====== Carol Danvers ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity:** **Carol Danvers is an ace pilot and former U.S. Air Force officer whose exposure to alien [[Kree]] technology transformed her into one of Earth's most powerful cosmic heroes, known variously as Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird, and ultimately, Captain Marvel.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  * **Role in the Universe:** As Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers serves as one of Earth's premier superheroes and its primary liaison to the greater galactic community. She is a powerhouse member of the [[Avengers]], a former commander of the [[Alpha Flight]] Space Program, and a key figure in interstellar conflicts, often acting as the planet's first line of defense against cosmic threats. [[Kree-Skrull War]].
  * **Primary Impact:** Carol's journey is a profound tale of resilience, identity, and empowerment. From overcoming catastrophic personal trauma to embracing her role as a symbol of hope, she has fundamentally influenced countless heroes and events. Her ascension to the Captain Marvel mantle cemented her as a top-tier hero and an inspiration, most notably to her successor as Ms. Marvel, [[Kamala Khan]].
  * **Key Incarnations:** The core difference lies in her origin. In the comics ([[Earth-616]]), she gains powers from the explosion of a Kree device, the Psyche-Magnitron, which melds her human DNA with that of the Kree hero [[Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)]]. In the [[Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)]], she gains her powers by absorbing the energy of the Tesseract ([[Space Stone]]) when she destroys an experimental light-speed engine built by a disguised Mar-Vell.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
Carol Danvers was created by writer **Roy Thomas** and artist **Gene Colan**. She made her first appearance not as a superhero, but as a supporting character in ''Marvel Super-Heroes #13'' (March 1968). In this initial role, she was a highly capable officer in the United States Air Force and the head of security at a restricted military base, putting her in the orbit of the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel.
Nearly a decade later, in the midst of the second-wave feminist movement and the rise of characters like Wonder Woman as cultural icons, Marvel decided to elevate Carol to a starring role. Writer **Gerry Conway** and artist **John Buscema** launched her solo series, ''Ms. Marvel #1'' (January 1977), which retconned her history to include a power-granting accident. The title "Ms." was a deliberate and modern choice, reflecting the changing social tides and positioning her as an independent, self-defined hero. Her journey from Ms. Marvel to the cosmic powerhouse Binary, the troubled Warbird, and finally to her assumption of the Captain Marvel mantle in 2012 (helmed by writer **Kelly Sue DeConnick**) reflects decades of character evolution, making her one of Marvel's most dynamic and enduring female heroes.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
The specific events that transformed Carol Danvers from a human pilot into a cosmic champion differ significantly between the primary comic book universe and the cinematic universe.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Carol Susan Jane Danvers was a driven and ambitious woman long before she gained superpowers. Following in her father's footsteps, she joined the United States Air Force, quickly distinguishing herself as a brilliant pilot and intelligence officer. Her skills led her to work alongside notable figures like Logan (the future [[Wolverine (James Howlett)|Wolverine]]) and Ben Grimm ([[Thing]]). She rose through the ranks, eventually becoming the head of security at NASA's Cape Canaveral.
It was here that her life irrevocably changed. She became entangled in the affairs of the Kree Captain Mar-Vell, who was operating on Earth as a spy. During a battle between Mar-Vell and his Kree nemesis, [[Yon-Rogg]], Carol was kidnapped. The conflict culminated in the explosion of a powerful Kree device called the **Psyche-Magnitron**. Carol was caught in the blast, and the machine's radiation caused her genetic structure to be melded with Mar-Vell's Kree physiology.
Initially, she was unaware of the changes. The trauma of the event caused amnesia, and she left her military career to become a magazine editor for the Daily Bugle's "Woman Magazine," under publisher [[J. Jonah Jameson]]. However, she began to experience blackouts during which a costumed alter-ego, **Ms. Marvel**, would emerge. This new persona possessed a fraction of Mar-Vell's powers: superhuman strength, durability, and flight. For a time, Carol lived a fractured existence, her personality split between the civilian Carol Danvers and the hero Ms. Marvel. Eventually, she integrated these two halves, gaining full control of her powers and memories, and embarked on a full-time heroic career, joining the Avengers.
Her origin has been subject to multiple retcons and clarifications over the years, solidifying that the Psyche-Magnitron didn't just give her Kree powers, but rather unlocked a latent potential within her human DNA, with her mother later being revealed to be of Kree origin. This makes Carol a true hybrid, a child of two worlds.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
In the reality designated Earth-199999, Carol Danvers's origin is streamlined and directly tied to an Infinity Stone. In the 1980s, Carol was a gifted and rebellious U.S. Air Force test pilot, alongside her best friend Maria Rambeau. Her career stalled due to the patriarchal attitudes of the era, preventing her from flying in combat.
She found a new purpose when she was recruited by Dr. Wendy Lawson to test an experimental aircraft. Lawson was secretly a Kree scientist named **Mar-Vell**, who was working on Earth to develop a light-speed engine to help the [[Skrulls]], a race of shapeshifters, escape the genocidal Kree Empire. The engine's power source was the **Tesseract**, the containment vessel for the Space Stone.
During a test flight, their plane was ambushed and shot down by the Kree commander Yon-Rogg, Mar-Vell's former colleague. Mar-Vell was killed, and to prevent the engine's core from falling into Kree hands, Carol destroyed it with her sidearm. The resulting explosion bathed her in the raw, cosmic energy of the Space Stone. Instead of disintegrating, she absorbed the energy, granting her immense power.
The blast also caused severe amnesia. Found by Yon-Rogg, she was taken to the Kree capital world of Hala. The Kree transfused her with Kree blood (leading her to believe this was the source of her powers), implanted a device to suppress her true potential, and indoctrinated her into their elite military unit, **Starforce**, under the name "Vers." For six years, she fought for the Kree, believing the Skrulls were terrorists.
Her journey of rediscovery began when she crash-landed on Earth in 1995 and encountered a young S.H.I.E.L.D. agent named [[Nick Fury]]. With his help, and by piecing together fragments of her past, she uncovered the Kree's lies, reconnected with Maria Rambeau, and learned the truth of her origin. In a final confrontation with the Kree's leader, the [[Supreme Intelligence]], she shattered her emotional and physical inhibitors, unlocking her full "Binary" power and becoming one of the most powerful beings in the universe. She then left Earth to find a new home for the Skrulls, vowing to end the Kree's tyranny across the galaxy.
===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality =====
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Carol's powers have fluctuated dramatically throughout her history, but she has consistently been one of Earth's mightiest heroes.
  *   **Powers and Abilities:**
  * **Human/Kree Hybrid Physiology:** The Psyche-Magnitron fused her DNA with Mar-Vell's, granting her a baseline of Kree abilities far exceeding a normal human's.
    *   **Superhuman Strength:** Class 50-100+, capable of lifting well over 100 tons under optimal conditions. She can physically contend with beings like the Hulk and Thor.
    *   **Superhuman Durability:** Her body is highly resistant to physical injury, extreme temperatures, and pressures. She can survive in the vacuum of space unprotected.
    *   **Superhuman Stamina & Agility:** She can exert herself at peak capacity for many hours before tiring. Her reflexes are similarly enhanced.
    *   **Flight:** She can fly at supersonic speeds within an atmosphere and achieve faster-than-light travel in space.
  * **Energy Manipulation:** This is the core of her powerset.
    *   **Energy Absorption:** She can absorb vast amounts and various types of energy, including kinetic, electrical, and stellar radiation. This absorption further increases her physical strength and the power of her energy blasts.
    *   **Energy Projection:** She can project the absorbed energy from her hands as powerful concussive blasts, often referred to as "photon blasts."
  * **Binary Form:** After a traumatic encounter with the mutant [[Rogue]], Carol lost her powers. She was later experimented on by the alien race, the Brood, which unlocked her ultimate potential. As **Binary**, she could tap into the energy of a "white hole," giving her total control over the electromagnetic spectrum. In this form, she could manipulate gravity, light, heat, and radiation on a cosmic scale, putting her on par with beings like the Silver Surfer. Though she later lost this direct connection, she retains the ability to access a "Binary state" for short periods when she absorbs enough energy, vastly amplifying all her abilities.
  * **Seventh Sense:** A limited precognitive ability that allows her to subconsciously anticipate an opponent's moves. Its effectiveness has varied over the years.
  *   **Personality:**
Carol Danvers is defined by her tenacity and a soldier's discipline. She is ambitious, confident, and often headstrong, with a deep-seated desire to be the "best of the best." This drive is a source of both great strength and personal conflict. She has battled significant personal demons, including a period of alcoholism following a series of traumatic events. She is a natural leader but can be blunt and uncompromising, as seen during events like ''Civil War II''. Above all, she is fiercely loyal and possesses an unshakeable sense of duty to protect the innocent.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The MCU's Captain Marvel is presented as an absolute top-tier powerhouse from the moment she unlocks her full potential.
  *   **Powers and Abilities:**
  * **Tesseract-Infused Physiology:** Her body was fundamentally altered by the raw energy of the Space Stone.
    *   **Superhuman Strength & Durability:** Her strength and resilience are of an immense order. She has been shown to physically overpower Thanos, halt a strike from his sword, destroy entire capital ships like the ''Sanctuary II'' by flying through them, and withstand the force of a headbutt from a mind-controlled Hulk.
    *   **Flight:** She can fly at incredible speeds, both in atmosphere and in deep space, allowing her to traverse galactic distances with ease.
    *   **Longevity:** Due to her altered DNA and Kree blood transfusion, she ages at an extremely slow rate, appearing virtually unchanged between 1995 and the 2020s.
  * **Cosmic Energy Manipulation:** This is her signature ability.
    *   **Photon Blasts:** She can generate and project incredibly powerful blasts of cosmic energy from her hands. These blasts are potent enough to tear through alien warships.
    *   **Energy Absorption:** She can absorb energy attacks, as seen when she absorbed the power of the Infinity Stones from Thanos's gauntlet without harm.
    *   **Energy Aura (Binary Form):** When she unleashes her full power, her body is wreathed in a fiery cosmic aura. This state dramatically amplifies all of her abilities to their peak, allowing her to project energy from her entire body and significantly increasing her physical might.
  *   **Comparative Analysis & Personality:**
The MCU streamlines Carol's powers by linking them to a single, iconic source: an Infinity Stone. Her "Binary" form is less a separate state and more her "limit break" or true form, accessible once she overcomes her mental blocks. While the comic version's power level has varied, the MCU's Captain Marvel is consistently portrayed at the upper echelons of power, intended to be an answer to cosmic-level threats like Thanos.
Her MCU personality is shaped by her amnesia and Kree indoctrination. Initially, as "Vers," she is stoic, emotionally reserved, and follows orders. Upon rediscovering her human past, her defiant, witty, and fiercely independent nature re-emerges. She carries the weight of her lost years and the responsibility of her immense power, making her seem distant to some, but her loyalty to friends like Fury and Maria is absolute. She is less of a public-facing Earth hero than in the comics, acting primarily on a galactic scale.
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
==== Core Allies ====
  *   **Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) (Earth-616):** Arguably Carol's most important and enduring friendship in the comics. They have been best friends for years, supporting each other through their most profound traumas and greatest triumphs. Their bond is one of unwavering trust and sisterhood.
  *   **James "Rhodey" Rhodes (War Machine) (Earth-616):** Carol and Rhodey have had a long and significant romantic relationship in the comics. As two heroes with military backgrounds, they share a deep understanding of duty, command, and the costs of their lives. Their relationship is a cornerstone of her personal life.
  *   **Monica Rambeau (Photon) (Both):** A complex and vital relationship. In the comics, Monica operated as Captain Marvel long before Carol took the name, and while they are firm allies, there is a deep history there. In the MCU, their relationship is familial; Carol was "Auntie Carol" to a young Monica. Their reunion in ''The Marvels'' is fraught with feelings of abandonment and the need for reconciliation after Carol's decades-long absence in space.
  *   **Nick Fury (MCU):** In the MCU, Fury is Carol's first human ally after her return to Earth. Their partnership in 1995 is foundational; she is the inspiration for his "Avengers Initiative," and he is the one who helps her reconnect with her humanity. They share a deep, trusting friendship that spans decades.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
  *   **Yon-Rogg (Both):** Her Kree commander and primary antagonist. In the comics, his jealousy of Mar-Vell leads to the accident that empowers Carol. In the MCU, the betrayal is far more personal; he acts as her mentor for six years, manipulating her and suppressing her power. He represents the toxic system and personal deception she must overcome to realize her true self.
  *   **Rogue (Anna Marie) (Earth-616):** The architect of Carol's single greatest trauma. In ''Avengers Annual #10'', a misguided Rogue, then a member of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, attacks Carol to absorb her powers for a fight. The process goes horribly wrong, and Rogue permanently absorbs not just Carol's powers but her memories and personality, leaving Carol a depowered, amnesiac shell. This event had catastrophic psychological consequences for Carol and defined both characters for years, eventually leading to Carol's rebirth as Binary.
  *   **The Supreme Intelligence (Both):** The bio-organic supercomputer that rules the Kree Empire. It is the ultimate symbol of the cold, calculating, and imperialistic nature of the Kree. In both universes, Carol's ultimate rejection of the Supreme Intelligence's control and judgment is a key moment of self-actualization and a declaration of her own identity.
==== Affiliations ====
  *   **[[Avengers]]:** Carol has been a long-standing and prominent member of the Avengers in the comics, serving as both a heavy-hitter and, eventually, the team's leader. In the MCU, she is a powerful ally, though her galactic duties often keep her away from the team's day-to-day operations.
  *   **Alpha Flight:** In the comics, Carol accepted the position of Commander of the Alpha Flight Space Program, a rebuilt orbital station serving as Earth's first line of defense against extraterrestrial threats. This role perfectly combined her military background and cosmic power.
  *   **S.W.O.R.D.:** The Sentient World Observation and Response Department is the sister organization to S.H.I.E.L.D., focused on alien relations. Carol has worked closely with S.W.O.R.D. and its commander, Abigail Brand, in numerous comic storylines.
  *   **United States Air Force:** Her human career and the foundation of her discipline, training, and identity.
  *   **Starforce:** The elite Kree military unit she was a part of in both the comics and the MCU, though in both cases her membership was based on manipulation by her Kree superiors.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
=== The "Rogue Saga" (Avengers Annual #10) ===
This 1981 story by Chris Claremont is arguably the single most important event in Carol's history. Believing the Avengers were a threat, Rogue ambushed Carol alone. Her mutant power—absorbing the psyche and abilities of anyone she touches—malfunctioned. She held on too long, permanently stealing Carol's Kree powers and, devastatingly, all of her memories and emotions. The Avengers found Carol's catatonic body. Though [[Professor X]] was able to restore her memories, the emotional connections to them were gone. This violation left her feeling like a stranger in her own life and led to a temporary but bitter split from the Avengers, who she felt had not taken the attack seriously enough. This profound trauma directly led to her joining the X-Men in space, where her subsequent transformation into Binary marked her ultimate rebirth.
=== House of M ===
In this 2005 reality-warping event, the [[Scarlet Witch]] remakes the world into one where everyone's deepest wish is granted. For Carol Danvers, this meant becoming **Captain Marvel**, the most beloved and famous superhero on Earth. She was the icon she always felt she could be. When reality was restored, the memory of this "perfect" life haunted her. The profound sense of loss, of having tasted her greatest potential only to have it ripped away, instilled in her a new, powerful drive. It was this experience that set her on the path to stop being "Ms. Marvel" and truly strive to become the best hero possible, eventually leading her to adopt the Captain Marvel name in honor of her predecessor.
=== Civil War II ===
This 2016 sequel event placed Carol at its very center, opposite [[Iron Man (Tony Stark)]]. When a new Inhuman named Ulysses emerges with the ability to predict future disasters with startling accuracy, Carol becomes the champion of "predictive justice." She argues that the heroes have a moral obligation to use his visions to stop tragedies before they happen. Tony Stark vehemently opposes this, seeing it as a violation of civil liberties and a dangerous path toward punishing people for crimes they haven't yet committed. Their ideological clash escalates into a devastating conflict that splinters the superhero community, leading to the deaths of both War Machine and the Hulk ([[Bruce Banner]]), and culminating in a final battle that leaves Tony Stark in a coma. This storyline solidified Carol's position as a major leader in the Marvel Universe, but also portrayed her in an uncompromising, authoritarian light that proved deeply divisive among fans and fellow heroes.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
  *   **Ultimate Universe (Earth-1610):** In this alternate reality, Carol Danvers is a non-powered human. She is a highly respected Captain in the U.S. Air Force who later goes on to become the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. following the disappearance of Nick Fury. This version highlights her strategic and leadership skills without any superpowers.
  *   **Age of Apocalypse (Earth-295):** In this dark timeline ruled by Apocalypse, a human Carol Danvers works with the resistance. She is captured and horribly experimented on by the Dark Beast, who attempts to replicate the powers of her Earth-616 counterpart. While she gains powers, she is left mentally broken and controlled by the Beast.
  *   **MCU's "What If...?" (Earth-82111 & Earth-29929):** The animated series showcases Captain Marvel's immense power across the multiverse. In one reality, she is called to Earth by Nick Fury to help Captain Carter's team fight invaders. In another, she is one of the few beings in the universe powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with an Ultron who has acquired all six Infinity Stones, engaging in a planet-shattering cosmic battle with the malevolent A.I.
===== See Also =====
  * [[Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)]]
  * [[Kree]]
  * [[Skrulls]]
  * [[Avengers]]
  * [[Monica Rambeau]]
  * [[Kamala Khan]]
  * [[Yon-Rogg]]
  * [[Civil War II]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((Carol's cat in the comics is named Chewie, after the Star Wars character. In the MCU, her cat is named Goose, after the Top Gun character. In both universes, the animal is not a cat but a member of the dangerous, tentacled alien species known as Flerkens.))
((During the late 1990s, after losing her Binary powers but retaining her base Ms. Marvel abilities, a struggling Carol rejoined the Avengers under the codename **Warbird**. This era, primarily written by Kurt Busiek, famously explored her battle with alcoholism, a complex and acclaimed character arc that added significant depth to her history.))
((The original "Ms. Marvel" title in 1977 was notable for its explicit feminist themes. Its letters pages often featured robust discussions about the role of women in society and comics, making it a cultural touchstone of its time.))
((Before Carol Danvers officially took the title of Captain Marvel in 2012, several other characters had used the name besides Mar-Vell, including Monica Rambeau, Mar-Vell's son Genis-Vell, and his daughter Phyla-Vell.))
((Carol's iconic red, blue, and gold Captain Marvel suit, which replaced her classic Ms. Marvel one-piece, was designed by artist Jamie McKelvie. The design was intended to be more practical and military-inspired, reflecting her character's background and new sense of purpose.))