Warning: Spoilers for Ms. Marvel episode 4
One fight in Ms. Marvel episode 4 proves that Spider-Man’s snark doesn’t work for every MCU superhero. The wall-crawler has a long-held reputation for not taking his fights seriously as many of his contemporaries. Kamala’s first real superhero fight in her Disney+ series indicates that this is a quality she shares.
Despite the fact that Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan comes from a completely different cultural background, quite a few interesting parallels can be drawn between her character and Spider-Man, the biggest of which being her status as a teenage superhero. Like Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, Kamala is a normal high school student who has found herself flung into an unfamiliar world. The first few episodes of her MCU show have chronicled her slow evolution into a superhero, with her developing a grasp over her new abilities and an understanding of her origin. Ms. Marvel episode 4 provided an extra step forward in her journey by giving Kamala her first-ever fight with a super-powered opponent.
Though Kamala was up against an enemy with unknown intentions at the time, Kamala took a less-than-serious approach to the matter and bantered back and forth with Aramis Knight's Red Dagger. The scene has a lot in common with how Spider-Man typically fights his villains in the comics, the movies, and his animated shows. The big difference though, is that most of the quips used by Kamala and Red Dagger failed to land, such was the case with the exchange about Kamala’s outfit and the unfunny references to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Donkey Kong. The awkward feel of Ms. Marvel episode 4’s humor leaves the sense that Spider-Man’s snark doesn’t suit just anyone.
Insulting his enemies’ moves, taking jabs at their names, and making wisecracks about their costumes all while trying to win a fight is a staple of Spider-Man’s stories and a point of annoyance to his villains that goes all the way back to his conception in the early 1960s. It’s one of the most popular aspects of his character, but not something that’s exclusive to him. Several other superheroes have a tendency to take this approach from time to time as well, but Ms. Marvel episode 4 indicates that Kamala and Red Dagger shouldn’t be among them – or at least, not until they get better material.
The snark that’s typically incorporated in Spider-Man’s battles perfectly suits all three live-action versions of Peter Parker. As for the MCU’s newest teenage superhero, on the other hand, the jury is still out and whether or not her adventures can make good use of this type of comedy relief. For now, Ms. Marvel’s ability to deliver quips and witty one-liners during the heat of battle leaves much to be desired.
Ms. Marvel releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney+.
