Carol Danvers ULTIMATE Reading Order12/28/2020
The life and times of Carol Danvers are a complicated beast to manage. Her character has been through so many eras, so many hero names, so many teams, that studying each different era of her is necessary to capture a full picture of who she is, as a character, in totality.
I've broken her history down into the following chunks:
Click those links for whichever era you're searching for, or Continue Reading to go star-to-finish!
Early Carol:
"Human" Carol: Marvel Superheroes #13 First appearance of Carol Danvers Captain Marvel #1-18 (18 is the incident with the psyche-magnitron) Avengers #90 Captain Marvel #34-35, #40 Early Ms Marvel Ms Marvel #1-10 Marvel Team Up #61 Carol appears as editor of "woman magazine." She wants to help Human Torch in his fight, but can't out her secret identity. Marvel Team Up #62 The ship Carol is on is attacked by the Skrull, and Carol intervenes. She pops out at Ms Marvel, punching the Skrull. She notes that her Kree heritage drives her to immense rage against her Skrull enemy. She picks up the stolen cavourite crystal, somehow forgetting to watch the skrull, who kicks her off the ship. Spider-man saves her, mistaking her for Mar-Vell. She corrects him that's she a woman, not a girl. Together, they fight the Skrull and beat it. Ms Marvel #11-14 Defenders #57 cover refers to her as the Female Fury. the year is 1977. In a flashback, some kind of apparition of Ms Marvel's head has appeared in the Sanctum Sanctorum, and Hulk is raging the fuck out. Now, psychiatrist Michael Barnett sits at a bar and watches Ms Marvel fight on TV. Patsy and Kyle are coming home from dinner and are attacked, so they transform into Nighthawk and Hellcat. The person who broke in was Ms Marvel. Hellcat says she saw her on the cover ow Woman magazine, calling her the hero sensation of the seventies. An interesting note is that Ms Marvel says things like "hala" in place of when someone might say "oh, hell", and refers to herself as Kree, or having Kree abilities, fairly often. The story in this is that Mar-Vell is under attack by a Kree sentry, and the Defenders are helping out, plus Ms Marvel. Ms Marvel #15-16 Avengers #171-172, #175-177 Ms Marvel #17-21 Defenders #62-63 Marvel Team-Up #76-77 Ms. Marvel #22 Avengers Annual #8 Ms Marvel #23 (last issue) Avengers #181 Marvel 2-in-1 #51 Avengers #183-185 183 is when Carol officially joins the Avengers Iron Man #126 Avengers #186-188 Captain America #237 Fantastic Four Annual #14 Avengers #190-196
Depowered Carol
Leading up to Depowering: There's gonna be a lot more commentary on these, because it's necessary. Avengers #197 Carol is speaking with Wanda on the beach about the potentiality of having kids as an Avenger someday and passes out. Later, in a medical facility, the doctor announces she is three months pregnant, and the artist chose to draw Carol with an expression of shame, of all things. It's worth noting at this point, none of the Avengers know Carol's identity: she's worn her costume and mask in every scene she appeared in the issue. Avengers #198 Ms Marvel is now 6 months pregnant, the morning after learning she was 3 months. She's freaking out at Wanda, understandably, and admits to her it isn't possible, there isn't a father. She tells her to call her Carol, revealing her identity. Wanda says they'll stand by her no matter what. Other events of the issue include some giant samurai robot. Avengers #199 After fighting Red Ronin, the Avengers return to the mansion to find pregnant Carol Danvers waiting for them, in normal clothes. They don't recognize her, and Wanda introduces her as Ms Marvel, seven months pregnant. She's here so Dr. Blake can perform more tests, and no one seems too bothered by the "two days ago she wasn't pregnant" part, the just congratulate her. The team talks later, and Donald busts in, saying Carol has gone into labor and he isn't sure anyone is going to be able to handle it. K. Avengers #200 From line 1, this is enlightening. "For generations, the symbolic root of the American people have been embodied in the phrase, "Mom, apple pie, and the girl next door." " OK, wow. That really dates the ideals of this comic, explaining why it ends up so...toxic. Jocasta and Dr. Blake are helping Carol Danvers through her pregnancy, where she is about to give birth. The Avengers are worried. Wanda shows up, asking if there is any news about how this all came to be. Carol become pregnant three days ago, and has gone through all nine months of a pregnancy since, and is now in labor. She doesn't know who the father is, or even how there could be a baby. In the delivery room, Carol does not feel anything, just wants it to be over. When contractions start, she says she isn't pushing, but the birth still goes on on it's own. It's a boy, and the Avengers team members immediately get excited and start fawning over the baby. Jocasta and Vision speak briefly about the miracle of human life. Wonder Man takes Carol to rest, Wasp catches up with them. She congratulates Carol, who spas back at her, appalled. She says she's been used, she doesn't know who the father is, and if they want to help, they can leave her alone. Int he garden, Vision and Wanda talk about potential children. She says she does not regret that they can't have kids, because their love is enough. Funny to read now, years after she unknowingly created fake children, then completely mentally snapped when their reality was made clear. Jocasta notes to Wasp that she still doesn't understand the nuances of human emotions, and Wasp says that's okay. Hawkeye and Beast play pool. Hank heads to check on the new baby, who turns out to be a toddler. He's grown two years in an hour, and speaks the word "change." ooookay. Brief interlude where a blue collar worker discovers wall-street is old-timey. Anyway, Wonder Man walks in to check on Carol to find her fully dressed in her Ms Marvel suit, touting a full bill of health. He asks her to come look at her son, she denies that he is hers, says she wants nothing to do with it. He says she looks scared, and ignoring it won't help, but facing it will. Beast brings a load of sports equipment to play with the kid. Not only is this low-key toxic patriarchal, it's definitely inappropriate behavior towards a co-worker's mysterious unwanted child of incredibly shaky origins and intentions. The kid is five now, and asks for electrical stuff instead. Beast finally admits it's spooky, and Pym agrees. like his opinion matters. The boy gives himself the names Marcus, and claims to be his own father. Cap gets mad at him, the others say let him tinker and maybe he'll feel like talking later, Marcus says they won't regret it. Not creepy at all. Another interlude where Nassau goes back in time with dinosaurs and shit. Wonder Man asks Hank Pym how he came to understand women, because apparently that's a requirement for signing a marriage license. He claims to love her for who she is, lol, and they make a terribly dated joke about wanting to buy the secret to women. In the lab, Dr Blake notes to himself that Marcus is smarter than Einstein, and wonders if this is a problem for Thor. Finally, someone thinking logically, a tiny bit, at least. The main group of Avengers her from Jarvis that there have been prank calls to the mansion for help from characters like Butch Cassidy. In another lab, Jocasta talks to Vision, who learned that Marcus is powered by a source within himself. He has a theory, which he tells Wanda, apparently so intensely that when Jocasta leaves, he doesn't notice, and she gets offended. Alright. Carol finally comes down to see her kid, apologizing to Janet for snapping at her earlier. When they enter the lab to meet Marcus, he's full grown, and there is some fucking creepy narration that says Carol is undeniably attracted to him. WTF? He says hello mother and my skin just crawled. He says to be calm, and the flux will be negated soon. She says most of all she doesn't understand how she feels for him, cause that's logical. He's been building some machine or some shit, then a dinosaur attacks the mansion and he says too late! The team goes to fight, Wanda finds a knight in armor, then Cap says (get this) "We gotta keep these invaders from reaching the others!" yikes. Hawkeye heads off to "do something" about the machine Marcus built, Marcus is busy freaking out about having to finish it while everyone else tries to evacuate. Carol hides Dr Blake in the closet, he transforms into Thor. Now there are spaceships, too, and the team is kind of having a hard time. Jocasta saves Wanda then apologizes, while Carol says she can't leave Marcus. He knocks her out magically or whatever, calling her mother and my love in almost the same sentence, and carries her off, when Hawkeye catches him. He shoots the machine, and then they fight, getting broken up by the Avengers. He says he'll kill them all, Carol says no. He calls her mother, again. She says he has to get through her to get them, and he says he wanted them to kill him ever since the last days of Immortus, his father. I guess Immortus was some friend of THor and team, and Carol never met him. Marcus says HE did it. Immortus apparently ruled Limbo, and traveled to Earth and saved some doomed woman and seduced her, it literally says "through a combination of gratitude and subtle manipulations of my father's machines, the woman fell in love with him." WOW. so they conceived him, he was born, his m other was ripped back to her own world and time. Years later, Immortus disappeared, too, so Marcus decided he could be born into Earth, and plucked Carol from her reality in #197. Instead of bending her will like Immortus did, he seduced her with historical figures and they had sex...he "implanted his own essence" in her, fucking what? Then she went back to reality, he was born, and here we are. The machine is some bullshit the writers wanted to try and legitimize their fetish creeper story and it doesn't work. Carol tears up and says she's attracted to him AND loves him like a child, and returns to limbo with him? Thor is the one to take her there. As they leave, so do the historical discrepancies. De-Powered Carol: Avengers Annual #10 So. This issue is a lot. First appearance of Rogue, <<coming soon?>> Uncanny X-Men #150 Magneto summarizes recent events or something idk honestly I skimmed the first half. On a boat called Dejah Thoris II, Moira, Charles, Carol Danvers (as recently de-powered Avenger) and the Captain, Peter Corbeau, search for Scott Summers--lost at sea (really, he has been with a friend, Lee, since at least issue #148, on some island). The X-Men, meanwhile, wind up on his island. He greets them all, Storm finds Magneto is on the island, the group gets attacked by him; on the boat, Xavier is attacked as well, Carol calls for help to no avail. -Uncanny X-Men #153 Follows the events of Avengers Annual #10. Cover says, And now for something completely different, referring to Monty Python.While the men clean up the wrecked mansion, Carol tends to Storm. Kitty pops out of the ceiling (they are int he yard) and asks is Peter is going to come inside to tuck Illyana in--Kitty is wearing an Elfquest shirt. Upstairs, Illyana tells him in Russian she is frightened that bad things will continue to happen, and more bad people will come to hurt them. Kitty reassures her, in Russian. She suggests peter tell her a story, Illyana says she prefers a Kitty story. The story she tells is of pirates, all the characters are various x-men characters. she makes up a dragon called Lockheed--we won't meet the purple pet dragon until #166, and he won't be named until #168. It ends with Dark Phoenix being turned back into Jean, safely. When the story is done, she sees all the other X-Men were listening outside the door, and Scott thanks her. -Uncanny X-Men #154 Storm and Scott fight in the danger room. In space, the Starjammers ship heads for Earth, but is discovered by a Shi'ar ship. On what used to be Magneto's island, the X-Men do things. Illyana speaks to Piotr in Russian, he says he'll follow her. Carol Danvers is elsewhere on the island, considering the recent changes in her life. References Avengers Annual #10, she wonders if it would have been better is she'd died. Wolverine adresses her as Major, her military title. She is frustrated she doesn't remember their experiences working together, or her former lover, Colonel Rossi. Kitty approaches. At the school, Scott and Storm make lunch and talk, then the Starjammer crashes into the lake. They dive for survivors and find Corsair, while he dreams. Scott finds out Corsair is his father, confirmed by Storm, and they are attacked. They talk and think while they fight, then get in the jet and fight in the air. Corsair reports Lilandra has been kidnapped and his crew implicated. Uncanny X-Men #158 In the Bermuda Triangle, Carol fights the Starjammers as Peter Corbeau watches, taking note of Carol's abilities. It takes a lot of work, but she eventually has to tap out. Elsewhere, Kitty, Peter, and Illyana watch TV. SHe is scared of the Martians. Kitty thinks on how she thought Colossus was dead, and how she'd kissed him when he returned--ultimately, she is just coming to the reality fighting is a part of being an X-Men. Corbeau tells Carol and the 'Jammers about Carol-s origin--that her genetic structure was altered, she gained powers, and evolved into a physically perfect human specimen. HE says though she was stripped of her powers, the genetic and physical stuff is still there. Carol says its the ways he lost her powers that hurts. Moira joins in, and they ask about the professor. The SHi'ar Oracle tries to go into his head, it backfires. Some other things happen, Scott introduces Alex and Lorna to their father. Carol takes Storm and Wolverine, in disguise, to the Pentagon. Rogue is there, too, they all fight her. Carol shoots her, it doesn't work. Mystique is in Disguise working there as well, and Carol sneaks off to continue to mission. Mystique morphs into Nick Fury and shoots Carol, who then leaps up and beats her, finding out who she is. She finishes whatever she came there to do, and has more introspection on herself and her memory loss. She deletes her personnel files. She thinks to herself that she is free to begin life anew. Uncanny X-Men #161 Carol appears in a few panels while the X-Men, Starjammers, and Lilandra have a dinner party at the very end of the issue. Deathbird shows up and knocks them all out. Uncanny X-Men #162 Wolverine, on a Brood colony, remembers the events that got him there. Basically, Deathbird knocks them out and lets the brood capture them all. His find gets fuzzy and Carol is taken away by the brood, due to her NOT being a mutant. Uncanny X-Men #163 The brood experiment on Carol, noting that she is neither mutant, kree, not human. they literally turn her into a brood sleazoid, while she is feeling immeasurable pain, and still completely conscious. Wolverine has made his way to her, looking to rescue her if possible, or kill her if necessary. He thinks about thier history, how he's known her since she was in the Air force, when he saved her from KGB agents. He finds her in a machine, her features moving like liquid between sleazoid and human. He gets her out, and she says she feels fire in her, and he notes she no longer smells human. They both know they can't worry about that now and continue the mission. Carol says she's bursting with energy, picks up a gun to help, and agrees there is no point stopping no, moot or not. News of the X-Men and Lilandra being kidnapped reaches Earth. Carol and Logan find Scott and Ororo, then Colossus. While the others fight, Carol heads to free Lilandra, which she does, then suggests a strategic withdrawl, which they do. Kitty and Nightcawler have their own problems. Finally, the whole group gets transported aboard Lilandra's yacht ship, only to be attacked from the outside.
Carol as BINARY
Uncanny X-Men #164 Origin of Binary. The X-Men, on the Starjammer, are under attack from Brood vessels. Carol, Wolverine, and Colossus go to the weapons. Colossus is p useless. Kitty gets in EVA and goes out into space. Carol is feeling off, thinking about the Brood experiments from the last issue. narration tells us they unlocked untapped potential of her genetic makeup, and that is coming out in a new form. Back at the mansion, Xavier is eating dinner and Illyana joins him. Moira is out of town, they talk about his telepathy, and if she's a mutant. She says she can do neat things, but won't say what. He is alarmed that someone so young and untrained can block her mind so effortlessly. Aboard the Starjammer, Carol has become Binary. using her new powers, Carol reignites their engines, and says that helped her gauge her abilities, now. She helps repair the ship and talks about her new powerset. She says she doesn't think Earth has room for Binary. Storm has a breakdown, it turns out she's been taken over by brood eggs or some shit. Binary swears to stop it. Uncanny X-Men #166 In an apparent Brood community, Binary blasts through, destroying things. She rescues the Acanti, the gentle space whale they had captured. The creature telepathically cries out to her, begging for death, which she grants mercifully. As she flies off, Binary thinks about how she was so grateful for her Binary powers, but all she does is the same Carol did--fight, kill, survive, but minus the joy. She is all grief and hate, now, and think to herself that she will make the Brood pay for it. She passes Storm, surprised to see her after what happens in the last issue. Binary asks how she can project her thoughts and fly through space by herself, and Storm tells her she as astral projecting. She also says the X-Men need her help, and Carol says she stands by her friends. They head to another Acanti whale, and Carol says she just killed one. Storm reassures her, saying she'd heard it's deathsong and would have killed it if Carol hadn't. Inside the whale is Lilandra's ship, and Storm says she telepathically told those on board they are coming in. Binary admits she left in a crazy rush, blasting out the side of it. Inside the whale, a body is...brewing? Apparently it's Storm's body, being regrown or something after the brood...incident. Inside the ship is Lilandra, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Colossus, Kitty, and Wolverine. They all greet Carol, she apologizes for the ex[plosive decompression. Kitty doesn't understand why the others are so calm, considering they all have Brood eggs in them. The team gets the idea to perform a suicide mission on the Brood home world to keep them from spreading. Storm gives the idea of using the Acanti whales to their advantage, who are often enslaved as living ships of the Brood. When they die, their soul remains trapped in their tortured bodies. She saved this baby one, Carol killed it's poor mother, and in return it is healing her body. THe plan is to destroy the soul of a dead Acanti slave ship so this free one can lead the others to safety. Scott and Logan start to fight, Kitty intervenes. The next day, they make the attack on the Broodworld. Binary draws first blood, and Ororo thinks about how she hates killing. Carol is overwhelmed, capatured by Brood. Cyclops becomes one of the brood, Lockheed makes his first appearance to save Kitty from brood soldiers. She somehow travels to where the others are and is about to save them when they all start transforming. Logan decides to kill them all, Binary swoops him up and stops him. She tells him she'll get them aboard the Starjammer ship ASAP, the Brood queen laughs. Carol taps in to her energy source of Binary powers, turnign herself into a living star, hot enough to release the Acanti soul, which attaches itself to the young Acanti, saving their species. Back on the ship, Carol says she feels exhausted but it was worth it. The soul of the Acanti turned the Brood into diamond. Rumbling starts, and Carol says playing with fire like that might have consequences for the planet, and they are all transported tot he Starjammer. The planet explodes behind them. Ororo reveals herself, healed, and they all discuss that the Brood queen told them she planted an egg in Charles Xavier, too. Uncanny X-Men #167 the NM are staying in the mansion when the X-Men return in the middle of the night, and they fight. They figure the brood have taken over the professor, and they're right. Binary helps take him out, catching it when it tried to fly away. Moira arrives on the Starjammer with Illyana, greeting Kitty. Corsair says he'll take Scott to meet his grandparents in Alaska. Lilandra sends a psychic image to Reed and Sue Storm Richards, total bitch queen style and it's great. Xavier is healed, and tells Kitty she has to join the New Mutants instead of the X-Men. Lilandra and Moira are there and it's kinda funny to watch them flaunt over Charles. Uncanny X-Men #171 Storm just won the fight to be leader of the Morlocks. She looks killer, we're in Simonson era art, now. She tells Nightcrawler she and Calisto were enemies the moment they met, and would be until the day they die. He thinks to himself that the old Storm would have at least tried. In Alaska, Madelyne Pryor wakes from a nightmare, Scott runs to her aid. She tells him the story of how she crashed in a 747 and was the only survivor of 400 people--the day Jean Grey died. In Massachusetts, Carol Danvers says farewell to her parents. Her mom tries to be friendly, but Carol thinks to herself that she knows her mother can tell something is wrong. She does retain some memory or knowledge of them, since her incident with Rogue, but has no emotion and knows her mother can see something is wrong. Her life as Binary has just begun. In the mansion, Kitty throws a fit while Illyana watches. Xavier does more physical therapy and making out with Lilandra, until he senses a visitor and psychically asks Colossus to answer the door. Rogue has come to the x-mansion and asks for their help, she says her powers are out of control and explains the Carol Danvers situation. Illyana has a PTSD flashback and pulls her soulsword for the first time on Kitty, who can't phase through it. Illyana remembered what happened in Limbo for the first time, really. Binary returns to the mansion, punches out Rogue, says her piece about not being an X-Man or an Avenger anymore, and leaves. Future is in Space. Storm deals with tumultuous emotions. Uncanny X-Men #174 Uncanny X-Men #175 New Mutants #19 Uncanny X-Men #200 Uncanny X-Men #201 Marvel Fanfare #24 Uncanny X-Men #203 New Mutants #50 New Mutants #51 Doctor Strange: Sorcerer Supreme #10 Excalibur #17 Spotlight on Starjammers #1 Spotlight on Starjammers #2 Uncanny X-Men #276 Uncanny X-Men #277 Marvel Super-Heroes #10 Marvel Super-Heroes #11 Quasar #33 Quasar #34 Avengers #348 Avengers #350 Avengers #351 Starblast #1 Quasar #54 Starblast #2 Quasar #55 Starblast #3 Quasar #56 Starblast #4 Quasar #57 Marvel Comics Presents #160 Logan: Shadow Society #1 X-Men Unlimited #13 Silver Surfer #123 Avengers #1 Avengers #2 Avengers #3 Avengers #4 (exits Binary, becomes Warbird)
Carol as WARBIRD
Avengers #4 (looses Binary powers, chooses new name: Warbird) Avengers #5-6 Iron Man (1998) #7 Captain America (1998) #8 Quicksilver (1997) #10 Avengers (1998) #7 Iron Man (1998) #11-12 Wolverine (1988) #133-134, #138 Avengers (1998) #16-18 Contest of Champions II (1999) #3, #5 Iron Man (1998) #18, #21, #23-27 Warlock (1999) #8 Avengers (1998) #28-30 Magneto: Dark Seduction (2000) #2-4 Avengers (1998) #31 Hulk Annual 2000 (2000) #1 Iron Fist: Wolverine (2000) #2 Avengers (1998) #32 Thunderbolts (1997) #43 Avengers (1998) #33 Thunderbolts (1997) #44 Avengers (1998) #34 Maximum Security (2000) #1-2 X-Men Unlimited (1993) #29 Avengers (1998) #35 Maximum Security (2000) #3 The Sentry (2000) #5 Sentry/Spider-Man (2001) #1 Before the Fantastic Four: Ben Grimm and Logan (2000) #1-3 Black Panther (1998) #27 Avengers (1998) #36-40 Infinity Abyss (2002) #1 Iron Man (1998) #39 Avengers (1998) #41-44 Avengers: The Ultron Imperative (2001) #1 Thunderbolts (1997) #57 Iron Man Annual 2001 (2001) #1 Captain America (1998) #46-48 Avengers (1998) #45-48, #52-54 Black Panther (1998) #42-43 Avengers (1998) #55 JLA/Avengers (2003) #1-4 The Order (2002) #2-3 #5-6 Alias (2001) #3, #6 Citizen V and the V-Battalion: The Everlasting (2002) #3 Marvel Universe: The End (2003) #1 X-Treme X-Men (2001) #11 Avengers (1998) #57-61 Alias (2001) #18 Wolverine/Captain America (2004) #1-4 Avengers (1998) #65-70 Alias (2001) #24-26, #28 Avengers/Thunderbolts (2004) #1, #6 Iron Man (1998) #75, #79 Uncanny X-Men (1981) #445 Avengers (1998) #82 Iron Man (1998) #85 Avengers (1998) #501-503 Avengers Finale (2005) #1 Hercules (2005) #1 New Thunderbolts (2005) #4-6 Marvel Team-Up (2005) #11-13 (HOUSE OF M, Ms Marvel again after. )
Carol as Modern MS MARVEL
COMING SOON!
Carol as Captain Marvel
COMING SOON!
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