Though fans have had glimpses of the Marvel Cinematic Universe version ofMs. Marvelin promotional images and clips of upcoming projects, the trailer for the Disney+ series surrounding the character has finally given them more than a glimpse. The trailer kickstarted a lot of discussions for those familiar with Kamala Khan in the comics as to just how she’ll be different in the MCU. One notable difference appears to be her power set, though her family life, personality, and overall themes of her story appear to remain the same.
In the comics, Kamala is a big fan of Captain Marvel who takes on the name Ms. Marvel in honor of her hero after she discovers she’s an Inhuman with the ability to shapeshift and change size to a certain degree. She even dons a costume similar to that worn by Carol Danvers. While she’s still a fan of Carol and other Avengers in the MCU, it doesn’t appear that she’s an Inhuman. Even her power set looks to be different with Kamala gaining her abilities from a bracelet while she attends an exhibit at a superhero convention.
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What The Ms. Marvel Trailer Shows The Audience
The trailer gives the prospectiveMs. Marvelaudiencea brief run-down of the character at school, daydreaming, with her friends, and with her family. It also shows her donning a costume and accessory that makes her glow a little bit. When she uses her powers, that same glow appears throughout the trailer, whether it’s in the projection of a fist from her own arm, or in energy that she’s able to use to stand on and literally walk through air.
MCU fans might say that glow looks familiar, similar to that seen inMonica Rambeau’s eyes when she changesinWandaVisionand exhibits the ability to create a forcefield-like projection of energy as well. Comic book fans might say the abilities look a little “cosmic.” Cosmic energy, as in energy from space that creates change or superpowers, is often the source for a lot of superhero abilities in Marvel Comics.The Fantastic Four, for example, are changed when a mission to space exposes them to huge amounts of cosmic energy. There also happen to be costumes, accessories, weapons, and even vehicles in the comics that are able to harness that energy and use it. Most of them have extraterrestrial origins.
What Are Nega-Bands?
One of the items that acts to harness energy in the comics are the Nega-Bands. They’re usually presented as a pair of bracelets that work together to give the wearer powers, but each bracelet can work without its partner. Multiple pairs of the bracelets exist in the comics, and while they don’t initially harness cosmic energy, they do harness mental energy, transforming it into a physical form of energy.
The original Nega-Bands are millennia old and are utilized by the Kree empire. They are based on the ancient prototype for them, the Quantum Bands,which were created by an Eternal,and used energy from the Quantum Zone. In Marvel Comics, the Quantum Zone is the birthplace of all energy.
There have been multiple people who utilize Nega-Bands in the comics, and for every one of them, the bands will adjust themselves to perfectly fit the person wearing them. Among the people to use them are Mar-Vell,the original Captain Marvelin the comics, and some of his children. Amongst the abilities the wearer ends up with when using them are super strength, super speed, the ability to survive in the vacuum of space, flight, teleportation, and even language translation. A version in an alternate timeline also created holographic projection and allowed the user to track energy signatures. They’re incredibly powerful.
Why The Nega-Bands Make Sense For The MCU
For the purpose of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Carol Danvers is the first Captain Marvel. So, it would be unlikely that Mar-Vell’s Nega-Bands would have ended up on Earth. Considering Carol Danvers spent years among the Kree, believing herself one of them, it’s not out of the realm of possibility for Kree artifacts or technology to be on display on Earth once Carol has become a well-known Avenger during the five years in a post-snap world. That could still provide the Nega-Bands for Kamala Khan to come across.
Kamala’s abilities in the comics are rooted in the Inhuman mythology as well. While the idea of Inhumans on Earth has beenexplored inAgents Of SHIELD(which has been added to the Disney Plus lineup along with theoriginal Netflix Marvel series), whether the show exists in the main timeline of the MCU is still up for interpretation. TheInhumansseries on ABC also didn’t land well with audiences. That could be reason enough for Ms. Marvel to not be revealed as an Inhuman in her own streaming series. The Nega-Bands give her a connection to Carol Danvers without having to introduce a whole new mythology to MCU fans who might not have watchedAgents Of SHIELD.
The Nega-Bands also don’t mean that Kamala can’t develop powers on her own. They provide a way to introduce her as a potential hero to the MCU. There’s still time, as she’s one of the few teenagers with powers in the MCU right now, for her to develop her own power set after the fact - possibly following the loss of the Nega-Bands. They provide a great starting point for the character. If the series decides to use their teleportation abilities, the Nega-Bands also provide another great reason for their use.
With the ability to teleport using them, and survive in space, Kamala could see the Nega-Bands transport her to wherever Carol Danvers actually is in space. Kamala, Carol, and Monica are expected to team up for a more cosmic adventureinThe Marvels, the sequel to theCaptain Marvelmovie. The Nega-Bands allow Kamala a way to travel with the other women in space without needing to don a special suit - and still return to her family on Earth.
Ms. Marvelwill land on Disney Plus on June 8.The Marvelswill hit theaters in 2023.
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