‘Ms. Marvel’ Premieres with “Generation Why” – Everything We Noticed
Ms. Marvel is officially part of the MCU and it’s a triumph. Return to your teen self with Kamala Khan, her family, and her friends.
Since her comic book debut in 2014, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan has been an absolute fan-favorite character. Featuring a refreshing and lovable character and a coming-of-age superhero story, does the MCU’s new show hold up to the panels? And what’s the deal with her new powers?
Spoilers! There be spoilers after this gif!
Ms. Marvel Captures the Spirit
If you thought the art style in the series trailer was great, you’re in for a real treat. The use of doodle-style art continues past the opening credits and all across the episode. Using neon signs, ornate patterns, and notebook doodles in the background, the show uses text message conversations to incorporate the artistic influences from the comics. Also 10+XP for excellent use of food porn.
Plenty of moments, like Kamala sitting down to breakfast with her parents and her brother Aamir, are pulled directly from the comics. And of course, art from the comics can be seen all over the street art in Jersey City. I sure hope those artists are getting paid though…
Kamala’s Powers & Family Legacy
The Khan family are major characters in Kamala’s life and in the comics. And it’s clear that this will be the case in the show as well. Her father Yusuf and mother Muneeba are very loving and involved, even if they struggle to understand Kamala and her interests. Yusuf as the Hulk is just… it’s so good and pure.
Kamala’s mother Muneeba mentions her daughter’s imaginative, unfocused nature several times throughout the episode. If you’re not listening, you could just hear a regular mother fretting over her child. But there are several references to Kamala’s Naani, her grandmother on her mother’s side.
When a box with lots of stamps arrives before Aamir’s wedding, Kamala pulls out the cuff that later gives her cosmic abilities. And her mother is visibly unnerved. Muneeba also makes a few comments about her mother being known to live in her own world, and she scolds Kamala for having her “head in the clouds”.
via Disney+
Later, when Kamala manages to activate the cuff, she briefly sees herself surrounded by purple energy. There are also glowing figures, which could be some kind of ancestral or cosmic connectivity with others.
Ms. Marvel & ADHD
In the comics, it’s widely accepted that Kamala Khan has ADHD. Most of the time, ADHD expresses itself as inattentiveness in young women and AFAB folks.
via Disney+
The flip-side to all this distracting daydreaming is that those of us with inattentive ADHD have very rich imaginations, which can be incredibly beneficial in many ways. Based on the cuff’s ability in the first episode, it allows Kamala to wield cosmic powers based on her imagination. A power that seemingly came to her from her daydreaming grandmother.
Kamala’s powers are going to be an allegory for ADHD, I’m calling it now. It’s too soon to know what role neurodivergence will play in Kamala’s story and powers. But I can’t wait to see how they build on the foundation established in this first episode.
Let’s Talk About Bruno
And just when that joke was starting to get old! Sorry, y’all.
While doing some shopping for her brother’s upcoming wedding, Kamala overhears her mom and an auntie having a little gossip session. They’re talking about a girl who turned down a marriage to travel, and express disapproval at the idea of her dating a man from Europe. We know that in the comics, Bruno and Kamala share some romantic tension, and that’s implied here. There’s clearly some deep family stuff going on here, and her feelings for Bruno could be another conflict she’ll have to address in her journey to accepting herself and being a hero.
via Marvel
The episode also acknowledges that Bruno is a Smarty Pants™, and helps put together the sciencey aspects of her cosplay. I also loved the bit about Muneeba packing Bruno food to-go. It’s a very subtle shoutout to their relationship to him in the comics. His grandparents were Italian immigrants who lived next door to the Khans. They got custody of Bruno after his parents died. Kamala’s family has been looking out for him since he moved in next door to them, and it’s how the two became friends.
Other Ms. Marvel “Generation Why” Easter Eggs
AvengersCon was a whole flurry of Easter eggs, and seeing Avengers cosplay within the MCU is a great touch. There was a wall of rememberance for Tony Star and Natasha Romanoff, plus some fan art of Captain America’s booty. A+, no notes.
The opening credits also featured a lot of doodle-style references to the comic books. The most noticeable was the appearance of the bird-faced Inventor. The Inventor was a cloning experiment got wrong who served as the villain in the first Ms. Marvel comic book story arc.
We also learn a bit about certain heroes and their activities since Endgame. Scott Lang has a podcast, good for him, I would listen to that. Meanwhile Captain Marvel hasn’t been around Earth since the big battle with Thanos, and some people believe she’s abandoned her home planet. Of course, Kamala’s theory that Thor is secretly a gamer is true, so that’s good on her.
Ms. Marvel End-Credits Scene
After the episode credits, we see two agents discussing Kamala’s new display of powers. One of them is a familiar face. Agent Cleary also showed up to question Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home. So it’s clear that the U.S. Department of Damage Control will be involved in this story.
