Ms. Marvel's New Mutant Powers Just Got Teased - But One Big Question Remains
Contains spoilers for "X-Men: Hellfire Gala" #1
Kamala Khan has joined the X-Men in the mutant nation of Krakoa, and Marvel Comics has answered whether the young hero will get new powers due to her mutant heritage: Yes, she will. As for what that power is, well — that remains a mystery for now.
Ms. Marvel has undergone major changes over the last several weeks, giving the character a soft retool. She died in "The Amazing Spider-Man," protecting Mary Jane Watson from a reality-warping villain determined to murder Peter Parker's ex. At her celebration of life, everyone from Captain Marvel to Captain America paid their respects to the fallen hero. However, instead of being killed off for good or coming back the same as she was when she was killed, Marvel devised Kamala's death as a means to reveal she has mutant genes, loosely mirroring Ms. Marvel's MCU origin story. But Khan's new status quo isn't meant to erase her past as much as it will build on it, including giving the young hero a mutant power. In "X-Men: Hellfire Gala" #1, Kamala learns the truth about her resurrection and what it means for her as a hero, even though her return comes at a terrible time for Marvel's mutants.
Meet Ms. Marvel, the new mutant
In "X-Men: The Hellfire Gala" #1, Kamala Khan awakens on Krakoa, where she's informed she was resurrected by mutant technology. Cyclops and Emma Frost tell Kamala she won't remember anything about her death, though she's welcome to ask Spider-Man for details. At the same time, she's told her family will have their memories rewritten to forget losing their daughter.
Arriving at the Hellfire Gala in a beautiful outfit created by mutant designer extraordinaire Jumbo Carnation, Ms. Marvel meets with Charles Xavier, who senses she's uncomfortable in her new surroundings. The mutant-Inhuman hybrid asks what her mutant powers might be now that her gene has been activated, but Professor X tells her he doesn't know what her new gift is, as her encounter with Terrigen Mist that made her an Inhuman has had a negative effect on her mutant physiology. Ms. Marvel spends the gala learning more about mutants, with one hero in particular, Rasputin IV, revealing she knows about Kamala's Inhuman/mutant background and future important role with the X-Men.
Ms. Marvel makes the rounds at the Hellfire Gala, absorbing as much information about being a mutant as she can before the Gala is attacked by the incredibly powerful villain Nimrod and several other villains who successfully topple Krakoa. Kamala's time with the X-Men is cut short, with thousands of mutants dying in the sneak attack. Her new normal is off to a violent start, as the inhabitants of Krakoa have been displaced and scattered across the globe.
What does this mean for the MCU's Ms. Marvel?
The news that Ms. Marvel is keeping her Inhuman background but will develop mutant powers alongside her embiggening and shapeshifting abilities is one of the best-case scenarios given her recent changes. Longtime fans didn't want to see Kamala lose her original abilities, as they've become a crucial part of her story and identity. Thankfully, Marvel appears to be adding, not subtracting, from her powers. While her mutant abilities haven't been revealed, it would be surprising if she didn't have something similar to her energy-based powers seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Giving the character another set of mutant powers would be an odd choice, especially given the recent effort to synergize Kamala with her MCU counterpart.
One of the most potential things to come from Kamala having mutant powers is that it opens the door for the MCU to potentially add her Inhuman abilities to the live-action version of the character. If Ms. Marvel is a mutant-Inhuman hybrid, it's possible she could gain her original comic powers in the MCU. Seeing her embiggen on the big screen would be a welcome sight for fans who were initially bummed out that she received all-new powers in "Ms. Marvel." Bringing this development to the MCU would be a great way to close the gap between Kamala's comic and live-action iterations.
Ms. Marvel's new mutant powers are confirmed — but not revealed — in "X-Men: Hellfire Gala" #1 from Marvel Comics, by Gerry Duggan, Adam Kubert, Luciano Vecchio, Matteo Lolli, Russell Dauterman, Javier Pina, R.B. Silva, Joshua Cassara, Kris Anka, Pepe Larraz, Rain Beredo, Ceci De La Cruz, Matthew Wilson, Erick Arciniego, Marte Gracia, and Virtual Calligraphy, available now.