'd prefer they stick with Spectrum. Keep it simple. But anyone with half a brain could come up with a number of really cool callsigns for Monica.

I thought they called her Photon during WandaVision as a nod to her mom's callsign?

Did anyone find it weird how she got those powers in Wandavision

The moment that they said it was rewriting her DNA - I knew where it was headed - and didn't mind it one bit.

I just realize when they put together team of Avengers on screen again Monica could be leading them.

I'd like that - but I don't know if they will go that route. Undoubtedly make her a member, but the leader - going to depend who is already on the team. They'd probably used someone already established in the movie side to lead.

[JudicatorPrime]

Did anyone find it weird how she got those powers in Wandavision

I'm not thrilled that Wanda had anything to do with it. I would have preferred that Monica appeared already powered. I thought they wasted one of the first two episodes establishing that not all was well in Denmark. If they had taken one of those episodes and given us backstory on Monica, complete with how she got her powers before the hex crisis arose, that would have been a better outcome. If they then wanted to establish that passing through the hex negated Monica's powers, well, fine. The rest of the series proceeds unchanged, except the finale, whereupon Monica would have needed to play a bigger role in the fight with Anti-Vision and Agatha. But we all know that was the reason why Monica didn't have her powers. Easier to treat her like supporting stock.

[CosmiComic]

I'm not thrilled that Wanda had anything to do with it. I would have preferred that Monica appeared already powered. I thought they wasted one of the first two episodes establishing that not all was well in Denmark. If they had taken one of those episodes and given us backstory on Monica, complete with how she got her powers before the hex crisis arose, that would have been a better outcome. If they then wanted to establish that passing through the hex negated Monica's powers, well, fine. The rest of the series proceeds unchanged, except the finale, whereupon Monica would have needed to play a bigger role in the fight with Anti-Vision and Agatha. But we all know that was the reason why Monica didn't have her powers. Easier to treat her like supporting stock.

Yeah, I feel if she already had the powers, it would have been better integrated into the plot.

[Thirteen]

Yeah, I feel if she already had the powers, it would have been better integrated into the plot.

By removing her origin story from being connected to the events of the series it would have been BETTER integrated into the plot?
"Show, don't tell" is almost always a more engaging story. And we got to see the next part of her heroes journey from the kid we first met in Captain Marvel.


I'm curious about Monica's eventual role in CM2. If the casting news go the way they are speculated to be, Monica will be onscreen with one of her few recurring nemeses from the comics, MOONSTONE.
And she whoops her ass EVERY.TIME.

[CosmiComic]

I agree with show don't tell, I just meant her acquiring her powers during the Hex felt a little awkwardly placed to me, and I might have preferred it if it was show in her flashback episode

[Sutekh]

I agree with show don't tell, I just meant her acquiring her powers during the Hex felt a little awkwardly placed to me, and I might have preferred it if it was show in her flashback episode

Just as Wanda's origin has gotten some extra layers of context to suggest that the Mind Stone just unlocked something that was already there, I think it's entirely possible that Monica's origin might go the same route, and have the Hex simply unlocking some potential that was already there, and not arbitrarily granting vast power to one of the hundreds of people that passed through it, or got absorbed into it when it expanded (and not to any of the hundreds, or even thousands, who lived in Westview and were soaking in it for a week or more!).

[CosmiComic]

Just as Wanda's origin has gotten some extra layers of context to suggest that the Mind Stone just unlocked something that was already there, I think it's entirely possible that Monica's origin might go the same route, and have the Hex simply unlocking some potential that was already there, and not arbitrarily granting vast power to one of the hundreds of people that passed through it, or got absorbed into it when it expanded (and not to any of the hundreds, or even thousands, who lived in Westview and were soaking in it for a week or more!).

Didn't think of it like that.

I still want to know the full extent of her MCU powers

[Anthony Shaw]

I hope Monica ends up leading the Avengers in the MCU.

I also feel she should be leading an Avengers team in the books, too.

[Thirteen]

Just as Wanda's origin has gotten some extra layers of context to suggest that the Mind Stone just unlocked something that was already there, I think it's entirely possible that Monica's origin might go the same route, and have the Hex simply unlocking some potential that was already there, and not arbitrarily granting vast power to one of the hundreds of people that passed through it, or got absorbed into it when it expanded (and not to any of the hundreds, or even thousands, who lived in Westview and were soaking in it for a week or more!).

Not so arbitrarily. Monica is the only person known to have passed through the reality altering boundary of the hex repeatedly and in different manners : pulled in, expelled out forcibly, forcing her way back in forcibly etc...

Her traditional origin is far more arbitrarily the classic heroically exposed to violent radiation that didn't kill like it should have trope...

[CosmiComic]

Not so arbitrarily. Monica is the only person known to have passed through the reality altering boundary of the hex repeatedly and in different manners : pulled in, expelled out forcibly, forcing her way back in forcibly etc...

Her traditional origin is far more arbitrarily the classic heroically exposed to violent radiation that didn't kill like it should have trope...

How did she become Captain Marvel?

[Sutekh]

How did she become Captain Marvel?

IIRC, it was one of those names that got dumped on her by the press, like the Hulk or the Thing. In her case, she was in fact a Captain. (Coast Guard, I think?) And some crewman she saved said, "The Captain, she is a Marvel!" And the reporter scribbled it down and off to press they went.

Pretty much Marvel just squatting on the name to piss off DC and force them to keep calling their Captain Marvel 'Shazam.' Kids. So petty.

[CosmiComic]

IIRC, it was one of those names that got dumped on her by the press, like the Hulk or the Thing. In her case, she was in fact a Captain. (Coast Guard, I think?) And some crewman she saved said, "The Captain, she is a Marvel!" And the reporter scribbled it down and off to press they went.

Pretty much Marvel just squatting on the name to piss off DC and force them to keep calling their Captain Marvel 'Shazam.' Kids. So petty.

Were DC using Shazam at the time?

[Thirteen]

I just realize when they put together team of Avengers on screen again Monica could be leading them.

Who'd be on that team?

It could be similar to the lineup from her stint leading the Avengers team in comics Monica leading:
(I don't think we'd see Monica lead until close to the end of the next Phase of movies, they seem to have been grooming Carol Danvers or Hope Pym as leaders in the next phase.)
SHE-HULK (Disney+ series)
BLACK KNIGHT ("Eternals")
CAPTAIN AMERICA character (I'd guess Sam Wilson from Disney+ "Falcon and the Winter Soldier", maybe *both* characters)
(a) THOR type (Not Jane because I can't see Portman committing beyond "Love and Thunder")- maybe we get HERCULES
NAMOR (Rumored to be in the "Black Panther" sequel)
WAR MACHINE
SERSI may come over with Black Knight from "Eternals" to be the team "mystic", I can't see them attempting a DRUID adaptation.
(From AVENGERS #279 when Monica is nominated for Avengers Chairperson)