Ms. Marvel becomes Captain Marvel

[Dread]

This move was teased by Bleeding Cool at least a week before it was confirmed and it was deemed probable by me; I covered it in last week's news article for Examiner. I'm of two minds about it.

On the one hand, I'd argue Carol was past due to be called Captain Marvel. While she originally started out as Mar-Vell's romantic interest and later his female heroine spin-off, she has outlasted Mar-Vell in publication as well as in the public eye. Considering people who had never or barely knew Mar-Vell got to assume the mantle, it makes little sense to deny Carol that name since she was working alongside him back when she was with the military. The fact that Mar-Vell has been dead longer than most fans have been alive is also in her favor. Marvel is very short on iconic heroines who have any sort of solo career outside a team, and Ms. Marvel is about all they have besides She-Hulk. "Ms. Marvel" was an edgy name back in the 70's when women's lib was a "fad", but it's a different era now.

In a way, this may make Carol the Marvel heroine who has had the most codenames. She's been Ms. Marvel, Binary, and Warbird previously; this will be her 4th. Even Monica Rambeau, formerly Capt. Marvel herself, hasn't had as many names since (I think Pulsar and Photon being them). Nobody can match Hank Pym in the spare codenames dept, though.

While I assume Marvel wanted to get Carol out of her leggy swimsuit to spark this name change, I have to say I'm not a fan of the butch haircut. They've run the risk of confusing her with Power Girl with a smaller rack. If they wanted her hair to look less "model ish", couldn't she have simply braided it into a ponytail? Her new suit seems inspired by her first one, only covering more skin to appease soccer moms and feminists - yet she hasn't lost the stupid sash.

Seriously, sashes are lame. The ghost of Corsair should haunt anyone in Marvel who wears one.

The mask version does look a bit dumb; more used to the domino mask she's worn forever.

At the very least, CAPTAIN MARVEL will fill Marvel Comics' quota of one (and ONLY one) superhero comic starring a woman.

 

[Havok83]

yet she hasn't lost the stupid sash.

Seriously, sashes are lame. The ghost of Corsair should haunt anyone in Marvel who wears one.

I think thats about adding a feminine element to the costume. If it werent for her boobs, she could easily be confused with a man. She looks like one in the preview images flying forward

 

[Havok83]

Check out these two tweaks I made

 

[Dread]

I think thats about adding a feminine element to the costume. If it werent for her boobs, she could easily be confused with a man. She looks like one in the preview images flying forward

I suppose, although I imagine she'll have the same poses that most female heroes do; a lot of brokebacks, etc.

I know the sash was from her second, iconic costume, but I'm not a fan of it.

 

[WOLVERINE25TH]

Functional as in some kind of armor. Of course a swimsuit will be functional if all you care about is just movement. I simply refuse to believe anyone would engage in some kind of fight with their ass hanging out. All that costume was was wank material, just like Witchblade's "armor" and Invisible Woman's 1990s suit.

The mask and hair definitely make the suit look better in those tweaks. The sash, though, looks better in the first than the second. I'm guessing that's gonna be an element that depends on who's drawing it as to how good it will look from case to case.

 

[The Question]

I always liked her Black outfit. They could have just given that one pants. That would have been nice.

Anyway, yeah, I do dig the name change.

 

[Havok83]

Functional as in some kind of armor. Of course a swimsuit will be functional if all you care about is just movement. I simply refuse to believe anyone would engage in some kind of fight with their ass hanging out. All that costume was was wank material, just like Witchblade's "armor" and Invisible Woman's 1990s suit.

She's invlunerable. She doesnt need armor

I always liked her Black outfit. They could have just given that one pants. That would have been nice.

You mean almost like this?

 

[Manic]

Functional as in some kind of armor. Of course a swimsuit will be functional if all you care about is just movement. I simply refuse to believe anyone would engage in some kind of fight with their ass hanging out. All that costume was was wank material, just like Witchblade's "armor" and Invisible Woman's 1990s suit.

She's invlunerable. She doesnt need armor

Not that her new suit looks like it provides armor of any kind. It looks like the same thin, painted-on material as her black suit. She just happens to be covering her shoulders and upper thighs now.

Make all the comments you want about a female superhero's costume that involve your own personal aesthetics or whether it's sexist, but let's not sit here and pretend that covering up the remaining two-thirds of her thighs is somehow more "functional."

 

[Harlekin]

The T&A factor heavily depends on the artist. George Perez never made the Ms. Marvel outfit lewd. And although I prefer that costume, this isn't a bad move, since Carol does deserve the Captain moniker. I would still prefer a ponytail (if she can't keep her long hair - Havok83's edits look good) and a domino mask though.

As for codenames... as noted you've got Monica Rambeau (Capt. Marvel/Photon/Pulsar), but also Jean Grey (Marvel Girl/Phoenix/just Jean) and Jessica Jones (Jewel/Knightress and now Power Woman). But then there's DC's Ayla Ranzz (Lightning Lass/Light Lass/Gossamer/Live Wire/Spark), although her Legion origins convolute matters, naturally. Donna Troy's been Wonder Girl, Darkstar, Troia and Wonder Woman.

But on the Marvel front, really the only one who can compete is Julie Power, aka Lightspeed aka Molecula aka Starstreak and her sister Katie (Energizer/Starstreak/Counterweight).

 

[Havok83]

From Tom Brevoort

Cool for Carol Danvers! Will she still be with an Avengers team when her own series starts? Really like her dynamic with the NA

No plans to take Carol out of the Avengers.

 

[runawayboulder]

I'd trust a middle eastern dictator before I'd trust Brevoort.

 

[SuperFerret]

I'd trust a middle eastern dictator before I'd trust Brevoort.

How about an Eastern European one?

 

[Dark Raven]

This better just be a passing fad. Her iconic costume is much more recognisable and classic. It's like ditching Wonder Woman's classic costume... no wait..

Or Spider-Man's classic costume. They always have to go back to that eventually.

I thought Carol already went by Captain Marvel before at some point but went back to Ms Marvel.

Why can't she still be Ms Marvel? I prefer that name. If Marvel also want her to be a Captain in rank, that's fine. She could have both names, just like in Star Trek, Spock is informally referred to as Mr Spock, but was actually Lt Commander Spock (or later Captain Spock in the movies from Star Trek 2 onwards). Carol could be both Ms Marvel and Captain Marvel.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Why can't she look like this? But with long hair?

 

[Dark Raven]

^ That's how she did look in her original costume. But not just like that picture but with long hair, because then she'd look like a long haired man.

Her original costume is an iconic look too:

I loved the bare navel and bare legs.

 

[Franklin Richards]

Captain Marvel isn't showing his mid drift and legs like he's Brittany Spears. And of course I want her to have her boobs and not look like a man.

Focus!

 

[Dark Raven]

^ Well I want to see Ms Marvel's sexy midriff and legs. Yes, it does induce navel gazing, but so what?

 

[Harlekin]

The only time Carol was Captain Marvel was during House of M.

 

[Havok83]

 

[Dark Raven]

Ugh. They can't really hope that this new image of her is going to compare with the iconic image everyone knows.

Ms Marvel in her classic black costume is already on lots of promotional Marvel material and advertising. She's one of the featured heroes at Madame Taussaud's wax museum in London.

The new costume is just ghastly.

 

[runawayboulder]

They should have kept it simple and left the outfit and swapped the black parts for the red.

 

[Tron Bonne]

Call me nuts, but I like the dyke cut

The mask, however, I could probably take or leave.

 

[Dark Raven]

This just looks like a Rob Liefeld drawing of the male Captain Marvel.

 

[Red Mask]

What does everyone think? New costume, new codename, new ongoing series created by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Dexter Soy. Hate her with the short hair and it seems they sucked out all the sex appeal she had. Way too covered up compared to her 2 most iconic looks. I think Im also going to miss her having the Ms. Marvel codename

I can accept the reasons they've given to make this change. But that's basically Miracleman's costume!

Otherwise, I'm looking forward to this. I hope they won't make the same mistakes of constant guest stars and not following up on previous storylines. Her first year should have an overall plot, like it were one long story. Don't let her falter regardless of sales, let there be a real arc to establish her character.

 

[Havok83]

This is like the most she's been talked about like EVER

I can accept the reasons they've given to make this change. But that's basically Miracleman's costume!

What costume? Can you post an image? (sorry not too familiar with him)