Carol Danvers As the New Wonder Woman: Ms. Marvel #6 – June, 1977
Ms. Marvel #6: "And Grotesk Shall Slay Thee!"
Ms. Marvel moves towards the right direction of simply becoming an interesting heroine. With the drawback that Marvel wants her to be the new Wonder Woman.
The comic book cover declares that Ms. Marvel is “the world’s newest super-heroine sensation!” I am not sure that she was actually a sensation, but it is a nice title. Also from now on she’s referred to as the “Female Fury” on the covers. Now to the issue.
This is the first page of the issue, J. Jonah Jameson reading the first issue of “Woman.” As you can see, Ms. Marvel is on the cover, and Jameson is not happy.
This panel is very meta. As you might remember from my analysis of the first issue of Ms. Marvel, one of the bystanders of Ms. Marvel’s first fight states that Ms. Marvel "makes Lynda Carter look like Olive Oyl." That is the first time that Ms. Marvel is compared to Wonder Woman. Well, it states that Ms. Marvel is better. However, now I want us to take a step back and look at Wonder Woman in the real world for a moment.
In January 1972, the first issue of Ms. Magazine had Wonder Woman, the character, on the cover. That is a comic book character on the cover of a real magazine dealing with real problems that women are facing. Now for some meta. Clearly, Ms. Marvel on the cover of “Woman” magazine is meant as a reference to Wonder Woman’s iconic cover. Let’s compare Ms. and Woman magazine: both names that refer to women without indicating their marriage status. Both feature superheroines on the cover, and that’s where the similarities end. Woman magazine is a fictional magazine whereas Ms. is a magazine in our own real world. Wonder Woman had been around for 31 years in 1972 and is considered one of the first solo superheroines ever. Carol Danvers has been around for nine years, but this is only Ms. Marvel’s sixth issue. Putting Ms. Marvel on the cover of a fictional magazine inside of her own comic book isn’t going to turn her into a feminist real-world icon like Wonder Woman. But clearly Chris Claremont as the writer and Jim Mooney and Joe Sinnott as the artists were trying to do just that. This image wants the reader to connect Ms. Marvel and Wonder Woman's status in the real world - a representative of real issues. It feels like they are trying to create a shortcut. One that ends up not working.
Now we all know that J. Jonah Jameson hates superheroes and this cover makes him really angry. Inside of the magazine Carol Danvers called Ms. Marvel “the super-hero sensation of the seventies!” Jameson is not happy about it and I don’t think that it represents Ms. Marvel accurately either.
In their heated argument Jameson yells at Danvers that he will treat Ms. Marvel like he treats all the superheroes, with hate. He also threatens that: “if that doesn’t sit well with you, miss Danvers, then you can pick up your pay-check and get out!” Danvers has no problem leaving her job for of her principles. But before she leaves, she lets him know that the first issue was a huge success, and it is a success because she made it one. Danvers isn’t afraid to take credit where it is due.
They argue until Carol Danvers passes out. Not from the argument, but from a seventh sense vision. Unfortunately, it still seems like she passed out from a heated argument. That’s superhero usual bad luck.
Danvers is quick to go back to boss mode when the vision ends. After a few worried questions, she tells everyone to get back to work. Then we are introduced to Frank Gianelli who wants Danvers to hire him as her new reporter/photographer, as he modestly calls himself the best in that field. She hired him on the spot and gives him an assignment to cover a fire. I guess that a short comic issue don’t have time for small details like job interviews or resumes.
She tells her secretary to call Dr. Michael Barnett and tell him that she is on her way. But she ends up on the roof with no idea how she got there. She changes into my Ms. Marvel.
Carol wants to stop the change, but can’t. Ms. Marvel understands that they are the same person, but also not, as Ms. Marvel considers herself a Kree. She is and she is not the same woman she was moments ago. The split personality is still here.
As Ms. Marvel, she flies towards the same fire Danvers had Gianelli cover. The same fire her seventh sense showed her, showed her that she will die in it. She goes to the man in charge to find out how she can help, but he doesn’t want superheroes involved and getting in his way.
She hears that four firemen are trying to save a cavourite crystal and realizes that they are the falling firemen from her vision. Grotesk pulls the floor in from underneath their feet. He started the fire as a coverup and he intends to steal the cavourite crystal and use it to destroy earth as revenge for his lost race.
Then Ms. Marvel arrives to try to defeat him, while also getting the fire crew out. Grotesk isn’t happy that he needs to fight against a woman. He states: “A… woman?! And a fool as well…” he does make the mistake of thinking that she is human. The fight doesn’t go so well for her. Her suit short circuits, meaning, she can’t fly or breathe in the fire. The electric current also hurts her. She managed to take out Grotesk with a few smart blows. Those smart moves make him call her a witch. It’s a common image throughout history, smart women were considered to be witches.
Ms. Marvel finds the cavourite crystal. Her memories go back to Carol Danver’s days at NASA, where she guarded the crystal. She remembers that it has the power to destroy the world.
In the meantime, Grotesk wakes up and attacks Ms. Marvel. She is weak from the smoke as her suit doesn’t protect her anymore. Grotesk uses Ms. Marvel’s useless scarf against her. Because why would a superhero costume need a scarf to begin with? At least her enemy appreciates that she is a good combatant and shows her some respect.
Grotesk gets away with the crystal and Ms. Marvel tries to follow him even though she is severely hurt. Unfortunately, the fire reaches a tank of oil and it explodes. The entire building collapses and only Grotesk gets out of the wreckage and declares that Ms. Marvel is dead. The issue ends with this cliffhanger.
This issue is a vast improvement from the previous one. I love meta references and I really like Carol Danvers’ personal life. This issue also had a classic moment in which being a superhero disrupts your personal life, as Danvers gets a vision at the wrong time. Even though the issue wants Ms. Marvel to be the new Wonder Women, it didn’t work. Maybe the Captain Marvel movie will make Carol Danvers a famous feminist icon. But even though this is a very good issue, there has been nothing in the last six issues that would turn Ms. Marvel into such an icon. Yes, she deals with issues that only women deal with in the workplace, but it is not enough. Wonder Woman will always be the first. Plus Ms. Marvel is not central in Marvel comics at this point as Wonder Woman has been in DC. Still the Wonder Woman reference is very interesting. Moreover, Ms. Marvel finally has an interesting fight, one which she uses her wit, but it is not enough. Leaving us hanging until the next issue.
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