Marvel's New Monica Rambeau Comic Channels "Sure, Grandma" Meme

Monica Rambeau’s first solo series homages a popular Internet meme. Award-winning author and scholar Eve L. Ewing and artists Luca Maresca and Ivan Fiorelli are the creative team on Monica Rambeau: Photon, a new five-issue limited series. Monica has been a member of the Avengers and Ultimates, as well as being one of the few heroes to don the Captain Marvel moniker. After recently going by the codename Spectrum, Monica is going back to her old roots as Photon. A preview of her first issue teases Monica returning to more of her old roots, as well as a shoutout to the “Sure, Grandma” meme.

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Marvel released a preview of Monica Rambeau: Photon #1 by Eve L. Ewing, Luca Maresca, Ivan Fiorelli, Carlos Lopez, and VC’s Clayton Cowles. It shows Monica returning to New York to visit some of her old haunts, like a local bodega for some food. Outside, she runs into an elderly woman named Joyce who remembers her time as Captain Marvel, right down to Monica leading the Avengers and fighting the Masters of Evil. The woman can even recite Monica’s powers from memory. She asks to take a picture with Monica, which is where Monica tries to update Joyce on her new codename of Photon. It’s here that the “Sure, Grandma” meme comes into play.

“It’s such an honor to be taking on the story of a legacy character like Monica Rambeau,” Monica Rambeau: Photon writer Eve L. Ewing said. “Monica’s character has a long history in the Marvel Universe, but she’s way overdue for getting her own story told. I’m picking the pen up from the legend himself, Dwayne McDuffie, who put out the last Monica Rambeau solo adventure almost three decades ago. It’s a privilege and I’m excited to tell the story in a way that both highlights her incredible cosmic abilities as well as her everyday, relatable struggles. I hope this will be a title that has something equal to offer to veteran readers and folks who may be brand new to comics.”

Monica Rambeau’s MCU Codename Revealed?

Marvel Comics may have spoiled the codename Monica Rambeau will go by in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Monica Rambeau: Photon will be the hero’s first solo series, and sees her taking on the Photon moniker after years of going by Spectrum in the comics. The move from Spectrum to Photon in the series title indicates the latter will most likely be the codename she uses in the MCU, with an official unveiling taking place in 2023’s The Marvels.

Of course, Monica Rambeau has gone by several different codenames during her time as a Marvel hero. Along with Photon, she’s also been one of several heroes to go by the name Captain Marvel. The Spectrum name was chosen when Monica took part in the Marvel event series Infinity, and she carried it over after joining The Mighty Avengers. Since Monica’s powers deal with energy from the electromagnetic spectrum, using Spectrum as a codename made a lot of sense. However, Photon has a connection to Monica’s mother, Maria Rambeau as well.

2019’s Captain Marvel starred Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau, best friend to Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. One scene from the film revealed that Maria’s fighter jet callsign was “Photon,” indicating Monica may choose the title to pay homage to her deceased mother. Teyonah Parris portrayed a grown-up Monica Rambeau in WandaVision, the first Marvel series to premiere on Disney+. She gained her energy powers when trying to break into the energy dome created around Westview by Wanda Maximoff. Her next MCU appearance is scheduled to be The Marvels alongside Larson and Ms. Marvel‘s Iman Vellani.

The preview of Monica Rambeau: Photon #1 can be found below. The issue goes on sale Wednesday, December 14th.