Come January, Marvel's Magnificent Ms. Marvel series will come to an end. To celebrate this occasion, series writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Minkyu Jung are making issue #18 a mega-sized climax that conveniently marks Kamala Khan's 75th solo issue since her groundbreaking 2014 comic debut.
In a statement, Ahmed talked about having the honor to write Ms. Marvel, who has gone from miniseries newcomer to flagship Marvel superhero in a relatively short time. "Forget super heroes, Kamala Khan is just plain one of the most important fictional characters of her generation. I knew that was true even before I came to write comics," Ahmed said in a statement. "But meeting and hearing from fans since launching The Magnificent Ms. Marvel has made it clearer and clearer. Kamala means so much to so many! Muslim readers. South Asian readers. But also people of all ages and cultures from all over the world who want to root for a selfless, kindhearted (possibly slightly dorky) hero in this grim, stingy era."
"Minkyu Jung's pencils and designs went effortlessly from the streets of Jersey City to the alien plains of Saffa to night sky battles, always maintaining the human emotion that drives this book. From homicidal battlesuits to awkward conversations, he constantly pushed our story in new visual directions. I can't imagine a more perfect artist for this run, and I'm so happy we got to work together," Ahmed continued. "Of course a hero's myth becomes most fully realized when it is passed between storytellers, changing with each telling. We've brought Kamala face to face with new enemies and to new places in her personal life, sent her to space and to the edge of the law. Now others will tell her story their way. I can't wait to see what that looks like."
Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18 wraps up multiple storylines from Kamala's superhero and personal lives across the series' run, including the ongoing Outlawed event. The issue will see Ms. Marvel re-team with new superhero Amulet -- introduced in issue #13 -- for a major showdown against Stormranger. This new threat is a Kree Nanosuit Kamala discovered on the planet Saffa, briefly worn before it turned hostile and sentient, essentially becoming her version of the Spider-Man/Venom dynamic.
Currently, Kamala's arc has focused on the personal and national fallout of Outlawed, in which a near-death experience while performing her superhero duties in civilian garb ironically turned her into the non-consensual face of "Kamala's Law," a Gen Z version of the Superhero Registration Act. This legislation outlaws all teenage superheroes without mentor approval, something Kamala naturally opposes as leader of the Champions. However, though Ms. Marvel must now fight crime while avoiding the new anti-teen hero organization known as C.R.A.D.L.E, Kamala must content with something just as discomforting: how this incident has affected her friends and family.
Despite Magnificent Ms. Marvel coming to an end, Kamala Khan's popularity remains stronger than ever. Not only did she appear as the protagonist of Square Enix's Marvel's Avengers video game, but recently Marvel announced that actor Iman Vellani had been cast as Ms. Marvel for the upcoming Disney+ TV show. Likewise, in addition to her current adventures in the Champions comic, Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski assured True Believers that Ms. Marvel will be appearing for more stories in 2021.
"Over the years, Ms. Marvel has drawn fans everywhere into the Marvel Universe through her heroism, her strength, and her quintessential story about what it means to be a hero -- a story that we all can hear and relate to," Cebulski declared. "Saladin and Minkyu's run on Ms. Marvel took that journey to thrilling new heights within the Marvel Universe, and the creative team here has been truly magnificent. We are so excited to show you what's in store for Kamala next. More news to come in 2021!"
Magnificent Ms. Marvel #18 by Saladin Ahmed and Minkyu Jun goes on sale in January 2021 from Marvel Comics
Source: Marvel