‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1 Recap: Easter Eggs and Post-Credits

Marvel fans have been waiting for this moment. Ms. Marvel is a new series on Disney Plus that brings an animated intro from Marvel superfan Kamala Khan. This new Marvel Cinematic Universe hero has a lot going on in her life, but things are about to get complicated for her when she suddenly develops cosmic superpowers.

The first episode of the show is available on Disney’s streaming service now. New episodes will be released every Wednesday until July 13. In this recap, we’ll discuss the characters, Marvel Easter eggs, and post-credit scene of Episode 1 (with lots of spoilers!).

Marvel Stan

Kamala is a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe superheroes. Kamala, who is from New Jersey, even created a ten-part animated series about Captain Marvel. This series teaches us that anyone can do something amazing if they put their mind to it.

The premiere episode focuses on Kamala’s efforts to go to a fan event called AvengerCon. As a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Kamala is excited to have the chance to attend this event and meet other fans. However, the episode also hints at some of the darker aspects of fandom, such as when fans become too obsessed with their favorite characters or properties.

One of Kamala’s suggestions on YouTube is a video with the title “Bitten by a radioactive feminist?” This is a reference to the many hateful and racist videos that are posted on YouTube. Even though Kamala and Bruno are suspicious of Zoe, they are also guilty of not accepting her when they see her at AvengerCon. It’s hard to say who’s fandom is more authentic, just because someone has more followers.

Kamala still manages to save Zoe’s life, even though it was partly her fault that Zoe got hit by Thor’s hammer in the first place.

Cosmic powers

Ms. Marvel’s powers allow her to shoot light from her hands. The light is so strong that it can decapitate Ant-Man. When her power first manifests, she ends up in a place where everything is upside down and there are purple glowing eyes everywhere.

This is different from her powers in the comics. In the comics, she has the power to stretch and distort her body. The show nods to her bendy-extendy powers with the giant glowing hand that stretches out and catches Zoe as she falls.

Kamala Khan’s superpowers come from a different place in the comics. She got her powers from exposure to Terrigen Mists, which awakened her dormant Inhuman powers. The Inhumans have appeared on screen– their silent leader Black Bolt, played by Anson Mount, showed up in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness— but the Inhumans TV show was a rare MCU misfire. So the new Disney Plus show refines both Kamala’s powers and their source to fit in with the MCU’s aesthetics and storylines.

Kamala’s adjusted powers are cool because they come from a family heirloom. This means that the power is special to her and her family. Often, in superhero origin stories, people find mysterious objects that give them special powers. But it is important that Kamala didn’t just find this powerful object by accident- it is linked to her background and heritage.

Bara Hulk and Choti Hulk

One of the things that makes Ms. Marvel so fresh is that it features a young Muslim girl on screen. The series portrays a Pakistani American family in a realistic way. Kamala is conflicted about her role in her family and culture, but she is not a one-dimensional character. Her mother is also more than just a stereotype.

The show depicts microaggressions that people of color face every day, like teachers blithely mispronouncing Kamala’s name, as well as the social pressures exerted on youngsters such as aunties gossiping disapprovingly about women who choose not to get married or even socialize with people outside their culture.

“We’re the first show that showcases religion, school-life balance,” Pakistani Canadian star Vellani told The Guardian. “I went to a very diverse school, and it’s so important to showcase a child of immigrant parents who is proud of their culture, doesn’t neglect it, and doesn’t feel that they need to separate themselves from religion, their family or their culture to become their own person.”

For CNET’s Abrar Al-Heeti, Ms. Marvel is part of a long-overdue movement away from decades of portraying Muslim characters as terrorists and bad guys.

“In recent years, more shows have incorporated authentic representation,” she writes in an exploration of Ms. Marvel’s cultural significance, “like Hulu’s Ramy and NBC’s Transplant. But Ms. Marvel takes that to the next level by introducing the world to a young, ambitious superhero whose most powerful attribute will undoubtedly be her ability to shatter stereotypes and to show how teenage struggles can be relatable regardless of our background.”

Superheroes have always been popular. People love to watch them fight and save people. But kids also like to think about the fact that these superheroes have secret identities. They might be normal people who have special powers that they use to help others. And finally, these superheroes always try their best to do what is right, no matter what the cost.

Go Bengals!

Kamala, Bruno and Nakia attend Coles Academic High School, which was established in 1979. The sign lists several writers and artists who helped create Ms. Marvel comics since her debut in 2013. These creators include writer G. Willow Wilson, editor Stephen Wacker, artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, as well as artists Ian Herring, Nico Leon, Takeshi Miyazawa and letterer Joe Caramagna.

Sana Amanat is a Pakistani American Marvel editor who also helped create Ms. Marvel. She is an executive producer on the show, but her name is not mentioned in the article.

Wilson is also mentioned in the guidance counselor’s name, which is Mr. Wilson. The letters GWW might be an abbreviation for his name.

Post-credits scene

At the end of the episode, we see some agents from the US Department of Damage Control. One is Cleary, who was in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Another is Deever, played by Alysia Reiner from Orange is the New Black.

Annoyingly, this isn’t a bonus or teaser. This is the introduction of some main characters. If you turn off the show when the credits roll, you will not know who these important people are when they show up in the next episode. This is not what post-credits scenes are for!

When’s the next episode?

New episodes of Ms. Marvel will stream every Wednesday. Episode 2 will be available on June 15th. The rest of the episode schedule is below.