People who don’t keep up with the what’s what of the Marvel comics might think that Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel are the same.
The short answer to that is: no, the two characters in the Marvel Universe are not the same person. Captain Marvel wasn’t always female, and the name Ms. Marvel actually came from the current Captain Marvel herself.
Confusing, right? We’ll ease that in a bit. We’ll even let you in on who would win in a Ms. Marvel vs Captain Marvel battle.
Captain Marvel or Ms. Marvel - Who Wins?
Both Marvels have something else in common other than their names -- both of their powers come from the Kree. But if we’re truly anal about the fact, the name Captain Marvel didn’t even originate from Marvel Comics -- Fawcett Comics created it.
In 1939, Fawcett Comics published the very first edition of Captain Marvel. Like Superman’s storyline, Captain Marvel had great power, wore a cape and could fly, and saved innocent civilians. DC noticed and sued Fawcett for “copyright infringement.”
This move may seem drastic when you think about it (as comic book heroes nowadays are mostly ripped off from one another), but DC Comics was especially spiteful. Captain Marvel comic books were outselling their beloved Superman at his peak. Naturally, Fawcett lost the lawsuit to the bigger publishing house and ceased to produce any more comics. They sold the rights to their superheroes, including Captain Marvel, to DC in 1972.
In the 1960s, 15 years after Fawcett released their last Captain Marvel title, Marvel Comics acquired all rights to the Captain Marvel name and created their first iteration of the Marvel comics character. DC relaunched this superhero as Shazam!
After that brief history lesson, let’s get back to the matter at hand. It’s worth noting that Captain Marvel far exceeds Ms. Marvel in terms of powers and abilities, so there is no question as to who would win in a fight between the two.
Background
Carol Danvers was the first character to don the Ms. Marvel mantle (with Sharon Ventura and supervillain Karla Sofen succeeding her). Carol Danvers (played by Brie Larson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) was an officer in the USAF when she was caught in an explosion involving Mar-Vell, a Kree warrior.
Carol Danvers woke up with powers similar to that of Mar-Vell (including energy projection), joined the Avengers team, and became sort of like a female counterpart to Captain Marvel. The catch was that Carol Danvers had no memories of her stints as Ms. Marvel, and the superhero couldn’t remember being Carol Danvers.
In 2012, after Mar-Vell’s death, Carol assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel to honor his death.
On the other hand, the most current Ms. Marvel is Kamala Khan, the first Muslim character in the Marvel Universe. She is a young Inhuman -- meaning her human ancestors were given powers by the ancient Kree -- but didn’t know it at the time. As a teenager, Kamala Khan loved reading comics and looked up to other heroes.
When the Terrigen bomb exploded, the latent Inhuman powers within people like Kamala Khan activated. The character discovered that she had the powers of shapeshifting, elasticity, and more and decided to become a symbol of hope to the world, just like her idol. Kamala Khan took on the Ms. Marvel name.
Also Read: Captain Marvel vs Superman
Fighting Skills
As time passed, Kamala proved she was worthy of superhero status. She protects the streets of New Jersey and has partnered with a few heroes, such as Wolverine and even Carol Danvers herself. She has the ability to stretch and morph her limbs, just like Mr. Fantastic.
Abilities
Ms. Marvel is a polymorph, meaning she has the power to deform, compress, stretch, and expand her body in any way she chooses to. Kamala can also alter her physical appearance to take on other people's appearance and even mimic inanimate objects to blend into her surroundings.
Kamala also has excellent healing properties and can rapidly recover from gunshot wounds.
Weapons & Tools
Ms. Marvel wears a biokinetic suit, which is a malleable uniform made out of polymer. She also wears a hollow compartment bracelet on her left arm to hold small belongings.
Shop The Marvel Collection NowAlso Read: Captain Marvel vs Scarlet Witch
Captain Marvel
Background
Mar-Vell was a Kree warrior, more specifically of the Pink Kree race. The Pink Kree were more physically and biologically similar to humans than Blue Kree were and was a direct result of the Blue Kree interbreeding with other humanoid races in other worlds.
Mar-Vell was chosen as a spy on Earth to see if humans were a potential threat to the future of the Kree. Upon witnessing Dr. Walter Lawson die in an accident, he assumes his identity in order to become a more effective spy. On his first mission in Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, he meets Carol Danvers.
After a jealous commanding officer sabotages one of his studies, Mar-Vell emerges in public donning his sky blue costume to fight off a rogue Kree sentry. Onlookers watch him defeat the sentry, but before the sentry went down, he called him by his real name: Mar-Vell. He is eventually acclaimed as a hero and the first Captain Marvel.
Fighting Skills
Captain Marvel was trained in all forms of Kree combat and even the centuries-old fighting style of Kree as a war officer. Of course, he also possessed a superior knowledge of war strategy and tactics.
Abilities
How strong is Captain Marvel? Mar-Vell’s super humanoid agility and reflexes make him one of the strongest Kree. He also has superior durability, meaning he cannot get impacted by pressure and high altitude falls.
Just like other Kree, he is also resistant to poisons, toxins, and diseases.
Weapons & Tools
Captain Marvel’s most popular weapon is the Nega-Band, a powerful relic from the Kree empire. These golden bands allow the wearer to convert mental energy to physical energy and help them become resistant to many different attacks. Other Marvel characters who wielded Nega-Bands were Hank Pym and Star-Lord.
Hand to Hand Combat
In hand-to-hand combat, there is no doubt that Captain Marvel would win over Ms. Marvel. Captain Marvel has the upper hand when it comes to combat, and although Kamala has the enthusiasm most young people do, it’s hard to imagine her winning over someone more experienced.
Stealth Fighting
We’ll give the round of stealth to Ms. Marvel, as this Marvel character can take on the appearance of inanimate objects on the battlefield for the element of surprise.
Also Read: Captain Marvel vs Thor
FAQs
How is Ms. Marvel connected to Captain Marvel?
The only thing that connects Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel is that both their powers come from the Kree. Aside from that, they are two different people.
How did Ms. Marvel become Captain Marvel?
Carol Danvers obtained superpowers from a Kree weapon explosion involving her and the original Captain Marvel, and she first assumed the Ms. Marvel title. Upon Captain Marvel’s death in 2012, she dropped the Ms. in her superhero name and went by Captain Marvel instead.
Will Ms. Marvel have her own movie, like Captain Marvel?
Yes, Ms. Marvel will have her own live-action series set to debut in 2022. Kamala Khan will be played by Iman Vellani. [1]
There’s also The Marvels to watch out for, starring Brie Larson (Carol Danvers) and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau). We’re expecting to see a team-up between Carol Danvers, Kamala Khan, and Monica Rambeau here! Here's a list of our favorite Marvel movies.
Why are people confused if Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel are the same?
Those who don’t follow the comics are often confused about Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel. This is understandable as they have similar names, but no, they’re not the same person.
So, Who Wins The Battle?
Captain Marvel will dominate this battle, no doubt about it. Not only is he more experienced, but he is also an esteemed war hero that could take on far stronger adversaries.
Although Ms. Marvel’s heart is in the right place, she definitely needs to undergo years of training in order to be able to take on the abilities of Captain Marvel.
If you're looking for Marvel merch, check out our collection.
Shop The Marvel Collection NowReferences:
- https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/ms-marvel-release-date-trailer-cast-mcu-disney-plus
