WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Captain Marvel #35, available now from Marvel.
Carol Danvers has found herself caught in a losing battle against her greatest enemy, one who threatens every Marvel. Miraculously, pushing herself to the brink has seen Captain Marvel produce a whole new entity. This energy being isn't just an extension of Carol's powers, though. In fact, the new Binary might have just changed everything Carol knows about her powers.
Vox Supreme has made the world of New Hala into his own personal stronghold, using the kidnapped Marvels to power his machinations. Thankfully, Carol's other self alongside Phyla-Vell quickly defeated Vox and the false Mar-Vell. Unlike the first time Carol let her powers take form, the entity is very clearly sentient. Although she doesn't speak, the being obviously recognizes herself much the same way the others do. Not only does she share Carol's likeness from her time as Binary, it seems to share her memories as well.
The energy being clearly recognizes New Hala in the pages of Captain Marvel #35 by Kelly Thompson, Sergio Davila, Sean Parsons, Jesus Aburtov, and VC's Clayton Cowles. More than just that, she even recognizes the Hala Star on Carol's uniform before taking on one of her own. Specifically, the entity takes on the very same suit from Carol's time as Binary. It might seem like a simple callback on the surface, but there are some strange implications that this Binary has just introduced alongside her new look.
All the way back in 1982's Uncanny X-Men #163, Carol and the titular mutant team were caught in the midst of the Brood's clutches. While she was powerless at the time, the Brood's experiments unleashed the latent potential in Carol's augmented DNA. Only one issue later, Carol would be revealed as the cosmic mutate Binary, and with her new powers she laid waste to the Brood forces. Following her transformation, Carol traded her old life for that of one as Binary, and spent nearly a decade adventuring across the cosmos. Even though she would eventually exhaust most of her powers reigniting the sun, the fact that they have taken on a life of their own is proof enough that they are now stronger, and more dangerous than ever.
During her time as Binary, Carol was at her absolute most lethal. She was also a rather abrasive person on the surface, so much so that it nearly ended her time aboard the Starjammer. All of this on top of the global destruction she was capable of combined to make her one of the most dangerous beings in the universe. Considering how easily the new Binary took down Vox Supreme, there is no reason to think she doesn't command at least some of that very same impossible power. And if she does truly share Carol's memories, then she would also be dealing with the same deep seated problems. Unfortunately, none of that points towards whether the new Binary exists as an extension of Carol or as the part of Carol that was Binary all those years ago. It may not seem like much of a difference, but the distinction could point to where this is all headed.
The costume might be obvious, but it still isn't clear how exactly the new Binary works in regards to being a part of Carol, or at least Carol's own powers, which could become a serious problem. Captain Marvel obviously isn't left anywhere close to powerless when not merged with her energy effigy, yet that only calls into question how much of them she is even expending in the process.
There is also the matter of what the new Binary makes of all of this an an independent being, and what actions that may be driving her towards. Assuming she is more Binary than Carol, it isn't likely they'll be anything good. Luckily, she and Carol are on the same side of the fight. Here's hoping that doesn't change anytime soon.