Squirrel Girl (AKA Doreen Green) has faced some of the Marvel Universe's most dangerous villains. So she's not about to let a little thing like a light years-long journey across space get her down, especially if it's to rescue her dear friends Nancy Whitehead and Tippy who are stranded on a dangerous planet. That's the situation in December's Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 where writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson will kick off a new Marvel Legacy arc titled “The Forbidden Pla-Nut.”

Squirrel Girl is incredibly resourceful, but she knows she'll need help conducting a cosmic rescue mission. So she'll enlist the aid of a number of guest stars including the new Sorcerer Supreme, Loki. North spoke exclusively with CBR about teaming Squirrel Girl with Loki, some of the other characters his protagonist will encounter on her cross cosmos journey, and the four legged support supporting cast member that will play a pivotal role in the new arc.


CBR: Ryan, in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27 you and Erica [Henderson] kick off a new Legacy arc titled "The Forbidden Pla-Nut." I understand the titular planet in question is a locale that Doreen's friends Nancy Whitehead and Tippy suddenly find themselves stranded on. What can you tell us about this planet and the beings that live there?

Ryan North: Here's my SPOILER-FREE answer: it is a planet that has intersected with Squirrel Girl and her friends in the past, and it's back in a big way. Here's my SPOILER-FULL answer, encoded in rot 13 so people will only be able to read it if they really want to!

Uryyb! Pbatenghyngvbaf ba qrpbqvat guvf ebg13 zrffntr ol unaq, nf V pna bayl nffhzr lbh qvq, naq qrsvavgryl qvqa'g whfg Tbbtyr "ebg13 jung vf vg naq ubj gb znxr vg tb njnl orpnhfr V jnag gb xabj Fdhveery Tvey frpergf cyrnfr" naq pyvpx ba gur svefg erfhyg Naljnl, erzrzore onpx va bhe irel svefg nep jura Fdhveery Tvey naq Gvccl-Gbr oebhtug Tnynpghf gb n aba-Rnegu cynarg gb rng? Naq vg jnf shyy bs ahgf? Jryy, vg gheaf bhg gung cynarg unq na bjare, naq gurl'er abg fhcre guevyyrq jvgu jung unccrarq...

[Laughs] In the past we've talked about how much of the humor in Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comes from little things artist Erica Henderson adds into her art that weren't necessarily in the script. So what was it like designing this new cosmic focused arc with her?

North: The most exciting thing, that is being revealed here for the FIRST TIME, is that Squirrel Girl gets a new outfit. She's gonna be fighting evil in space, and you got to dress to impress for that!

This was 100% Erica's idea, as is all the fashion in the book. There was only one scene where I described what the characters were wearing (it was the travel clothes when they took a plane to the Savage Land) and even then Erica enhanced it up some. She's amazing, and I love when people notice how fashionable Doreen and Nancy are, because it's TRUE. I love that our characters are real people who have more than one set of clothes in their closet.

So yeah, new Squirrel Girl costume! Plus a whole new world full of fun (secret) aliens, but I don't wanna reveal too much about that just yet.

Will "Forbidden Pla-Nut" primarily focus on Doreen's efforts to get to Tippy and Nancy? On Tippy and Nancy's efforts to survive this alien world? Or a bit of both?

North: Bit of both! The first issue of the arc splits its time between the two sets of characters, and the crises that result from them being separated and trying to get back together. I will say this: it involves Mew, Nancy's cat. And it involves Squirrel Girl doing everything she can in her power -- and that's a lot -- to find her missing friend.

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Enter: Loki, The New Sorcerer Supreme

I understand one method of rescue Doreen is forced to turn to is the mystical, which means Squirrel Girl will meet the new Sorcerer Supreme, Loki. What made you want to bring Loki into this story? What's it like writing him in his new role?

North: Yes! Okay, I didn't tell the FULL truth in the last question. It involves Mew, but it also involves the new Sorcerer Supreme, Loki. When I started writing it was actually Doctor Strange who was in the story, and then just as a little cameo. But at that point it came out that Loki was going to be taking over his job and house, and it was just too perfect. Loki and Nancy and Squirrel Girl have a history (Nancy went to Asgard back in our (first) Issue 8, where she both befriended Loki and created CAT THOR, so everything clicked. I rewrote the story and now Loki has a much bigger, and much more fun role. That's one of the benefits of writing in a shared universe like the Marvel universe: sometimes fun things like this happen, and you can really run with it.

I like Loki a lot. He's a god of lies but he's so charming, and I love the relationship our no-nonsense Nancy has with this trickster god. On paper they should be enemies, but they just get along so well, and I'm super happy to see more of that.

When Loki last appeared in Uneatable Squirrel Girl he spent much of the time with Nancy and trolling his brother. So what's it like bouncing him off of Doreen in this story?

North: It's a lot of fun! Loki and Squirrel Girl barely got to hang out when they first met, so this is the first time that happens, and it feels a little like meeting your best friend's other best friend. They've got this connective tissue between them both because of Nancy, but Nancy's not there. And that can cause some friction. I believe they've said two lines to each other before they start arguing with each other. Loki, man! He's hard to talk to sometimes!!

Finally, what else can you tell us about Doreen's quest to get to Nancy and Tippy? Can you hint or tease some of the other obstacles and adversaries she'll have to overcome in order to reach her friends?

North: Oh gosh, this is our big cosmic arc, so there's lots of stuff we're bringing in. Loki's just the start. We've got alien worlds, alien kings, alien revenge plots, PERHAPS some Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-adjacent stuff, and one of the biggest characters that's lurking out there in deep space. It's a chance to take Doreen out of her comfort zone (Earth, where there's squirrels) to someplace where she's much less steady on her feet (space, where there's much fewer squirrels).

Granted, Squirrel Girl has already defeated Galactus, but out there in cosmic space, sometimes that's not nearly enough...


Ryan North and Eric Henderson's "The Forbidden Pla-Nut" kicks off in December's The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #27.