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Captain Marvel (real name: Mar-Vell; Earth alias Walter Lawson) is a character appearing in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
. Created by writer-editor
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
and designed by
artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...
Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...
, the character first appeared in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #12 (December 1967). He is the first character to use the moniker Captain Marvel in the
Marvel Universe The Marvel Universe is a fictional shared universe where the stories in most American comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as the Avengers, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, the Guardia ...
. The character debuted during the
Silver Age of comic books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books, the Silver A ...
and made many subsequent appearances, including a self-titled series and the second volume of the ''
Marvel Spotlight ''Marvel Spotlight'' is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book. It stood out from Marvel's other try-out books in that most of the featured characters made their first appearance in the series. The series or ...
'' series until his death in 1982, which has since remained largely permanent within mainstream continuity and most other media, with
Carol Danvers Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, the character first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleagu ...
(the former Ms. Marvel) becoming the primarily featured Captain Marvel in the modern age.


Publication history

From 1940 to 1953, Fawcett Comics published comics featuring their popular character Captain Marvel, and thus held the trademark to the name "Captain Marvel". Fawcett ceased publishing the comics in 1953 due to a 1951 copyright infringement suit from DC Comics, and their trademark ostensibly lapsed. Taking advantage of this situation, Marvel debuted its new Captain Marvel character in 1967 and quickly trademarked the name. Marvel was not the first company to try to capitalize on Fawcett's lapsed trademark; in 1966 the small publisher M. F. Enterprises released a short-lived '' Captain Marvel'' series. Due to the title containing its company name, Marvel had convinced M.F. Enterprises to cease their ''Captain Marvel'' series after five issues, paying M.F. a settlement of $4,500. Marvel's character debuted as the lead feature in '' Marvel Super-Heroes'' #12 (December 1967), written by
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
and illustrated by
Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...
. Although usually credited as co-creator, Colan had no involvement with Captain Marvel's conception, and in fact voiced an intense dislike for the character and especially his original white-and-green costume: "It was awful – just an imitation of any of the other costumed characters I'd ever done." Shortly thereafter, Captain Marvel was given his own series, commencing with ''Captain Marvel'' #1 (May 1968). These appearances established Captain Marvel, or "Mar-Vell", as an alien of the
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
race who had come to earth as a spy before coming to identify with his human neighbors. The series failed to register with readers, and was revamped by writer-artist team
Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor. He was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and possibly bes ...
and
Gil Kane Gil Kane (; born Eli Katz , ; April 6, 1926 – January 31, 2000) was a Latvian-born American comics artist whose career spanned the 1940s to the 1990s and virtually every major comics company and character. Kane co-created the modern-day vers ...
in issue #17 (October 1969).DeFalco "1960s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 138: "Rick Jones...became bonded to Captain Mar-Vell thanks to Roy Thomas and artist Gil Kane." The character was given a new uniform, designed by Kane and colorist Michelle Robinson, and greater abilities. An added plot feature was the introduction of
sidekick A sidekick is a close companion or colleague who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to those whom they accompany. Origins The first recorded use of the term dates from 1896. It is believed to have originated in pickpocket slang of ...
Rick Jones. Jones and Marvel "shared molecules", allowing only one to exist in the real world at a time. Thomas stated that the intent of the change was to create a more science-fiction oriented update that was reminiscent of Fawcett Comics's original Captain Marvel, who similarly had an alter-ego that could not co-exist with the superhero. The change, however, was not successful, and the series was published only intermittently from 1969. It was initially canceled with issue #21 (August 1970), though the character appeared in the Kree–Skrull War storyline in '' Avengers'' #89 – 97 (June 1971 – March 1972), also written by Thomas. The ''Captain Marvel'' series recommenced with issue #22 (September 1972). Plotter and artist Jim Starlin decided to revamp the character with issue #25 (March 1973). Sanderson, Peter "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 159: "In March 973 the first of artist Jim Starlin's many sagas of the Marvel heroes' wars against Thanos began." Comics historian Les Daniels noted that "In a brief stint with Marvel, which included work on two characters aptain Marvel and Adam Warlock">Adam_Warlock.html" ;"title="aptain Marvel and Adam Warlock">aptain Marvel and Adam Warlockthat had previously never quite made their mark, Starlin managed to build a considerable cult following." A spin-off series, '' Ms. Marvel'', was launched in 1977, but sales remained modest, and the series was published on only a bimonthly basis until it was ultimately canceled in 1979. The continued publication, however, kept the trademark current. This had the effect of requiring DC Comics, which in the meantime licensed the original Fawcett Captain Marvel for publication, to print its new comics under the trademark ''Captain Marvel (DC Comics), Shazam!''. Comics historian Don Markstein stated, "Marvel didn't seem to quite know what to do with him—but they did put his comic out every other month through most of the 1970s, if only to maintain their trademark on his name." When ''Captain Marvel'' was cancelled with issue #62 (May 1979), there were five as-yet unpublished issues already complete or near-complete. The series ''
Marvel Spotlight ''Marvel Spotlight'' is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book. It stood out from Marvel's other try-out books in that most of the featured characters made their first appearance in the series. The series or ...
'' was revived for the express purpose of publishing them (specifically, in issues #1–4 and 8). Starlin wrote Mar-Vell's death in Marvel's first
graphic novel A graphic novel is a self-contained, book-length form of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and Anthology, anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comics sc ...
, '' The Death of Captain Marvel'' (1982).DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 207: "This title by Jim Starlin was the first of a new series of Marvel Graphic Novels. Running between forty-eight and ninety-six pages, these paperback books were an attempt to compete with the European-style graphic albums." Following the character's death, Marvel published several comics with new characters taking up the "Captain Marvel" moniker, thereby maintaining their trademark on the name. The character returned, although not in a living capacity, in storylines in ''
Silver Surfer The Silver Surfer is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character also appears in a number of movies, television, and video game adaptations. The character was created by Jack Kirby and first a ...
'' vol. 3 #63 (March 1992) and ''Captain Marvel'' vol. 5, #5 (March 2003). The limited series ''Captain Marvel'' vol. 6, #1–5 (January–June 2008) was released as part of the "
Secret Invasion "Secret Invasion" is a comic book fictional crossover, crossover storyline written by Brian Michael Bendis and illustrated by Leinil Francis Yu, that ran through a self-titled eight-issue Limited series (comics), limited series and several ti ...
" storyline and saw the Skrull Khn'nr impersonate Mar-Vell. Mar-Vell was one of the featured characters in the 2011 three-issue limited series ''Chaos War: Dead Avengers''.


Fictional character biography


1960s

After the
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
's first encounter with humans, Captain Mar-Vell is sent to spy on Earth and decide if it is a threat to the Kree empire. He adopts the identity of recently deceased scientist Walter Lawson, but occasionally dons his Kree military uniform to protect the people he is observing. The first time he does this, people hear him incorrectly pronounce his name as "Captain Marvel". His job is made difficult by his jealous commanding officer, Colonel Yon-Rogg, his growing affection for humanity, and his fake identity's criminal past. After aiding humanity several times, Mar-Vell is found guilty of treason against the Kree Empire and sentenced to death by firing squad. Mar-Vell escapes in a stolen rocket, but becomes lost in space. After drifting for 112 days, he is weak and on the verge of madness. He is manipulated by Ronan the Accuser and Kree Minister Zarek into helping them overthrow the Supreme Intelligence. To better help them, Mar-Vell is given a new costume and enhanced abilities. After the conspiracy is foiled, Mar-Vell tries to return to Earth. On the way, he is hit by a blast of radiation and trapped in the Negative Zone. The Supreme Intelligence enables Mar-Vell to telepathically contact Rick Jones, which he uses to lead Jones to a set of "nega-bands" at an abandoned Kree base. When Jones puts on the bands and strikes them together, he trades places with Mar-Vell and is encased in a protective aura in the Negative Zone. The pair discover they are able to maintain telepathic contact. Using this method, Mar-Vell can remain in the positive universe for a period of three hours.


1970s

After brief encounters with the villain Scorpio and the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
, Jones uses
Mister Fantastic Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. The character is a founding member and the leader of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mast ...
's portal to the Negative Zone to free Mar-Vell, who then becomes embroiled in the Kree-Skrull War. As a result of the war, Jones is left near death and Mar-Vell re-merged with Jones to save his life. Mar-Vell's consciousness begins to resurface weeks later as Jones's body becomes unable to house both of their life energy. Photon ray treatments by Professor Savannah stabilizes the situation and brings Mar-Vell's body and consciousness to the surface. After battling the atomic-powered Megaton, Mar-Vell is trapped in the Negative Zone once again until released by Jones via the nega-bands. Mar-Vell aids the Avengers against the Grim Reaper and the Space Phantom. Mar-Vell allies with Mentor and
Eros Eros (, ; ) is the Greek god of love and sex. The Romans referred to him as Cupid or Amor. In the earliest account, he is a primordial god, while in later accounts he is the child of Aphrodite. He is usually presented as a handsome young ma ...
against the death worshipper
Thanos Thanos () is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-artist Jim Starlin, the character first appeared in '' The Invincible Iron Man'' #55 (cover date February 1973). An Eternal– Devia ...
and his forces in a war for the
Cosmic Cube The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
. Seeing the magnitude of the threat, the cosmic entity Kronos aids them by creating Drax the Destroyer, whose sole purpose is to kill Thanos. Another cosmic being, Eon, transforms Mar-Vell into the "Protector of the Universe". This provides the hero with new abilities, including "cosmic awareness". Thanos gains the Cube and uses it to make himself omnipotent. Thanos' spirit leaves his body, and Mar-Vell uses the opportunity to shatter the Cube, which was still in Thanos' hand. This undoes Thanos's actions. Mar-Vell teams with
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
to battle the
Basilisk In European bestiary, bestiaries and legends, a basilisk ( or ) is a legendary reptile reputed to be a Serpent symbolism, serpent king, who causes death to those who look into its eyes. According to the ''Natural History (Pliny), Naturalis Histo ...
and later encounters a new villain named
Nitro Nitro may refer to: Chemistry *Nitrogen, a chemical element and a gas except at very low temperatures, with which many compounds are formed: **Nitro compound, an organic compound containing one or more nitro functional groups, -NO2 **Nitro ligand ...
. While defusing a bomb placed by Nitro, Mar-Vell is exposed to the
nerve gas Nerve agents, sometimes also called nerve gases, are a class of organic chemicals that disrupt the mechanisms by which nerves transfer messages to organs. The disruption is caused by the blocking of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), an enzyme that ...
"Compound 13", but recovers after being given an
antidote An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον ''(pharmakon antidoton)'', "(medicine) given as a remedy". An older term in English which is ...
. During this time, Mar-Vell has an encounter with
Living Laser The Living Laser (Arthur Parks) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book a ...
. Mar-Vell investigates Nitro's allies, who are revealed to be the Kree "Lunatic Legion", leading to a series of protracted battles and the eventual trial of the cosmic entity Uatu the Watcher for constant involvement in Earth affairs. After ending the threat and aiding Uatu, Mar-Vell briefly separates from Jones and has an encounter with a space
parasite Parasitism is a Symbiosis, close relationship between species, where one organism, the parasite, lives (at least some of the time) on or inside another organism, the Host (biology), host, causing it some harm, and is Adaptation, adapted str ...
that assumes the form of former lover Una. Mar-Vell travels to the Kree homeworld of Hala, and through a protracted series of events that almost kills Rick Jones, frees himself from the manipulation of the Supreme Intelligence. During this period, Mar-Vell also encounters the cosmic entity the Stranger. Returning to Earth, Mar-Vell encounters stranded Kree scientists who attempt to retrieve an inactive Kree Sentry located on the S.H.I.E.L.D.
Helicarrier The Helicarrier is a fictional airborne aircraft carrier appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the aircraft First appearance, first appeared in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965). The ...
. This proves unsuccessful when the Sentry activates but fails to follow direction, going on a rampage. A new villain called the Cheetah attempts to manipulate the Sentry, although both are eventually defeated by Mar-Vell. The hero locates the Kree scientists, and briefly battles Ronan the Accuser, who was left with the mind of a child after a previous encounter. Rick Jones is visiting Avengers Mansion when the
Super-Adaptoid The Super-Adaptoid is the name of several fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character has appeared in over five decades of Marvel continuity and featured in other Marvel-endorsed products such a ...
attacks. During a battle with the Avengers, Jones trades places with Mar-Vell, with the Super-Adaptoid eventually mimicking Mar-Vell's Nega-Bands. Mar-Vell then brings the Super-Adaptoid's bands together, exiling it to the Negative Zone and freeing Jones. Mar-Vell bids Jones farewell and encounters Mercurio the 4-D Man, who tricks Mar-Vell into returning to his home dimension, hoping to coerce the hero into building the Omni-Wave Projector. Mar-Vell, however, defeats Mercurio and returns to Earth. Mar-Vell continues to have dealings with the Kree, preventing scientist Doctor Minerva from killing Rick Jones and battling High Council member Phae-Dor before travelling to Hala and, with King of the
Inhumans The Inhumans are a superhuman race of super beings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The comic book series has usually focused more specifically on the adventures of the Inhuman Royal Family, and many people associat ...
Black Bolt as his ally, preventing the "War of the Three Galaxies" by exposing a Skrull infiltrator. After another encounter with Nitro, Mar-Vell briefly attempts to adopt the Walter Lawson identity once again and works at an observatory. This plan is abandoned when forced to become Mar-Vell to stop an energy
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
named "Deathgrip". After an encounter with
Thor Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred g ...
, Mar-Vell is forced to fight off Drax, who has been driven insane due to being unable to fulfill his purpose and kill Thanos. Eventually convincing Drax to aid him, Mar-Vell enters into a war against
ISAAC Isaac ( ; ; ; ; ; ) is one of the three patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs of the Israelites and an important figure in the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Baháʼí Faith. Isaac first appears in the Torah, in wh ...
, the sentient computer that served Thanos and now directs his forces. After a series of protracted battles, Mar-Vell convinces ISAAC's minion Elysius to join him, causing her to fall in love with Mar-Vell; he subsequently defeats ISAAC's other pawns Chaos and Tarterus and the warrior Stellarax on Earth. Mar-Vell eventually defeats ISAAC by entering the supercomputer's programming and forcing it to experience life. Mar-Vell meets Eon once again and reflects on the events of recent times.


1980s

After a battle in the Dark Dimension; an encounter with the
Hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
, and an adventure on an alien world, Mar-Vell discovers that his past exposure to Compound 13 has given him cancer. His nega-bands keep the cancer at bay, but also cause it to resist treatment, and he lacks access to Kree doctors since they consider him a traitor. As Mar-Vell accepts that his life is ending, many of his friends and allies come to Titan to pay their last respects. Even his mortal enemies the Skrulls send an envoy to bestow a medal on Mar-Vell to honor him as their greatest foe. In his final moments, Mar-Vell experiences a vision in which Thanos and
Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
guide him into the afterlife.


Post-mortem

Mar-Vell has largely remained dead since his death in 1982. However, he has appeared as a spirit and temporarily been resurrected on several occasions. In this capacity, he served as a member of the Grandmaster's Legion of the Unliving and played a prominent role in the '' Chaos War'' storyline (2010). Furthermore, he has three children: Genis-Vell and Phyla-Vell with Elysius, and Teddy Altman with the Skrull princess Anelle. All three have been superheroes, with Genis and Phyla also being known as Captain Marvel.


Powers and abilities

Due to his Kree
physiology Physiology (; ) is the science, scientific study of function (biology), functions and mechanism (biology), mechanisms in a life, living system. As a branches of science, subdiscipline of biology, physiology focuses on how organisms, organ syst ...
which had evolved to cope with the heavier gravity of home planet Hala, Mar-Vell was significantly stronger and more durable than a normal human. As a soldier, he was trained in all forms of Kree combat, possessed a superior knowledge of tactics, and was equipped with a device called a "universal beam" (or "uni-beam"); which was at first a handheld pistol before Mar-Vell converted it into a wrist-mounted device capable of projecting energy, emitting beams of pure
darkness Darkness is the condition resulting from a lack of illumination, or an absence of visible light. Human vision is unable to distinguish colors in conditions of very low luminance because the hue-sensitive photoreceptor cells on the retina a ...
, and controlling
magnetism Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that occur through a magnetic field, which allows objects to attract or repel each other. Because both electric currents and magnetic moments of elementary particles give rise to a magnetic field, ...
. When manipulated by "Zo" (actually Zarek, the Kree Imperial Minister), Mar-Vell became greatly enhanced, having his physical abilities augmented to the point of crushing the hardest substance known to the Kree, and gained the ability to generate
illusion An illusion is a distortion of the senses, which can reveal how the mind normally organizes and interprets sensory stimulation. Although illusions distort the human perception of reality, they are generally shared by most people. Illusions may ...
s, teleport to anywhere in the universe and fly at faster-than-light speeds. With the exception of strength, these abilities are lost when Mar-Vell gains the nega-bands, which convert Mar-Vell's psionic energy into greater strength, durability, speed, flight and enabled him to exist unprotected in deep outer space. Following the photon ray treatments, Mar-Vell was able to absorb solar energy to further increase his strength. By using solar energy, Mar-Vell was able to recover faster than an average human being. After his encounter with Eon, Mar-Vell used solar energy to fly, leaving a sparkling trail of photons in his wake. Once named the "Protector of the Universe" by Eon, Mar-Vell gained "cosmic awareness", which allowed him to detect direct threats and perceive changes in the universe. This awareness was also used internally, and alerted Mar-Vell to his terminal cancer.


Reception


Critical reception

''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' referred to Mar-Vell as one of the "greatest Avengers of all time," writing, "Mar-Vell seemed destined to live out his life as a respected hero and family man, but even the greatest of heroes can meet an unfortunate end. Mar-Vell contracted terminal cancer in a battle with the villain Nitro. He ultimately perished surrounded by friends, family, and comrades. Surprisingly in a universe where resurrections happen every other hour, Mar-Vell has yet to return to life. It remains to be seen whether that will stay true, but in life or death, Captain Marvel remains one of the most influential heroes in the Marvel Universe." David Harth of '' CBR.com'' described Mar-Vell as one of the "best cosmic heroes in Marvel comics," saying, "The Marvel universe always had a robust cosmic side, but Mar-Vell was the one who truly expanded Marvel's stories out into the stars. The first Captain Marvel started as a Kree soldier but became Earth's foremost cosmic defender, battling threats from outer space and beyond, vying with Thanos, and helping the Avengers when they needed it. Mar-Vell made Captain Marvel a legend. Whether he was fighting on Earth or in space, everyone respected him. His death brought heroes and villains alike out of the woodwork to mourn the cosmic champion in an unprecedented display of respect."


Accolades

* In 2012, ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' ranked Mar-Vell 24th in their "Top 50 Greatest Avengers of all time" list. * In 2015, ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' ranked Mar-Vell 33rd in their "Let's rank every Avenger ever" list. * In 2017, ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' ranked Mar-Vell 3rd in their "Guardians of the Galaxy 3: 50 Marvel Characters We Want to See" list. * In 2018,
Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...
(CBR) ranked Captain Mar-Vell 9th in their "25 Fastest Characters In The Marvel Universe" list. * In 2019, CBR ranked Mar-Vell 3rd in their "Every Version Of Captain Marvel" list and 3rd in their "All The Captain Marvels, Ranked" list. * In 2020, CBR ranked Mar-Vell 2nd in their "The Kree: The 10 Most Powerful Members Of The Race" list and Mar-Vell's death 10th in their "Marvel: 10 Moments That Changed The Comic Universe's History Forever" list. * In 2021, ''
Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and comic books. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publications including Comic Book Resources, Collider, MovieWeb and XDA Developers. ...
'' ranked Mar-Vell's death 3rd in their "10 Most Shocking Deaths In Marvel Comics" list. * In 2022, CBR ranked Mar-Vell 4th in their "Marvel's 10 Most Powerful Healers" list and 10th in their "10 Best Cosmic Heroes in Marvel Comics" list.


Literary reception


Volumes


''The Death of Captain Marvel'' – 1982

Mark Peters of '' Salon.com'' asserted, "This is one of comics legend Jim Starlin’s greatest works, showing that a writer/artist known for his cosmic stories is just as good at telling the most human story of all. Throughout the comic, Marvel’s greatest heroes search for a cure unsuccessfully, as close friends of Mar-Vell such as Rick Jones deal with the grief and try to help their friend cope." Christos Tsirbas of '' CBR.com'' stated, "''The Death of Captain Marvel'' is still shocking, even 35 years after its initial publication because it shows the frailty and finality of the human condition without providing the comfort of a reset switch. The final fight is a dream and a metaphor. The promise of a new beginning is the last wish of a dying man. Mar-Vell’s heart stops and he is gone. It is a sobering end. This is why the greatest way to honor his legacy is to let Captain Marvel rest in peace. The gut-wrenching perfection of Starlin’s elegy to the hero will lose its impact if he is brought back to life. Mar-Vell’s greatest story—indeed one of the greatest stories in the superhero genre—will be rendered meaningless by his resurrection. Perhaps it is best to leave his mantle to those who have carried it since: Monica Rambeau, his own son Genis-Vell, and currently, Carol Danvers. After all, the moral of his story is that death is the end of all, but we can all leave a lasting legacy." Marc Buxton of ''
Den of Geek ''Den of Geek'' is a UK and US-based website covering entertainment with a focus on pop culture. The website also issues a biannual magazine. History ''Den of Geek'' was founded in 2007 by Simon Brew in London. In 2012, DoG Tech LLC licensed ' ...
'' wrote, "His final story is unforgettable, chilling, and poignant. The death story was so powerful that it would be impossible for Marvel Comics to undo it. It would somehow cheapen the moment and minimize the suffering of real warriors who battled cancer. So because of Starlin’s final Mar-Vell tale, the good Captain was no more. Yes, there would be some journeys to the afterlife where heroes would meet Mar-Vell again and there was even a teased return during the Secret Invasion event of the mid-2000s, but that turned out to be a Skrull in disguise. Mar-Vell is still dead. But his legacy would live on stronger than ever. After the tragic death, the hero Monica Rambeau took up the Captain Marvel name. Captain Mar-Vell’s son Genis would take up his father’s mantle as well. While Rambeau and Genis are fantastic characters in their own right (Rambeau would become Photon and Genis Legacy), it was not until Carol Danvers took up the legacy of her friend Mar-Vell that Marvel Comics found lasting success with the Captain Marvel name. But as we enter the next phase of the Captain Marvel story, let us never forget the life and death of Marvel’s first hero that took the name that has inspired so many." Matt D. Wilson of ''
ComicsAlliance ComicsAlliance is an American website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the categ ...
'' asserted, "Despite some overbearing religious imagery, ''The Death of Captain Marvel'' took a sensitive, poignant approach to Mar-Vell's battle with cancer, as well as his relationships with other heroes. There's a reason why it's a story that's stood the test of time, and it's a key reason lots of readers know of Mar-Vell at all."


Other versions

* The
Ultimate Marvel Ultimate Marvel, later known as Ultimate Comics, was an imprint of comic books published by Marvel Comics, featuring reimagined and modernized versions of the company's superhero characters from the Ultimate Marvel Universe, later known as the ...
miniseries '' Ultimate Secret'' features a version of the character called Mahr Vehl, who aids Earth's heroes against Gah Lak Tus. * In the ''
Earth X ''Earth X'' is a 1999 comic book Limited series (comics), limited series published by American company Marvel Comics. ''Earth X'' was written by Jim Krueger with art by John Paul Leon. Based on Alex Ross' notes, the series features a dystopian v ...
'' miniseries, Mar-Vell is reincarnated as the child of synthetic beings Him and
Her Her is the objective and possessive form of the English-language feminine pronoun she. Her, HER or H.E.R. may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Music Performers * H.E.R. (born 1997), American singer * HIM (Finnish band), once kn ...
. * In '' The Thanos Imperative'', the main antagonist is Lord Mar-Vell, an evil being from the "Cancerverse", a monstrous universe in which nothing can die. As such, all life has become cancerous undying beings, desperate to find a new universe to infect. He is the leader of the Revengers, who worship the entities known as the Many-Angled Ones. * In ''Ruins'', reporter Phil Sheldon interviews a bitter Mar-Vell, who now hates humanity as they destroyed almost all the Kree in his expedition.'


In other media


Television

* Captain Marvel appears in ''
The Super Hero Squad Show ''The Super Hero Squad Show'' is an American superhero animated series produced by Marvel Animation that aired from 2009 to 2011. It is based on the Hasbro toyline " Marvel Super Hero Squad", which portrays the Avengers, the X-Men, and various ...
'', voiced by Ty Burrell. This version is Ms. Marvel's boyfriend. * Mar-Vell, with elements of Mahr Vehl, appears in '' The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'', voiced by
Roger Craig Smith Roger Craig Smith is an American voice actor. He is known for his voice roles in video games such as Chris Redfield in the ''Resident Evil'' series (2009–2017), Ezio Auditore da Firenze in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series (2009–2011), Kyle C ...
. This version is a xenobiologist and a member of the Kree Science Navy who came to Earth to investigate a genetic anomaly, but became intrigued by humanity. Disguising himself as a human named Philip Lawson, he fell in love with Carol Danvers. When a Kree Sentry comes to evaluate Earth's threat to the Kree however, Mar-Vell sacrifices his false identity to save Carol, the
Wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...
, and Ant-Man. In doing so, he accidentally imprints some of his Kree abilities to Carol. After he and the Avengers neutralize the Supreme Intelligence, Mar-Vell becomes the Kree's new leader.


Marvel Cinematic Universe

A female incarnation of Mar-Vell appeared in various media set in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on List of Marvel Cinematic Universe films, a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appe ...
(MCU) primarily portrayed by American actress
Annette Bening Annette Carol Bening (born May 29, 1958) is an American actress. With a career spanning over four decades, she is known for List of Annette Bening performances, her versatile work across screen and stage. Bening has received List of awards an ...
. Bening's version is a
Kree The Kree, briefly known as the Ruul, are an List of fictional extraterrestrials, alien race appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They are native to the planet Hala in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and have a scientificall ...
scientist named Doctor Wendy Lawson who aided the Skrulls in finding a home. Mar-Vell is depicted as a physicist working Project Pegasus. *Bening portrayed Mar-Vell in '' Captain Marvel'' (2019) in flashbacks where she sought to use the power of the
Tesseract In geometry, a tesseract or 4-cube is a four-dimensional hypercube, analogous to a two-dimensional square and a three-dimensional cube. Just as the perimeter of the square consists of four edges and the surface of the cube consists of six ...
to develop an experimental engine to assist the Skrulls. She recruits the help of
Carol Danvers Carol Susan Jane Danvers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Gene Colan, the character first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleagu ...
and Maria Rambeau to help her test the engines. She is later killed by Yon-Rogg but not before instructing Danvers destroy the engine before he could seize it. *An alternate version of Mar-Vell appeared in the
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
animated series '' What If...?'' (2023) episode " What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?", voiced by Keri Tombazian. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.


Video games

* Mar-Vell / Captain Marvel appears as a playable character in '' Marvel Super Hero Squad Online''. * Mar-Vell / Captain Marvel appears as an alternate costume for Genis-Vell in the PSP version of '' Marvel: Ultimate Alliance'', voiced by Roger Rose. * Mar-Vell appears as an enhanced costume for Carol Danvers / Ms. Marvel in '' Marvel Heroes'', voiced by Josh Keaton.


Collected editions

* '' Marvel Masterworks Captain Marvel'': ** Volume 1 collects ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #12–13, ''Captain Marvel'' #1–9, 230 pages, September 2005, ** Volume 2 collects ''Captain Marvel'' #10–21, 272 pages, August 2007, ** Volume 3 collects ''Captain Marvel'' #22–33 and ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
'' #55, 288 pages, April 2008, ** Volume 4 collects ''Captain Marvel'' #34–46, 248 pages, January 2012, ** Volume 5 collects ''Captain Marvel'' #47–57, ''Avengers Annual'' #7, ''Marvel Two-In-One Annual'' #2, 288 pages, July 2014, ** Volume 6 collects ''Captain Marvel'' #58–62, ''
Marvel Spotlight ''Marvel Spotlight'' is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book. It stood out from Marvel's other try-out books in that most of the featured characters made their first appearance in the series. The series or ...
'' #1–4, 8, ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #3, '' Marvel Graphic Novel'' #1, and material from ''Logan's Run'' #6, 296 pages, May 2016, * '' Essential Captain Marvel'': ** Volume 1 collects ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #12–13, ''Captain Marvel'' #1–21, and ''Not Brand Echh'' #9, 512 pages, July 2008, ** Volume 2 collects ''Captain Marvel'' #22–46, ''Iron Man'' #55, ''
Marvel Feature ''Marvel Feature'' was a comic book showcase series published by Marvel Comics in the 1970s. It was a tryout book, intended to test the popularity of characters and concepts being considered for their own series. The first volume led to the launc ...
'' #12, 520 pages, December 2010, * ''The Life of Captain Marvel'' collects ''Iron Man'' #55, ''Captain Marvel'' #25–34, and ''Marvel Feature'' #12, 256 pages, October 1991, * ''The Life and Death of Captain Marvel'' collects ''Iron Man'' #55, ''Captain Marvel'' #25–34, ''Marvel Feature'' #12, and ''Marvel Graphic Novel'' #1, 304 pages, June 2002, * ''The Death of Captain Marvel'' collects ''Captain Marvel'' #34, ''Marvel Spotlight'' #1–2 and ''Marvel Graphic Novel'' #1, 128 pages, June 2010, * ''Avengers vs. Thanos'' collects ''Iron-Man'' #55, ''Captain Marvel'' #25–33, ''Marvel Feature'' #12, ''Daredevil'' #105–107, ''Avengers'' #125, ''Warlock'' #9-11, 15, ''Avengers Annual'' #7, ''Marvel Two-In-One Annual'' #2, and material from ''Logan's Run'' #6, 472 pages, March 2013, * ''Captain Marvel by Jim Starlin: The Complete Collection'' collects ''Iron-Man'' #55, ''Captain Marvel'' #25–34, ''Marvel Feature'' #12, ''Marvel Graphic Novel'' #1 and material from ''Daredevil'' #105 and ''Life of Captain Marvel'' #1–5, 352 pages, December 2016, * ''Captain Mar-Vell Omnibus Vol. 1'' collects ''Marvel Super-Heroes'' #12–13, ''Captain Marvel'' #1–33, ''Iron Man'' #55, material from '' Not Brand Echh'' #9 and ''Life of Captain Marvel'' #1–5, 888 pages,


References


External links


Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell)
at the Marvel Universe
Captain Marvel Culture
a history of the many Captain Marvels
Captain Marvel Appearances in Publication Order


at the Marvel Directory *

at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
''Captain Marvel''
at the Big Comic Book Database * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mar-Vell Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics) Characters created by Gene Colan Characters created by Stan Lee Comics by Steve Englehart Comics characters introduced in 1967 Fictional characters who can manipulate light Fictional characters with cancer Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities Fictional characters with nuclear or radiation abilities Fictional military captains Kree Marvel Comics aliens Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing Marvel Comics characters with superhuman durability or invulnerability Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength Marvel Comics extraterrestrial superheroes Marvel Comics male superheroes Marvel Comics military personnel