In the next issue of Awesome Spider-Man, Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, will die. Weekly entertainment revealed the milestone moment last night after pages of the issue have been leaked online.
Kamala, who currently does not have a continuing book of her own, guest starred Awesome Spider-Man here and there, usually as an intern at Oscorp, but occasionally fit to rescue a lab technician. Honestly, it seemed like writer Zeb Wells (Hellions) and illustrator John Romita Jr. (Super awesome) have kept her around in anticipation of a storyline where she could play more of a starring role. And this is it, so to speak.
According to the Marvel Comics press release, “Ms. Marvel makes a heroic sacrifice in the ultimate Marvel Comics fashion.” Awesome Spider-Man #26. In July, the company publishes Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel, a one-shot anthology featuring stories written by Ms. Marvel co-creator G. Willow Wilson; writer of her latest ongoing series, Saladin Ahmed; and Mark Waid, who wrote Kamala while she was in the Avengers and during her time as one of the main protagonists of Marvel’s teen team, the Champions. The song is drawn by Humberto Ramos, Takeshi Miyazawa and Andrea Di Vito.
“The heart of the Marvel Universe has stopped beating,” the Marvel press release reads, “now join the other heroes of the Marvel Universe, the creators of Ms. Marvel and comic book fans everywhere in honoring and remembering a of Marvel’s Brightest Stars!”
The cover of Fallen friend however, the company released seems to be more about Spider-Man’s guilt. And the interior image of Awesome Spider-Man #26 show Kamala largely surrounded by Spider-Man’s friends – Mary Jane, the Fantastic Four, a reformed Norman Osborn – and none of her own beloved supporting cast (not even her best superhero friend, and Peter’s sidekick-at-large, Miles Morales) .
Image: Kaare Andrews/Marvel Comics
Image: Zeb Wells, John Romita Jr./Marvel Comics
For a superhero whose solo stories have been so central to her bonding with her family, neighborhood, and friends, these images just don’t feel like they’re about Kamala, which is a shame for a song where she dies. That sentiment was confirmed in social media comments, where “Amazing Spider-Man” and “Ms. Marvel” trending on Twitter following the leak and announcement.
But it might not just be the optics of the reveal at play here, when the idea of Marvel Comics permanently killing off Kamala Khan seems so preposterous on the surface. Now resurrection is a given for pretty much every superhero death, and despite the genre’s traditional transience, you can still tell great stories. But when it’s the death of a rather popular character whose first blockbuster movie comes out this fall, it breaks kayfabe, so to speak.
It’s inconceivable that Kamala won’t be back in costume by then The miracles hits theaters in November. Recall that Marvel debuted in anticipation of a Monica Rambeau miniseries The miracleslaunched a new one Guardians of the Universe series for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3and has been renumbered Captain Marvel series in the wings for later this year.
It’s naked comic book shenanigans, and it’s cruel to play shenanigans to an audience that has very few Muslim superheroes, let alone Muslim superheroes known outside of comics, to go around (or superheroes from teenage girls, for that matter). Tellingly, the character’s death is already sparking celebratory racist reactions on social media.
This doesn’t seem like a plot hook to Kamala Khan fans, which makes Marvel’s copy – about the glory of Kamala’s seemingly imminent heroic sacrifice – ring particularly hollow.
Awesome Spider-Man #26 will hit shelves May 31st. Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel will hit shelves on July 12.