GENIS, PHYLA, AND MONICA: Marvels in the New Century (Part 15 of the blog history of ALL Captain Marvels)

As the first decade of the New Century ground forward, Marvel Comics found itself with several Captain Marvels and a seeming lack of ability to make any of them "stick."

The most game, and outrageous, attempt, was Peter David's version of Genis-Vell. To catch us up on his status at the time, here is the "splash page" from an issue of that era...

Genis-Vell, as written by Peter David, had gone mad from his constant "cosmic awareness." He also had omnipotent power. This made him a self-described "mad god." He killed himself to end it all, but it didn't stick. He wound up convincing Entropy, (one of the Cosmic Entities of the Universe), to kill his brother Eternity, thus ending the universe. The only survivors were Entropy, Epiphany, Genis-Vell, and Rick Jones. The resultant nothingness was boring, so Rick and Genis convinced Entropy to remake the universe exactly as he knew it, and Entropy became the new Eternity.

    

This was actually the origin of Marvel's next Captain Marvel. Try to stay with me on this...

In this new universe, things were ever so slightly different. Genis-Vell was not quite as insane as he was in the original universe. However, the Genis that had existed in the past of this new universe that was just created (complete with a past and everything, so the experience for Genis and Rick Jones was rather like picking up a familiar book and opening it in the middle) was replaced by the Genis that had existed in the original universe (the titular character in this eponymous comic book).

Also in this new universe, Genis-Vell's mother Elysius, who had died in the original universe, was alive here, was aware of the Universal Recreation, and did not like the new Genis-Vell. So she cloned Mar-Vell again, this time into a female named Phyla-Vell, artificially aged her  (as she had Genis-Vell), gave her nega-bands, and made sure she had her father's cosmic awareness. She was to replace Genis-Vell as "The New Captain Marvel."

 

  

The obligatory conflict ensued, and when the dust settled, Genis-Vell claimed that he was no longer insane and would work to improve himself and make the universe a better place. Was this the truth, or was he now just going to hold his insanity closer to the vest? Only time would tell.

Or would it? Genis and Rick went on to have a few more adventures, one that proved to make him the most tragic superhero ever. It was a time-travel story that led to him deciding to kill his baby son in his crib to  prevent him from growing up to be a super-powered evil galactic emperor. This story confirmed that he would marry and have at least one child with the reformed super-villain, Songbird.

  

The series was cancelled with the following issue, in a finale that revealed that Rick Jones actually knew that he was in a comic book. In that final issue, it was also revealed that Phyla was a lesbian and she hooked up with the psychic superhero Moondragon, daughter of Drax the Destroyer.

 

Expediency, one of the "Friendless," personifications of aspects of the universe, informs Genis-Vell of the end of his series.

Matthew Younker wrote a great little article about Genis-Vell's insanity for PopOptique.

Genis-Vell then joined the team of reformed super-villains known at the New Thunderbolts (in their self-titled series), of which Songbird was a member. He was killed by the team's giant, Atlas, in a manipulated rage over a her, then came back to life with a new power set and took on a new name, "Photon."

   

This last part pissed off Monica Rambeau (again), but in a discussion over beers, she decided to call herself "Pulsar."

Genis eventually proved to be an unstable element in the space-time continuum and was torn into pieces and sent to the far corners of space and time by Baron Zemo. He has not been seen since, despite not yet having married Songbird.

 

Phyla, meanwhile, spent a brief time as a Captain Marvel, but then gained the quantum bands of  Quasar, Defender (not "protector") of the Universe, and took on that mantle. She served with the Guardians of the Galaxy and went through more drama (at one point, Moondragon actually became a real, space-faring dragon, and the two became the hottest cross-species lesbian superhero couple in comics). She was involved in several company-wide crossover events with the Guardians. Eventually she changed her name to "Martyr," and ultimately got killed. Twice.

  

Phyla-Vell getting killed by Magus, the future, evil version of Adam Warlock.

Meanwhile, in 2006-7 Monica reappeared as the leader of a new, satirical superhero team, NextWave, Agents of H.A.T.E., in their eponymous, possibly-not-in-canon 12-issue limited series.

   

In the course of their (mis)adventures, the team faced the satirical character Forbush-Man. When exposed to his "Forbush-Vision," she faced herself as a mash-up with Mar-Vell and the Ultimates Mahr Vehl with just a touch of SHAZAM! and Superman...

In 2009, she appeared in a mini-series titled Marvel Divas, a sort of Sex and the City take on the friendship between several female superheroes in New York City.

      

Then, in 2013-2014 she became the field leader of the Mighty Avengers, a new version of Marvel's premiere superhero team, this time led by Luke Cage, Power Man, and notable for having not one member who was not female or a person of color for a time.

  

More about Monica Rambeau, and how she teamed up with Carol Danvers, to come!

There is a nice "pull list" of Monica Rambeau at the ScyFy Wire.

Part 16: CAPTAIN AMALGAM!
Part 15: GENIS, PHYLA, AND MONICA: Marvels for the New Century!
Part 14: Power of SHAZAM!
Part 13: The Legacy of Mar-Vell!
Part 12: The New Beginning for SHAZAM!
Part 11: SHAZAM's World's Finest Crisis!
Part 10: The Marvelous Miracleman!
Part 9: Miracleman! The Marvelous Revival of the British Captain Marvel Rip-Off!
Part 8: Marvelman!
Part 7: Death and Energy!
Part 6: Whatever Happened to Carol Danvers?
Part 5: The DC Revival!
Part 4: Marvel's first Marvel!
Part 3. I Gotta SPLIT! XAM!
Part 2.  The Silver Influence
Part 1. The First Marvel and the World's Mightiest Lawsuit

Carol Danvers to appear in "Avengers: Infiity War"? Clickbait speculation

Based on both confirmed and unconfirmed reports and creative speculation, the idea is now kicking around the Interwebs that Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel will be appearing in one of the upcoming "Avengers: Infinity Wars" movies before her own eponymous film.

I first stumbled upon this concept in this post by Athena Parnada on YouthHealthMag (gotta love Google Alerts for finding it). what a Youth Health on-line magazine is doing chating about internet rumors about superhero films I do;t know, but the post provided links to a bunch of other articles and posts, including what seems to be the origin/source of this concept, this post by Eleanor Tremeer on MoviePilot.

To sum up, it has been confirmed by the people who made such decisions that 1) Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel was, at one point, going to appear in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," but then was written out, and 2) that she is not going to appear in the next "Guardians of the Galaxy" movie. with rumors and reports running rampant that several major characters are going to be killed in the Infinity Wars, this would make room for a character like Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel to fill in the void.

Personally, as I posted in my first article in MoviePilot, I think that it would be very nice if somehow Captain Mar-Vell, Marvel's first Captain Marvel, the Kree warrior/cosmic space hippie, were to be involved with Carol's storyline and origin. It was his heroic example of courage, decency, and self-sacrifice that inspired Carol to be the superhero she is; his mission to Earth, battle with Colonel Yon-Rogg, and DNA that gave her the powers to become Ms. Marvel; and his battle with Thanos that put the villain on the map. To have Carol, Thanos, Ronan, the Kree, Drax the Destroyer, Gamora, and the Cosmic Cube all in the same Cinematic Universe and not have the one character that tied them all together in the comics appear in the movies just seems like a waste of a great character.

What do you think?

Latest Rumors on the Internet

So it looks like after many months of inactivity, the rumors of Captain Marvel in the movies have been revived! But which Captain Marvel? Let's take a look at a roundup of the rumor mill on the InterWebs!

As we all recall, Thanos was revealed in the “Easter egg” in the middle of the end credits of Marvel's “Avengers” movie. Thanos was created by Jim Starlin for Marvel Comics back in the early 1970's and was instrumental in the most significant storyline of Captain Mar-Vell, Marvel Comics' first Captain Marvel,

On May 14, 2014, Comicbook.com (http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/05/14/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-who-are-skyes-parents/) repeated a speculation that a blue alien on the TV show “Agent's of S.H.I.E.L.D” wa a Kree, a member of the race from which Mar-Vell came. It was a Kree device that gave Carol Danvers the powers that turned her into Ms. Marvel, and ultimately, Marvel Comics' latest Captain Marvel. So with Thanos and the Kree in town, can one or another Captain Marvel be far behind?

On May 19, the same website (http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/05/14/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-what-was-coulson-writing-on-the-wall/) brought forth more speculations about potential Kree-signs, thating with mysterious geometric symbols being written on a wall by Agent Coulson. It also pointed out that Ronan the Accuser, a Kree and a major character in Captain Mar-Vell's adventures, will be in the upcoming move “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Incidentally, Drax the Destroyer is a lead character in that movie as well, and Drax, a human who had been attacked by Thanos and resurrected as a vengeful, indestructible warrior, has been present in Captain Mar-Vell's adventures n almost as many stories as Thanos.

Also on May 19, MoviePilot.com (http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/05/18/10-marvel-characters-who-need-their-own-phase-3-movie-1432607?lt_source=external,manual#!38wGG) posted a list by Joe Stinson of “10 Marvel Characters Who Need Their Own Phase 3 Movie.” #2 was Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) and #1 was Ms. Marvel. Hmmm...it looks like someone hasn't caught up with some recent happenings in the Marvel Universe...

In non-movie news, on May 29, Rich Johnson posted on BleedingCool.com (http://www.bleedingcool.com/2014/05/29/what-if-you-bought-a-captain-marvel-comic-in-which-she-didnt-appear/) “What If You Bought A Captain Marvel Comic In Which She Didn’t Appear?” It seems that Carl Danvers appeared at the very end of one issue of Guardians of the Galaxy,and then on the cover of the very next issue of that same comic book, but was nowhere inside. Responding ot inquiries regarding this, Brian Bendis wrote:

“I wholeheartedly apologize to those that find this completely annoying…

what happened was was that I had a pretty fantastic entrance for Capt. Marvel but took it out because I kind of like the hopelessness of the issue. I like that many of you have no idea how the guardians are going to get out of all of this.

“I promise you she is in next issue and many issues to come and narrates the Guardian’s annual.

“there is a fine century long tradition of things being on the cover that aren’t in the book and I gladly hold that tradition :-)

On June 2, International Business times posted an article by Eric Brown that “It's Time For Marvel To Squash Ant-Man: Without Edgar Wright, It Won't Work” (http://www.ibtimes.com/its-time-marvel-squash-ant-man-without-edgar-wright-it-wont-work-1593473). In the article, the writer suggests several characters that might be better for a big screen treatment these days than Marvel Comics' shrinking scientist. He suggests that it's time for a female superhero to have her own movie, and if not Black Widow, who has played significant roles, in three Marvel movies already, then Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel would be the perfect choice.

That article also links to an article from March 15 on ComingSoon.net (http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=116057) in which Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige is quoted as saying "We’ve talked a lot about [Captain Marvel]. I think that would be very cool." The comments section of that article then proceeds with a lengthy argument with many participants about whether they should use the name “Ms. Marvel” or “Captain Marvel" for the movie about Carol Danvers and her superhero alter-ego.

On June 5, Comicbook.com (http://comicbook.com/blog/2014/06/05/agents-of-s-h-i-e-l-d-clark-gregg-wants-to-be-captain-marvel-hin/) reports that Clark Gregg, the actor who plays Agent Phil Coulson on “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” and in the various Marvel movies, would have liked to be to be Captain Marvel, if he weren't already playing Agent Phil Coulson. This revelation came in a chat on Reddit.com (http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/27eaek/i_am_clark_gregg_you_probably_know_me_as_agent_of/). Thefans totally geeked out at this, taking the chat on it's own adventure, and drawing conspiracy theory conclusions. Could it be that Phil Caulson = Phillip Lawson, the Terran secret identity of Captain Mahr Vehl in Marvel's “Ultimates” universe? Then the discussion degraded into the subject of the “other” Captain Marvel and the lawsuit and Marvel's stranglehold on the trademark...

Who knows what could happen? But what about that “other” Captain Marvel (wose name is now the same as the magic word...)?

The Gay Captain Marvel

Right about that time, rumor surfaced that the next Captain Marvel would be gay. The excitement coincided with the revelation that Hulkling, a teenage superhero who was already “out,” was the son of Captain Mar-Vell and the alien Skrull Princess Annelle. But there already was a gay Captain Marvel, Phyla-Vell, who revealed her orientation in the final issue of Genis-Vell's series when she and Moondragon hooked up. Since then, Phyla has given up the title of Captain Marvel since she has been granted the quantum bands of Quasar. Quasar, the previous bearer of the quantum bands, was an Earthman named Wendell Jones who had been made “Protector of the Universe” by Eon after Captain Mar-Vell died (The Quantum Bands, incidentally, had originally been worn by Marvel Boy, a short-lived, Cold War era version of a character that Marvel Comics had re-imagined several times). This job was also passed to Phyla.

Recently Moondragon died while fighting to save the universe along with Phyla in the “Annihilation” crossover epic. Phyla, as Quasar, has since joined the new "Guardians of the Galaxy," a team of obscure sci-fi and space opera superheroes led by Peter Quill, the former Star Lord, and including such characters as Rocket Raccoon, Captain Universe, Groot (a sentient, animate tree) and others.