Warning: contains a preview of Amazing Spider-Man #26!The controversial death of fan-favorite hero Ms. Marvel is officially underway in a new preview for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man. The current run of Spider-Man comics has been met with mixed critical reception. Not only did it try to hook readers with a long-running mystery regarding a mysterious misdeed by Spider-Man, but it also officially ended the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. However, no reveal has been as upsetting for this run as the leaked death of Ms. Marvel that happened earlier in May.
The released preview pages for the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man #26 by Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr. place Ms. Marvel on full display both in her hero outfit and as her alter ego Kamala Khan. She's first shown applying for an internship position nine months in the past to work closely with Norman Osborn and monitor his actions. Then, it flash-forwards to present day when she arrives on the scene to aid Spider-Man, Mary Jane and Gold Goblin in taking on the Emissary. These pages paint a foreboding image for the fight that lies ahead, even as fans know what's coming due to the leaks.
Ms. Marvel Flashback Foreshadows Her Death
What's startling about this preview is how clear it's made that Ms. Marvel will die in the coming pages. Kamala saying she will do "whatever it takes" to keep up with Osborn is seemingly a parallel to Black Widow infamously saying the phrase before her death in the film Avengers: Endgame. It's a saying that ultimately telegraphs the character will die for the greater good. It's made even clearer what's coming when Ms. Marvel arrives at the last second to hear the Emissary proclaim that he will "be reborn the God of Death." It couldn't be clearer what's coming, even though Ms. Marvel has existed firmly in the background over the series so far.
The Controversy of Ms. Marvel's Death Was Unavoidable
Marvel has since released the definitive image of Ms. Marvel's death (above), lending these moments a sense of grim inevitability, but this choice was always going to be incredibly controversial, whether readers went in with foreknowledge or not. The choice has encounter so much controversy among readers for many reasons. Comics in particular have a long history of 'fridging' female characters - killing or harming them just to motivate a man - and it's highly notable that a character who has starred in multiple solo series is now dying in a Spider-Man book. This has been exacerbated by images of the death and the upcoming Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel spotlighing characters who relate to Spider-Man rather than Kamala Khan.
There's also the sense that Marvel has failed to capitalize on Ms. Marvel's initial success over the last few years, allowing its most prominent Muslim hero to languish, and fan belief that the comic death has been dictated to create synergy with the MCU and upcoming film The Marvels, rather than as a sincere or rewarding creative choice. While this controversy exploded due to leaked information, all these points would have arisen anyway - at the latest, when this preview was released.
While Ms. Marvel will surely be resurrected soon, The Amazing Spider-Man #26 will continue to be talked about for years as one of the most controversial twists in Marvel Comics history. While this preview clearly sets up Kamala Khan for a heroic sacrifice against a godlike enemy, it's unlikely the single-issue execution will change the discussion, given complaints focus on a bigger picture of how Marvel has treated (and wasted) Ms. Marvel in recent memory.
Amazing Spider-Man #26 is coming from Marvel Comics May 31.