Iman Vellani is using her talents as a writer to create a fascinating role for Ms. Marvel. The actress got her big break in Hollywood when she was cast to play Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She’s since portrayed Ms. Marvel in the self-titled Disney+ series and The Marvels feature film, as well as co-writing Ms. Marvel comics after the character was revealed to be a mutant. With Marvel Comics celebrating its 85th anniversary, a new story from Vellani pairs Ms. Marvel up with one of the publisher’s most terrifying villains.
Videos by ComicBook.com
*WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Marvel 85th Anniversary Special #1. Continue reading at your own risk!
The story “The Herald of Tomorrow” comes from the creative team of Iman Vellani, Sabir Pirzada, and Stephen Byrne. It plays off the main story of Wolverine and Deadpool’s floating head visiting a superhero museum in the far-flung future. The museum is filled with superhero artifacts, like Ms. Marvel’s scarf. This leads us to a flashback of Ms. Marvel traveling the spaceways on her cosmically-powered scarf. We learn that Ms. Marvel is a herald of Galactus, and she’s been tasked with finding him a planet that he can devour to quench his hunger.
Unlike previous heralds, Ms. Marvel volunteers for this assignment after being recruited by a wheelchair-bound Captain America. Kamala Khan had retired her superhero suit for a simple life as a wife and mother. However, as she tells Miles Morales, Kamala was raised to help feed someone when they’re hungry. “Whoever saves a life is as though they had saved all mankind,” Kamala says. The only problem is saving the lives of the inhabitants of whatever world she finds.
Ms. Marvel, new herald of Galactus
Ms. Marvel eventually finds a suitable planet, but there are lives on it that need saving. Ms. Marvel uses her hard light powers to gather everyone on that planet and whisk them away before Galactus gets down to the business of devouring. Fans will recall that these hard light powers were first introduced on the Ms. Marvel Disney+ series, and have now made their way to the comics after her death and resurrection as a mutant.
Ms. Marvel apologizes to the people whose home is now gone forever, but they don’t feel anger towards her. They’re just grateful Ms. Marvel saved their lives. “Why, life is a previous gift that, because of you, shall flourish beyond the mountains we once called our own,” one of the survivors tells Ms. Marvel.
Once her task is completed, Ms. Marvel tells Galactus to take back his Power Cosmic. Both sides got what they wanted, and now that Galactus is no longer hungry, more planets don’t have to live in fear of him. And everyone has Ms. Marvel to thank for making this sacrifice.
