Where Did Each 'Marvel' Get Their Powers?
Let’s explore how three famous Marvel heroes in the MCU got their amazing powers. Discover the stories behind their incredible transformations.
Carol Danvers, also known as Captain Marvel, is one of the most powerful heroes in the universe. But how did she get her incredible abilities? Well, it all started when she was a former United States Air Force pilot who worked with Doctor Wendy Lawson, a scientist who was secretly a Cree named Mar-Vell. Lawson was working on a project called the Lightspeed Engine, which used the energy of the Tesseract, an Infinity Stone that contained the power of space. Carol was test piloting the engine when they were attacked by a group of Kree led by Yon-Rogg, who wanted to steal the Tesseract for their war against the Skrulls, a shape-shifting alien race. Carol tried to destroy the engine to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, but the explosion exposed her to the energy of the Tesseract, which infused her with cosmic powers. She was then captured by Yon-Rogg, who gave her a blood transfusion that made her into a Kree-human hybrid and implanted false memories in her mind. He also put a device on her neck that suppressed her full potential and trained her as a member of an elite Kree military unit called Starforce. Carol eventually regained her true memories and broke free from Yon-Rogg’s control with the help of Nick Fury, a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who became her friend and ally. She also learned that Mar-Vell was actually trying to help the Skrulls find a new home and that the Kree were the real villains. Carol then unleashed her full power and defeated Yon-Rogg and his forces, as well as Ronan the Accuser, another Kree warlord who tried to destroy Earth with his fleet. She then left Earth to help the Skrulls find a new home and protect other planets from the Kree. In the comics, Carol’s origin story is somewhat different. She was exposed to a powerful alien device called the Psyche-Magnetron, which altered her DNA and gave her superhuman abilities similar to Mar-Vell’s, who was also known as Captain Marvel at the time. She then took on the mantle of Ms. Marvel and later became Captain Marvel after Mar-Vell’s death.
Kamala Khan/Ms Marvel
Kamala Khan, our beloved Ms. Marvel.
Kamala is a 16-year-old Pakistani American high school student from Jersey City who loves superheroes, especially Carol Danvers or Captain Marvel. She also loves writing fan fiction and playing video games with her friends, Nakia and Bruno. But Kamala feels like she doesn’t fit in at school or at home because of her strict parents and conservative culture. One day, Kamala discovered that she had superpowers when she accidentally activated a family heirloom bangle that belonged to her grandmother. The bangle allowed her to manipulate a mysterious cosmic energy called Terrigenesis that flows through all living things. Kamala’s powers include shooting out almost crystal-like formations from her hands and enlarging parts of her body when necessary. She can also create hard light constructs such as shields and weapons. Kamala decided to use her powers for good and become a superhero like her idol Captain Marvel. She made her own costume and called herself Ms. Marvel, inspired by Carol’s name. She then embarked on various adventures in Jersey City and beyond, eventually coming into contact with Kamran, who was also an Inhuman hybrid like her but used his powers for evil. In the comics, Kamala’s origin story is also different. She was exposed to Terrigen Mist, a substance that activates latent genes in certain humans and gives them superpowers.
These humans are known as Inhumans and have their own hidden society ruled by Black Bolt and Medusa. Kamala’s powers in the comics include polymorphing, allowing her to change all or parts of her body into different shapes and sizes.
Monica Rambeau/Photon
Last but not least, we have Monica Rambeau, also known as Photon. Monica is a former S.W.O.R.D. agent who has a close connection to Carol Danvers. Her mother, Maria Rambeau, was Carol’s best friend and fellow Air Force pilot who helped her uncover her past and fight the Kree. Monica idolized Carol and wanted to follow in her footsteps, but her mother died of cancer while Carol was away in space. Monica then joined S.W.O.R.D., a division of S.H.I.E.L.D. that deals with extraterrestrial threats. She was also one of the victims of Thanos’s snap, which wiped out half of all life in the universe. She was brought back five years later by the Avengers but found out that her mother had passed away during her absence. Monica then got involved in a strange phenomenon in Westview, New Jersey, where Wanda Maximoff had created a reality-altering hex barrier that trapped the town’s residents and turned them into characters of a sitcom.
Monica tried to help Wanda and break the hex but crossing the barrier multiple times caused Monica’s cells to be rewritten, resulting in her developing superhuman abilities. These abilities allow her to manipulate wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum and see and manipulate light energy. She can also fly and phase through solid objects. Monica then used her powers to stop Agatha Harkness, a powerful witch who wanted to steal Wanda’s magic, and Hayward, the corrupt director of S.W.O.R.D. who wanted to weaponize Vision’s body. She also befriended Wanda and helped her cope with her grief and trauma. In the comics, Monica’s origin story is different from the MCU. She was a lieutenant in the New Orleans Harbor Patrol who gained her powers after being bombarded by extra dimensional energy while trying to prevent a weapon created by a criminal scientist from exploding. She then became a superhero and took on the name Photon.
