Ms. Marvel, Introducing The “Other”
Ms. Marvel challenges the modern ideals of what it means to be a superhero. I found that as a whole, Kamala Khan allows people of color to have some sort of representation in the world of comics. We live in an age where our forms of entertainment such as comics, television shows, award ceremonies (OSCARS!!!), all display the stereotypical white male or female. Kamala Khan, however, is shown to the Marvel readers that you do not have to fit this mold of skinny and white in order to retain super powers and accomplish great things.
I really enjoy the first few panels of this comic. Right away, readers are shown that she cannot eat meat due to religious reasons. From the very start, she is presented as an “Other” or something that is different than the norm. Kamala’s true power comes from her distance from what society typically expects. She holds herself graciously in the face of disrespectful classmates and misunderstanding parents.
I feel that, in some way, Ms. Marvel’s tale follows a similar path to the X-Men. In which, a person (Kamala) feels that she does not truly fit in anywhere within her society. Rather than accept rejection or force herself to conform, she chooses to continue to stay true to herself and her own identity. She essentially owns her culture, wears its proudly, and serves for the greater good of the people around her. Along with the works of Black Panther, and Miles Moreales as Spiderman, I hope to see more comics like this in the future to eventually de-stigmatize what is considered to be the “norm” and what is considered to be the “Other”
