Why didn't Marvel push Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel

[Triniking1234]

I remember reading a variation of this tale on Super Mega Monkey's Marvel Chronology site. Apparently Gruenwald was in charge (can't recall if he was EiC) and he was planning Rogers to back as Cap America in time for Cap America #350 and Avengers #300 so he wanted Stern to make way for Cap to return as leader of the Avengers.

[Panic]

There was this from Super Mega Monkey:

An interesting Mark's Remarks column in issue #283. Gruenwald writes about a conflict of interest; he had been using his Remarks for discussing general topics about the comics trade, and didn't want to sully it by promoting his own stories in Captain America, but with the big storyline wherein Steve Rogers gives up being Cap, he wanted to break that rule. The column is followed up by a note from Jim Shooter to not worry about the conflict and just promote the storyline. I don't know that anyone would really have a problem with Gruenwald using the spot for promotions. The letters pages have always included plugs. The bigger conflict is happening behind the scenes, and if Roger Stern's version of events is true, Gruenwald's dithering about a conflict of interest on his Remarks column seems insincere. The reason it's said that Stern left the Avengers title was because Gruenwald wanted to use the books' stories to promote Cap. He was unhappy with the fact that Captain America sold at a much lower rate than the Avengers book. And so he wanted Stern to write a story where Captain Marvel started failing in her role as chairperson of the Avengers, so that Captain America would have to step in. There's nothing wrong with a story where someone fails in their leadership role, but Stern had been developing the character arc for Captain Marvel for years, and having it end in failure was surely not what he had in mind, let alone the problems around having your sole Avengers leadership failure to date be the black female character. So Stern was fired, and soon followed his friend John Byrne over to DC.

[JudicatorPrime]

There was this from Super Mega Monkey:

Damn shame. And yet people say that there shouldn't be any politics in comics. Seems to me there's quite a bit of politicking going on behind the scenes...and of course to the benefit of the usual privileged individuals, but never the Monica Rambeaus of the Marvel Universe. To deliberately opt for failure as the primary reason is doubly damning. I suppose having her receive a grave injury in battle and then have step in and take over while she convalesces wasn't an option? But no, the bastards had to humiliate Monica. And continue to humiliate her later when she was stripped of the Captain Marvel name altogether.

[XPac]

Its true that his pushing Monica out of the chairman spot to get Cap back in the role really derailed her character for a long time. But I don't think he ever intended to hurt Monica--just to promote Steve. Its worth noting that for a long time after Stern was off AVENGERS, Gruenwald was actually one of the writers doing the most to keep Monica appearing. He used her in multiple guest appearances in QUASAR, and in a major role in his STARBLAST miniseries, etc. So I don't think he actually had anything against Monica herself. She just ended up as unfortunate collateral damage in his efforts to promote Captain America.

It is unfortunate that they couldn't transition from Monica to Cap in a more satisfying way which everyone agreed on.

That said, I think it's pretty much a given than sooner or later Steve is going to return to his role as leader of the Avengers. It's sort of his thing. Any Avenger writer should be prepared for the day when Steve is going to return to take his spot leading the Avengers.

But again, it is unfortunate that Monica's time was cut short and in a fairly lackluster manner. It's what happens when writers and editors just aren't on the same page I guess.

[Panic]

That said, I think it's pretty much a given than sooner or later Steve is going to return to his role as leader of the Avengers. It's sort of his thing. Any Avenger writer should be prepared for the day when Steve is going to return to take his spot leading the Avengers.

It's sort of his thing because Gruenwald at al made it his. I suspect that Gruenwald was probably not so keen when Stern made Wasp a great leader of the Avengers, and Monica going the same way was just too much. When I started reading Marvel it was a level playing field for everyone, with leadership of the Avengers (and being a great leader in general) always open to everyone. Making the MU a hierarchal structure with Cap at the top was one of the most depressing changes I can remember seeing. Stan Lee, for all his faults, looked to give all the heroes the same amount of respect, with no one thrown under the bus in order to aggrandize another. That's long gone now.

[JudicatorPrime]

I have to give Ewing credit for the renaissance that Monica enjoyed in his books. I wonder who will pick up the torch next? Or is everyone either too afraid, or too absorbed with fawning their own pet narratives to advance someone like Monica in their books?

[LordAllMIghty]

Captain Marvel #1 Feb 1994
"Speaking without Concern!"

When Captain Marvel returns to her hotel room

she finds special agent Derrek Freeman waiting for her.

Plot by Dwayne McDuffie http://www.comicsbeat.com/dwayne-mcd...hero-for-rent/, Script by Dwight D. Coye, Art by M. D. Bright

Whoa. I remember this issue.

[JudicatorPrime]

Monica back when her powers were in flux. Glad they straightened that out...although we really still don't know the exact origin of her powers. Ewing threw a curve ball linking her and Blue Marvel to the Celestial servitors inexplicably.

[kilderkin]

I'm very dissapointed she's not on the roster for the fresh start avengers

[Wiccan]

Monica has an actual appreciation thread. Why not post this stuff there instead of this messy thread?
http://community.comicbookresources....!-Appreciation

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

Monica is actually a freaking amazing powerhouse character with the worst naming conventions... and costumes. Yet Monica is a character and not an ideal, so how do you make her MORE than that?

Nextwave, actually having happened in cannon was a start, and that characterization is way better than anything in the ultimates but that's genre deconstruction for you.

I remember her leading the avengers... we are a million years away from here doing that again. I think there are things to do to make here more prominent in stories and in the Avengers universe.

To me the prominence in the Marvel Universe will be MORE when the comicbook character Captain Marvel is to be the comicbook character Captain Universe!

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

They should straight up call the character 'Marvellous' put her in the pink suit and call it a day.

Captain Marvellous for a more 'complete' feel.

[Hypestyle]

for the next phase of Avengers movies, Monica has to be involved eventually. There's no excuse not to explore her as Pulsar with the energy-shift powers.

[Dermie]

how many issue did this last?

It was a one-shot. The 2nd of two one-shot specials McDuffie did starring Monica.

[Michael Watkins]

does she still hang out with Hellcat?