Monica Rambeau’s star continues to rise in the comics and in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The character will appear on the big screen in 2023’s The Marvels. She will also appear in a brand new limited series under one of her many codenames. While she spent the last few years as Spectrum, Rambeau began her costumed career as the second Captain Marvel.
She has switched codenames several times to help out another troubled hero. She’s also transformed into a few new costumed identities due to the Marvel universe’s frequently shifting reality. Rambeau is one of Marvel’s most powerful heroes, but she hasn’t had much luck with her various alter egos.
8 Monica Joined The New Orleans Police To Become A Harbor Patrol Officer
Growing up in New Orleans, Monica Rambeau joined the police department’s harbor patrol with dreams of becoming the captain of her own boat. She worked hard to prove herself in the male-dominated field and earned the rank of lieutenant. Unfortunately, she grew increasingly frustrated in the position as she kept getting passed up for a promotion against less-qualified men.
It was during her time working as a Harbor Patrol Officer that she first met Professor André LeClare. He had created a powerful device that had fallen into the wrong hands. Lt. Rambeau helped the professor destroy the machine, but exposure to the released other-dimensional energies changed her. She developed a powerful energy form and quit her job with the harbor patrol.
7 She Was Known As Daystar In Morgan le Fay’s Shifted Medieval Reality
The mystical villain Morgan le Fay attempted to use the power of Scarlet Witch for her own goals. She was able to manipulate a gathering of the Avengers so she could capture Scarlet Witch. She used their combined magic to rewrite the Marvel universe into a medieval world ruled by le Fay and her son, Modred the Mystic.
The most powerful roster of the Avengers transformed into her Queen’s Vengeance and gained new medieval identities. Rambeau became known as Daystar and wore a modified dress version of her Captain Marvel costume. She was one of the first Avengers to snap out of the mystical mind-control and join Steve Rogers’ altered costumed identity in the attack against le Fay.
6 She Joined The Assyrian Avengers As Sceptre During “Forever Yesterday”
The New Warriors experienced their own tragic shift in reality during the “Forever Yesterday” storyline. A new version of the Sphinx used the powerful Ka Stone to rewrite reality and make Egypt the leading world power. The country was remade as the anti-mutant United States of Assyria, and The Sphinx ruled with her own team of altered Avengers that included Monica Rambeau.
She became a hero named Sceptre in this altered reality and wore a red and grey suit with her modified star insignia and gold jewelry details. Her powers were the same, though she worked alongside altered heroes like Captain Assyria and the Egyptian God Horus. Nova and the New Warriors were eventually able to defeat Sphinx and restore reality.
5 Rambeau Considered Using The Name Pulsar After Genis-Vell Stole Another Name
Monica Rambeau did not have much luck with choosing her codenames. Her original name technically belonged to another hero first, leading her to take on the new name of Photon. When the Kree warrior Mar-Vell's son Genis-Vell stole that name, one former Captain Marvel confronted another about their options.
Genis-Vell was actually the one who came up with the Pulsar identity, though he was thinking of other potential names for himself. Monica Rambeau liked the Pulsar identity and decided to take it for her own. She only used the name for a short period of time, as she soon became an Agent of H.A.T.E. and dropped the Pulsar identity altogether.
4 She Used Her Own Name As An Agent Of H.A.T.E. And Leader Of Nextwave
Monica Rambeau started working as an Agent of H.A.T.E. in a new costume that she paired with a trenchcoat. She was recruited to become the leader of a team unofficially known as Nextwave. The Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort recruited heroes like Elsa Bloodstone, Tabitha Smith, Machine Man and the Captain for Monica to lead into battle.
They fought against Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction before turning on H.A.T.E due to their connection to the evil Beyond Corporation. Beyond mentally manipulated Rambeau and her allies since they first gathered together. While the Nextwave squad never reformed, Monica Rambeau kept wearing the costume as she searched for another name.
3 Monica Returned To The Name Of Photon That She Shared With Genis-Vell
When Genis-Vell arrived on Earth and laid claim to his father’s title, Monica Rambeau was without a codename again. She settled on Photon as it related to her abilities, though she retained her original Captain Marvel costume. She operated as Photon for a short period of time and even rejoined the Avengers in her new identity.
Unfortunately, Genis-Vell returned after experiencing a huge change in his powers. He began using the Photon name as well, marking the second time he had stolen one of Rambeau’s codenames. She eventually settled on one of her most popular and longest-lasting identities. However, she recently returned to the Photon identity with a new costume as one of the Thunderbolts.
2 Rambeau Became The Second Captain Marvel After Gaining Her Powers
Shortly after she gained the power to shift into an energy form on the electromagnetic spectrum, Monica Rambeau designed her first costumed identity. She assembled a few different costumes left over from a Mardi Gras celebration to get back into action to help Professor LeClare. The news reports of her debut gave her the name of the deceased hero, Captain Marvel.
Rambeau soon joined the Avengers and rose up the ranks to become a leader on the team. She was one of the most powerful versions of Captain Marvel for a few years, though she gave up the role to the son of the original Captain Marvel, Genis-Vell. His connection to Mar-Vell's legacy gave the title a bit more weight than it had when Rambeau used the name.
1 Spectrum Was One Of Monica Rambeau’s Best Costumed Identities
Rambeau was hoping for a fresh start after her time with Nextwave, so she rebranded herself with a new name and an updated costume. She took on the identity of Spectrum with a sleek black and white costume that referenced her former Captain Marvel look. She joined Luke Cage as the leader of the Mighty Avengers when she made her debut as Spectrum.
Her Spectrum identity also referenced her abilities, and she excelled in the role. She joined the powerful team of Ultimates alongside heroes like Captain Marvel, Blue Marvel and Black Panther. She began wearing her Nextwave trenchcoat over her Spectrum costume, though she also added Blue Marvel's vest to the costume when she joined the latest roster of the Thunderbolts.