SPOILER WARNING for The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18!
Ms. Marvel may be one of Marvel’s most wholesome heroes, but her latest fight shows that she can also get pretty violent. Kamala Khan has been a hit with fans since her introduction in 2013. Part of this could be because, like many readers, she’s a huge fan of superheroes, but she’s also a great reflection of what a hero should be. The young, Pakistani-American crime-fighter is constantly putting others before herself, and she truly cares about the well-being of everyone. This definitely shines through in the ways she uses her powers, which Marvel just proved can be much more vicious.
Things haven’t been going Ms. Marvel’s way lately. Ever since a disastrous battle at Coles Academic, a ban on underage superheroes has been in place. Thanks to Kamala’s Law, it’s been difficult for the teenager to engage in any heroics, especially with the C.R.A.D.L.E. task force enforcing the ban. After being on the run for months, Kamala finally got some respite when Dum Dum Dugan stepped down as the leader of C.R.A.D.L.E. Now, she’s ready for some relaxation, but sadly, a remnant from her past has resurfaced to make her life a bit harder.
In The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18 by Saladin Ahmed and Minkyu Jung, Kamala and her friends are preparing for their high school’s homecoming dance. With all of the craziness that’s been going on in the young hero’s life, this is just the kind of normal event that she needs in order to unwind. Unfortunately, she doesn’t get to enjoy the dance for long, as she notices a familiar object falling from the sky. When she goes outside to investigate, she is greeted by her old, Kree Nanosuit turned sentient supervillain, Stormranger.
Intent on killing Ms. Marvel, Stormranger unleashes a variety of attacks using morphing abilities similar to Kamala’s. Manifesting hammers, scythes, saws, and morning stars from its own hands, the robotic enemy proves too much for the hero to handle on her own, but luckily, a fellow hero called Amulet shows up to lend a helping hand. Stormranger quickly attempts to take down Amulet with an energy blast, angering Kamala to the point that she turns her hands into spiked slabs and slams them together in an attempt to destroy the robot.
This doesn’t work, and Stormranger, again, gets the upper hand against Ms. Marvel. Just as the robot is ready to deliver the finishing blow though, Amulet creates a massive energy shield, as his love-fueled abilities are being enhanced by Kamala’s worried friends. Now protected, Ms. Marvel tells the villain that if it continues trying to attack, it’ll destroy itself, causing Stormranger to retreat. Victorious, Kamala attempts to make it back for the dance and realizes that it’s already over, but her friends pull up in a car, ready to spend some more time together.
Considering the issue prior to this one saw Ms. Marvel gently placing C.R.A.D.L.E. agents onto rooftops as opposed to even hitting them, the spikey-handed move that she displays in her battle against Stormranger is incredibly brutal. It also shows that, like Spider-Man, Kamala tends to hold back when using her abilities. Luckily, Ms. Marvel’s kind and caring heart will likely prevent her from getting too carried away with her powers, but this knowledge still shows that getting on her bad side can come with serious consequences. The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18 from Marvel Comics is available in stores now.