Unleashed: The Incredible Untapped Superpowers of Ms Marvel in the MCU
Unleashing untapped potential, Ms Marvel possesses a myriad of dormant powers From shape-shifting abilities to regenerative healing, she is capable of much more than meets the eye Discover the hidden arsenal of superpowers Kamala Khan is yet to utilize in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Summary
Ms. Marvel's powers in the MCU have been changed from her abilities in the Marvel Comics, including her backstory as a mutant.
In the comics, Ms. Marvel possesses the power to extend her limbs and modify her body size, whereas in the MCU she relies on hard-light to manifest these abilities. While Ms. Marvel is known for her regenerative healing factor in the comics, its portrayal in the MCU remains unseen. Additionally, her capability to entirely transform her appearance has not been showcased.
Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, has yet to utilize several superpowers from Marvel Comics since her introduction in Phase 4 of the MCU. In 2022, Iman Vellani brought Kamala Khan to the MCU through Disney's Ms. Marvel, an adaptation of the Captain Marvel enthusiast from New Jersey who first appeared in Marvel Comics' Ms. Marvel #1 in 2014. Marvel Studios made significant changes to Kamala Khan's backstory and abilities, presenting her as a young mutant - the first of its kind in the MCU after Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox. As a result of the alterations to Ms. Marvel's powers within the MCU, a number of abilities from the comics remain unutilized in live-action.
In Phase 4's Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan made her debut as a teenager from New Jersey who comes into possession of a mystical bangle from her grandmother. When worn during a Captain Marvel cosplay contest at AvengerCon, the bangle seemingly grants Kamala the power to create constructs from "hard-light." It is later revealed that this ability is Kamala's latent mutant power, combined with her heritage as a Djinn-like being from the Noor Dimension, which the bangle unlocked. Throughout the series, Kamala uses her newfound ability to combat the Clandestines, assist the Red Daggers, and confront Damage Control. Although she showcases impressive displays of power, there are still untapped aspects of her abilities from the original Marvel Comics.
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7 Kamala Khan Is An Inhuman In Marvel Comics
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Kamala Khan was unveiled as a mutant, making her the first mutant to be introduced in the franchise since Marvel Studios acquired the characters in 2019. However, this revelation was quickly followed by the introduction of Namor in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The inclusion of mutants in the MCU hinted at the future arrival of the X-Men team. This departure from Kamala Khan's original Marvel Comics backstory is significant. In the comics, her Inhuman lineage is revealed post-2013-14's Inhumanity storyline, where the Terrigen Mists are released worldwide, awakening dormant Inhumans. Kamala becomes one of these Inhumans after being exposed to the Terrigen Mist on the streets of Jersey City.
6 Ms. Marvel Can Elongate Her Limbs & Body
Sana Amanat, the creator of Ms. Marvel and executive producer of the MCU's Ms. Marvel, disclosed in an interview with Empire Magazine in October 2022 that her original intention for Kamala Khan in Marvel Comics was for her to be a mutant. However, the character was ultimately altered to become an Inhuman in the comics, which granted her the additional ability to withstand exposure to the Terrigen Mist. It appears unlikely that Iman Vellani's portrayal of Ms. Marvel in the MCU possesses this ability. In the live-action adaptation, Kamala Khan is depicted as a hybrid of a clandestine mutant, and as a result, her subsequent powers have undergone significant changes.
In Marvel Comics, Kamala Khan possesses an Inhuman ability that grants her the power to manipulate her body into various shapes and sizes. This extraordinary capability allows her to elongate her limbs, torso, and neck to great distances, resembling the elastic abilities of Reed Richards, also known as Mister Fantastic. In the comics, her ability is explained as her molecules time traveling when she utilizes her powers, enabling her to share her mass with different versions of herself. However, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Kamala's use of hard-light technology enables her to elongate her limbs, although it is not a biological process like in the comics. Despite this difference, she exhibits this power multiple times, notably when she rescues Zoe Zimmer in Ms. Marvel's debut.
5 Kamala Khan Can Change The Size Of Her Body
Ms. Marvel is not only capable of elongating her limbs but also has the ability to modify the size of her entire body in Marvel Comics. While her ability to elongate is similar to that of Mister Fantastic, her size-changing powers are more akin to those of Scott Lang's Ant-Man, except she does not require a protective suit to utilize this power. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Kamala Khan's hard-light powers have been adapted to showcase this ability. She creates an armor that envelops her body and enables her to appear significantly larger, although it is important to note that this transformation is not biological. With this extraordinary capability, she can shrink to the dimensions of an action figure or grow to the size of a building.
4 Ms. Marvel Has A Regenerative Healing Factor
In Marvel Comics, Kamala Khan shares her regenerative healing power with other notable superheroes. However, this ability has not been showcased in the MCU yet. Unlike the average human, Ms. Marvel can recover swiftly from various injuries, including bullet wounds. However, she can only activate her healing power when she is in her regular size. Unfortunately, utilizing this ability makes her extremely tired and hungry. While Kamala Khan's regeneration ability hasn't been explored in depth in the MCU's Ms. Marvel series, that could change in the upcoming film, The Marvels.
3 Ms. Marvel Can Completely Alter Her Appearance
Ms. Marvel's Inhuman power in Marvel Comics grants her the remarkable ability to shapeshift, completely altering her appearance to adapt to any situation that suits her. This incredible attribute first manifested when she was exposed to the Terrigen Mist, transforming her into a youthful version of Captain Marvel. Utilizing this power, she has skillfully impersonated individuals such as James "Rhodey" Rhodes and Mary Jane Watson, and can even transform into inanimate objects when circumstances demand it. However, in Iman Vellani's portrayal of Ms. Marvel,
2 Ms. Marvel Has A Locator Pendant For Captain Marvel
her adaptation seems to possess a different mutation; the creation of solid light structures rather than the ability to physically alter her own body.
In Marvel Comics' 2015 Secret Wars event, the Marvel Universe faced destruction due to an incursion. Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, joined forces with her idol, Captain Marvel, during this crisis. Captain Marvel presented Kamala with a pendant that could be used to signal her in times of emergency, with just a simple press of a button. This valuable accessory could become an important addition to Kamala's arsenal in The Marvels, set to release in 2023. In this upcoming film, which explores the bond between three lead heroes, there is a possibility that Carol Danvers might gift Kamala a pendant similar to the one seen in the comics.
1 Kamala Khan Has An Unknown Mutant Power In Marvel Comics
Kamala Khan, who died in 2022's The Amazing Spider-Man #26, was resurrected in July 2023's X-Men: Hellfire Gala #1. This recent Marvel Comics storyline reveals that Kamala possesses a latent X-Gene, making her a mutant-Inhuman hybrid. Following her resurrection, Ms. Marvel receives a new costume, a new series titled Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant, and acquires an undisclosed mutant ability. It is speculated that this hidden power enabled her to survive the typically fatal Terrigen Mist for mutants. While it remains unclear in the MCU whether Ms. Marvel possesses hidden abilities, the upcoming film The Marvels may further explore her growth and potentially enhance her powers.
