The 100: The “Stunning” Captain Marvel

An panel from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 featuring Monica Rambeau

Monica Rambeau, aka Captain Marvel, made her debut in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 in 1982. She was created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr., with some help from John Romita, Sr. The story entitled “Who’s That Lady?” starts with Peter Parker trying to figure out why the very beautiful Rambeau is triggering his spider-sense. While this is a Spider-Man annual, this is all Rambeau’s story. She is from New Orleans, a lieutenant in the Harbor Patrol who faces a sexist supervisor who has overlooked her for promotion. The story establishes her powers and demonstrates her intention as a hero. From this appearance, she moves on to the Avengers, a title in which she will be prominently featured, eventually becoming the team's leader. As an introduction goes, this doesn’t have the historical significance of the first black female character. Still, I would argue that we should consider how Rambeau offers a different take on the black female superhero. She comes from a part of the country that often is framed as part of the mystical/supernatural part of comic conversation. New Orleans is often linked to heroes like Brother Voodoo, but to Rambeau has none of that, instead her story intersects with the energy infrastructure that shapes Louisana. It is worth considering that Rambeau’s power, which allow her to become any kind of electromagnetic energy. Despite her solid introduction and notable run in the Avengers, the character has only recently gotten the attention she deserve. Her appearance in the MCU has little to do with her comic origin, but as one of the few powerful black female characters, it makes sense to bring her into the MCU.