Having soared past box office projections, Marvel Comic’s latest film Captain Marvel has introduced a new audience to Carole Danvers. Initially introduced in 1968’s Marvel Super Heroes #13, she has come a long way since her first introduction. Initially a colonel in the United States, an explosion of a Kree device bestows her with a Kree-Human DNA structure.
While the film got many elements of her backstory correct, fifty years of comic history means that a few things were left out. With so much more to uncover about the MCU’s latest superhero, here are ten things about Carol Danvers that Captain Marvel left out.
Her Apartment Is Inside The Statue Of Liberty
As far as upscale apartments in New York City go, this one takes the cake. As thanks from Mayor J. Jonah Jameson (perhaps you’ve heard of him) for saving the city, she was gifted a swanky place to stay in the city. While out of the way for most people, the apartment was a perfect base of operations for Danvers, whose own shifting and evolving views of what was right and what was wrong coincided with her staying in the symbol of liberty and justice.
She’s From Boston
Perhaps it’s for the best that Sacramento-born Brie Larson didn’t attempt to give Danvers a Boston accent. While initially from the Boston suburb of Beverly, recent retcons have Carol growing up in Boston’s Back Bay area.
It certainly explains Carol’s tenacity and refusal to give up; growing up in a city that (back then) had a neighborhood called the Combat Zone would make anyone tough as nails.
Her BFFs Include Spider-Woman And Jessica Jones
Carol Danvers has many in-world fans (dubbed the Carol Corp), but none more so than her best friends. Among them are fellow heroes Monica Rambeaux (the second Captain Marvel, who appeared as a young girl in the film), Jessica Drew (Spider-Woman) and Jessica Jones.
Given that the three of them all have experience with being brainwashed/mind controlled (more on that later), it makes sense they would bond and become friends. Her friends have been there for the ups and downs of Carol’s life, and she’s quick to return the favor.
Briefly Joined The Guardians Of The Galaxy
While on a mission to find herself and learn about who she really is, Carol took a walk-about in space. During this time, she joined up with the adventuring team known as the Guardians of the Galaxy. Her stint was fairly short lived; she appeared in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 issues 23-25, and quickly leaves to deal with issues regarding the Kree. Whether or not this comes into play in future MCU films remains to be seen, but it would be an appropriate nod to her brief time with them in the comics.
Seventh Sense Ability
Not quite a “spider sense” but not that far off, either. As part of her original powers, Carol possessed a “seventh sense” ability. This was a sort of precognition that alerted her to somewhat immediate threats and dangers nearby. She has gained and lost abilities over the years, but has maintained this one.
That being said, it comes up infrequently, and comic writers by and large seem to ignore the ability. Still, it’s a good tool for her to have in her pocket, and future Captain Marvel films may delve deeper into the ability.
She Backed Hero Registration In Civil War
One of Marvel Comics most infamous super hero feuds was that of Civil War. On one side stood Tony Stark, who fought for the government-mandated registration to all super heroes. On the other was Steve Rogers, who argued for personal freedom and choice.
Siding with Stark was Carol Danvers, which makes a decent amount of sense. As a rank and file officer, Carol would feel a personal obligation to follow government orders on something like this. While she never received much in-universe heat for her position, it’s interesting to note how she would have sided in the MCU version and how that might have changed things.
Rogue Absorbed Her Powers
When she first debuted, Rogue was part of Mystique’s villainous Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. After several of their members were captured, she convinced Rogue to absorb the powers of Ms. Marvel to break them out. Their plan worked, and Rogue was bestowed with Carol’s powers, as well as part of her psyche.
Carol, meanwhile, lost her powers for some time, eventually gaining them back thanks to the help of Professor X. This put Carol and Rogue at odds for quite some time, which has never fully formed into a friendship.
Other Hero Identities
Carol Danvers has had quite a few titles over the years. In addition to her original Ms. Marvel and current Captain Marvel titles, events and sequences in her life have often called for a new superhero identity. One such identity was “Binary”, which gave her the abilities to tap into a “white hole”. This tremendously boosted her power, giving her control over various energies, lights, and even gravity. When these powers were severed, she retained her current power set up, going by the identity of “Warbird” instead. Only recently has she donned the Captain Marvel identity, and only after getting the blessing from her friend and former Captain Marvel Monica Rambeaux.
Feelings For Spider-Man
In one of the often-overlooked romances of the Marvel Comics universe, Peter Parker and Carol Danvers were briefly an item. Initially, Carol hated working with Spider-Man on the Avengers, finding him annoying. When a currently de-powered Carol gets into a fight at a dock in Queens to obtain an important item, Spider-Man shows up to investigate. He decides to ask her out, and the two go on a very awkward first date. The two eventually warm up to one another, and a slight romance follows the two for a time. The two seem to break things off eventually, as nothing ever came of the relationship in the comics.
Leader Of Alpha Flight
As part of the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” storylines, the historic Alpha Flight band of heroes got a reboot. The once Canadian superhero team became a militaristic space force, taking over the role held traditionally by S.W.O.R.D. (the sister agency of S.H.I.E.L.D.). Leading the charge was Captain Marvel, whose experience in space travel and ranking as a Major made her more than qualified to lead the team. She managed to use the program to defend the planet from an alien invasion for months on her own, proving her worth as a team leader. Given Carol’s similar role in the film, it’s not impossible to think of a similar version to Alpha Flight appearing in the MCU.
