‘Ms. Marvel’ Ep. 3 “Destined” – Weddings & Villain Reveals
What better place for an intergenerational superpower battle than a wedding? In Ms. Marvel‘s “Destined”, Kamala must navigate both.
Last week in Ms. Marvel‘s “Crushing“, we met Kamala’s new bad-boy crush Kamran. And when we weren’t watching Kamala get lost in his eyes, we got a few more layers of mystery with regards to her maternal family’s past and her new powerful bangle. We also know that a government agency is following her around assuming she’s bad news because she’s brown. This week, we find out more about Kamran, his mother, and Kamala’s great-grandmother Aisha.
Cover your eyes! It’s about to get spoiley in here.
That’s a Rough Kree Cameo
At the end of last week’s episode, Kamran introduced Kamala to his mother Namja, who says she’s been waiting to meet Kamala for a long time. Ms. Marvel‘s “Destined” begins with a glimpse into the past. In the late 40s during the Partition of India, a group of people search a dig site of some sort. They’re in a hurry, and it’s quickly clear they’re looking for the set of what will become our heroine’s bangles.
The bangle is around a very dead and very blue arm. Am I thinking this dead arm might have belonged to a Kree? Why, just because the Kree have a strong narrative relationship with Captain Marvel herself? Listen, I just go where the blue arm’s pointing.
Who are the Djinn?
Anyway, through this recounting, Namja tells Kamala she and the 4 other people in the room are all Djinn. And so was Aisha! Which is probably a bit of a mind-boggler for Kamala; she just found out she’s descended from the (real) mythical creatures of her culture’s folklore. The group tells Kamala that they were exiled from another dimension, the dimension of Noor, meaning light. They’re also known as Clandestines.
In the Marvel comics, there is a group of immortal Djinn-descendants that go by the name Clan Destine. From what it looks like, this team is made up of different members than the comic, and will likely have a different backstory. Either way, it’s clear that Ms. Marvel’s new MCU powers have found a perfect way to meld the legacy of the Marvel title with Kamala’s personal and cultural influences.
Kamala Coming Into Her Own
This episode sees Kamala inching ever closer to figuring out how Kamala Khan wants to be a hero. We get the classic line “good is not a thing you are, it’s a thing you do” right as Bruno’s sciency-wiency superhero mask is unboxed. We also find out, through his research, that the Djinn need a primordial power to unlock their barrier. Which, cool, you know, the Marvel universe has a lot of those types lying around. Also Bruno says that scientifically getting them home may explode the sun or something. So that’s a concern.
Bruno also points out in this conversation that Kamala keeps worrying about what Carol Danvers would do in her place. But he is quick to point out that Kamala can’t be Carol because the collateral damage would be too high.
Wedding Festivities & Family Ties
Kamala’s determination to not tell her parents what’s happening is understandable, but Muneeba still manages to give some great advice based on her own experiences coming to America. Outside of that, there are so many warm and joyful moments surrounding the wedding of her brother Amir. I am beyond overjoyed that Marvel has given me yet another magical dance number, and Brown Jovi is the most hilariously New Jersey band that had better exist in real life.
Of course, at the end of the fight, Namja grabs the cuff as Kamala is using it. A bright white light, Noor, bursts out. From it comes a mid-century train that says “Kurachi” on the front of it. We can guess that this train has something to do with Aisha’s disappearance, but things get truly wild when Kamala’s Nani calls and insists that Kamala come to visit Pakistan because she has also seen the train.
Other Easter Eggs
Bruno definitely name-drops Dr. Erik Slevig’s paper on interdimensional travel. Again, Bruno is very science. Much with the math. Interestingly, it’s not until after Bruno is injured that Kamala’s power becomes more focused. Meanwhile, Kamran just betrayed his family, who were all oddly quick to switch from friendly to creating a scene in public. It will be interesting to see what the consequences are for poor Kamran.
Of course, Nakia’s run for mosque board member and queen of my heart was an episode highlight, too. When agents from the Dept. of Bad-Faith Assumptions come into the mosque to make accusations, Nakia lays down the law for them – literally. She also finds out that Kamala is New Jersey’s new Night Light superhero, but her reaction will have to wait until next week’s episode.
New episodes of ‘Ms. Marvel’ premiere on Disney+ every Wednesday.
