Since March is Women's History Month, I wanted to do a blog entry talking about a comic starring a female superhero. And as such, I thought it would be a good time to talk about the first issue of a comic starring of one of the Marvel Universe's premiere superheroines: Carol Danvers, aka Ms. Marvel, Binary, and most recently, Captain Marvel.
First appearing in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968), Danvers was created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan. In that issue, Danvers was the security team of an Air Force base working alongside a man named Walter Lawson, who was the secret identity of Mar-Vell, aka Captain Marvel. Mar-Vell superhero that was a member of an alien race known as the Kree. She would end up getting powers of her own.
While this comic's release coincided with the rise of the feminist/Women's Rights Movements in the 1970s, the actual story of the comic coming about was actually not inspired by that. According to writer Gerry Conway, he had gotten a reputation for being the guy that kicks other people off books so he could pen them. It wasn't hard to see why. Conway had become one of Marvel's most prolific writers in the 1970s, having spent time on Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Amazing Adventures, as well as co-creating Man-Thing, Jack Russell (the original Werewolf by Night), and also introduced Dracula into the Marvel Universe.
Conway wanted a book of his own so that he wouldn't end up taking over for another writer that was kicked off. He basically asked then-publisher Stan Lee (He had transitioned to that role in 1972) to give him a book. Stan was developing She-Hulk, and the idea of another female superhero using the Marvel name. And Ms. Marvel was born.
This first Ms. Marvel series lasted 25 issues, from 1977 to 1979. A second volume (2006-2010) would last 50 issues, as well as get an annual and three specials. And in 2014, a third Ms. Marvel title would be launched, but with a new character you may have heard of: Kamala Khan. So, how did this first adventure go. Did this foreshadow Carol's rise to prominence, or was it a stumbling block? Let's find out in Ms. Marvel #1!
The story begins in New York City, naturally. The Marvel Universe loves giving attention to the Big Apple. A bank robbery is in progress, and the police are going to need some help.
Luckily, the cops do get some, in the form of our heroine. To the awe of onlookers, she is easily able to take care of the robbers. However, one of them is not an ordinary robber.
Page 7, Panel 3
Yup, it's Mac Gargan, aka the original Scorpion. He's one of Spider-Man's regular sparring buddies. He makes off with the money, taking advantage of Carol's being unaware of him. She heads back to the Daily Bugle, passing by Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. It's from Watson we learn that J. Jonah Jameson wants to give Carol an editor job, and that she recognizes Parker's photography work.
Elsewhere, Scorpion makes his way to a hidden lab, getting through the traps and defenses.
Page 11, Panel 3
The gentleman's name is Kerwin Korman. He runs this lab, using it to build weapons for groups like HYDRA. And he's done. He wants to retire. Go to Hawaii, enjoy the beaches, drink some mai-tais, that kind of thing.
Carol takes Mary Jane to her apartment. The redhead notes that Carol's place is actually pretty nice, one that an editor is unlikely to afford. Thing is, Carol also has another source of income: Royalties. What from, you may ask. Well, writing. She wrote a book about the space industry, and it ended up becoming a best-seller. I am presuming her agent got her a sweet royalty deal, as it made her a nice ton of money.
MJ recalls that Danvers once worked security at Cape Kennedy when Mar-Vell, the first Captain Marvel, debuted in Captain Marvel #1 (May 1968). MJ wonders why she left that job. Carol points out she did not. After Mar-Vell's debut and due to her inability to catch him (not to mention she ended up getting powers herself), it wrecked her career. As such, she returned to writing, which she described as her first love. I can relate to her on that.
She's talking about how she's very happy with things at the moment, when a headache hits.
Somebody get this woman an aspirin! She's been getting headaches lately since coming to New York. Maybe it's something in the air? I mean, considering how often that city gets hit by superhero/supervillain brawls, God only knows what kind of stuff is floating around.
Carol staggers away to her bedroom and collapses onto her bed. Maybe she just needs some sleep.
Back to the Daily Bugle building! J. Jonah Jameson has arrived at the Bugle, grumbling about his chauffeur's lack of punctuality. To be fair to the guy, Jameson told him to meet him at the south exit, yet Jameson went to the north exit. Jameson can never admit that he made a mistake. And then the Scorpion strikes.
Page 13, Panel 5
With Jameson out like a light, Scorpion carries him off, planning on killing him. Ms. Marvel flies through the skies, her "seventh sense" warning her too late of Jameson's abduction. Sounds like she needs a refund on it. She arrives at the Daily Bugle building, where she meets Joe "Robbie" Robertson, the city editor. She ten somehow senses that the Scorpion has Jameson in a building located in Brooklyn. Some guards appear, but she has no time to explain, as she has to get to Jameson.
She's got to be quick, as the Scorpion has got Jameson in...quite a bind.
Page 15, Panel 4
We get a recount of the events of Amazing Spider-Man #20, and how Mac Gargan was transformed into the Scorpion. Gargan is stuck in his Scorpion suit as a result, and he wants revenge on Jameson for it. He pulls the lever, watching Jameson slowly go down into the pit. Carol has gotten to the building, but she encounters several traps on her journey through it, including lasers and trap doors. Naturally, she gets through it and seemingly knocks him flat.
However, the Scorpion is able to mount a comeback thanks to Ms. Marvel being distracted. You see, the comic has shown her expressing confusion over whether she is human...or a Kree soldier.
We'll get to it. Scorpion wonders why she wears a costume similar to the Mar-Vell Captain Marvel's own red-and-blue duds. This causes some memories to jar loose, revealing she got her powers because of the Kree. She doesn't know who she is. She's been experiencing blackouts as well. But that doesn't matter, as she is focused on handing the Scorpion his tail. She tosses him into a vat of acid. His costume is able to protect him from the worst of it, but it still burns and hurts him. The shrieking superhuman runs for his life.
She manages to rescue Jameson, and the day is saved. In an epilogue, an angry JJ demands Carol look into this mysterious new heroine. As she heads to her office, she starts thinking about what happened between them to make Jameson that mad. Considering that she's a costumed heroine and Jameson is, well...Jameson, it's not hard to figure out. The story ends with her sitting at her desk, thinking about Ms. Marvel...and her own strange blackouts.
The superheroine who is unaware she is a superheroine is a very interesting hook, in my opinion. A lot can be explored, and this can also be used for laughs...or for horror. I also liked seeing Peter and Mary Jane make a cameo in
If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Ms. Marvel Epic Collection Vol. 1: The Woman who Fell to Earth. Thanks for reading this blog entry!
