Warning: contains spoilers for Captain Marvel #36!

Marvel may kill the popular Captain Marvel and replace her with a brand-new character born of pure energy. Carol Danvers has skyrocketed in popularity ever since she debuted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with 2019's Captain Marvel. The film went on to gross $1.128 billion at the international box office, but Captain Marvel #36 teases the possible end of Carol Danvers' regardless of her film success.

However, Marvel isn't teasing replacing Carol Danvers with a wholly original character, nor a preexisting superhero who once adopted the Captain Marvel name (and in the current Last of the Marvels story arc, there are plenty). Rather, the potential replacement is born of Carol's own energy - and one of Carol's former superhero names. Danvers has admittedly gone by many, beginning with Ms. Marvel and Warbird, but her second moniker before becoming Captain Marvel (she took the name in 2012 after the death of the original Captain Marvel) was Binary.

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At the end of the previous issue, Captain Marvel summons all of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy and her fellow Marvels to fight the black-suited army fielded by the villain Vox Supreme. Among the warriors fighting against the army is Binary, a white-suited manifestation of Carol Danvers' incredible energy-based powers. Unfortunately, Carol has belatedly realized Binary's effect on her own abilities; her own energy reserves are low. "Is that because I gave up a lot of energy to create Mini-Me over there and haven't been able to recharge?" thinks Carol. "Or is her very existence siphoning energy from me?"

Carol Danvers has had difficulties with energy manipulation and absorption in the past, most notably during her ill-fated quest to learn magic from the Enchantress in Captain Marvel #28. Trapped under the ocean floor, Craol was forced to tap into a geothermal vent to replenish enough of her energy to rocket back to the ocean surface. This proves that Carol can lose enough energy if she expends too much after a fight - or if she inadvertently uses a tremendous amount to manifest an entirely separate being.

As of now, Binary appears to have Captain Marvel's best interests in mind, and even fights by her side. But while Carol Danvers can survive with low reserves of energy, she absolutely needs those reserves to fight her many enemies, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that the effort used to create Binary could spell doom for Carol while fighting the next Vox Supreme. With Carol Danvers gone, Binary could become the next Captain Marvel - and with Carol's popularity waning steadily, Binary could be a welcome replacement for some.

Next: Marvel Hasn't Committed To Its Diversity Push (And That's Why It Fails)