Ms. Marvel to become Captain Marvel in new comics series

There’s a new Captain Marvel coming to the pages of Marvel Comics.

As revealed at the recent Wondercon in Anaheim, Calif., the hero Carol Danvers, formerly known as Ms. Marvel, will take on the legacy of Captain Marvel in a new ongoing series by writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Dexter Soy. Marvel Comics’ original Captain Marvel was created in 1967 and died in “The Death of Captain Marvel” graphic novel in 1984. Five others have been called “Captain Marvel” since, but now one of Marvel’s longstanding female heroes will take over the name.

Carol Danvers was created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan as a member of the U.S. Air Force in 1968′s “Marvel Super Heroes” No. 13. She became the superhero known as Ms. Marvel, who gained her powers from a mix of alien and human genes, in “Ms. Marvel” No. 1 in 1977.

The series will be written by DeConnick (“Sif,” “30 Days of Night: Eben & Stella”) and artist Soy. Danvers’ costume has been revamped along with her codename, and will show her military background, as well.

“My pitch was called ‘Pilot’ and the take can pretty much be summed up with ‘Carol Danvers as Chuck Yeager,’” DeConnick said at Marvel.com. “Carol’s the virtual definition of a Type A personality. She’s a competitor and a control freak. At the start of our series, we see Carol pre-Captain Marvel, pre-NASA even, back when she was a fiercely competitive pilot. We’ll see her meeting one of her aviation heroes, and we’ll see her youthful bravado, her swagger. Then over the course of the first arc we’re going to watch her find her way back to that hungry place.”

The new series is set to debut in July.

One local comic-book artist is looking forward to the change.

Karen Martin, writer/artist of “World Wide Tribune” from Literati Press, which features aliens of its own, says the new Captain Marvel should prove positive for Marvel Comics.

“I believe this move is a positive one — it represents an important step in reaching out to female readers, and I’m really pleased that it will be written by a woman,” Martin said. “The industry has struggled with how to portray strong female characters, and I think it’s partially a reflection of a male-dominated industry, and partially out of fear of alienating the fanboy base.”

Mark DiPaolo, Oklahoma City University professor and author of “War, Politics and Superheroes” says Carol Danvers should be a top-flight character for Marvel.

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