Monica Rambeau is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Comics'' in 19 ...

. Created by writer

Roger Stern Roger Stern (born September 17, 1950) is an American comic book author and novelist. Biography Early career In the early 1970s, Stern and Bob Layton published the fanzine ''CPL'' ('' Contemporary Pictorial Literature''), one of the first platfo ...

and artist John Romita Jr., the character debuted in ''

The Amazing Spider-Man Annual The following is a complete list of all volumes of ''The Amazing Spider-Man'', with notes for each issue. The list is updated as of November 23, 2022. ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) This comic book plot is written by Stan Lee and illustrat ...

'' #16 (October 1982). Monica was introduced as the second Captain Marvel, and she gained super powers after being bombarded by extradimensional energy produced by an energy disruptor weapon. The character joined and eventually became leader of the

Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes **Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...

for a time. She was also a member of Nextwave and the latest

Ultimates The Ultimates is a superhero comic book series published by Marvel Comics and created by writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch, which first started publication from ''The Ultimates'' #1 (March 2002), as part of the company's Ultimate Marve ...

team. She has also been known as Photon, Pulsar and beginning in 2013, Spectrum. Akira Akbar portrayed young Monica Rambeau in the

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published ...

film '' Captain Marvel'' (2019).

Teyonah Parris Teyonah Parris ( ) is an American actress. Her first prominent career role was playing secretary Dawn Chambers in the AMC drama series '' Mad Men'' (2012–2015) and starring in the 2014 independent film '' Dear White People''. Since that, Parris ...

portrays the adult version of Rambeau in the television miniseries ''

WandaVision ''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is List of Marvel Cinematic Univ ...

'' (2021) and will also appear in ''

The Marvels ''The Marvels'' is an upcoming American superhero film based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, and Monica Rambeau. Produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney ...

'' (2023). In August 2022, Marvel Comics announced ''Photon'', Monica Rambeau's first solo comic book series, to be released in December.

Publication history

The character, created by writer

and artist John Romita Jr., first appears in ''

'' #16 (October 1982). Talking about the visual features of the character, Romita noted that, originally, the character was intended to look like actress Pam Grier, but her appearance was changed before publication: Following her debut, the character appeared throughout the entirety of Stern's five-year run on ''

The Avengers Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to: Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe * Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes ** Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes o ...

'', ultimately becoming the team's leader, before making numerous appearances as a reserve member after her departure from active duty. Two one-shot titles, both written by Dwayne McDuffie and illustrated by Mark D. Bright, followed. She also starred in ''Avengers: Unplugged'' #5. She returned in ''The Avengers'' (vol. 3) with sporadic appearances between issues #1–59. During this run, she also appeared in ''Avengers: Infinity'' #1–4 (September–December 2000), '' Maximum Security'' #2–3 (both January 2001), ''

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing ...

'' (vol. 2) #30 (January 2001) and the ''Avengers Annual'' in 2001. Following a cameo in '' Great Lakes Avengers'' #1 and ''New Thunderbolts'' #8–9, she appeared in ''Order'' #5–6. She starred in ''Nextwave'' #1–12. Following the cancellation of that series, Rambeau was seen briefly in ''

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

'', ''

She-Hulk She-Hulk (Jennifer "Jen" Walters) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in ''The Savage She-Hulk'' #1 (cover-dated February ...

'', and as a main character in '' Marvel Divas'' #1–4 and ''Heralds'' #1–5. She appears ''Iron Age'' #1 (2011), ''Captain Marvel'' #7–8,''Captain Marvel'' (vol. 6) #7–8 (2012) '' Journey into Mystery'' #649, and ''Age of Ultron''. In 2009, Rambeau appeared in the limited series, '' Marvel Divas'' (partly inspired by ''

Sex and the City ''Sex and the City'' is an American romantic comedy-drama television series created by Darren Star for HBO. An adaptation of Candace Bushnell's newspaper column and 1996 book anthology of the same name, the series premiered in the United St ...

''). She was one of the main characters, alongside

Black Cat A black cat is a domestic cat with black fur that may be a mixed or specific breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular breed. The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 22 cat breeds that can come with solid black coats. The Bomba ...

, Hellcat, and Firestar. Starting in September 2013, she appeared as one of the lead characters in the Marvel NOW! relaunch of '' Mighty Avengers'', she acted as the team's field leader under the new codename Spectrum. She was part of the 2015's

team, written by Al Ewing and drawn by Kenneth Rocafort, the team consisted of Monica Rambeau,

Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...

, Blue Marvel,

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

, and Captain Marvel. In Marvel NOW! (2016), the Ultimates broke up but are later reunited and asked to become the heralds of Galactus, who is now the Lifebringer of Worlds. The second volume ended at a special #100 issue and it includes an appearance of the original

team. She was a major character in the Avengers weekly story-arc ''Avengers: No Road Home'', alongside Hawkeye,

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted th ...

, Hulk,

Scarlet Witch Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...

Vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

, Voyager and Rocket Raccoon. It was meant to be a

spiritual successor A spiritual successor (sometimes called a spiritual sequel) is a product or fictional work that is similar to, or directly inspired by, another previous work, but (unlike a traditional prequel or sequel) does not explicitly continue the product l ...

to previous Avengers weekly story-arc, ''Avengers: No Surrender''.

Fictional character biography

Origin

Monica Rambeau was born in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a U.S. state, state in the Deep South and South Central United States, South Central regions of the United States. It is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 20th-smal ...

to Frank and Maria Rambeau. She was a lieutenant in the New Orleans harbor patrol, where she operated as a cargo ship captain. While trying to stop a dangerous weapon, Rambeau was exposed to extra-dimensional energy and became capable of converting her body to energy. After this event, the media dubbed her "Captain Marvel." Following a close call where her excess energy nearly made her a danger to others before that power was drained off by

Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby. The charact ...

and Spider-Man, she decided to use her powers to fight crime under that name. She was told by Ben Grimm that the name had originally been used by the late Kree hero Mar-Vell, but Grimm assured her that " arvelwouldn't mind. I probably ain't the only 'Thing' in the world either."

Joining the Avengers

Rambeau sought out the

for help in mastering her new powers and became a member-in-training, soon aiding them against Egghead. Befriended and mentored by Avengers veterans

Captain America Captain America is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1 ( cover dated March 1941) from T ...

and the Wasp, Captain Marvel soon graduated to full membership after the battle against Plantman. She became their first African-American heroine. She assisted Doctor Strange and the

in battling

Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taki ...

. Two of Rambeau's enemies are super-powered psychiatrist Moonstone (Karla Sofen), and Moonstone's powerful pawn Blackout (Marcus Daniels), who wields the Darkforce. Captain Marvel first encountered them when the Avengers opposed the duo's escape from incarceration in Project: PEGASUS. After that, Rambeau temporarily lost her ability to transform back to human form during a battle against Dr. Eric Paulson, in which she fought alongside Spider-Man and Starfox. She was with the team when the Beyonder abducted them and other Earth superheroes for the first Secret Wars saga. Moonstone and Blackout returned as members of Baron Zemo's

Masters of Evil The Masters of Evil is a supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The first version of the team appeared in ''The Avengers'' #6 (July 1964), with the lineup continually changing over the years. Publication ...

, participating in an occupation of Avengers Mansion and trapping Rambeau in the Darkforce dimension. With help from The Shroud, Rambeau was able to escape in time to help retake the Mansion. During the battle, Moonstone became temporarily paralyzed and Blackout died. Another of Rambeau's major early foes was the murderous interstellar pirate

Nebula A nebula ('cloud' or 'fog' in Latin; pl. nebulae, nebulæ or nebulas) is a distinct luminescent part of interstellar medium, which can consist of ionized, neutral or molecular hydrogen and also cosmic dust. Nebulae are often star-forming regio ...

, who shanghaied Rambeau into space for an extended period before she reunited with the Avengers. Captain Marvel also took part in battles against the Beyonder, a confused Jean Grey, Kang the Conqueror,

Attuma Attuma is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is an Atlantean nomadic warlord who is usually depicted as an enemy of Namor the Sub-Mariner, and is the father of the superhero Andromeda. He believes h ...

, and Grandmaster.

Leader of the Avengers

Rambeau later replaced the Wasp as leader of the Avengers, commanding them in battles against the

X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, first appearing in ''The X-Men'' #1 by artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby and writer/editor Stan Lee in 1963. Although initially cancelled in 1970 due to ...

, the

Olympian Gods upright=1.8, Fragment of a relief (1st century BC1st century AD) depicting the twelve Olympians carrying their attributes in procession; from left to right: Hestia (scepter), Hermes (winged cap and staff), Aphrodite (veiled), Ares (helmet and s ...

, and 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 ...

. She spent a lot of time refereeing squabbles between Hercules and the Submariner, and dealing with the duplicitous telepath Dr. Druid, who sought to supplant her as Avengers chairman and undermined her authority at every opportunity. When honorary Avengers member and wife of the Submariner

Marrina Marrina Smallwood is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a member of Alpha Flight and an honorary member of the Avengers. Publication history Marrina first appeared in '' Alpha Flight'' #1 ( ...

transformed into the gigantic sea monster Leviathan, Captain Marvel led the hunt for the creature. During the battle that followed, Rambeau transformed herself into a massive bolt of lightning to try and stop the beast. She made contact with the water and accidentally conducted herself across the surface of the ocean, dispersing her atoms so widely that she barely regained physical form. She reformed as a frail, withered husk of a woman devoid of super-powers.''Avengers'' #291–293 (1988)

Regaining her powers

After retiring from the team, Rambeau regained first her physical health, and eventually her powers, initially developing the ability to manipulate mechanical energy for various effects. She resumed crimefighting, facing foes such as Brazilian crime lord Kristina Ramos, Moonstone, and Powderkeg. At the same time, she served as a cargo ship captain in her friend Ron Morgan's shipping company before starting her own charter business. Rambeau stayed connected with the Avengers and served as a reservist, sometimes assuming leadership duties in the absence of the current chair. She helped repel an Atlantean invasion of the surface world and assists in the Acts of Vengeance, which involved a concentrated, multi-villain attack on Earth's superheroes, or in the Terminus Factor. Rambeau led a reserve substitute roster during the team's first United Nations-backed reorganization. She took on another leadership role during the Kree-Shi'ar war and led an Avengers delegation to the Shi'ar Empire to petition for peace. When a group of aliens calling themselves Starblasters tried to push the moon away from Earth,

Quasar A quasar is an extremely luminous active galactic nucleus (AGN). It is pronounced , and sometimes known as a quasi-stellar object, abbreviated QSO. This emission from a galaxy nucleus is powered by a supermassive black hole with a mass rangin ...

assembled a team with some of the most powerful heroes of the world, recruiting Rambeau, Carol Danvers, Black Bolt,

Hyperion Hyperion may refer to: Greek mythology * Hyperion (Titan), one of the twelve Titans * ''Hyperion'', a byname of the Sun, Helios * Hyperion of Troy or Yperion, son of King Priam Science * Hyperion (moon), a moon of the planet Saturn * ''Hyp ...

, Ikaris, Darkstar,

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives f ...

and

Perun In Slavic mythology, Perun ( Cyrillic: Перýн) is the highest god of the pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, iris, eagle, ...

. During this adventure, her original powers gradually regenerated, fully returning when the alien

Stranger A stranger is a person who is unknown to another person or group. Because of this unknown status, a stranger may be perceived as a threat until their identity and character can be ascertained. Different classes of strangers have been identified ...

accelerates the process. When Genis became an adventurer, he was known as Captain Marvel like his father before him—which Rambeau resented. After she,

Starfox is an arcade style rail shooter and third person action-adventure video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, produced and published by Nintendo. The games follow the Star Fox combat team of anthropomorphic animals, led by chief protagon ...

and Genis teamed up to defeat the

Controller Controller may refer to: Occupations * Controller or financial controller, or in government accounting comptroller, a senior accounting position * Controller, someone who performs agent handling in espionage * Air traffic controller, a person ...

, Genis tried to concede the Captain Marvel title to Rambeau since he felt she was more worthy of it. Rambeau declined out of respect for the Mar-Vell legacy and adopted the new alias Photon.

Avengers Return

After the return of the main Avengers from the

pocket universe A pocket universe or bubble universe, also colloquially called pocket dimension is a concept in inflationary theory, proposed by Alan Guth. Description It defines a realm like the one that contains the observable universe as only one of many i ...

created by Franklin Richards almost all the current and former Avengers members were trapped in a curse created by

Morgan Le Fay Morgan le Fay (, meaning 'Morgan the Fairy'), alternatively known as Morgan ''n''a, Morgain ''a/e Morg ''a''ne, Morgant ''e Morge ''i''n, and Morgue ''inamong other names and spellings ( cy, Morgên y Dylwythen Deg, kw, Morgen an Spyrys), is a ...

where they served her as soldiers in a guard called Queen's Vengeance. Due to her strong loyalty to the group Rambeau, under the name Daystar, was one of the first Avengers to recover their will and rebel against the sorceress. Later when Photon was attacked by the Wrecking Crew in the

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "F ...

of New Orleans, she asked the Avengers for help and wound up being involved in an adventure in

Arkon Arkon is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He is the warlord and ruler of the extra-dimensional world of Polemachus. The concept of the character is that he is a hero from the sword-and-sorcery ge ...

's world with the group and her old fellow Avenger,

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted wit ...

. For a time, Rambeau's mother intercepted her Avengers calls out of fear for her daughter's safety. After discovering this deception, Rambeau led an unofficial force of Avengers against the 'Infinites', who planned on relocating the galaxy. Next, Photon was involved in the events of Maximum Security, and fought with her former teammates against

Bloodwraith Nakia Bahadir Nakia Bahadir is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a Turkish girl and friend of Kamala Khan. Nakia Bahadir in other media Nakia Bahadir appears in '' Ms. Marvel'', portray ...

, and Lord Templar and Pagan. After that, Rambeau helped the team in the deep-space monitoring station with

and

Living Lightning Living Lightning (Miguel Santos) is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in ''Avengers West Coast'' #63, published in October, 1990. The character was created by writers Dann Tho ...

, called into action in Kang's War, (supporting also her friend

Janet van Dyne The Wasp (Janet van Dyne) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee, Ernie Hart, and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in '' Tales to Astonish'' #44 (June 1963). Jane ...

and advising the new recruit

Triathlon A triathlon is an endurance multisport race consisting of swimming, cycling, and running over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall completion time, racing each segment sequentially with the time transitioning between the d ...

on his current issues as the newest member of the team), in the world crisis caused by

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The p ...

, and when the

suffered a nervous breakdown and attacked the Avengers.

From Pulsar to Nextwave

When Genis-Vell wanted to establish a new identity for himself, he began calling himself Photon. Rambeau confronted him but decided to let Genis keep the Photon alias after she came up with a name she liked better, Pulsar. Rambeau later led the Nextwave team, part of the Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort (H.A.T.E.), against Unusual Weapons of Mass Destruction created by the

Beyond Corporation© The comic book stories published by Marvel Comics since the 1940s have featured several noteworthy concepts besides its fictional characters, such as unique places and artifacts. There follows a list of those features. Places Certain places fe ...

where she avoided using a code name and wore a new uniform. During the Superhero Civil War, Rambeau was a member of

's Secret Avengers, but also registered as a member of the

Initiative In political science, an initiative (also known as a popular initiative or citizens' initiative) is a means by which a petition signed by a certain number of registered voters can force a government to choose either to enact a law or hold a p ...

. When Brother Voodoo asked for Rambeau's help in tracking down some evil sorcerers, she revealed a former relationship with

Brother Voodoo Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He first appeared in '' Strange Tales'' #169 (September 1973). The character was created by publisher Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len ...

, Hellcat, and Firestar. Despite her breaking it off, Voodoo still had feelings for Rambeau. She agreed to aid him, rekindling their relationship in the process. She later attended

Emma Frost Emma Grace Frost is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, most commonly in association with the X-Men. The character first appeared in ''The Uncanny X-Men'' #129 (Jan. 1980), and was created by writer ...

's birthday party in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...

where she helped solve a cosmic crisis involving

Frankie Raye Nova (Frankie Raye) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Frankie Raye was portrayed by Beau Garrett in the 2007 film ''Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer''. Publication history The charac ...

. The group continued to meet partly over their support of Firestar, who had recovered from breast cancer. She assisted Carol Danvers, in an investigation in the Gulf of Mexico, where Rambeau indicated that she was still fearful of using her powers under the water since her traumatic experience in battle against

Marrina Smallwood Marrina Smallwood is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a member of Alpha Flight and an honorary member of the Avengers. Publication history Marrina first appeared in ''Alpha Flight'' #1 (A ...

, and aided

in the Avengers' deep-space monitoring station against ancient Viking monsters who claimed to be the Emperor of Mars.

Marvel Now!

During the ''

Infinity Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol . Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions am ...

'' storyline, Monica Rambeau took the name of Spectrum as she chased after the criminal

Blue Streak Blue Streak or Bluestreak may refer to: Entertainment * ''Blue Streak'' (album), a 1995 album by American blues guitarist Luther Allison * Blue Streak (comics), a secret identity used by three separate Marvel Comics supervillains * Bluestreak (c ...

. Even the police officers that arrested him were impressed by her latest alias and her new costume. Spectrum returned to a specialist shop in New York where a man named Luc sells designer superhero costumes. He mentioned that someone was waiting for her in the next room. Monica recognized the man, though apparently all he wanted to do was talk and ask for help. Spectrum heard the explosions when

Proxima Midnight Proxima Midnight is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a prominent member of the Black Order, a team of aliens who work for Thanos. Created by writer Jonathan Hickman, she first appeared ...

began her attack on the city. Her mysterious guest says he cannot be seen in America, and needed her help for a mysterious mission, but she was adamant...he is in a costume shop, and if he wanted her help, he'd put on a costume and come help her. Monica became field leader of Luke Cage's new

Mighty Avengers ''The Mighty Avengers'' is a comic book series that was published by Marvel Comics. Originally written by Brian Michael Bendis, also the writer of '' New Avengers'', the title first featured an officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered s ...

team in the wake of the event. During the "Last Days" part of the ''

Secret Wars ''Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars'', commonly known as ''Secret Wars'' for short, is a twelve-issue American comic book crossover limited series published from May 1984 to April 1985 by Marvel Comics. The series was written by Jim Shooter, with ...

'' storyline, Spectrum devised a plan to destroy Earth-1610 to keep it from colliding with Earth-616. In desperation during the two weeks before the end of the world, Spectrum channeled her full power and went to destroy Earth-1610. However, right before she could successfully destroy the other Earth, she spotted a group of children who lived there, causing her to hesitate for only a moment, long enough for Ultimate Reed Richards to capture her. In the aftermath of the "

Devil's Reign "Devil's Reign" is an American comic book event written by Chip Zdarsky with art by Marco Checchetto, published from 2021 to 2022 by Marvel Comics. Premise In a ploy to increase his power, Mayor Wilson Fisk has outlawed superheroes in New York C ...

" storyline, Spectrum assists the newly-elected Mayor Luke Cage in taking down a Thunderbolts unit led by Crossbones. Afterwards, public relations specialist Helen Astrantia wanted Spectrum to lead the re-branded Thunderbolts. She turns down the suggestion and flies off.

Powers and abilities

Due to bombardment by extra-dimensional energies, Rambeau can transform herself into any form of energy within the

electromagnetic spectrum The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of frequencies (the spectrum) of electromagnetic radiation and their respective wavelengths and photon energies. The electromagnetic spectrum covers electromagnetic waves with frequencies ranging from ...

. Among the many energy forms she has assumed and is able to control are

visible light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...

cosmic ray Cosmic rays are high-energy particles or clusters of particles (primarily represented by protons or atomic nuclei) that move through space at nearly the speed of light. They originate from the Sun, from outside of the Solar System in our ow ...

gamma ray A gamma ray, also known as gamma radiation (symbol γ or \gamma), is a penetrating form of electromagnetic radiation arising from the radioactive decay of atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei. It consists of the shortest wavelength electromagnetic wav ...

X-ray X-rays (or rarely, ''X-radiation'') are a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. In many languages, it is referred to as Röntgen radiation, after the German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered it in 1895 and named it ' ...

ultraviolet Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiati ...

radiation, electricity,

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from aroun ...

radiation,

microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequency, frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different fre ...

radio waves Radio waves are a type of electromagnetic radiation with the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, typically with frequencies of 300 gigahertz ( GHz) and below. At 300 GHz, the corresponding wavelength is 1 mm (s ...

, and

neutrino A neutrino ( ; denoted by the Greek letter ) is a fermion (an elementary particle with spin of ) that interacts only via the weak interaction and gravity. The neutrino is so named because it is electrically neutral and because its rest mass ...

s. By assuming an energy-form, she gains all of that energy's properties. She is invisible and intangible in many of her energy forms (the most frequent exception being visible light), and is capable of flight in all her energy forms (reaching velocities up to and including light speed). She also has the ability to project these energies from her body while she is in human form (only one wavelength of energy at a time), usually in the form of energy blasts from her hands. She mentally controls both the type and quantity of energy she wishes to transmit. The maximum amount of energy she can transmit at a given time is unknown. Rambeau can also divert small amounts of various energies for employment as force beams, which have the equivalent to 300 tons of TNT of explosive force. A variation of this ability enables her to project light-based

holographic Holography is a technique that enables a wavefront to be recorded and later re-constructed. Holography is best known as a method of generating real three-dimensional images, but it also has a wide range of other applications. In principle, it ...

illusions of herself. Rambeau has also shown the ability to split her energy form into several miniature energy forms that are under her mental command, each miniature Rambeau is able to react and fly at light-speed. When she encounters a new or unfamiliar energy, Rambeau can often duplicate it given enough time for analysis. Rambeau tends to be physically insubstantial in her energy forms, though with concentration and effort she can sometimes perform tasks such as briefly grasping an object, either by partially solidifying or by applying some sort of force to the object in question. She is immortal and does not age beyond her prime. When Rambeau temporarily lost her original powers after a massive energy expenditure, she developed the ability to shunt any mechanical energy directed towards her through a dimensional interface surrounding her body, granting her increased strength, resistance to impact, and the ability to fly. After Rambeau asked

Reed Richards Mister Fantastic (Reed Richards) is a superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member, and the leader, of the Fantastic Four. Richards has a mastery of mechanical, aerospace ...

to examine these new abilities, he theorized that she accessed the same dimension from which she derived her energy powers to create the interface.''Captain Marvel'' (vol. 3) #1 (November 1989) Rambeau has strong leadership skills and law enforcement experience due to both of her time as a police officer and former leader of the Avengers. She is an excellent markswoman, unarmed combatant, detective, and swimmer with extensive nautical expertise. She has received Harbor Patrol training, and Avengers training in unarmed combat by Captain America.

Limitations

Rambeau is able to retain her energy form for several hours with no ill effects. She can only transform herself into one wavelength of energy at a time, but she can transform between one energy-state and another in a fraction of a second. Extensive energy transformation and manipulation can be physically taxing once she re-assumes her physical form. Rambeau can also be involuntarily reverted to her original form by other forces.

Reception

Critical reception

Nick Hemming of ''

Looper Looper may refer to: Animals * Cabbage looper (''Trichoplusia ni''), a member of the moth family Noctuidae * Inchworm, of the insect order Lepidoptera, the moths and butterflies People * Looper (surname), a Dutch-language surname with the mean ...

'' stated, "The truth is, Monica Rambeau, created by Roger Stern and John Romita Jr. in 1982, is a spectacular heroine in her own right. Few understand just how monumental her contributions to the Marvel universe truly are, nor how massive her character potential remains, decades after her debut. As a character, her impressive energy-manipulating powers make her an Alpha-Level threat, while her strong leadership and sarcastic wit make her a fan-favorite This is the untold truth of Marvel's all-too-often forgotten Avenger, Monica Rambeau." Andy Davis of ''

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...

'' wrote, "Marvel has one of the biggest libraries of superheroes and villains in comic history, and seeing former Captain Marvel Monica Rambeau finally get her own solo ''Photon'' series is inspiring not just because she'll get her story told, but also because it opens the door for other beloved characters to finally get their moment in the spotlight in the future as Monica lights the way as a true superhero."

Volumes

''Captain Marvel: Monica Rambeau''

According to Diamond Comic Distributors, the ''Captain Marvel: Monica Rambeau'' trade paperback was the 112th best selling graphic novel in January 2019.

Accolades

* In 2015, ''

Gizmodo ''Gizmodo'' ( ) is a design, technology, science and science fiction website. It was originally launched as part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton, and runs on the Kinja platform. ''Gizmodo'' also includes the subsite '' io9'', w ...

'' ranked Monica Rambeau 10th in their "Every Member Of The Avengers, Ranked" list. * In 2018, ''

CBR.com ''Comic Book Resources'', also known by the initialism CBR, is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book–related news and discussion. History Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1995 as a development of the Kingdom Co ...

'' ranked Monica Rambeau 8th in their "25 Fastest Characters In The Marvel Universe" list. * In 2019, ''

'' ranked Monica Rambeau 4th in their "All The Captain Marvels" list. * In 2022, ''

'' ranked Monica Rambeau 1st in their "15 Fastest Superheroes" list, 13th in their "16 Most Powerful Cosmic Characters In Marvel Comics" list, and included her in their "10 Most Powerful Avengers In Marvel Comics" list. * In 2022, ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an American online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was cr ...

'' ranked Monica Rambeau 95th in their "100 best Marvel characters" list. * In 2022, ''

Newsarama Newsarama is an American website that publishes news, interviews, and essays about the American comic book industry. It is owned by Future US. In June 2020, Newsarama was merged with the website GamesRadar+, also owned by FutureUS. History N ...

'' ranked Monica Rambeau 16th in their "Best female superheroes" list. * In 2022, ''

'' ranked Monica Rambeau 3rd in their "8 Fastest Avengers" list, 4th in their "10 Best Marvel Legacy Heroes" list, 8th in their "Avengers' Greatest Leaders" list, and 11th in their "Marvel's Strongest Cosmic Heroes" list.

Other versions

Age of Ultron

During the ''

Age of Ultron "Age of Ultron" (abbreviated AU) is a 2013 comic book fictional crossover storyline published by Marvel Comics that involved the conquest of the Earth by the sentient robot tyrant Ultron. The storyline consisted of an eponymous, 10-issue core ...

'' storyline, Rambeau appears amongst the superhero resistance against Ultron.

Earth-A

Like other inhabitants of this reality, Monica Rambeau would periodically visit

Earth-616 In the fictional Marvel Comics multiverse, Earth-616 is the primary continuity in which most Marvel Comics titles take place. History of the term The term was first used in "Rough Justice", a story credited to both Alan Moore and Alan Davis ...

for vacations. Due to the nature of the interdimensional travel, she received duplicate powers to her counterpart and would masquerade as her. It is implied that the inexperienced Rambeau appearing around that time in ''Black Panther'' was, in fact, this alternate. Rambeau claimed that the main reason she visited Earth-616 was not because she would gain superpowers but because her parents were still alive in that reality.

Forever Yesterday

Monica Rambeau is featured in ''

New Warriors The New Warriors is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. They traditionally consisted of teenage and young adult heroes, and were often seen to serve as a junior counterpart to The Avengers in mu ...

'' #11–13, in an alternate reality that is listed as Earth-9105, where she goes under the code-name of Sceptre. She is part of a murderous version of the Avengers, who enforce the will of the tyrannical female

Sphinx A sphinx ( , grc, σφίγξ , Boeotian: , plural sphinxes or sphinges) is a mythical creature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the wings of a falcon. In Greek tradition, the sphinx has the head of a woman, the haunches o ...

. She briefly makes an appearance in ''

Avengers Forever ''Avengers Forever'' is a twelve-issue comic book limited series published from December 1998 to November 1999 by Marvel Comics. It follows the storyline of Rick Jones and his quest to build a team of Avengers from the past, present, and future. ...

'' when she and several other alternate, evil Avengers are brought forth in order to battle the main protagonists.

''JLA/Avengers''

Photon is shown as a reservist member of the Avengers and aids them during the searching of the twelve items of power, fighting against the

Green Lantern Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness ...

. After the battle for the last item in the

Savage Land The Savage Land is a hidden prehistoric land appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is a tropical preserve hidden in Antarctica. It has appeared in many story arcs in ''Uncanny X-Men'' as well as other related books. Pu ...

, Monica takes part in one annual JLA-Avengers meeting at the

Justice League Satellite This page list the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites * the Arrowcave – The former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. * Avernus Cemetery – A burial ground located in Central City for ...

in the new merged world that the villain Krona created, being unaware of the changes. After that she appeared fighting along with other Captain Marvels of both universes ( Mar-Vell, Shazam!) in the final battle.

Marvel Zombies

Monica Rambeau appears in ''

Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness ''Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness'' is a five-issue 2007 comic book limited series published by Marvel Comics in association with Dynamite Entertainment, an intercompany crossover in which Ash Williams, hero of the popular ''Evil Dead'' fil ...

'' issue #3 in her Nextwave uniform, fighting alongside the rest of the team against a zombified

Power Pack Power Pack is a superhero team consisting of four young siblings appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Louise Simonson and artist June Brigman, they first appeared in their own series in 1984, which l ...

MC2

Although Monica Rambeau has never appeared in Marvel Comics' future-era

MC2 MC2 may refer to: *Maison de la Culture de Grenoble, a venue for performances in Grenoble, France *Marvel Comics 2 is an imprint from Marvel Comics whose comic books depict an alternative future timeline for the Marvel Universe *E = mc² is the equ ...

line, the comics feature her daughter by Derek Freeman,

Blacklight A blacklight, also called a UV-A light, Wood's lamp, or ultraviolet light, is a lamp that emits long-wave ( UV-A) ultraviolet light and very little visible light. One type of lamp has a violet filter material, either on the bulb or in a sepa ...

, who first appears in ''

A-Next A-Next is a fictional team of superheroes, appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. It is the Marvel Comics 2 universe version of the Avengers. The team made its first appearance in '' What If?'' #105, the first comic featu ...

'' #9.

''What If?''

Monica Rambeau has a brief appearance in "What if the

Hadn't Acted Alone?", '' What If? Avengers Disassembled'' (2006).

In other media

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Monica Rambeau appears in live-action media set in the

. *Monica is introduced as a child in the film '' Captain Marvel'', portrayed primarily by Akira Akbar. This version is the daughter of Maria Rambeau and friend 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, Danvers first appeared as an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of th ...

, whom Monica affectionately refers as "Auntie Carol", who in turn refers to Monica as "Lieutenant Trouble". After Danvers departs from Earth to take

Skrull The Skrulls are a fictional race of extraterrestrial shapeshifters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The Skrulls first appeared in '' Fantastic Four'' #2 and were created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They originated ...

refugees to safety, Monica expresses a desire to fly in space as well. *An adult Monica appears in the

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

miniseries ''

'', portrayed by

. As an adult, Monica followed in her mother and Danvers' footsteps by joining the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

and attaining the rank of captain. Following her discharge, she joined S.W.O.R.D. In 2018, while accompanying her mother to the hospital for her cancer treatments, Monica became a victim of

the Blip The Blip (also known as the Decimation and the Snap) is a major fictional event depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) franchise in which half of all living things in the universe, chosen at random, were exterminated by Thanos snappin ...

. When she returned, she discovered that her mother died two years after her disappearance. Monica returns to S.W.O.R.D. and is then sent to investigate Westview, New Jersey, where she is pulled through a CMBR field, later nicknamed the "Hex", while investigating it. She ends up in a sitcom-themed reality where she plays a character called "Geraldine" after encountering

Wanda Maximoff Scarlet Witch (Wanda Maximoff) is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Her first appearance was in ''The X-Men'' #4 (March 1964) ...

. However, once Monica remembers her reality, Maximoff throws her out. Due to her experience, Monica's cells begin to change at the molecular level, with astrophysicist Dr.

Darcy Lewis Darcy, Darci or Darcey may refer to: Science * Darcy's law, which describes the flow of a fluid through porous material * Darcy (unit), a unit of permeability of fluids in porous material * Darcy friction factor in the field of fluid mechanics * ...

warning her that prolonged exposure might alter her molecular integrity. Due to acting S.W.O.R.D. Director

Tyler Hayward Tyler may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name * Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer * John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...

's increasing hostility towards Maximoff, Monica decides to re-enter the hex to warn her with the help of Lewis and FBI agent

Jimmy Woo James "Jimmy" Woo (Woo Yen Jet) is a fictional secret agent appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by EC Comics writer Al Feldstein and artist Joe Maneely, the Chinese-American character first appeared in '' Yello ...

. After pushing her way through the Hex and gaining the ability to detect

electromagnetic radiation In physics, electromagnetic radiation (EMR) consists of waves of the electromagnetic (EM) field, which propagate through space and carry momentum and electromagnetic radiant energy. It includes radio waves, microwaves, infrared, (visible ...

and energy absorption, she locates Maximoff and attempts to establish a connection with her, but the latter distrusts her and attempts to throw her out again. After Monica resists, she tries again, but is interrupted by

Agatha Harkness Agatha Harkness is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a powerful witch, typically portrayed as a friend and teacher of Wanda Maximoff, as well as the mother of Nicholas Scratch. Agatha is ...

, who takes Maximoff away. Monica attempts to pursue, but is caught by Westview resident Ralph Bohner before she frees him from Agatha's control. Following this, Monica stops Hayward from attacking Maximoff's sons Billy and

Tommy Tommy may refer to: People * Tommy (given name) * Tommy Atkins, or just Tommy, a slang term for a common soldier in the British Army Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Tommy'' (1931 film), a Soviet drama film * ''Tommy'' (1975 fil ...

and meets with her once more, empathizing with her before Maximoff goes into hiding. After Hayward is arrested, Monica is visited by a disguised Skrull, who asks her to meet with a friend of her mother's in space. *Parris will reprise her role as Monica in the film ''

''.

Collected editions

References

External links

* * * *
Captain Marvel a.k.a. Photon (1982)
at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Archived
from the original on April 9, 2012. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rambeau, Monica African-American superheroes Avengers (comics) characters Black people in comics Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics) Characters created by John Romita Jr. Characters created by Roger Stern Comics characters introduced in 1982 Fictional characters from New Orleans Fictional characters who can manipulate light Fictional characters who can turn intangible Fictional characters who can turn invisible Fictional characters with absorption or parasitic abilities Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities Fictional characters with nuclear or radiation abilities Fictional police lieutenants Fictional sea captains Marvel Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Marvel Comics female superheroes Marvel Comics film characters Marvel Comics martial artists Marvel Comics mutates