In Marvel Comics, Captain Marvel and WandaVision's Monica Rambeau secretly shares Loki's most iconic power. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding at a prodigious rate, and as a result viewers are increasingly being introduced to superheroes they've never encountered before. One such hero is Monica Rambeau, introduced in Captain Marvel and WandaVision, and set to return in Secret Invasion and The Marvels. Monica is one of the Marvel heroes who's gone by a number of different codenames in the comics, even calling herself Captain Marvel for a time.
Monica's powers haven't fully evolved in the MCU, but in the comics she's one of Marvel's most powerful heroes. Her body is essentially composed of light itself, and she can manipulate every part of the electromagnetic spectrum - visible light, x-rays, microwaves, even the gamma radiation associated with the Hulk. She can shift her body through these different wavelengths, and even travel at the same speed as the energy she's become, meaning she can move as fast as light itself. Her energy blasts have staggered some of Marvel's most dangerous villains, including even Thanos the Mad Titan.
Most fans focus on Monica's more spectacular powers. One that's generally forgotten, though, is that her ability to manipulate light means she's a master of illusions. In issue #3 of Al Ewing and Kenneth Rockafort's Ultimates run, for example, there's a tremendous moment where Monica conceals herself inside Captain Marvel's reflection, and then freaks her friend out by speaking to her. It's the kind of trick Loki would be delighted with, and it opens up the potential for far more abilities - illusion-casting and, of course, shapeshifting.
There's a tendency for both fans and writers to only focus on combat powers, failing to realize there are more imaginative uses of powers than merely projecting energy blasts. Al Ewing is an exception; one of Marvel's most creative writers, in his Ultimates run he took the time to develop a number of key Marvel heroes, several of whom are coming to the MCU in Phase 4. That's led to some speculation Marvel is set to launch a big-screen version of the Ultimates.
Of course, the real magic in Ewing's scene isn't just Monica's power; it's also her personality. The highlight of this scene is Monica's sense of humor, as she pushes the boundaries of her abilities while also trying to freak Captain Marvel out. As she explains to Carol Danvers when she morphs back into her normal form, "I thought of it and I just had to try it." Hopefully the MCU's version of Monica will demonstrate the same humor as she interacts with Captain Marvel in the MCU.