Carol Danvers is back on the Job: Captain Marvel #12 – April 1969
Carol Danvers is back and she's angry that Captain Marvel has betrayed her and humanity. Apparently the stereotype of the vindictive woman is too tempting to avoid.
The issue opens with a recap of Mar-Vell receiving his new powers from Zo. Then, on his journey back to earth (to avenge the death of Medic Una who he believes was by killing Colonel Yon-Rogg) he stops by the grave of his everlasting love, Una. This emphasizes the fact that Mar-Vell doesn't have any feelings towards Carol; at least not in this issue (this comic has a problem with consistency). After his visit he goes back to earth and decides not to kill Colonel Yon-Rogg immediately, in order to extend Yon-Rogg's misery.
After landing back on earth (with a small miscalculation at first) he decides to resume his persona as Dr. Lawson. If you remember, he's been in space for over four months, so as he'll find out, just showing up again is not a smart move.
Then we move to the Cape where we find out that there are orders to kill Captain Marvel on sight. How Captain America: Civil War of them. Of course, here no one is going to enforce this order.
Lawson has been missing for about four month, but only now Carol Danvers wants to have him arrested. I know that it has only been one issue, but it could have been done in a flashback. On top of the huge time gap she says she needs permission from the General, even though it's probably part of her job description. The General tells her that she doesn't need permission; she has enough on Lawson to have him arrested. So Carol makes the call to the Cape's security to have him arrested, Operation Lawson. It sounds impressive, but it will end as quickly as it has started.
This doesn't present Carol in a positive light as she is behind on her work and needs the General's approval to do her job. The next panel gives us Black Widow who is seems incompetent.
Forget the confident Black Widow from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and meet the glamorous and not so great at her job version of the character. This Black Widow seems to have little faith in herself and wishes Nick Fury was there with her. Her mission is to take out a person who is the greatest threat to U.S. security. We get to see that that same person has created a machine called Man-Slayer, a man made out of plastic.
Then we move back to the Cape where Mar-Vell as Dr. Lawson is surprise when someone stops him from entering the base. He is about to be arrested when Man-Slayer shows up. Mar-Vell uses his new illusion power to divert the soldiers and changes into Captain Marvel. In the meantime the Man-Slayer wants to destroy the moon rocket.
Then we switch back to Black Widow who wants to arrest the creator of Man-Slayer, but he manages to call a few more plastic men who quickly disarm her.
Captain Marvel arrives before Man-Slayer destroys the missile and fights him. Man-Slayer decides that killing Captain Marvel who is a symbol of life and hope will make people recognize his terror more than just simply destroying the moon missile. Captain Marvel's new powers have no affect on Man-Slayer who is about to kill Mar-Vell, when suddenly he freezes (of course none of the soldiers tried to kill Captain Marvel as they were ordered to).
We switch back to Black Widow and see that she has shattered Man-Slayer's energy transmitter with a hidden micro-bomb. So Captain Marvel is in fact saved by Black Widow, but he will never know. Who knows if his ego can handle being rescued by an earth woman with no actual powers? She manages to become the most accomplished woman in all of this comics ran so far. Then the robots knock her out to use her as living bait under the orders of their master. Again an impressive woman turned into living bait, this comic has a thing for that.
Captain Marvel's efforts don't impress Carol Danvers. She thinks that the Man-Slayer, Captain Marvel and Dr. Lawson are all connected. She wants to see both men behind bars, which for Mar-Vell is better than the shot on sight orders that applied to him at the beginning of the issue. Then she questions her own motives, whether she wants Captain Marvel arrested because of her training or because of her hurt feelings. Wanting to put a man in prison because of a broken heart is pretty drastic and presents women as illogical vengeful creatures; it’s a known stereotype that is hard to narrow to this one character.
The issue ends with Lawson about to be arrested when he simply teleports away.
Carol is back to being angry and suspicious, but in the worst possible way. Now she wants to arrest Captain Marvel, because he hurt her feelings (he did break the law in the previous issue, but he is now the hero again). The vindictive woman stereotype is very old and doesn't make her character very empowering, as she was at the first issue. The fact that she didn't call for Dr. Lawson's arrest during the four months in which he was missing is just another aspect of her incompetence. Again, in first superficial glace she seems strong and independent, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny. In the end, even though this issue #12, she actually has no personality, we know nothing about her.