The case for Angela as Marvel's flagship superheroine or why Captain Marvel hasn't catched on so far

[JediKage]

What does "top dog" mean? Do you think Squirrel Girl and Spider-Gwen aren't being pushed?

I would say they are more organic but Gwen is spidey adjacent which makes her problematic and Squirrel girl is a joke character she is not going be the main Marvel Women. Maybe Scarlet Witch can challenge her. But Widow as noted has no powers and is assassin not going to cut it.

[JudicatorPrime]

Angela has dues to pay before she can get the nod. I'm fine with Carol being the face of Marvel, but it wouldn't bother me if they chose someone else.

[JudicatorPrime]

In the comics is it really rubber or is it spandex or whatever material Spiderman or Yellowjacket or Wasp's costumes are made of?

I think the word that you're looking for is latex. Are most hero costumes still made from Reed's patent of unstable molecules?

[GrandEleven]

While I wouldn't mind seeing more Angela, I have to agree that she doesn't make an ideal flagship hero. I also think she's being used completely wrong TBH.

Her return to GotG is completely off to me. First is her costume: why did she go back to bikini armor after they did an entire mini arc in Asgard's Assassin of her getting a more complete set of armor with wings that made her invisible to Heimdel's gaze? It fit thematically to the Angel of Heven _and_ assassin needs while simultaneously pushing her looks to a more modest tone. Then there were the 3 differetn outfits she had while going through the trials to be queen of Hel. But no, back to the over sexualized bikini armor.



Then there's that her personality Basically mirrors Drax. Her fighting amd powers basically makes her Gamora. In the end there's nothing _unique_ she adds to the GotG team. A good team needs dynamics, not characters who just blend in with everyone else.

I still say the best place for Angela right now is to put her back in the angel armor that lets her hide from Heimdel and team-up with the unworthy Thor. Then they have contrasting characters, a written history and reason to be together, and the extra armor gives Odinson a way to move around unseen (which he undoubtedly will want to do still). Her dry responses would be perfect against his own questioning worth, and the two could forge something great.

Oh ... and it means Bendis won't touch Angela.

[brettc1]

Actually, based on what I just read in Civil War II #3, maybe the answer to the OP's question is now yes.

[Carabas]

In the comics is it really rubber or is it spandex or whatever material Spiderman or Yellowjacket or Wasp's costumes are made of?

Most artists drew it as shiny black latex. What it is actually made off in-story matters not.

[Alastor]

Most artists drew it as shiny black latex. What it is actually made off in-story matters not.

So was Spidey's black suit, despite actually being an alien symbiote. Your point being?

[chamber-music]

I find Angela uninteresting. I've read her solo book and seen her appreances in guardians.

Carol has some dull solo runs but can be an interesting character if she was paired with a writer with some interesting ideas.

[Jabare]

Angela isn't even a top 100 Marvel character

[ijacksparrow]

While I wouldn't mind seeing more Angela, I have to agree that she doesn't make an ideal flagship hero. I also think she's being used completely wrong TBH.

Her return to GotG is completely off to me. First is her costume: why did she go back to bikini armor after they did an entire mini arc in Asgard's Assassin of her getting a more complete set of armor with wings that made her invisible to Heimdel's gaze? It fit thematically to the Angel of Heven _and_ assassin needs while simultaneously pushing her looks to a more modest tone. Then there were the 3 differetn outfits she had while going through the trials to be queen of Hel. But no, back to the over sexualized bikini armor.



Then there's that her personality Basically mirrors Drax. Her fighting amd powers basically makes her Gamora. In the end there's nothing _unique_ she adds to the GotG team. A good team needs dynamics, not characters who just blend in with everyone else.

I still say the best place for Angela right now is to put her back in the angel armor that lets her hide from Heimdel and team-up with the unworthy Thor. Then they have contrasting characters, a written history and reason to be together, and the extra armor gives Odinson a way to move around unseen (which he undoubtedly will want to do still). Her dry responses would be perfect against his own questioning worth, and the two could forge something great.

Oh ... and it means Bendis won't touch Angela.

I don't think many of the new fans of Angela understand how much iconic the space bikini is. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with Angela's bounty hunter costume OR Wonder Woman's armor. Her armor from Asgardian's Assassin was way too busy, and there are some concepts that you just don't mess with. Angela can rock the space bikini without looking ridiculous in it. It doesn't work with most of Marvel heroines, Captain Marvel included. Angela can and it works, so let her.

With that said, I'd rather see her getting written by Waid in Avengers than Jane Thor. I wouldn't mind a trade there. Can you imagine a reverse Wanda/Pietro brotherhood within the Avengers between Angela and Thor? Because I think that would be glorious. I wouldn't want Angela to get just a supporting role in Unworthy Thor tho, regardless how much I like Aaron's writing. she getting a team is good for her exposure, I just wish it was the Avengers instead. The Avenging Angela has a hell of a nice ring to it.

[Mike82]

I would guess that more people know Angela because of how big Spawn was than know Carol Captain Marvel, or even the Ms. Marvel version. I would guess that most people that know of her still only kind of know of her because of Rogue.

This isn't the 90s. Angela hadn't been used in over 13 years by the time Marvel got their hands on her. By the time Marvel was pushing Carol, she was averaging 40K in sales, while Spawn was barely even selling. The first time I ever read a comic with Angela in it was when she fought the Guardians of The Galaxy on the moon. Carol is far more popular.

[Johnrevenge]

I don't think many of the new fans of Angela understand how much iconic the space bikini is. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with Angela's bounty hunter costume OR Wonder Woman's armor. Her armor from Asgardian's Assassin was way too busy, and there are some concepts that you just don't mess with. Angela can rock the space bikini without looking ridiculous in it. It doesn't work with most of Marvel heroines, Captain Marvel included. Angela can and it works, so let her.

With that said, I'd rather see her getting written by Waid in Avengers than Jane Thor. I wouldn't mind a trade there. Can you imagine a reverse Wanda/Pietro brotherhood within the Avengers between Angela and Thor? Because I think that would be glorious. I wouldn't want Angela to get just a supporting role in Unworthy Thor tho, regardless how much I like Aaron's writing. she getting a team is good for her exposure, I just wish it was the Avengers instead. The Avenging Angela has a hell of a nice ring to it.

The angel armor wasn't busy, it was a great way to adapt the character to the Marvel Universe. The space bikini is very of the 90's when she debuted in Spawn and it currently ridiculous in space (at least when she made the cameo in the cartoon of the guardians of the galaxy she was wearing an armor not a bikini). The bikini must go away.

The Angela retcon that she was Thor's long lost sister was pretty weak and didn't do too many favours to the character (also all her interactions with Thor are horrible so the less time they are together the better, and I would rather see Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver again than Thor and Angela together). And there are lot of heroines that deserve a chance in the Avengers more than Angela (she is a character that has got exposure and failed).

[ijacksparrow]

The angel armor wasn't busy, it was a great way to adapt the character to the Marvel Universe. The space bikini is very of the 90's when she debuted in Spawn and it currently ridiculous in space (at least when she made the cameo in the cartoon of the guardians of the galaxy she was wearing an armor not a bikini). The bikini must go away.

The Angela retcon that she was Thor's long lost sister was pretty weak and didn't do too many favours to the character (also all her interactions with Thor are horrible so the less time they are together the better, and I would rather see Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver again than Thor and Angela together). And there are lot of heroines that deserve a chance in the Avengers more than Angela (she is a character that has got exposure and failed).

Well, hopefully the so called "space bikini" (which isn't really a space bikini btw, I call it like that because it's funny) is here to stay, since it's an amazing reimagining of her first iconic armor. Also, the so called "space bikini" looks as bad ass as Wonder Woman's armor. Also, way more covered. And not a relic of the 90s at all to me. It just looks awesome.





Both look amazing to me. And I have a feeling that other than some very vocal online resistance, most agree with that as well. Angela is an Asgardian that was raised by a race of angels. She's a goddess and wears an armor that makes sense within her iconography. It doesn't show more skin than Wonder Woman's armor and I'm kind of sick of this Puritanism on my comic books. Some very few characters can get away looking bad ass with an armor like the ones Angela and Wonder Woman do. When they become the exception and not the rule, my opinion is that it becomes an asset, not a set back. So let them.

EDIT: Based on the rationale that some of you have, Silver Surfer doesn't make sense, since he is basically a Silver dude with a silver speedo, he is in space so he better cover up. Same for Namor, water is cold why the hell isn't he all covered up? What about Aquaman from DCEU that looks way more cooler than the Rebirth one, someone better cover up Momoa that isn't the clothes of a king. Gah.

[ijacksparrow]

Angela is getting the Premium
Format Figure for a new Guardians of the Galaxy set by Sideshow Collectibles, and the teaser looks like it's shaping up pretty epic:

[kcekada]

I agree with this.


Personally, While I love the name change, I like the long hair and lightning bolt swimsuit better. I thought that it was Carol's OWN symbol and look, to establish herself as her own hero. It was to the extent that one could forget the whole Mar-Vell involvement or be ignorant of it. If one of the goals to present her as the premiere female hero (the Wonder Woman of Marvel) was to cover her up (as any woman who shows skin = pole dancer these days), I wish they would have kept her old look with the lightning bolt, sash, domino mask and long hair, but made the swimsuit a full-on body suit.

I thought the same. That was Carol's defining look -- and it stood out. I don't have any problem retiring the swimsuit -- thought that Wonder Woman looked amazing in tights when she was redesigned for Nu 52, but DC buckled -- and the short shorts stayed. So they didn't use that design -- and they didn't use Mar-Vell's red/black design -- two of the best superhero uniforms to date. Instead we got something that looks kinda Supermanish/Miraclemanish -- and has very little resemblance to anything she's worn before.

As for the long hair debate -- short hair can work in comics, but for a female character who flies -- long hair is a great design element. This isn't real life -- if it was -- all the heroes would be in some kinda dark military gear -- and look boring.