Mainstream audiences met Carol Danvers in 2019's wildly divisive Captain Marvel. The MCU's take on Captain Marvel has millions of fans and even some haters. Still, even her harshest critics admit that her arrival was an undeniable game-changer for the cinematic universe.
In the comic books, Danvers isn't the only character to take on the Captain Marvel mantle. Indeed, many others assumed the title at one point or another, from Mar-Vell to Monica Rambeau. They all left their mark on the role, contributing to its legacy and cementing its place in the Marvel Universe.
Mar-Vell Was The Original Captain Marvel
Captain Mar-Vell debuted during the Silver Age of comic books as a Kree spy sent to Earth to determine if humans were a threat to the Empire. Under the fake identity of Walter Lawson, he begins his reconnaissance mission, occasionally using his powers to save humans in peril.
Mar-Vell was a gifted soldier, tactician, and highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant, supported by his superhuman strength and durability. He had a device called "universal beam" during his early appearances, which was first a gun before he converted it to a wrist-mounted weapon.
Mar-Vell Spent Time In The Negative Zone
Because of his heroic deeds on Earth, the Kree Empire declared Mar-Vell a traitor and summoned him to trial. After the jury sentences him to death, he escapes in a rocket and spends several days adrift in space. Ronan the Accuser, one of the MCU's best villains from Phase 2, finds him and coerces him into supporting a plot to overthrow the Supreme Intelligence.
The plan fails, and Mar-Vell tries returning to Earth. However, he becomes trapped in the Negative Zone after being hit by a blast of energy. He would spend years trapped, only escaping for brief periods thanks to his mental link with Rick Jones.
Mar-Vell Erns The Title "Protector Of The Universe"
Once he escapes the Negative Zone, Mar-Vell becomes a frequent ally to the Avengers. He eventually clashes with the Mad Titan himself, Thanos, who wishes to gain the Cosmic Cube's power. Thanos becomes a dangerous threat for the universe, and the cosmic entity Kronos even creates Drax the Destroyer to aid in Thanos' defeat.
Mar-Vell becomes the "Protector of the Universe" during this conflict and gains "cosmic awareness." Eventually, he destroys the Cube, undoing the Titan's actions and defeating him. Thanos is one of Marvel's mightiest villains, and Mar-Vell cemented his place in the pantheon of Marvel's heroes by defeating him more than once.
Mar-Vell Dies In Titan
After years of adventure and heroism, Mar-Vell discovers he has cancer. His powerful Nega-Bands keep the illness at bay but also make his body reject any form of treatment. The Kree Empire still considers him a traitor and refuses to aid him, so he accepts his inevitable death.
Mar-Vell's friends gather in Titan to pay their final respects. Even the Skrulls send him a medal, acknowledging him as their greatest foe ever. Thanos appears before him during his last moments to guide him to Death's domains, and the two depart to the afterlife as equals.
Monica Rambeau Gained Her Powers In An Accident
The second Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, debuted during the last days of the Bronze Age. Born in New Orleans, Rambeau worked as a cargo ship captain. She stumbles across a plan to create a dangerous weapon, and while trying to stop it, becomes exposed to extra-dimensional energy.
She gains the ability to transform her body into pure energy as a result. The media dubs her Captain Marvel, and she decides to fight crime under that name. The Thing informs her about Mar-Vell, and how he also used that name.
Monica Rambeau Briefly Loses Her Powers
Monica eventually replaces the Wasp and leads one of the best Avengers rosters, guiding them through battles against the X-Men, the Olympian Gods, and the Super-Adaptoid. During a battle with Marrina, who became the giant monster Leviathan, Monica transforms into a massive lightning bolt to try and stop the beast. However, she accidentally touches the water, conducting herself across the ocean's surface. She barely recovers her physical form because her atoms are so widely dispersed, re-emerging a weak and powerless woman. With no other option, Monica relinquishes her spot on the team.
Mar-Vell's Children Become Captain Marvel
Mar-Vell's children, Genis and his younger sister, Phyla-Vell, become the third and fourth Captain Marvel, respectively. However, their tenures are short-lived. Genis eventually becomes a supervillain named Legacy and dies after Baron Zemo separates him into pieces and traps them in the Darkforce dimension.
For her part, Phyla-Vell assumes the Captain Marvel mantle after her brothers' defeat. However, she eventually abandons the title to become the new Quasar. Finally, she becomes Martyr after her tenure as part of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Phyla-Vell is one of Marvel's most underrated LGBTQ+ figures and has a relationship with the telepath Moondragon.
Monica Rambeau Goes By Several Names
Unlike Mar-Vell, who stuck with the Captain Marvel moniker for his entire existence, Monica experimented with different names throughout her history. After regaining her powers, she meets Mar-Vell's son, Genis, who goes by Captain Marvel. Out of respect for Mar-Vell's legacy, she adopts a new alias, Photon.
Genis later also steals the Photon name, forcing Rambeau to adopt a new identity, Pulsar. During Morgan LeFay's cursed period, she goes by the name Daystar. Finally, during the Infinity storyline, she adopted the moniker Spectrum.
Carol Danvers Plays A Key Role In Secret Wars
Once she becomes the only Captain Marvel, Carol rejoins the Avengers as one of its central members. During the Secret Wars storyline, she leads her own team, the Carol Corps, an all-female group of fighter pilots stationed at an airbase, Hala Field.
During this time, Danvers also becomes a member of A-Force, one of the many Marvel comic teams yet to debut in the MCU, and fights Battleworld's controlling forces. Secret Wars and another storyline, Civil War II, cemented Danvers' place in Marvel comics and paved the way for her big-screen debut.
Carol Danvers Was Ms. Marvel Before Becoming Captain Marvel
Like Mar-Vell, Carol Danvers also debuted in the Silver Age of comic books. She gained superpowers when her DNA got mixed with Mar-Vell's after an explosion. As a human-Kree hybrid, her abilities included superhuman strength, enhanced durability, speed, and stamina. Her suit also granted her the ability to fly.
Danvers becomes Captain Marvel for the first time during Scarlet Witch's fake reality, House of M. However, it wasn't until 2012 that she officially became the new Captain Marvel, after years of supporting the Avengers, including playing a central role in the Secret Invasion crossover.