Marvel Comics Introduces Muslim Superhero
by Warner Todd Huston 6 Nov 2013, 8:58 AM
PDT
Marvel Comics latest minority superhero is a teenaged
Muslim-American girl of Pakistani descent who will take on the currently unused
Ms. Marvel persona.
The teen will be named Kamala Kahn, a
Muslim girl going to high school and growing up in Jersey City, New Jersey.
For the last few years the comics giant
has been engaged in an effort to introduce "diversity" into a comics
universe historically dominated by white, male superhero characters. Marvel has
been floating all sorts of new minority superheroes into the comic book market
in the hopes that one or more will stick with readers.
This new Ms. Marvel is part of that
campaign.
The idea of a teenaged, female, Muslim
character came from Marvel editors Sana Amanat, a Muslim herself, and Steve
Wacker. The pair then approached writer G. Willow Wilson to begin to develop
the character. Wilson
is an American convert to Islam.
Since converting to Islam in college, much
of Wilson's work has been centered on Islam, Egypt,
and Muslim-themed fantasy stories. But Wilson
has also written for Marvel's Mystic series as well as for rival comic company
DC Comics where she wrote several entries in the Superman and The Outsiders
titles.
This young Muslim's super powers are a
departure from past Ms. Marvel powers in that she can morph her body parts and
shape shift instead of shooting energy beams from her fists.
From reports on the character, it seems
that Miss Kahn will develop her powers X-Men mutant-style by just discovering
she has them. She then assumes Ms. Marvel's name because she admired Carol
Danvers, the human alter ego of the previous Ms. Marvel--a character now called
Captain Marvel.
"Captain Marvel represents an ideal
that Kamala pines for," Wilson
is quoted saying in The New York Times. "[Danvers is] strong, beautiful and doesn't
have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and 'different.'"
"It’s also sort of like when I was a
little girl and wanted to be (Save By The Bell actress) Tiffani-Amber
Thiessen," Wilson
said.
Wilson insists that Islam will not be the
central or overriding theme of the new Ms. Marvel. Religion will just be a part
of the character's background and family life.
This story will not be Muslim
"evangelism," Wilson
claims "It was really important for me to portray Kamala as someone who is
struggling with her faith."
The original Ms. Marvel was introduced in
the 1960s as a part of the Captain Marvel (the male version) series. The
character has waxed and waned over the years and had several brief runs as the
featured hero of her own series.
The character was once even involved in a
shocking story line that some called a rape fantasy where the character was impregnated
unwillingly by an alien baddie in a series of stories in 1980-81.
More recently the original Danvers character has
become the new Captain Marvel. This left the Ms. Marvel character defunct until
the arrival of Miss Kamala Kahn in the Marvel universe.
The Ms. Marvel will debut next year in a
February introduction where fans will learn how she gets her powers and why she
connects herself to Ms. Marvel.
Marvel Comics
Marvel
Comics is a division of the Marvel Publishing Inc.
Note: Marvel
Publishing Inc. is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment.
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Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment.
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Daisy Khan
was a director at the White House Project,
is an executive director for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement, and a developer for Park51.
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Opponents of the Park51 project
argued that it is "a mosque", claiming that establishing a mosque a
few blocks away from Ground Zero would be offensive because the hijackers in
the September 11, 2001 attacks were Islamic terrorists.
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J. Mitchell was the chairman for the Walt Disney Company,
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Watch, and the Center for American
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Gara
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Daisy Khan
was a director at the White House Project,
is an executive director for the American Society for
Muslim Advancement, and a developer for Park51.
Park51
Controversy
Opponents of the Park51 project
argued that it is "a mosque", claiming that establishing a mosque a
few blocks away from Ground Zero would be offensive because the hijackers in
the September 11, 2001 attacks were Islamic terrorists.
Abigail
E. Disney is a director at the White House Project,
and Roy E. Disney’s daughter.
Roy E.
Disney was Abigail E. Disney’s father, Walt Disney’s nephew, and a director, investor for the Walt Disney Company.
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Wilson is a director at the Millennium Promise,
and was a director at the Walt Disney Company.
Walt
Disney Company acquired Marvel Entertainment.
Marvel
Publishing Inc. is a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment.
Marvel
Comics is a division of the Marvel Publishing Inc.
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