Rebooting Carol Danvers’ Feminist Purpose in Captain Marvel (2012)

In 2012, Carol Danvers became #CaptainMarvel. Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick & drawn by Dexter Soy, with a new costume designed by Jamie McKelvie, Captain Marvel’s first storyline rejuvenates the character’s original feminist purpose in several important ways. 1/12 #TheMarvels

The new costume is key to Danvers’ rebirth. According to scholar Peter Coogan, the most iconic superhero costumes reflect a character’s mission, powers & identity. Arguably, many of Danvers’ previous costumes, including her fetishistic black costume, failed in this regard. 2/12

The sexualized costumes of some female superheroes & villains, such as Emma Frost & Mystique, can be read as a reflection of character and thus, a confirmation of agency. But Danvers was never characterized as a sexual libertine—she was just drawn that way. 3/12

In contrast, Danvers’ Captain Marvel costume overtly reflects her character. While still referencing ties to the male Captain Marvel, the new costume incorporates military details specific to Danvers’ personal history; she fully inherits the title and makes it her own. 4/12

DeConnick’s story also foregrounds female mentorship and community in ways that the 2006 Ms. Marvel series did not. For instance, one subplot involves Danvers supporting Tracy Burke, an editor of “Woman” magazine in the 1977 Ms. Marvel series, during cancer treatment. 5/12

In addition, where Danvers’ 1977 superhero origin story has her owing her powers and costume exclusively to the male Captain Marvel, DeConnick develops a new historical grounding for Danvers that emphasizes multigenerational sisterhood. 6/12

DeConnick introduces a new mentor for Danvers, a fictional flying ace named Helen Cobb. Like Danvers, Cobb dreamed of flying higher & faster. And while she achieved some of her dreams, institutionalized sexism prevented her history from being properly told. 7/12

Danvers is able to connect quite literally with this history by time-travelling to fight alongside a squad of WWII-era female fighter pilots. She also meets a younger version of Cobb, who then joins Danvers in revisiting the latter’s original superhero transformation. 8/12

Cobb thus becomes centrally tied to Danvers’ origin, but her influence isn’t simplistic. Instead of wholesomely encouraging Danvers, Cobb tries to steal Danvers’ powers for herself, then makes Danvers fight to keep them. But when Danvers wins, Cobb is proud. 9/12

The relationship between Danvers & Cobb underscores this storyline’s metatextual commentary on Danvers’ tumultuous publication history. This is especially evident in a letter Cobb writes to Danvers, which is inscribed over scenes of Danvers honoring Cobb after her death. 10/12

To Danvers, Cobb writes: “We’re gonna get where we’re going, you and me. Death and indignity be damned… we’ll get there… and we will be the stars we were always meant to be.” 11/12

Like Cobb, Danvers was meant to be a star. Instead, her comic was cancelled. Then she gave birth to her rapist & fell in love with him. Then she went to space & when she returned, became an alcoholic. But through Cobb, DeConnick & Co., history gets rewritten—and repaired. 12/12

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