Is Kamala Khan a Mutant or an Inhuman? Comics vs. MCU
After starring in the ‘Ms. Marvel’ series, Kamala Khan, is set to star alongside Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau in ‘The Marvels.’ But at this point, there are still a lot of people wondering about Kamala’s history and background, considering that her true nature was yet to be fully explained in her own series. In the comics, we know that she became an Inhuman but was also a mutant. So, is Kamala Khan a mutant or an Inhuman?
What is the difference between a mutant and an Inhuman?
If there’s one thing that we know about the world of Marvel, it’s that there are a lot of different beings living on Earth, and some of these beings have physiologies that allow them to have different powers. Two of the most recognizable types of humans are the mutants and the Inhumans because these two types of humans have powers and abilities that normal humans don’t have. But what exactly are the differences between the mutants and the Inhumans?
Mutants are known as Homo superior and were created when the Celestials traveled to Earth and altered the genetic structures of certain human beings. The genetics of these humans were passed on from one generation to another but remained dormant in the mutant gene. As such, even if someone had non-mutant parents, a person can still possess mutant abilities due to the dormant mutant gene.
On the other hand, the Inhumans were humans experimented on by the Kree a long time ago. As such, Inhumans were created as a subspecies of humans with different abilities unique to specific Inhumans. However, while mutants awaken their powers naturally as they age, those with Inhuman genetics can only awaken their powers through the process of terrigenesis, which is a rite of passage that requires an Inhuman to get exposed to Terrigen Mist.
So, in a lot of ways, both the mutants and the Inhumans are similar to one another. But they belong to entirely different subspecies of humans who were experimented on by advanced people a long time ago.
How did Kamala Khan get her powers? (Comics vs. MCU)
One of the most popular characters who possess either or both Inhuman and mutant genes is Kamala Khan. Of course, Kamala has her own comic book storyline in Marvel Comics, as she is known as Ms. Marvel. In the MCU, Kamala starred in the ‘Ms. Marvel’ series and co-stars in ‘The Marvels’ alongside Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau.
In the comics, Kamala was just an ordinary girl with dormant Inhuman genes that she knew nothing about. One day, she got accidentally exposed to Terrigen Mist, as this awakened her dormant Inhuman powers. In the comics, she is a polymorph who can alter the shape and size of her body. The same powers also allowed her to have an accelerated healing factor.
However, one of the things that we also know about Kamala Khan in the comics is that she also has dormant mutant genes. At one point, Professor X revealed that Kamala also had a mutation. But he also said that her status as an Inhuman suppressed her mutant abilities.
As such, in the comics, Kamala is an Inhuman-mutant hybrid, and that means that she possesses the powers and abilities of both sides. This makes her one of the most unique characters in the comics.
Meanwhile, in the MCU, Kamala Khan got her powers differently. She wore a bangle that once belonged to her great-grandmother, and she soon discovered that wearing the bangle allowed her to create light constructs that could solidify and turn into different shapes and objects according to her will.
It was eventually revealed that Kamala’s great-grandmother was a being from a place called the Noor Dimension, which is a dimension where the main source of energy is a light called the Noor. On Earth, those who come from the Noor Dimension are called Djinns. Kamala initially believed that her powers came from the bangle and that anyone with the genetics of a Djinn could use the bangle’s power.
However, near the end of the ‘Ms. Marvel’ series, Kamala’s best friend Bruno said that he studied the genetics of Kamala’s family and realized that there was a dormant mutation in Kamala that allowed her to use the power of the bangle. In contrast, all of the other members of her family didn’t have the powers that she had. As Bruno is revealing this to Kamala, the theme song of the classic 90s ‘X-Men’ animated series starts playing in the background, suggesting that Kamala may have mutant genetics that the other members of her family don’t have.
As such, Kamala’s powers in the MCU come from the fact that she is a hybrid of a Djinn and a mutant. Of course, her ability to create light constructs comes from the bangle. But it is her unique genetics that allowed her to use the power of the bangle, whereas the other members of her family don’t have the same ability.
The reason why she wasn’t made an Inhuman in the MCU is the fact that the MCU has yet to reveal the Inhumans as part of Universe-616. We did see an ‘Inhumans’ series that failed and flopped. As such, Marvel Studios opted not to include them in the main universe of the MCU, though we did see Black Bolt in an alternate universe in ‘Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.’ Meanwhile, the MCU is looking to introduce the X-Men in the future after the Fox acquisition by Disney.
What mutation does Kamala Khan have?
As mentioned, Kamala Khan is both an Inhuman and a mutant in the comics. Meanwhile, in the MCU, she is a hybrid of a mutant and a Djinn. So, what are Kamala’s mutant powers in the comics and the MCU?
In the comics, it is yet to be revealed what her mutation is and what her mutant abilities are. Professor X theorized that undergoing terrigenesis suppressed her mutant powers and abilities. But there’s a chance that she will reveal her powers at one point in the future.
Meanwhile, in the MCU, Kamala’s mutant abilities may be related to the fact that she can use her great-grandmother’s bangle to manipulate light energy. We don’t know the full extent of this story yet, but there’s a good chance that this will be given more light (pun intended) in the future.
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