The Marvels promises to bring together Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan, AKA Ms. Marvel. All three women served as Captain Marvel in the comics in the main comic continuity as well as the greater multiverse, promising a cosmic team-up in the upcoming movie. Even more powerful Captain Marvel variants exist in the comics and could appear in the movie.
Some hail from alternate universes in the comics, including one where The Wasp was Captain Marvel. Others took on the mantle originated by Mar-Vell, the original Marvel Universe character, creating a dynastic succession that may emerge in live-action. The Marvels likely introduces some of these key characters as well, as it potentially explores the broader MCU universe.
Updated on June 11th, 2022 by Darby Harn: Ms. Marvel introduces Kamala Khan to the MCU and establishes her Captain Marvel fandom. Kamala not only takes Carol Danvers’ original Ms. Marvel moniker but in one alternate reality, becomes Captain Marvel as well. The new MCU series changes Ms. Marvel’s origin to a seemingly more cosmic one, hinting at an even stronger connection between Kamala and Carol. This revision could also serve to create links to other powerful Captain Marvel variants from the comics like Moonstone and Binary.
Janet Van Dyne (Age Of Ultron)
A number of men and women held the Captain Marvel title over the years in the comics. Janet Van Dyne ranks among the most powerful, combining her ability to shrink to microscopic size with sheer cosmic force.
The Wasp becomes Captain Marvel in the dystopian alternate future of the Age Of Ultron storyline in which Ultron takes over the world. Fans never learn how Janet actually comes by the title or her power, and she’s among the many Avengers killed in the story, destroyed with much of New York City in a nuclear blast unleashed by the supervillain Morgan le Fay.
Rick Jones
Rick Jones becomes Captain Marvel in Earth-1610, the Ultimate Comics universe. His powers derive mostly from the Kree Battle Suit he inherits, giving him the power to fly through outer space as well as teleport across vast cosmic distances.
Comic book fans know Nova is Richard Rider in Earth-616 but in Earth-1610, Jones serves as both. This iteration of the character potentially creates a template for the MCU, as Nova is rumored to be in the works as a movie or television series.
Moonstone
Moonstone took over the identity of Ms. Marvel from Carol Danvers during the Dark Reign era when Norman Osborn took over the Avengers. Karla Sofen derives her powers from Kree gravity stones, giving her control over gravity as well as superhuman strength, speed, and agility.
Moonstone served as a member of the Thunderbolts, and given rumors surrounding the team’s MCU appearance and her connections to Captain Marvel, she could be the villain actress Zawe Ashton is playing in The Marvels.
Rogue
Rogue comes with a bit of an asterisk, as she was never officially Ms. Marvel or Captain Marvel. That said, this powerful X-Men member Rogue acquired her strength, invulnerability, and ability to fly from Carol, making her, in effect, a version of the iconic future Captain Marvel.
In a violent encounter in Marvel Super-Heroes #11, Rogue attacks Carol and absorbs all of her powers and memories. The two shared a rocky relationship for many years, one the MCU likely explores in some way.
Mar-Vell
Mar-Vell served as the first Captain Marvel variant, co-created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan in Marvel Super-Heroes #12. Mar-Vell possessed superhuman strength, agility, and stamina, thanks to his Kree physiology.
He gained even more powers after being experimented on by the Kree Imperial Minister. He gained the ability to fly, fire energy beams, and teleport across vast distances. This Kree warrior kicked off a cosmic legacy in the comics that continues to this day.
Mahr Vehl
Another Captain Marvel variant hails from Earth-1610, the alternate universe of Ultimate Comics that began in the early 2000s. Mar-Vell became Mahr Vell in this version, gaining the power to switch back and forth between Kree and human forms thanks to advanced cybernetics.
He shares powers with most Captain Marvel versions, including the ability to generate energy blasts and shields. His Kree battle suit also lets him generate a totalkannon, a powerful energy weapon.
William Mar-Vell
William Mar-Vell emerged as a product of the mid-90s Marvel and DC crossover event Amalgam Comics, which smashed together like characters from both companies. This character combines the powers of Mar-Vell and Shazam, making them not only cosmic in power but magical.
Comic book fans know the original Captain Marvel is the character now known as Shazam. The Fawcett Comics’ creation fell into the ownership of DC after several legal battles in the 1950s. However, after the copyright lapsed, Marvel pounced on it by introducing their own Captain Marvel in 1967, Mar-Vell.
Phyla-Vell
Phyla-Vell’s powers function similarly to her father’s in that she is very strong and can fly. She can also fire energy blasts from her hands. For a time, she also possessed the Quantum Bands, which allow the wearer to harness and manipulate cosmic energy on a tremendous scale.
Phyla-Vell ultimately takes the Captain Marvel title her father once held after the disastrous tenure of her brother, the evil Genis-Vell. Her mother created both Phyla and Genis from Mar-Vell’s DNA, making them clones.
Noh-Varr
Noh-Varr debuted in 2000, co-created by writer Grant Morrison and artist J.G. Jones. He takes on the Captain Marvel mantle after the events of the Secret Invasion storyline, meaning he could be a character who appears in the upcoming Disney+ series.
His powers go beyond that of a typical Kree, as his DNA is spliced with that of an alien insect. He possesses reflexes, strength, and stamina well beyond that of any human or Kree. He eventually abandons the title and becomes the Protector, occasionally a member of the Avengers in the comics.
Genis-Vell
Genis-Vell inherits even more powers than his father, given his mixed Kree and Titanian heritage. He possesses Cosmic Awareness – allowing him to be unaffected by Scarlet Witch’s reality-altering powers in the House Of M comic – and was also able to resurrect himself after he died.
Genis-Vell first appeared in Silver Surfer Annual #6 in 1993 and confronted the second Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau, over the name.
Anne-Marie (Rogue)
Infinity Countdown: Captain Marvel #1 takes Carol Danvers across the multiverse, where she meets a powerful Captain Marvel variant in Anna-Marie. This Rogue variant possesses all the powers Carol does at her peak in addition to maintaining her mutant power to acquire other abilities.
Carol’s Kree DNA essentially rewrote Rogue’s in this reality, providing her with much more power than in Earth-616. Her powers only increased thanks to the genetic manipulations of the Brood, something Carol experienced as well.
Kamala Khan
Kamala Khan currently serves as Ms. Marvel but in Earth-18138, she’s Captain Marvel. Better than that, she also ranks among the most powerful Captain America versions in Marvel Comics. With cosmic abilities and an adamantium shield, she wields tremendous power.
This Captain Marvel variant appears in the Cosmic Ghost Rider series from 2018, part of a multiversal Guardians of the Galaxy. She fights alongside other variants against Galactus, as well as fighting Ghost Rider himself.
Monica Rambeau
Monica Rambeau became the second Captain Marvel in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, and one of the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe. Monica gains the power of the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing her to control and even become gamma and X-rays when an experimental weapon detonated near her.
Monica served as Captain Marvel for many years, as a member and eventual leader of the Avengers. She relinquished the title to Genis-Vell and became Photon. This began a series of name changes for her, including Spectrum, Pulsar, Monica Marvel, and more.
Carol Danvers
Carol Danvers gained her powers initially from a blood transfusion from Mar-Vell and thus possesses all the powers of her predecessor, Mar-Vell, as well as a host of other cosmic powers including interstellar travel, energy, and matter manipulation.
She even absorbs magical energy and her upper limits remain unknown in the comics if she even has any. This makes her in many ways invulnerable to virtually any form of attack and arguably the most powerful Avenger ever.
Binary
In the 1980s, Carol became Binary after The Brood experimented on her. This increased her ability to generate cosmic energy on an immeasurable scale, thanks to being generically linked to a white hole. She possessed the power to combat Firelord, a herald of Galactus armed with the Power Cosmic.
Carol lost her powers when her connection to the white hole was cut. Recently, a Binary duplicate appeared in the comics, separate from Carol. She shares all of Carol’s Captain Marvel and Binary powers, potentially making her the most powerful Captain Marvel variant.
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