Ms. Marvel #9 - On the Origin of Kamala

[ImprobableQuestion]

GENERATION WHY: PART 2 (spoilers!)

Well, the good news is Coles Academic Highschool won't need volunteers for asbestos removal anymore...

This issue sees Kamala and the Inventor's robot fight, using pieces of the school as weapons. It helps that she has Lockjaw though, because soon she and Bruno are rescued - by Medusa!

Bruno sits by Kamala while she rests, and talks shop with New Attilan's chief Nuhuman doctor Vinatos. Upon awakening Medusa finally teaches Kamala of her Inhuman heritage. She also insists that Kamala stay and recover while she sends others to deal with the Inventor, but Kamala will have none of it.

After relieving her mother that she is safe from the attack, Kamala and Vick head back to the shack from the first arc (Kamala sporting a new costume that Vinatos made from Bruno's specifications). A nifty fight ensues, leading to quite a swerve in the story of exactly what the inventor is up to...

As you can see, this is a meaty issue for its 2.99 price point. Kamala learns her backstory, and also a new potential stipulation to her powers. We also learn that this story is taking place sometime before the Inhuman book, certainly before #6.

There's a lot of great "down" moments, like Bruno in the medical suite and the scene with Kamala and her parents, where her mother expresses some well-founded concerns.

Adrian Alphona once again covers art, this time another drawing an existing Marvel character for the first time in Medusa. My only qualm is that her hair is orange with a dark orange outline, and since most of the time a majority of her profile is cut by the hair it doesn't make her stand out as much. But that's a bit nitpicky, especially because I'm so spoiled by Stegman's Medusa.

Best sight gag? Well, first off there's the kid in the RELAX shirt, who manages to survive the entire attack in CAH dozing in his chair. His desk and (most regrettably) his Pink Panther statuette were not so lucky.

Runner up: the man walking his dog, who is relieving himself on the Kahns' neighbor's trash can (not a comma splice). His dog also has a dinner fork on his head, evidently in jealous of Lockjaw.

[Xalfrea]

I don't read Inhumans, so how does this issue take place before their #6 and what implications does it have on them?

My only minor nitpick is that Kamala's other friend doesn't get in on the action, especially since #8 was building up on how Kamala and Nakia is starting to drift apart and the latter is getting angrier with her.

[ImprobableQuestion]

spoilers:

Vinatos dies in #6

end of spoilers and the Unspoken is not on the throne (long story), so it has to be before #5 actually. Kamala has not been mentioned in the book either (the book usually moves in week or more intervals or so when it's not telling a two parter, so it's unclear if Medusa told Dante and the others about the other NuHuman), so I'm not sure how her inclusion will effect the book going forward. Charles Souls is the showrunner for the Inhuman side of the MU, so I assume she'll show up eventually, and that Medusa will similarly show up in Ms. Marvel again.

I agree that Kamala should let Nakia in on the secret. Like Logan said, "a mask cuts both ways"

[Myetche]

Kamala has not been mentioned in the book either (the book usually moves in week or more intervals or so when it's not telling a two parter, so it's unclear if Medusa told Dante and the others about the other NuHuman), so I'm not sure how her inclusion will effect the book going forward. Charles Souls is the showrunner for the Inhuman side of the MU, so I assume she'll show up eventually, and that Medusa will similarly show up in Ms. Marvel again.

I agree that Kamala should let Nakia in on the secret. Like Logan said, "a mask cuts both ways"

I'm guessing Medusa doesn't want to drag Kamala into Inhuman politics if she can help it.

And Nakia deserves to know.

[ImprobableQuestion]

I'm guessing Medusa doesn't want to drag Kamala into Inhuman politics if she can help it.

And Nakia deserves to know.

True. Inhuman deals primarily with the new Inhuman politics, which are not only rather heavy for a teen (Dante is an adult, and thus seems to have been brought into Medusa's inner circle), but would probably bore someone like Kamala to tears.

She would probably love Gorgon though.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

Even though I'm buying the Inhumans book, I'm getting really bored with how they are used.

All it seems is:
Medusa "You are now Inhuman"
Character: "OMG!!!"

in a very sterile looking room. Why can't they do something more creative?! The Inhumans are just boring me to tears cause they aren't doing anything different!

[Beetle]

I think that Kamala's family deserves to know before Nakia. She just found out that she's descended from Inhumans. That affects their entire family.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

I never get how they're doing the Inhumans thing. Shouldn't her parents (or her mother/father side) also be Inhumans? I mean, it's all ancestral, so it's passed down. So why is Kamala affected and her parents not?

[Mahes]

I never get how they're doing the Inhumans thing. Shouldn't her parents (or her mother/father side) also be Inhumans? I mean, it's all ancestral, so it's passed down. So why is Kamala affected and her parents not?

She got exposed to Terrigen mists. They didn't.

[Mooper Films]

Exactly, also G. Willow Wilson said that the cloud is still going around the planet as mentioned in other books. Doesn't mean it couldn't hit them at one point and you would see where the Inhuman gene is in what parent if not both.

[Songbird/Diamondback]

Gotcha, that does make sense.

[Myetche]

She got exposed to Terrigen mists. They didn't.

Wouldn't have mattered. The Mist would have gotten them regardless of where they were (other books have proven that it WILL get into a house no matter what). The only way they would have avoided Terrigenesis is if they simply didn't have the genetic trigger.

[Ceebiro]

I really enjoyed this issue, and that the invitation to visit New Attilan is open. I really enjoyed the late issue twist that Wilson threw in there. It makes Kamala's situation a lot less black and white. I also like the limitations that are being imposed upon Kamala. She needs to train up and become a better hero, rather than relying on her healing.

[ImprobableQuestion]

Wouldn't have mattered. The Mist would have gotten them regardless of where they were (other books have proven that it WILL get into a house no matter what). The only way they would have avoided Terrigenesis is if they simply didn't have the genetic trigger.

It's possible that in Kamala's family the T-Gene skips a generation; we don't know the finer points of how the genetics work. It could also have something to do with why Medusa considers her so important.

Also also, the rest of Kamala's family is in Pakistan, so we don't know whether the Cloud has hit them yet or how it affected them.