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America Chavez

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America Chavez
America Chavez on a variant cover of America #1 (May 2017); Chavez's first self-titled issue. Art by Jamie McKelvie.
Publication information
PublisherMarvel Comics
First appearanceVengeance #1 (Sept. 2011)
Created byJoe Casey
Nick Dragotta
In-story information
SpeciesHuman
Place of originUtopian Parallel
Team affiliationsTeen Brigade
Young Avengers
A-Force
Ultimates
West Coast Avengers
Notable aliasesMiss America, Ms. America, Captain America, MAC
Abilities
  • Superhuman Strength, Speed, Longevity and Durability
  • Flight
  • Invulnerability
  • Star Portal Creation
  • Star Blast
  • Inter-Dimensional Travel
  • Time Travel

America Chavez is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta, Chavez was the second Marvel character to use the moniker Miss America, after Madeline Joyce. Chavez first appeared in Vengeance #1 (Sept. 2011) before joining the Young Avengers and later starring in her own ongoing series, America, in March 2017 by writer Gabby Rivera.[1]

The character made her live-action film debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), portrayed by Xochitl Gomez.

Publication history

America Chavez first appeared in the 2011 limited series Vengeance by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta.[2] Chavez later appears in the 2013 Young Avengers series by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie[3] and in the 2015 series, A-Force, by G. Willow Wilson, Marguerite Bennett and Jorge Molina.[4] Beginning in October 2015, Chavez has appeared in Ultimates by Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative.[5] At the 2016 New York Comic Con, Marvel announced that Chavez would receive her first solo series—simply titled America.[6] That series, written by Latin-American novelist Gabby Rivera, launched in March 2017[7][8] and was canceled in April 2018.[9] In August 2018, Chavez joined the West Coast Avengers in a series by writer Kelly Thompson and artist Stefano Caselli.[10]

Fictional character biography

America Chavez believed she was raised by her mothers in the Utopian Parallel, a reality that is out of time and in the presence of the being known as the Demiurge, whose presence she credited with imbuing her with superpowers. In her memory, when Chavez was approximately six years old, the Utopian Parallel was threatened by destruction. Chavez's mothers sacrificed themselves to seal the black holes, resulting in their particles being scattered across the Multiverse itself.[11] Wanting to prove herself as a hero and knowing Utopia didn't require salvation, Chavez ran away from her home and her responsibilities.[12][13] She traveled across different realities, eventually adopted the moniker of Miss America, and began covertly acting as a superhero.[citation needed]

Chavez eventually joined the Teen Brigade and served as co-leader with Ultimate Nullifier.[14] With the Teen Brigade, she freed the In-Betweener from the government confinement center, Groom Lake, Adjacent to Nevada.[14] With information from the In-Betweener. The Teen Brigade set out to prevent the Young Masters Evil from disrupting a delicate balance between chaos and order.[15] To stop the Young Masters from recruiting Kid Loki, Chavez broke into the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but Loki used the Screaming Idol to send her to the Sixth Dimension.[16] There she fought Tiboro, and was later rescued by the Last Defenders, She-Hulk and Daimon Hellstrom, under the direction of the In-Betweener.[17] She rejoined her teammates in Latveria where they fought the Braak'nhüd, Young Masters and Doctor Doom. The battle was ended when Ultimate Nullifier shot the In-Betweener. While the smoke cleared, the Teen Brigade covertly departed.[18] Chavez would later part ways with the Teen Brigade due to "musical differences".[11]

After leaving the Teen Brigade, Chavez eventually traveled to Earth-212 and was later approached by the teenage trickster Loki. He pretends to try to persuade Chavez into killing Wiccan for the good of the Multiverse. Disgusted with the proposition, Chavez fights with Loki and decides to protect Wiccan.[19] On Earth-616, Chavez stopped Loki from magically attacking Wiccan in his home. Hulkling intervened, but America and Loki quickly fled with little explanation.[20] Chavez later rescued Hulkling, Wiccan, and Loki from the Mother, an inter-dimensional parasite awoken by one of Loki's spells.[21] They all escape aboard Marvel Boy's ship, and aided them in the final face-off with Mother's forces in Central Park.[22] Later, in Young Avengers #15, she reveals offhandedly to the team that she is not interested in men,[23] and writes off her one-time kiss with the male teen superhero Ultimate Nullifier as experimentation.[11] She later begins dating Lisa, an EMT, and dances with her to "close a hole in the universe."[11] She also had a crush on Lady Katherine of Bishop, an alternate version of Kate Bishop, and they have a close relationship.[24]

During the 2015 Secret Wars storyline, Chavez appears as a member of the A-Force, an all-female team of Avengers. Her fans formed a gang called La Chiquitas and changed their hair to Chavez symbols, including fan Sydney Walker.[25] When the island nation of Arcadia is attacked by a megalodon, Chavez throws the shark across the Shield, the wall that separates Arcadia's borders, thus breaking the laws of King Doom. She is subsequently arrested and sentenced to spend the rest of her life protecting the Shield.[26][27]

After the events of Secret Wars, Chavez joined the newly formed Ultimates team after being invited by Blue Marvel.[11] Chavez also attends Sotomayor University as a student,[28] where she also shares a class with former Young Avenger teammate Prodigy.[29]

In the series America Chavez: Made in the USA, what Chavez knew about her background was called into question. Her previously unknown sister, Catalina, forced her to remember that her mothers were not aliens, but human doctors Amalia and Elena Chavez. The doctors took their daughters to a private island called the Utopian Parallel to attempt to cure the disease Edges Syndrome, but discovered their benefactor had evil plans for all the girls brought there. The doctors sacrificed themselves to free America and Catalina, but only America escaped. Catalina suggests that America made up the alien universe story as a coping mechanism.[30]

Powers and abilities

Chavez possesses superhuman strength and durability, and the power of flight. Chavez also has the power to kick open star-shaped holes in reality, allowing her and her teammates to travel through the multiverse and into other realities.[28] She can move at superhuman speeds, since she is able to catch up to and nearly exceed the speed of light as observed by Spectrum in her light form.[11] Chavez has developed the ability to make an enemy burst into tiny star fragments with a punch.[31] In moments of extreme duress, she has been shown to project a large star that releases a powerful energy blast, capable of injuring the likes of Captain Marvel.[32]

Other versions

In a possible future depicted in the second volume of the Hawkeye series, an adult America Chavez is a member of S.H.I.E.L.D., and has taken on the mantle of Captain America.[11]

Reception

Critical reception

America Chavez has been highlighted by several journalists as Marvel's first Latin-American LGBTQ+ character to star in an ongoing series, with various critics praising the creation of a comic book series with Chavez as the titular character.[33][34][35][36][37][38] Michele Kirichanskaya of ComicsVerse reffered to Chavez as "one of Marvel’s most high-profile LGBTQIA+ heroes," writing, "From her comic book origin to her relationship dynamics, there are a number of interesting things that make America Chavez such an essential addition to the complexity of the LGBTQIA+ comic book lexicon."[39] Carlos Gomez of Daily Trojan said that "America’s character is fascinating because she is relatively new, making her first comic-book appearance in 2011 and growing in popularity since. Part of this has to do with her being an LGBTQ+ woman of color, an often underrepresented demographic."[40] Catrina Dennis of Remezcla found that Gabby Rivera succeeded to represent the Latinx community across Chavez and praised the character, stating, "America’s journey is likely far from over; she has already proven herself a formidable ally in team-ups, and thanks to her unique power over time and space, she can seamlessly appear in almost any storyline."[41] Nivea Serrao of Entertainment Weekly called Chavez a "fan favorite" following her appearance in Young Avengers.[42] In 2020, Zack Krajnyak of Screen Rant referred to the potential inclusion of Chavez in the MCU as "incredibly significant," stating that the addition of Miss America a "significant milestone" due to Chavez being a latin-American LGBTQ character, and stated that "Many have hoped that America Chavez will play a large part in the MCU's future."[43] Kelly Knox of IGN referred to Chavez as "headstrong, tough, and fiercely independent," and called her a "team player and natural leader."[44]

Following the release of America#1, Matthew Aguilar of CBR.com rated the first issue 4 out of 5 stars, writing, "America Chavez is quite the breath of fresh air to those around her. A boundless mix of impulsiveness with charisma for days, Chavez has no time to be mired down in emotional issues, but ironically seeing her toil with those issues is one of the most interesting parts of her debut issue."[45] Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave the first comic book 8.5 out of 10, saying, "If there were any doubts that Miss America truly needed her own comic, America #1 should put them to rest. This new series features an engaging take on the adventurous America Chavez, one that emphasizes goofy humor and grounded character drama over superheroics. Anyone who enjoys The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl or Hawkeye will feel right at home here."[46]

Accolades

  • In 2020, CBR.com ranked Chavez 8th in their "Top Costume Designs Of The Last Decade" list.[47]
  • In 2021, Sideshow included Chavez in their "Marvel's Influential Latinx Heroes" list.[48]

In other media

Television

America Chavez appears in the Marvel Rising series of animated specials, voiced by Cierra Ramirez.[49][50]

Film

  • America Chavez appears in the 2018 animated film Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, voiced by Cierra Ramirez.[49][51] The Kree came to America's home planet when she was young and encouraged the Inhumans there to fight each other. The planet was on the verge of destruction. America wanted to join them in battle, but America's mothers teleported America to safety before being killed by Hala the Accuser, but America was never the same. America works at Wilson's Auto, the garage above the Secret Warriors' base.
  • America Chavez was originally intended to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), as the sorcerer responsible for opening the portals to the alternate reality versions of Spider-Man.[52] However, this idea was eventually scrapped owing to the film releasing before Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) as a result of delays.
  • Chavez appears in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), portrayed by Xochitl Gomez.[52] In the film, she is a supernatural being from the Utopian Parallel with the ability to travel the Multiverse. She is attacked by the Scarlet Witch, who seeks to acquire her powers. Believing that she can defeat her enemies with the Book of Vishanti, she enlists the help of an alternate Doctor Strange, until he betrays her. She escapes to the main MCU universe, where she is rescued by the main Doctor Strange. Chavez and Strange continue to elude Scarlet Witch through different universes and search for the book, but they are arrested by the Illuminati in the process; their search proves futile when the Scarlet Witch destroys the book and kidnaps Chavez. Strange is able to rescue Chavez before the Scarlet Witch can absorb her powers. Chavez subsequently joins the ranks of the Masters of the Mystic Arts.

Video games

Web series

America Chavez appears in Marvel Rising: Ultimate Comics, voiced by Cierra Ramirez.[49]

Board games

America Chavez appears in Marvel United, published by CMON Limited.[59]

See also

References

  1. ^ DeFalco, Tom; Sanderson, Peter; Brevoort, Tom; Teitelbaum, Michael; Wallace, Daniel; Darling, Andrew; Forbeck, Matt; Cowsill, Alan; Bray, Adam (2019). The Marvel Encyclopedia. DK Publishing. p. 241. ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
  2. ^ Morse, Ben (25 May 2011). "A Dozen Days of Vengeance: Miss America". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2016-12-02.
  3. ^ Richards, Dave (9 October 2012). "EXCLUSIVE: Gillen & McKelvie Assemble New Volume of "Young Avengers"". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 9 October 2012.
  4. ^ Johnston, Rich (8 July 2015). "Miss America To Get Her Own Series?". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  5. ^ Wheeler, Andrew (3 July 2015). "Squad Goals: Meet the Team in Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort's 'Ultimates' [Interview]". ComicsAlliance. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  6. ^ Arrant, Chris (7 October 2016). "MARVEL's AMERICA CHAVEZ Gets Her Own Title In 2017". Newsarama. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
  7. ^ Gustines, George Gene (2017-03-26). "Adventures in Comics and the Real World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  8. ^ Lang, Cady (26 Jan 2017). "See a Powerful Marvel Comic-Book Cover Inspired by Beyoncé". Time. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  9. ^ Polo, Susana (2017-12-22). "Marvel exec insists wave of cancellations not motivated by books' diversity". Polygon. Retrieved 2019-11-07.
  10. ^ Frevele, Jamie (May 17, 2018). "Kelly Thompson Announces the New West Coast Avengers". Marvel.com. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g Pennington, Latonya (9 January 2017). "Ms. America: 15 Awesome Facts About America Chavez". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  12. ^ Young Avengers vol. 2 #3
  13. ^ Young Avengers vol. 2 #14. Marvel Comics.
  14. ^ a b Vengeance #1. Marvel Comics.
  15. ^ Vengeance #2–3. Marvel Comics.
  16. ^ Vengeance #4. Marvel Comics.
  17. ^ Vengeance #5. Marvel Comics.
  18. ^ Vengeance #6. Marvel Comics.
  19. ^ Truitt, Brian (22 January 2013). "Gillen plays a new superhero tune with 'Young Avengers'". USA Today. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  20. ^ Young Avengers (vol. 2) #1. Marvel Comics.
  21. ^ Parker, John R. (26 June 2013). "Passion, Freedom And Motion In Gillen And McKelvie [Review]". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  22. ^ Young Avengers vol. 2 #1, #5. Marvel Comics.
  23. ^ Dietsch, Tj (30 June 2017). "Mark The End of Pride Month With Marvel". Marvel.com. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
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  25. ^ Rivera, Gabby (31 October 2017). America. ISBN 9781302908812. OCLC 1008850301.
  26. ^ A-Force #1 (May 2015). Marvel Comics.
  27. ^ Siege #1 (July 2015). Marvel Comics.
  28. ^ a b Chavez, Nicole (3 April 2017). "America Chavez is Marvel's lesbian Latina superhero". CNN. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  29. ^ Whitbrook, James (2 March 2017). "America Chavez Is Heading to College—to Punch People Throughout History". io9. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  30. ^ America Chavez: Made in the USA #3 (May 2021). Marvel Comics.
  31. ^ America #1
  32. ^ America #6
  33. ^ "America Chavez, Marvel's first queer Latina superhero, is definitely pro-punching Nazis". Splinter. 2017-03-02. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  34. ^ CNN, Nicole Chavez. "America Chavez is Marvel's lesbian Latina superhero". CNN. Retrieved 2022-07-27. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  35. ^ "Queer Latina superhero America Chavez leads her own series in Marvel's 'America'". GLAAD. 2017-02-27. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  36. ^ Nast, Condé (2017-04-06). "Marvel Now Has a Queer Latina Superhero: America Chavez". Vogue. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  37. ^ "#Pride30: Writer Gabby Rivera is bringing LGBTQ superheroes to life". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  38. ^ Bennett, Alanna. "Yessss, America Chavez Is Finally Getting Her Own Marvel Solo Title". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  39. ^ Kirichanskaya, Michele. "America Chavez: She's Here, She's Queer, Get Used To It". ComicsVerse.
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  42. ^ March 01, Nivea Serrao; EST, 2017 at 05:00 PM. "Why Marvel's 'America' Is the Superhero People Need Right Now". EW.com. Retrieved 2022-07-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  43. ^ "Doctor Strange 2: The MCU Must Not Fail America Chavez (And LGBTQ Fans)". ScreenRant. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
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  46. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2017-03-01). "America #1 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  47. ^ Stanford, Jerry (2020-01-30). "Top Costume Designs Of The Last Decade, Ranked". CBR. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  48. ^ "Marvel's Influential Latinx Heroes". Sideshow Collectibles. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  49. ^ a b c "America Chavez - Marvel Universe". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019. Check mark indicates role has been confirmed using screenshots of closing credits and other reliable sources{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  50. ^ Dahl, Angie (March 31, 2019). "Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron Premieres at WonderCon LIVE". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved July 11, 2019.
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  59. ^ "A New Star Is Kicking Her Way Into Our Reality!". Kickstarter.com.
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