Monica Rambeau

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Monica Rambeau
Captain Marvel special 1.jpg
Giant Size Special Captain Marvel #1 (Nov. 1989)
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982)
Created by Roger Stern
John Romita, Jr.
In-story information
Alter ego Monica Rambeau
Team affiliations Nextwave
Avengers
New Orleans Harbor Patrol
Notable aliases Captain Marvel, Photon, Pulsar, Daystar, Sceptre, Lady of Light, Monica Marvel, Sun Goddess
Abilities Can convert body into any form of energy within the electromagnetic spectrum.
Energy generation, absorption & manipulation.
Travel at speeds up to the speed of light while in her energy form.
Able to travel in energy form through the vacuum of space.

Monica Rambeau is a fictional character, a comic book superheroine in the Marvel Comics universe. Initially known as Captain Marvel, the character became a leader of the Avengers. She later used the codenames Photon and Pulsar.

Contents

Publication history [edit]

The character was created by Roger Stern and John Romita, Jr., and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982).

Talking about the visual features of the character, the artist John Romita, Jr. noted that originally the character was intended to look like Pam Grier but

...I just took some reference on Pam Grier, because I always loved her, and at the last moment somebody said that, "Well, we need to use this woman, here," because they thought maybe Pam Grier wasn't as good-looking as the model they found. It was fine, because by the time she got done by other artists, it ended up looking like the generic black character, anyway.[1]

After her debut, the character appeared sporadically in The Avengers #227-347. She received a one-shot eponymous title, Captain Marvel vol. 2, #1 during this time. 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 (Sept.-Dec. 2000), Maximum Security #2-3 (both Jan. 2001), Thor vol. 2, #30 (Jan. 2001) and the Avengers Annual in 2001.

After a cameo in New Thunderbolts #8-9, she appeared in Order #5-6. She starred in Nextwave #1-12. Following the cancellation of that series, Rambeau returned in Marvel Divas #1-4 and Heralds #1-5.[2] She appears Iron Age #1 (2011).[3]

Fictional character biography [edit]

Origin [edit]

Monica Rambeau was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to Frank and Maria Rambeau. She was a lieutenant in the New Orleans harbor patrol, and operated as a cargo ship captain. Trying to prevent the creation of a dangerous weapon, Rambeau is exposed to extra-dimensional energy. As a result, she is able to convert her body to energy. She decides to use her powers to fight crime.[4]

Joining the Avengers [edit]

Rambeau sought out the Avengers for help in mastering her new powers and became a member-in-training of their group.[5]Befriended and mentored by Avengers veterans Captain America and the Wasp, Monica soon graduated to full membership.[6] She was the first African-American heroine of the team.

She assisted Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch in battling Dracula.[7]

Two of Monica's enemies were super-powered psychiatrist Moonstone (Karla Sofen), and Moonstone's powerful pawn Blackout (Marcus Daniels), who wielded the Darkforce. Captain Marvel first encounters them when the Avengers oppose the duo's escape from incarceration in Project: PEGASUS. After that, Monica temporarily loses her ability to transform back to human form during a battle against Dr. Eric Paulson, in which she fights alongside Spider-Man and Starfox.[8] Moonstone and Blackout return as members of Baron (Helmut) Zemo's Masters of Evil, participating in an occupation of Avengers Mansion and trapping Monica in the Darkforce dimension. Monica was able to escape in time to help retake the Mansion. During the battle, Moonstone is crippled and Blackout dies.[9] Another of Monica's major early foes was the murderous interstellar pirate Nebula, who shanghaied Monica into space for an extended period before she reunites with the Avengers.[10]

Captain Marvel also took part in battles against the Beyonder,[11] a confused Jean Grey,[12] Kang the Conqueror,[13] Attuma,[14] and Grandmaster.[15]

Leader of the Avengers [edit]

Rambeau later replaces the Wasp as leader of the Avengers,[16] commanding the attacks against the X-Men,[17] the Olympian Gods,[18] and the Super-Adaptoid.[19]

When honorary Avengers member Marrina transforms into the gigantic sea monster Leviathan, Captain Marvel leads the hunt for the creature. During the battle that followed, Monica makes contact with sea water while in her electrical form and accidentally conducts herself across the surface of the ocean, depleting her energies so gravely and dispersing her atoms so widely that she barely regains physical form. She emerges as a frail, withered husk of a woman devoid of super-powers.[20]

Regaining her powers [edit]

After retiring from the team,[21] Monica eventually regains her powers.[volume & issue needed] She resumes crimefighting, facing foes such as Brazilian crime lord Kristina Ramos,[volume & issue needed] Moonstone,[volume & issue needed] Powderkeg,[volume & issue needed] the Sons of the Serpent,[volume & issue needed] the Blue Marvel,[volume & issue needed] and the alien Starblasters.[22][23] At the same time, she serves as a cargo ship captain in her friend Ron Morgan's shipping company before starting her own charter business.[volume & issue needed] Her original powers gradually regenerate, fully returning when the alien Stranger accelerates the process.[volume & issue needed]

Rambeau stays connected with the Avengers and serves as a reservist, sometimes assuming leadership duties in the absence of the current chair. She helps repel an Atlantean invasion of the surface world[24] and assists in the Acts of Vengeance, which involved a concentrated, multi-villain attack on Earth's superheroes,[25] or in the Terminus Factor.[26] Rambeau leads a reserve substitute roster during the team's first United Nations-backed reorganization.[27] She takes on another leadership role during the Kree-Shi'ar war and leads an Avengers delegation.[volume & issue needed][28]

When Genis becomes an adventurer, he is known as Captain Marvel like his father before him—which Monica resents. After she and Genis team up to defeat the Controller, Genis tries to concede the Captain Marvel title to Monica since he felt she was more worthy of it. Monica declines out of respect for the Mar-Vell legacy and adopts a new alias as Photon.[29]

Avengers Return [edit]

After the return of the main avengers from the pocket universe created by Franklin Richards most of them were trapped in a curse created by Morgan Le Fay where they served her as soldiers in a guard called Queen's Vengeance.[30] Due to her strong loyalty to the the group Rambeau, under the name Daystar, was one of the first avengers to recover their will and rebel against the sorceress.[31]

Later when Photon was attacked by the Wrecking Crew in the Mardi Gras of New Orleans, she asked the Avengers for help being involved in an adventure in Arkon's world with the group and her old collegue and friend Black Knight.[32]

For a time, Reambeau's mother intercepts her Avengers calls out of fear for her daughter's safety. After discovering this deception, Rambeau leads an unofficial force of Avengers against the 'Infinites', who plan on relocating the galaxy.[33] Next Photon was involved in the events of Maximum Security,[34] and fights with her former teammates against Bloodwraith, and Lord Templar and Pagan.[35]

Afer that Monica was helping the team in the deep-space monitoring station with Quasar and Living Lightning,[36] called into action in Kang's War,[37] (supporting also her friend Janet Van Dyne and advising the new recruit Triahtlon,[38]) and when the Scarlet Witch suffers a nervous breakdown and attacks the Avengers.[39]

From Pulsar to Nextwave [edit]

When Genis-Vell transformed wants to establish a new identity for himself, he begins calling himself Photon. Rambeau confronts him, but she decides to let Genis keep the Photon alias after she came up with a name she liked better: Pulsar.[40]

Rambeau later leads 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©.[41] she avoided using a code name and wore a new uniform.

During the "Civil War", Rambeau is a member of Captain America's Secret Avengers and registers as a member of the Initiative.[42][43]

Marvel Divas [edit]

Photon appeared in the limited series, Marvel Divas (partly inspired by Sex and the City).[44] She was one of the main characters, alongside Black Cat, Hellcat, and Firestar. She reveals a former relationship with Brother Voodoo, from whom she broke off. Despite that, Voodoo still has feelings for Photon. Eventually, Brother Voodoo, now promoted Sorcerer Supreme as Doctor Voodoo, asks for Monica's help to track down some evil sorcerers. Monica accepts, rekindling their relationship in the process. [45]

Monica later appears as one of the female heroes invited to Emma Frost's birthday party in Las Vegas. The heroines end up helping solve a cosmic crisis involving Frankie Raye.[46]

Photon makes several cameos throughout the Young Allies six-issue series. Her "Divas" friendship circle remains strong. The group continues to meet partly over their support of Firestar, who had battled and defeated breast cancer.[47]

Age of Ultron [edit]

During the Age of Ultron storyline, Monica appears amongst the superhero resistance against Ultron.[48]

Marvel Now! [edit]

She has appeared helping Carol Danvers, the current Captain Marvel, in an investigation in the Gulf of Mexico, where it was seen that Monica still remains fearful of using her powers under the water since her traumatic experience in battle against Marrina Smallwood.[49]

Powers and abilities [edit]

Due to bombardment by extra-dimensional energies, Monica can transform herself into any form of energy within the electromagnetic spectrum. Among the many energy forms she has assumed and is able to control are cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet radiation, visible light, electricity, infrared radiation, microwaves, radio waves, and neutrinos. 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. Monica 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 illusions of herself. Monica has also shown the ability to split her energy from into several miniature energy forms that are under her mental command, each miniature Monica is able to react and fly at light-speed.

When she encounters a new or unfamiliar energy, Monica can often duplicate it given enough time for analysis.[50] Monica 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.

When Monica temporarily lost her original powers after a massive energy expenditure,[20] 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 Monica asked Reed Richards to examine these new abilities, he theorized that she accessed the same dimension from which she derived her energy powers to create the interface.[51]

Monica 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 [edit]

Monica is able to retain her energy form for several hours with no ill effects.[52] 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. Monica can also be forcibly reverted back to her original form by other forces.[53]

Other versions [edit]

Earth-A [edit]

Like other inhabitants of this reality, Monica Rambeau would periodically visit Earth-616 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.[volume & issue needed]

Forever Yesterday [edit]

Monica is featured in New Warriors #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.[volume & issue needed] She briefly makes an appearance in Avengers Forever #11–12 when she and several other alternate, evil Avengers are brought forth in order to battle the main protagonists.

Marvel Zombies [edit]

Monica Rambeau appears in the Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness issue #3 in her Nextwave uniform, fighting alongside the rest of the team against a zombified Power Pack.[54]

MC2 [edit]

Although Monica Rambeau has never appeared in Marvel Comics' future-era MC2 line, the comics feature her daughter by Derek Freeman, Blacklight, who first appears in A-Next #9.[55]

What if? [edit]

Monica Rambeau has a brief appearance in "What if the Scarlet Witch Hadn't Acted Alone?", What If? Avengers Disassembled (2006).

References [edit]

  1. ^ Nolen-Weathington, Eric; George Khoury. Modern Masters Volume 18: John Romita Jr. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 126. ISBN 978-1-893905-95-5. 
  2. ^ Aguirre-Sacasa Talks Marvel Divas, Comic Book Resources
  3. ^ Iron Age #1, Comic Book Resources
  4. ^ Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16
  5. ^ Avengers #227
  6. ^ Avengers #231
  7. ^ Doctor Strange Vol. 2 #60
  8. ^ Marvel Team-Up #142–143
  9. ^ Avengers #273-277 (Nov. 1986 - March 1987)
  10. ^ Avengers #257-260 (July–Oct. 1985)
  11. ^ ,,Avengers,, #261,265-266
  12. ^ Avengers #263
  13. ^ Avengers #267-269
  14. ^ Avengers 272
  15. ^ Avengers West Coast #2; Avengers Annual #16
  16. ^ Avengers #279 (May 1987)
  17. ^ X-Men Vs. Avengers #1-4
  18. ^ Avengers #281-285
  19. ^ Avengers 286-290
  20. ^ a b Avengers #291-293 (1988)
  21. ^ Avengers #294 (Aug. 1988)
  22. ^ Starblasters #1-4
  23. ^ Quasar #55-58
  24. ^ Avengers Annual #18 (1989), Atlantis Attacks
  25. ^ Avengers Spotlight #27 (Dec. 1989), Avengers Annual #19 (1990)
  26. ^ Avengers Annual Vol 1 19
  27. ^ Avengers #329 & 330 (Feb.-March 1991)
  28. ^ Operation: Galactic Storm
  29. ^ Avengers Unplugged #5 (June 1996)
  30. ^ Avengers vol. 3 #1-3
  31. ^ Avengers vol. 3 #2
  32. ^ Avengers vol. 3 #16-18
  33. ^ Avengers Infinity #1-4 (September–December 2000)
  34. ^ Avengers vol. 3 #35
  35. ^ Avengers vol. 3 #36-37
  36. ^ Avengers vol. 3 #38
  37. ^ Avengers vol. 3 #46-55
  38. ^ Avengers Annual 2001
  39. ^ Avengers #501-503 (October–December 2004)
  40. ^ New Thunderbolts #9 (August 2005)
  41. ^ Nextwave #1 (March 2006)
  42. ^ Avengers: The Initiative
  43. ^ Avengers: The Initiative #1 Character Map
  44. ^ "MyCup o’ Joe Tea, Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning". MySpace Comic Books. 2009-04-09. Retrieved 2009-04-10. 
  45. ^ Marvel Divas #1-4
  46. ^ Heralds #1-5
  47. ^ Young Allies #1-6 (2010)
  48. ^ Age of Ultron #2
  49. ^ Captain Marvel (vol. 6) #7-8
  50. ^ Avengers/JLA #2
  51. ^ Captain Marvel vol. 3, #1 (Nov. 1989)
  52. ^ The Avengers #253
  53. ^ The Avengers #263 (Jan. 1986)
  54. ^ Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness #3
  55. ^ http://www.comicboards.com/spidergirl/view.php?rpl=000705170607

External links [edit]

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