10 Facts All Fans Should Know About Captain Marvel
Carol Danvers, Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, Binary, Warbird, and every other incarnation imaginable is set to make her highly anticipated debut in the MCU. As one of the foremost heroes in existence, Carol has battled through adversity, had her share of trouble, and faced more issues than most. Yet, through it all, she always comes out looking like a shining star.
And for good reason. Carol Danvers is one of the most highly respected heroes in Marvel.
However, she does have a history that very few have. I mean, reading and learning about Carol Danvers are like walking into an unorganized library and trying to figure out which book, to begin with. Fear not. We have searched the library for you and brought you everything that you need to know. Here are 10 things all fans should know about Captain Marvel.
1. Removed from Jessica Jones
Before Jessica Jones crushed it on Netflix, Carol Danvers was set to be Jessica’s super-powered trusted advisor and best friend. With the inclusion of Rachael Taylor’s Trish Walker, this, of course, didn’t happen.
If we sit back and think about it, this makes perfect sense. Trish Walker, for as annoying as she was in the second season, is the compliment to Jessica. While not terribly level-headed, Trish is unpowered. Carol is not. It’d be tough to create and a show around a character who’s only second best.
Even still I can’t help but wonder if the first season would’ve been as good if Carol Danvers was around to put a stop to David Tennant’s Purple Man before he even uttered his first word.
2. Kree/Human Hybrid
Before becoming Ms. Marvel, Carol was a simple human being. She had a day job, watched television at night, and slept in on Saturday’s.
She became Half Kree after she and the original Captain Marvel, Mar-Vell we’re caught in an explosion. The exploded device, “Psyche-Magnetron” caused her D.N.A. to merge with that of Mar-Vell’s and the rest, as they say, is history.
The explosion gave Carol her initial set of powers and turned her Half Human/Half Kree. In essence, it turned her from average human to superpowered, near-God. Of the things all fans should know about Captain Marvel, this may rank #1.
3. Powers no more
The now X-Man, Rogue was once a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. While with them she was tasked to take down Carol Danvers. To do this, she used her mutant ability to temporarily “steal” Carol’s powers. Unfortunately for both parties, she took it a step too far. Not only did she absorb the power set of Ms. Marvel, but she also took her memories and personality. The result was that both Rogue and Carol suffered mental health issues.
And it gets worse.
While Rogue was able to use Ms. Marvel’s power set right away, Carol was left without it. Luckily, overtime Professor Xavier was able to assist Carol and restore her powers. Because Rogue literally took her powers, this is one of the things all fans should know about Captain Marvel.
4. The Brood doubled her power
While under the care of Professor Xavier, Carol went on numerous missions with the X-Men. On one such mission, the team came into contact with the Brood. The Brood took notice of Carol and captured her with the intention to perform a set of experiments. They chose Carol due to their fascination with her Half Human/Half Kree D.N.A.
These experiments, coupled with her exposure to the White Hole resulted in Carol achieving God-like powers and abilities. From this point forward, the playground was no longer even as the powerful Carol Danvers became unfairly powerful. This wouldn’t last forever, as eventually, her heightened abilities died down. All wasn’t lost, however, as Carol was able to retain a portion of the power she received.
5. Called out N.A.S.A.
Carol Danvers was, for a time, a Security Director for N.A.S.A. One of the responsibilities of Security Director saw her tasked with learning all that she could learn about the Kree Empire. This included, but was not limited to The Kree Supreme Intelligence, Mar-Vell, and other members of the race.
During this time, she befriended Mar-Vell and the two wound up caught in an explosion. Aside from giving her an impressive set of powers, Carol began suffering total blackouts. The blackouts, coupled with her inability to bring Mar-Vell into N.A.S.A. resulted in Carol being forced out as Security Director.
Furious, Carol wrote a letter revealing many of NASA’s greatest secrets. Yes, calling out N.A.S.A. is one of the things all fans should know about Captain Marvel.
6. Too many teams
Carol gets around…
To put it into perspective, Carol has been a member of:
What’s more surprising is that this list doesn’t even include her non-super powered time in S.H.I.E.L.D., N.A.S.A., and the United States Air Force. To say that Carol gets around is the understatement of the century. She not only gets around, she proudly does so.
7. Addictions anonymous
Carol, like any you and I, has a breaking point. Hers came after a tragic series of events. Basically, her boyfriend was murdered, she was kidnaped, brainwashed, tortured, and she lost her powers to Rogue. This took its toll on Carol, now called Warbird, and she took to alcohol as a way to deal with her troubles. Like so many others, she needlessly suffered in silence. And it gets worse. As a consequence of her indulgences, she was forced to leave the Avengers.
Luckily, a former alcoholic, current Avenger, and friend, Tony Stark took some time to help Carol. Under his guidance, she recovered and made her way back to the team, stronger and more determined than ever. Her addiction is only one of the two lowest points in Carol’s life. As such, this is definitely one of the things all fans should know about Captain Marvel.
8. Avengers 200
In possibly the darkest time of her life, Carol was kidnaped by a being from off Earth named Marcus Immortus. Under his capture, she was brainwashed, forced to fall in love, impregnated, and sent back to Earth not remembering any of it.
Avengers #200 is one of the most infamous stories in the companies history. Not only did it brutalize the main character, but it also did so in a manner that took the topic far too lightly. At no point did the writers or editors shed some light on their thoughts and reasons for it. The story was so poorly received that Marvel made a failed attempt to retcon it out of existence.
It didn’t work and the damage was done. Carol, the Avengers, and Marvel’s credibility took a hit and they’re still paying for it today. As the darkest moment in Carol’s life, Avengers #200 is, without a doubt, one of the things all fans should know about Captain Marvel.
9. House of M hero
During the House of M storyline, Wanda Maximoff created a reality in which superheroes reigned supreme over their human counterparts. In this reality, Carol Danvers was viewed as the most respected and adored hero in existence. While this may seem great, understand that once reality was restored, Carol was left heartbroken. This occurred because after House of M she was no longer the most respected hero around.
Don’t let that create a misinterpretation of the character. Carol is good to the core and does everything in her power to protect the people of Earth. As such, she has a strong desire to be loved by all those around her. House of M granted her that adoration and then firmly took it away.
10. She’s been on both sides of Civil War
While she didn’t make an appearance in the MCU’s Civil War, Carol did appear in the comic book format.
In the first Civil War, Carol Danvers stood in solidarity beside Tony Stark and the Superhero Registration Act. Right or wrong, her joining Team Iron Man instantly raised the profile of the group. Yet, when a second Civil War broke out, Carol stood against Tony. This Civil War, unlike the first ones desire for a registration act, called for criminals, even potential ones, to be dealt with before they even committed a crime.
Sadly, no matter which Civil War we look at, Carol doesn’t come out looking too good.
And that’s it. 10 facts all fans should know about Carol Danvers. What do you think? Did I miss any? Can you think of any other things all fans should know about Captain Marvel?
Cheers,
Joel
