On the Rack: Ms Marvel #3
When Marvel announced that Kamala Khan would be the next Ms Marvel, I was ecstatic; Kamala would be the first Muslim superhero. The publisher also promised that her Pakistani-American heritage would play a role in her story, and her struggle to find her identity as the daughter of immigrated parents would be a huge part of her journey. These promises are easy to keep in the first issue, the precedent was set and her debut delivered. The question is can these themes continue to be explored when the story escalates? The answer is a resounding yes.
In the first two books, Kamala develops powers after being exposed to Terrigen Mists (a tie in to Marvel’s Inhumans) when she sneaks out against her parent’s wishes to attend a party. She instantly goes from wishing that she was just like other 16-year-olds to wishing she understood how to control her new abilities and that her life would return to normal. In issue three, Kamala struggles not only with her new shape-shifting powers, but she also struggles with the rules at mosque. It is unbelievably refreshing to read about a hero who deals with very real everyday problems. G. Willow Wilson proves that she understands the children of immigrated parents. These kids, from every culture, will understand why Kamala feels like an outsider. While not all readers can necessarily relate to her struggle to integrate her parent’s culture with the North American society, they can relate to the difficulties of being a teenager. Every conflict she has is realistic and relatable.
Kamala’s story is compelling as she struggles to find the right balances in her life and struggles with what it means to have powers. Like her idol, Carol Danvers who’s former identity she assumes, she questions herself and has doubts about whether or not she is ready to be a hero. She also questions the glamour of the Ms Marvel identity as she learns that having long hair gets in her face and “the boots pinch”. Overall, Ms Marvel has proven itself; it’s an exciting book filled with humour and it doesn’t shy away from exploring themes of cultural identity and belonging.
