====== Kamala Khan ======
===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary =====
  *   **Core Identity:** **Kamala Khan is Ms. Marvel, a resilient and optimistic Pakistani-American teenage superhero from Jersey City who, through different means in different universes, gained polymorphous powers that allow her to alter her body's size and shape, embodying a new generation of heroism inspired by her idol, Captain Marvel.**
  *   **Key Takeaways:**
  * **Role in the Universe:** As Marvel's first Muslim-American superhero to headline her own comic series, Kamala represents a modern, grounded, and diverse generation of heroes. Her story explores the intersection of faith, family, and superhuman responsibility, making her a relatable icon and a key member of teams like the [[champions_marvel_comics]].
  * **Primary Impact:** Kamala redefined the "Ms. Marvel" mantle, taking it from [[captain_marvel_carol_danvers]] and making it her own. Her immense popularity led to rapid integration into other media and cemented her as a cornerstone of the modern Marvel Universe, influencing countless readers and future characters.
  * **Key Incarnations:** The fundamental divergence between her origins is paramount. In the comics ([[earth-616]]), she is an **[[inhumans|Inhuman]]** who gains powers from the Terrigen Mist, later revealed to also possess the X-gene. In the [[marvel_cinematic_universe|Marvel Cinematic Universe]], her powers are unlocked by a mystical bangle tied to the Noor Dimension, and she is identified as a **[[mutants|Mutant]]**.
===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution =====
==== Publication History and Creation ====
Kamala Khan was co-created by a team of visionary Marvel Comics personnel: editor Sana Amanat, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie. The concept originated from a conversation between Amanat and senior editor Stephen Wacker, where Amanat shared anecdotes about her own experiences growing up as a Pakistani-American Muslim. They realized the potential for a character who could explore this unique identity within the Marvel superhero framework.
Her first appearance was a non-speaking cameo in //Captain Marvel// #14 (August 2013), followed by a speaking role in //Captain Marvel// #17 (November 2013), both written by Kelly Sue DeConnick. However, her full debut and origin story began in her solo title, //Ms. Marvel// #1, launched in February 2014. The series was an immediate critical and commercial success, praised for its heartfelt writing, unique voice, and dynamic art. Wilson's run established Kamala's personality, supporting cast, and world in Jersey City, while Alphona's fluid art style perfectly captured the kinetic energy of her polymorphous powers.
Kamala Khan's creation was a landmark moment for representation in mainstream comics. She was not a sidekick or a minor character but the star of her own book, a hero whose cultural and religious background was integral to her identity, not just a footnote. Her immediate popularity demonstrated a strong market for diverse, relatable characters, making her one of the most significant and successful new Marvel characters of the 21st century.
==== In-Universe Origin Story ====
The divergence between Kamala's comic book origin and her live-action adaptation is one of the most significant in modern comic-to-screen history. Both versions retain her core personality and background, but the source and nature of her powers are fundamentally different.
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
In the primary Marvel comics continuity, Kamala Khan was a seemingly ordinary sixteen-year-old high school student living in Jersey City, New Jersey. A first-generation American, she was the daughter of Pakistani immigrants, Yusuf and Muneeba Khan, and had an older, more conservative brother, Aamir. Kamala was a brilliant student but struggled to balance her family's traditional values with the social pressures of being an American teenager. She was an avid fan of superheroes, particularly her idol Carol Danvers, the original Ms. Marvel who had recently taken on the mantle of [[captain_marvel_carol_danvers|Captain Marvel]]. Kamala spent her free time writing Avengers fan-fiction and dreaming of a more exciting life.
Her life changed irrevocably during the //Infinity// event. In a desperate act against [[thanos]], the Inhuman king [[black_bolt]] detonated a Terrigen Bomb over New York City, releasing the transformative Terrigen Mists across the globe. The mists were designed to activate latent Inhuman DNA in the human population. One night, after a heated argument with her parents for forbidding her from attending a party, Kamala snuck out. On her way home, she was enveloped by the Terrigen Mists.
Inside a Terrigenetic cocoon (chrysalis), Kamala experienced a bizarre fever dream. Her subconscious, fueled by her desire to be more like her hero, manifested a vision of Captain Marvel, [[captain_america_steve_rogers|Captain America]], and [[iron_man_tony_stark|Iron Man]]. In the vision, Captain Marvel asked her what she wanted in life. Kamala, feeling she wasn't "beautiful and awesome and butt-kicking and... //less// complicated" like Carol, expressed her wish to be just like her.
When the cocoon cracked open, Kamala emerged transformed into a younger version of Carol Danvers in her classic Ms. Marvel costume. Panicked and disoriented by her new shapeshifting abilities, she stumbled upon her classmate Zoe Zimmer, who had fallen into the river. Instinctively, Kamala's hand "embiggened" to a massive size, pulling Zoe to safety. This was her first heroic act. Over the next several days, she began to experiment with her powers, realizing she could stretch, shrink, and alter her appearance, though she found her own polymorphous form more stable. With the help of her best friend, the tech genius [[bruno_carrelli]], she created a unique costume and, inspired by her hero, adopted the abandoned mantle of **Ms. Marvel**.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The MCU, as depicted in the Disney+ series //Ms. Marvel//, presents a radically different origin for Kamala's powers. While her personality, family life, and adoration for Captain Marvel remain faithful to the source material, the mechanism of her powers is entirely reimagined.
In this continuity, Kamala is still a creative, Avengers-obsessed teenager from Jersey City. Her powers are not triggered by an external event like the Terrigen Mists but are unlocked by a family heirloom: a mysterious and ancient bangle sent to her by her //Nani// (maternal grandmother). When Kamala puts on the bangle at "AvengerCon," it activates, unleashing a surge of cosmic energy and granting her the ability to manifest and manipulate a purple, crystalline energy, which her friend Bruno dubs "hard light."
Initially, the source of this power is a mystery. The series introduces the Clandestines, a group of beings exiled from the Noor Dimension, led by Najma. They reveal that the bangle is a key, and Kamala's great-grandmother, Aisha, was one of them. They claim that Kamala shares their heritage and refer to them as //Djinn//, though this is presented as one of many historical labels for their kind. Kamala's powers are thus framed as interdimensional and genetic, allowing her to draw upon the energy of the Noor Dimension. This is a complete departure from the comic's biological, polymorphous abilities. The visual representation is also distinct: instead of stretching her own body, she creates energy constructs like oversized fists, shields, and platforms, a change made to better align her visually with Captain Marvel and [[photon_monica_rambeau|Monica Rambeau]] for their team-up in the film //The Marvels//.
The most significant twist comes in the series finale. After analyzing her DNA, Bruno Carrelli tells Kamala that while her family carries the potential, she is different. He explains that she possesses a "mutation" in her genes that her brother does not. This moment, underscored by a musical cue from //X-Men: The Animated Series//, officially establishes Kamala Khan as a **mutant** in the MCU. This retcon serves a dual purpose: it bypasses the complex and less-developed Inhuman storyline within the MCU and allows her to be a foundational character for the franchise's eventual introduction of the [[x-men]]. Her powers, therefore, are a combination of a latent mutant gene activated by an extra-dimensional artifact.
===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality =====
=== Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) ===
Kamala's powers as an Inhuman are a direct result of her unique genetic makeup interacting with the Terrigen Mists, granting her a suite of polymorphous abilities.
  *   **Powers and Abilities:**
  * **Morphogenetics:** Kamala's core ability is to manipulate the molecules of her body, allowing her to stretch, deform, expand, and compress herself into any form imaginable.
    * **Elongation (Stretching):** She can stretch any part of her body to incredible lengths and contort herself into various shapes, making her an unpredictable fighter and excellent for rescue operations.
    * **Size Alteration ("Embiggening"):** Her most famous power is the ability to increase her body's size and mass, a process she famously calls "embiggening." This grants her superhuman strength and durability proportionate to her size. She can enlarge her entire body or focus the effect on a specific part, most commonly her fists.
    * **Shapeshifting:** Kamala can alter her physical appearance to impersonate other people or even inanimate objects. Initially, this was her first manifested power when she transformed into Carol Danvers. However, she finds maintaining a different human appearance to be physically and mentally draining, so she rarely uses this ability for extended periods.
    * **Accelerated Healing Factor:** To compensate for the immense strain her powers put on her body, Kamala possesses a regenerative healing factor. It allows her to recover from injuries much faster than a normal human. However, using this healing factor drains the same energy she uses for her powers, so extensive regeneration can leave her exhausted and in her normal form.
    * **Bioluminescence:** When using her powers, Kamala's body often emits a faint yellow glow, a visual side effect of her Inhuman physiology at work.
  *   **Weaknesses:**
  * **Electromagnetic Pulses (EMPs):** Her ability to control her body's molecules can be disrupted by strong electromagnetic pulses, causing her to lose control and revert to her default form.
  * **Stamina Drain:** Extensive use of her powers, particularly her healing factor and large-scale embiggening, consumes a great deal of energy. Overexerting herself can lead to extreme fatigue, fainting, and hunger.
  *   **Equipment:**
  * **Original Ms. Marvel Costume:** Her first iconic suit was designed and sewn by Bruno Carrelli. It was made from a modified burkini, a type of modest swimwear, which gave it the stretchable properties needed to accommodate her powers. The design, with its lightning bolt insignia, paid homage to Carol Danvers while being uniquely her own.
  * **Kree Stormranger Suit:** For a time, Kamala wore a sentient Kree nanosuit called the Stormranger. While it offered enhanced protection and offensive capabilities, it also had a dangerously aggressive personality and eventually became an antagonist.
  *   **Personality:**
Kamala is defined by her unwavering optimism, strong moral compass, and fangirl enthusiasm. She is deeply loyal to her friends and family and fiercely protective of her Jersey City community. She often struggles with self-doubt and the immense pressure of her double life, but her innate desire to do the right thing always wins out. Her inner monologue is filled with witty observations, pop culture references, and a genuine sense of awe at the world she now inhabits.
=== Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) ===
The MCU version of Kamala shares the comic version's personality but possesses a completely different powerset and equipment.
  *   **Powers and Abilities:**
  * **Noor Manipulation / Photokinesis:** Kamala's primary ability is to manifest and shape solidified light/energy from the Noor Dimension. This power is genetic (a mutation) but requires the Bangle to be unlocked and accessed.
    * **Energy Constructs:** She can create a wide variety of constructs, including platforms for traversing terrain, protective shields to deflect attacks, and concussive energy blasts.
    * **"Embiggened" Fists:** In a visual homage to her comic powers, her most common offensive tactic is to create a large, crystalline fist of hard light around her own, allowing her to punch with superhuman force without physically altering her body.
    * **Energy Infusion:** She can channel this energy throughout her body, granting her enhanced durability and a minor healing factor.
  * **Latent Mutant Gene:** As confirmed by Bruno, she possesses the X-gene. The full extent of what this means for her powers, and whether she could use them without the Bangle, remains unexplored.
  *   **Equipment:**
  * **The Bangle:** A mysterious, ancient artifact that is one of a pair. It acts as the key that unlocks her connection to the Noor Dimension, allowing her to channel its energy. It has been shown to have other properties, including revealing glimpses of the past and, as seen in //The Marvels//, causing her to quantum entangle and swap places with other super-powered individuals like Captain Marvel and Monica Rambeau across vast distances. Its exact origins are still unknown, but it is implied to be of Kree origin or related to their technology.
  * **Ms. Marvel Costume:** Her costume in the MCU is a gift from her mother, Muneeba. It incorporates elements of their Pakistani heritage, including a red sash given to her by the Red Dagger, Kareem. It is a symbol of her family's acceptance and pride in her new role.
===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network =====
==== Core Allies ====
  *   **Bruno Carrelli:** Kamala's closest friend and most trusted confidant. In both the comics and the MCU, Bruno is a tech prodigy who is the first person to learn of her powers. He acts as her "guy in the chair," providing technical support, scientific analysis, and moral encouragement. Their relationship is the emotional bedrock of her story, often complicated by unspoken romantic feelings.
  *   **Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel):** Kamala's ultimate inspiration. In the comics, their relationship evolved from one of a distant idol and her biggest fan to a genuine mentorship and partnership. Carol sees in Kamala the best of what the "Ms. Marvel" legacy can be. In the MCU, their connection is made literal and chaotic through the quantum entanglement caused by their powers in //The Marvels//, forcing them to work together and quickly form a familial bond with Monica Rambeau.
  *   **Nakia Bahadir:** Kamala's other best friend, a socially conscious and devout Muslim who keeps Kamala grounded in her community. In the comics and the show, Nakia is fiercely independent and campaigns for positive change in their mosque and city, often inspiring Kamala's civilian efforts.
  *   **Miles Morales (Spider-Man) & Sam Alexander (Nova):** In the comics, these two are Kamala's super-powered peers and co-founders of the Champions. Their dynamic represents the future of the Marvel Universe—a generation of young heroes determined to do things better than their predecessors. They share the unique burdens of being teenage superheroes and have formed a deep, sibling-like bond.
==== Arch-Enemies ====
  *   **The Inventor:** Kamala's first major villain in the comics. The Inventor was a bizarre clone of Thomas Edison whose DNA was accidentally spliced with that of a cockatiel. He preyed on disillusioned teenagers, luring them into his service and using them as living batteries for his machines. He represented a thematic challenge to Kamala's youthful optimism, forcing her to become a protector for her generation.
  *   **Kamran:** A fellow Inhuman and a childhood friend of the Khan family. Kamran initially appeared to be a perfect romantic interest for Kamala, but he revealed his true allegiance to the villainous Inhuman supremacist, Lineage. His betrayal was a deep personal blow, teaching Kamala a hard lesson about trust and the complexities of her new world.
  *   **C.R.A.D.L.E. (Child-Hero Reconnaissance and Disruption Law Enforcement):** A government agency formed after the events of the //Outlawed// storyline. Following a disaster where Ms. Marvel was implicated, the U.S. government passed "Kamala's Law," making underage vigilantism illegal. C.R.A.D.L.E. was tasked with enforcing this law, turning Kamala and the Champions into fugitives in their own country and representing an ideological conflict about the nature of heroism and control.
==== Affiliations ====
  *   **Champions:** Kamala is a founding member and often the heart of the Champions. The team was formed by her, Miles Morales, and Sam Alexander after they grew disillusioned with the destructive infighting of their elders during //Civil War II//. Their mission statement is to "change the world" through more compassionate and less destructive means, setting them apart from the [[avengers]].
  *   **Avengers:** Before forming the Champions, Kamala achieved her dream of becoming an Avenger, joining the "All-New, All-Different Avengers" roster led by [[captain_america_sam_wilson|Sam Wilson]]. Her time on the team was formative, but also disillusioning, ultimately leading her to seek a different path.
  *   **Secret Warriors:** During the //Secret Empire// event, Kamala joined a team of heroes with Inhuman heritage led by Daisy Johnson ([[quake_daisy_johnson|Quake]]) to fight against Hydra's takeover of the United States.
===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines =====
=== No Normal (Ms. Marvel Vol. 3, #1-5) ===
This is Kamala's foundational origin story. It establishes her entire world: her loving but strict family, her friendships with Bruno and Nakia, and her life as a high school fangirl in Jersey City. The arc covers her exposure to the Terrigen Mist, the discovery of her polymorphous powers, and her first clumsy but determined attempts at being a hero. Her first major challenge is The Inventor, whose villainy forces Kamala to embrace her new identity and become a symbol of hope for her community. It is a masterful, character-driven story that set the tone for her entire series.
=== Civil War II ===
This major Marvel event was a crucial turning point for Kamala. The conflict centered around a new Inhuman, Ulysses, who could predict the future. [[captain_marvel_carol_danvers|Captain Marvel]] championed using his visions to stop crimes before they happened ("predictive justice"), while [[iron_man_tony_stark|Iron Man]] argued it was a violation of free will. Initially, Kamala sided with her idol, Carol. However, she grew increasingly horrified as the methods led to profiling, wrongful imprisonment, and the injury of her friends. When one of Carol's operations in Jersey City goes wrong and injures Bruno, it becomes the breaking point. Kamala definitively rejects Carol's ideology, creating a deep rift between them. This disillusionment directly led to her co-founding the Champions.
=== Outlawed ===
This storyline placed Kamala at the center of a new superhero debate. During a mission, the Champions' battle with a dragon inadvertently caused a catastrophe, leading to the destruction of a school and the apparent death of Ms. Marvel (she was in a coma). In response, the government passed a piece of legislation officially named "Kamala's Law," which made it illegal for anyone under 21 to engage in superheroics. The event forced all of Marvel's young heroes to go underground, becoming fugitives hunted by C.R.A.D.L.E. It was a deeply personal story for Kamala, who had to reckon with the consequences of her actions and fight a law enacted in her name.
=== The Death and Return of Ms. Marvel (Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 6 #26 & X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1) ===
In a highly controversial move, Kamala Khan was killed in //Amazing Spider-Man// #26 (2023) while sacrificing herself to save [[mary_jane_watson]] and [[spider-man_peter_parker|Spider-Man]] from the villain Rabin. Her death was met with significant fan backlash. However, it served as a catalyst for a major retcon. Because her death occurred in a non-X-Men title, Professor Xavier could not initially resurrect her. Upon learning of her passing, Emma Frost revealed that monitoring had detected Kamala possessed the X-gene, making her both an Inhuman //and// a mutant. This discovery allowed her to be resurrected using the [[krakoa|Krakoan]] Resurrection Protocols. Upon her return, she officially joined the X-Men, with her new status aligning her comic book origins more closely with her MCU counterpart.
===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions =====
  *   **Marvel's Avengers (Video Game, Earth-TRN814):** Kamala is the central protagonist of the main campaign. In this universe, she is an Inhuman who gains her powers during the "A-Day" tragedy in San Francisco. She is instrumental in exposing the crimes of A.I.M. and reassembling the disbanded Avengers. Her powerset in the game is a faithful and visually spectacular adaptation of her comic book morphogenetics.
  *   **Old Woman Laura (Earth-807128):** In this alternate future timeline, a much older Kamala Khan has become the President of the United States. She is a respected leader who carries the weight of a difficult past but still retains her heroic ideals.
  *   **Exiles (Earth-81116):** A drastically different version of Kamala, known only as "Khan," is a member of the Exiles. This version hails from a post-apocalyptic Earth where she was a brutal and ruthless survivor. She is far more jaded and violent than the Earth-616 Kamala, acting as a dark mirror to the hero she could have become under different circumstances.
  *   **Marvel Zombies: Resurrection (Earth-TRN783):** In this dark reality, Kamala is one of the few survivors of a techno-organic zombie plague. She travels with Spider-Man, Franklin and Valeria Richards, and others in a desperate attempt to find a safe haven.
===== See Also =====
  * [[captain_marvel_carol_danvers]]
  * [[inhumans]]
  * [[mutants]]
  * [[champions_marvel_comics]]
  * [[bruno_carrelli]]
  * [[x-men]]
  * [[avengers]]
===== Notes and Trivia =====
((Kamala's hero name, Ms. Marvel, is a direct tribute to Carol Danvers' original superhero identity. Her lightning bolt symbol is also a stylized version of the one on Carol's classic costume.))
((Her catchphrase for activating her size-increasing power, "Embiggen!", was a neologism first used in //The Simpsons//. It has since become an official word in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, partly due to its popularization by the //Ms. Marvel// comics.))
((Co-creator Sana Amanat has stated that the inspiration for Kamala's character was not just her own life, but the desire to create a character for young girls who could see themselves in a superhero, much like she saw herself in Peter Parker.))
((The decision to make MCU Kamala a mutant instead of an Inhuman was largely a practical one. The //Inhumans// TV show was a critical and commercial failure, and Marvel Studios wanted to distance the character from that property while simultaneously using her to seed the introduction of the X-Men into the MCU.))
((Kamala's original comic book run by G. Willow Wilson won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story in 2015 for //Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal//.))
((In the comics, following her resurrection by the X-Men, Kamala's Inhuman and mutant genes now work in tandem. Her Inhuman side gives her the polymorphous abilities, while her mutant side grants her a more potent healing factor and resilience.))