Who is Captain Marvel? Part 2

See Part 1 here: https://steemit.com/comics/@pinkspectre/who-is-captain-marvel-part-1

In Part 1 we discussed how the character of Captain Marvel was passed along through several different publishers before finding a permanent home with Marvel Comics. Marvel's first rendition of the hero was in the form of an alien soldier, the Kree Mar Vell, who like Superman, defended the people of Earth from a variety of Silver Age monsters. He harnesses the power of Nega-Bands which enhance his strength and speed, and allow him to fly unprotected in outer space. Eventually the hero gains cosmic awareness, allowing him to detect threats throughout the universe. Originally sent to observe Earth in preparation for a Kree invasion, Mar-Vell eventually rebels and allies himself with against the Kree Empire, to whom he is now a traitor. He acts as an early foil for Thanos before the introduction of Adam Warlock and the Infinity Stones, but is eventually killed off by cancer in 1982.

Mar-Vell and Carol Danvers

Four more people would pick up the mantle of Captain Marvel after his death, beginning with Monica Rambeau. She is a New Orleans police officer with the power to transform herself into various forms of energy. Her character gives up the Captain Marvel title when the original Mar Vell's son comes on the scene, and eventually takes the name Pulsar. Mar Vell's genetically engineered son Genis-Vell wears the Nega-Bands and has Cosmic Awareness like his father. In a complicated plot, Genis is killed, resurrected, and ultimately destroyed with the help of Baron Zemo. Next in line for the mantle is Genis's younger sister Phyla-Vell, who comes into existence due to anomalies engendered when her brother attempts to re-make the universe in the aforementioned Baron Zemo storyline. Possesing cosmic awareness, super-strength, flight and energy manipulation abilities, she fights alongside the NOVA Corps and joins up with the Guardians of the Galaxy. She is eventually killed trying to save her fellow Guardians from Thanos, who she has mistakenly freed. It is eventually revealed that she is trapped inside the Soul Gem along with Adam Warlock, but is never shown to have escaped.

Genis-Vell

The fifth Captain Marvel is a Skrull sleeper agent named Khn'nr, who takes on the form of Mar-Vell and has a copy of the Kree Nega-Bands. He eventually proves to be unstable, with Mar-Vell's personality taking control, and is killed fighting the Skrulls. A sixth Captain Marvel is provided briefly by another Kree soldier named Noh-Varr, who first appeared in the comics as Marvel Boy, and eventually becomes The Protector.

Finally, in 2012, the character named Carol Danvers takes up the Captain Marvel mantle. She originally was the head of security at a missile base from which Mar-Vell was operating. When an explosion copies Mar-Vell's powers onto her, she became Ms. Marvel, his sidekick and a member of the Avengers. It is probably some version of this story that we will be seeing in the upcoming movie with Brie Larson playing the lead role, and Jude Law as Mar-Vell. The movie is set in the 90's before all the other movies except the first Captain America, and will also feature an age-reversed Samuel L. Jackson as SHIELD agent Nick Fury. Though it probably won't get too bogged down in the convoluted history of the character to provide for an enjoyable movie, lets hope the latest installment in the MCU can stay true to the character and get us pumped for Captain Marvel's return to save the day in the next Avengers flick.