Why didn't Marvel push Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel

[Project Initiative Cascada]

Monica is one of Marvel's most underrated characters. Sure she was mostly known as Roger Stern's pet character, but she really shined when she was Captain Marvel in the 80's. I do think she faded a bit into obscurity, but I love that Ellis and Ewing did a good job of so far getting her back in the limelight.

I prefer her as Spectrum or Photon. I loved her as Captain Marvel, but that name has been used way too much. Not to mention I am liking Carol with the title right now and there's no way Marvel is going to take that name away anytime soon with the film coming out in a few years.

Cannot wait to see her and Carol finally be on an Avengers squad together with New Avengers this fall. I want to see more of their friendship blossom.

Wasn't she an alt skin/costume for Carol in one of the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games?

Nope. Carol's costumes in the UA games were her classic, Binary, old Ms. Marvel costume, Warbird and the Sharon Ventura skin.

[EMPulse]

Monica never recovered after The Fall of The Avengers Storyline. McDuffie tried but the awful power set she got totally changed how readers viewed her at the time. I hated that time when Capt.Marvel Once leader of the Avengers was standing around as some anonymous person. She did nothing of note, until The Stranger gave her back her original power set in Quasar's series, but even then it still wasn't enough and she disappeared again. Thank God for Warren Ellis and the Nextwave series. She got a new costume and attitude, no longer the mild manner ex harbor lieutenant. Only thing I didn't like was that one panel showing her as a child with her powers. Thanks to Ewing, now she's back to MU and with the Avengers. I really hope she can cut loose and show the different side of her electromagnetic powers.

Now in regards to her name. YIKES. Photon? Pulsar? Like Aaron said in Nextwave, it doesn't sound intimidating enough. LOL. She'll never be Capt Marvel again and like someone said they really just used it to keep the name from DC using it, now Carol has it and she does deserve it. She has ties to Mar-Vell and Marvel needs a powerhouse heroine to promote, sadly that's why there's no Black Widow film. All in all, I'm very excited for the new Ultimates! T'Challa, Monica and Adam maybe in a love triangle?? SOLD.

[Myetche]

Thank God for Warren Ellis and the Nextwave series. She got a new costume and attitude, no longer the mild manner ex harbor lieutenant.

If I recall, Monica in NextWave was reduced to a has-been who whines about her names being stolen and can't shut up about her single past accomplishment of leading the Avengers.

[bubbalee33]

I think the name Captain Marvel is a good generic name, but not right for her. I love Spectrum.
I may not be remembering the legalities of the issue (and am too lazy to look them up) but i think they gave her the name because they have to have a character with that name active.
The name is obviously better suited in the Marvel Universe to a character with Kree ties, like Carol.
That being said Im glad she is again getting the due she deserves because whatever the name she is a great character.

[kalorama]

The whole thing was a cluster bomb of bad planning.

Basically, they gave Monica the name "Captain Marvel" as a way of keeping the trademark alive. The name never actually made much sense for her, really. They should have given it to Carol to begin with, since she was essentially a legacy of the original. But since, at the time of Monica's creation, Carol had also been depowered and benched, that wasn't an option. But then, a few months after Monica's debut, they repowered Carol at a cosmic level, which would have been a perfect fit for the mane/legacy. But since Captain Marvel was already taken, the gave her the name Binary. If they'd gotten the whole thing right in 1982--calling Monica Spectrum (which is the best alias she's had) and calling Carol Captain Marvel--they could have avoided the subsequent parade of half-baked attempts at manufacturing a new legacy character (Genis Vell, Phylla Vell, Noh-Varr) to carry the name.

[Agent Z]

Hopefully Al Ewing's Ultimates will give Monica the respect she deserves regardless of what name she's using.

P.S is she going by Photon or Spectrum?

[Myetche]

P.S is she going by Photon or Spectrum?

Spectrum, officially. However, she usually only gets referred to as Monica (likely because she realized it's just too pointless to keep trying to push a name when everybody keeps taking them).

[kalorama]

Oddly, didn't I hear they originally were going to launch Gravity as the new Captain Marvel, and then couldn't for some reason, and that's when Carol got the title?

I remember hearing something like that, as well. I think it was derailed when Secret Invasion came along and they decided to bring back the "original" Captain Marvel (whop turned out to be a Skrull). Either way, I'm glad they nipped it in the bud. The last thing they needed was another ad hoc placeholder dragging the name around.

[Baby_Hater666]

Monica's great and deserves A-list status along side Captain Marvel.

Also I'm kind of sick of the overpowered excuse. No one complains about Magik or Thor or Jeen. I feel like there's a vicious double standard in who gets deemed "over powered"

[Agent Z]

Monica's great and deserves A-list status along side Captain Marvel.

Also I'm kind of sick of the overpowered excuse. No one complains about Magik or Thor or Jeen. I feel like there's a vicious double standard in who gets deemed "over powered"

I've seen complaints about Jean and Thor being overpowered too. Of course, the difference is those characters get used more due to iconography.

[Baby_Hater666]

I kind of agree with that. Though I personally like Monica more than Carol, Carol due to her history makes for a better legacy character to Marv. To Monica it's just a random name Marvel Probably used for copy right reasons. But for Carol there's real history there.

I really wish they went the Next Wave route and just called her Monica Rambeau. Her acknowledging all the name changes was really funny in that series but to turn around humorlessly change it again for Mighty Avengers looked like some lack of self awareness, and Monica's character isn't so delluded as to miss the gag inherent to her 100th name change. Her history of being sidelined and elbowed out is almost comical in a way and when she's written as being self-aware of this, it brings a real lightness to to the character. I love when the third wall gets cracked for the sake of a little self deprication. Monica could definitely be a lot funnier under Euwings pen.

[Baby_Hater666]

But Magic is a good example of someone who's not iconic, ridiculously powerful and never complained about. She's definitely not alone in that category either.

[Agent Z]

I really wish they went the Next Wave route and just called her Monica Rambeau. Her acknowledging all the name changes was really funny in that series but to turn around humorlessly change it again for Mighty Avengers looked like some lack of self awareness, and Monica's character isn't so delluded as to miss the gag inherent to her 100th name change. Her history of being sidelined and elbowed out is almost comical in a way and when she's written as being self-aware of this, it brings a real lightness to to the character. I love when the third wall gets cracked for the sake of a little self deprication. Monica could definitely be a lot funnier under Euwings pen.

Of course that lead to her having the reputation as "that character whose name changes a lot". It's the same deal with how DC still has to struggle to make people like Aquaman after the damage Superfriends did to his reputation.

[Baby_Hater666]

Of course that lead to her having the reputation as "that character whose name changes a lot". It's the same deal with how DC still has to struggle to make people like Aquaman after the damage Superfriends did to his reputation.

Changing your name a lot is hardly the same as being Aquaman.

Low blow.

[Panic]

But Magic is a good example of someone who's not iconic, ridiculously powerful and never complained about. She's definitely not alone in that category either.

Well I've complained about her. I was a big fan of Magik's back in her New Mutant days, but they've boosted her powers and abilities so much she's really too powerful for the team. Thor works because he has a whole load of foes from Norse mythology who are on or near his power-level.