This article contains major spoilers for Dark Web: Ms.Marvel #1, on sale now from Marvel Comics
Kamala Khan has been a strong Marvel name in the past few years, and the newest Dark Web crossover shows her working for one of Spider-Man’s biggest rivals, Norman Osborn. Not only does it seem out of character to her loved ones, but it’s throwing her into Spider-Man’s latest whirlwind adventure.
Kamala Khan, otherwise known as Ms. Marvel, is the certified superhero protecting the streets of Jersey City, first introduced in 2013 with Captain Marvel #14 (written by Kelly Sue Deconnick and Joe Quinones). Now in the Dark Web crossover event, she’s joining Spider-Man and the X-Men in taking down clones Chasm and the Goblin Queen as they cause havoc across the Marvel Universe as a result of a strange internship in Dark Web: Ms. Marvel #1 (by Sabir Pirzada, Francesco Mortarino, and Marco Checchetto).
Kamala's Internship Is Part Of Norman Osborn's Redemption
The biggest apprehension Kamala’s friends seem to have with the internship is Kamala’s now employer, Norman Osborn. Osborn was not only one of Spider-Man’s biggest rivals as the Green Goblin but a corrupt CEO that conflicts with everything Kamala stands for. In Dark Web #1 (by Zeb Wells, Adam Kubert, Frank Martin, and VC's Joe Carmagna), readers see Norman Osborn mourning the loss of his son Harry, and the reformed supervillain now is on a journey toward doing the right thing.
Norman has revitalized Oscorp, the megacorporation previously run by him and his son. After hiring Peter Parker in the lab and taking on the superhero identity Gold Goblin, Norman’s involvement in the Dark Web crossover event so far has been a new redemption arc for the character. This has also meant a redemption for Oscorp that gives heroes access to a large technology company with more resources on their side, which Kamala points out.
Ms. Marvel is Searching for Her Place in the World
Kamala is one of Marvel’s newer superheroes and she’s had a long journey to finding her own identity but it seems like she’s still struggling to find where she fits. While she’s always done fine on her own, without leading a team like the Champions, Kamala has a lot more time to focus on her personal career. Or, rather, her lack of a personal career. Dark Web: Ms. Marvel #1 finds her grasping at straws for jobs that might interest her. This opportunity to work with Osborn as well as Peter Parker is one most superhero fanatics like Kamala wouldn’t be able to pass up. Even if her friends aren’t sure that it fits her, Kamala seems to be doing well in the internship. However, things quickly go awry for Kamala as all the robots in the lab become demonic.
After evacuating the other employees, she finds herself fighting off animated toilets and microscopes. At the same time, Sheik Abdullah and others are trapped inside the local mosque as the entire building has become a demonic being. The climax of the issue has Kamala lured out to fight Chasm. The spider-like enemy attacks Kamala, using her confusion to stall her. As Chasm uses the Bala-Kan to bind her, Kamala’s frustration grows as her elongated features are able to hit Chasm back. Then, Ms. Marvel gets pulled into a portal and finds herself in Limbo. Dark Web is the newest exciting event for Spider-Man, and it couldn’t come at a more perfect time for Kamala Khan. The young hero is looking for something bigger to belong to and the events of this series may be able to help Kamala feel more secure in her future or solidify a potential path for her life.