Carol Danvers is a Damsel in Distress Once More: Captain Marvel #10 – February 1969
The Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers and Medic Una love triangle continues. Carol also takes being a damsel in distress to the next level by becoming clumsy. She is still suspicious of Dr. Walter Lawson, but it doesn't develop her character, it just brings her closer to Mar-Vell.
In the second page of the issue, we have re-write of the ending of the previous issue. The previous issue ended like this:
After defeating Cyberex and saving Carol, Captain Marvel simply walks away without giving Carol a second thought. Now suddenly it looks like this:
It states that it goes back "to that moment following the…" victory of Captain Marvel and suddenly he receives a "reward" in the form of a kiss from the "lovely" Carol Danvers. Suddenly, instead of walking away, he stays and kisses Carol. This time, unlike in past issue, he is also holding her, so he seems more interested in her this time. Even his clothes have changed and are now torn for a more sexy scene. It seems that Arnold Drake, the writer, changes his mind about the ending of the previous issue.
However, Captain Marvel forgets that nothing that he does is private. Medic Una is watching him and thinks: "I cannot fool myself! Mar-Vell is truly involved with the Earth woman!" while Mar-Vell clearly doesn't think about her.
Mar-Vell goes back to the spaceship to get a new costume and for more air. While on the ship Ronan the Accuser calls and tells Mar-Vell to investigate "the organization" that created the Cyberex, and to form an alliance with them. Then Mar-Vell seeks out Medic Una, after in previous issues he ignores her presence on the ship. But Medic Una gives him the cold shoulder, which surprises Mar-Vell for some reason. Una replays that: "I'm sure she does not care how many she must share you with! Whereas – I do!" Again, this not interesting love triangle (that Carol doesn't know she's a part of) is in the center. And again it goes nowhere as we don't see a replay from Mar-Vell, we simply see him back on earth again.
Dr. Walter Lawson is in a car with Carol Danvers as they are on their way to have dinner. Carol tries to be friendly and she even apologies to Lawson by saying "I'm afraid being a security officer has exaggerated my normal suspicion of people! I promise -- no more questions – except -- It's about that fantastic giant robot that ripped up your hotel room! What was it after -- and who sent it?" in the middle of this Lawson tells her "your credit is good enough for one more quiz! Go!" so he basically allows her to ask him a question in the most condescending way possible and his answer is not any better. He just makes a joke about not being smart enough. That's not a respectful answer. This pretence of friendliness was a smart move for Carol to make, but as we see, again, it leads her nowhere other than being in Mar-Vell's path.
Then Carol notices that a car has been following them since they left town. But it's Lawson who notices that the criminals in it are pointing a gun at them. He grabs her and jumps out of the car just in time, as the criminal from the organization shoot the car with an Eon-Ray gun which makes the car literally grow old. It also hits a bird that turns into a flying dinosaur looking creature.
In response Carol gets scared, trips, her head hits a tree and she losses consciousness. This clumsiness is a new level of damsel in distress and incompetence. You don't see her years of military training here.
Mar-Vell uses the opportunity to change clothes into Captain Marvel and goes after the flying dinosaur, while the criminals from organization kidnap the unconsciousness Carol. They are going to use her as bait for Lawson, again.
After winning, Mar-Vell finds a note stating that Dr. Lawson has 12 hours to turn himself in or Carol's life will be forfeit. Mar-Vell goes to the address in the note and turns himself in as Captain Marvel. He tells Number One, the leader of the organization, that he wishes to join their ranks, just as Ronan ordered him to do.
As they argue, Captain Marvel tells Carol that he was just using her as her position could be proven to be useful. But then we see that he has a plan to rescue her, as he gives her a knockout gas and tells her to use it when she's alone, and she says that she will. She still trusts him.
Number one tells Carol that she doesn't have to be alive to be bait, so if she causes any trouble they will kill her. Her response is very snappy and insulting, she calls number one a "fat man" and tells him she wants to stay alive "long enough to see the whole lot of you strung up! And that's just for openers!" She's like a dog that barks, but doesn't bite. She has a good choice of words, strong and powerful, but not a lot of action behind them.
A few moments later someone announces that Carol has escaped and Number One realizes that Captain Marvel betrayed him. While Captain Marvel is fighting against the men of the organization, Number One gets his hands on the Eon-Ray gun and shoots the Captain. However, Captain Marvel manages to take the Eon-Ray gun and reverses the control time and brings himself back to his normal age. Then Captain Marvel uses the Eon-Ray gun on the rest of the criminals while Carol shows up to stand behind him.
The building itself also gets old and collapses so Captain Marvel flies off with Carol. Carol tells him that tomorrow she probably won't believe that any of this happened, but she will remember his bravery.
However, this bravery defies a direct order from Ronan, who orders Mar-Vell to be executed. Una hears this and wonders why he let his instinct of fairness take control and put himself at risk. She thinks that "the Earth-woman did this to you, didn't she? And now you will die for a woman who would spit in your face were she to learn that you are an alien being." That's quite an exaggeration, Carol thinks of him as her hero and I doubt anything can change that. Despite the fact that she thinks that Mar-Vell doesn't love her anymore she tries to warn him and fails. The issue closes with an execution squad about to open fire on a tied up Mar-Vell.
Even in fan mail section, Mail it to Mar-Vell, someone complains about the love story, and I agree with him. All Una does in the last few issues is cry. And this entire love triangle subplot is going nowhere. Another reader writes: "Keep Carol Danvers suspicious of Walt Lawson, she's an interesting character, and one necessary to the plot." I don't think she's interesting or necessary, or that at this point her suspicion makes her interesting.
As we can see, the Carol Danvers plot goes nowhere. She's still a damsel in distress and she's still used as bait. At the end of the issue her character is still in the same place where it started. It is simply her language and attitude that give her the appearance of a strong woman, but she doesn't act like such a woman. Do you agree with me?