Ms. Marvel #20 review: Jersey City is ruled by the Discord of Chuck Worthy
By Alex Widen
Hipster Hydra associate Chuck Worthy has taken over Jersey City! Can Ms. Marvel save both her city and her brother?
Ms. Marvel #20
Writer: G. Willow Wilson
Artist: Marco Failla
Colorist: Ian Herring
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Despite some misconceptions, superhero comics have been political since their inception. They began fighting Nazi Germany before America itself did in the 1930s and early 40s. This trend continues today at Marvel, where the political climate has made fascism a more relevant topic again. While the greater Secret Empire explores this in morally gray, almost fetishized glee with over the top stunts, Ms. Marvel is more subtle. Therefore, Chuck Worthy may be more insidious than Red Skull.
Image by Marvel Comics
G. Willow Wilson has utilized Hydra villains in this series for some time. And while they may use villainous tactics or fantastic technology, their overall schemes are more manipulative. Rather than take over by military force, they use the system as their ally. Chuck Worthy has often stood as a “friendlier”and younger face of the movement. He’s sought to take over New Jersey via a mind controlling gentrification scheme, and later by trying to win an already corrupted mayoral election!
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A Powerful Alliance Is Ruling Jersey City!
After being thwarted by Ms. Marvel at every turn, Chuck Worthy has taken an end-run around the election. Having bought out the city council, he’s literally been handed the mayoral office from the fairly elected Stella Marchesi. He’s also formed an alliance with Carol Danvers’ former cadet turned teen fascist, Becky St. Jude, as well as a new villain called Discord. He’s begun a program to deport wayward metahumans, which in practice is heavily steered towards ethnic minorities.
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Kamala Khan’s older brother Aamir has been caught in this web. A descendant of the Inhumans just like Kamala, his powers haven’t been nearly as developed. In fact, they kicked in only once by accident. Yet now, he’s a Muslim man in an interview room, suspected of being a criminal. It’s a stereotype that he knows very well, and the more he rambles about it, the more it comes true. While he may be “a small fish,” both Discord and Lockdown seek to make an example of him.
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Despite having defeated Ms. Marvel in the previous issue, Discord didn’t arrest her. Instead, he left Kamala to recover on her own. It still seems like he knows her alter ego, and is deliberately toying with her. Yet as soon as Kamala reaches Jersey City again, she winds up in another rally by Chuck Worthy. He’s whipped up the citizens’ legitimate concern over a rise in superhuman disasters into a rabble rousing frenzy to his own ends. He also demands that Ms. Marvel be arrested on sight!
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Is Chuck Worthy the Ultimate Mastermind of This Series?
Not only are Lockdown and Discord at the ready, but so are a supply of Hydra weaponry! While the large robotic bees may not be much of a threat, Discord and Lockdown are. Capable challenges on their own, Kamala isn’t able to overwhelm them both at once. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Chuck Worthy also seems to have brought along a giant flying armada! Ms. Marvel is forced to retreat, yet she is running out of safe havens to regroup in. It’s even worse than the Doc.X virus was!
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As a last option, Kamala flees to what is left of ex-mayor Marchesi’s office. Aside for one staffer, her entire cabinet has left. Stella knows all too well the realities of bribery and dirty politics. While she may be the last ally Ms. Marvel has, it isn’t apparent what good she can do, or how she can unseat Chuck Worthy legally. As she notes bluntly, Chuck Worthy has weaponized people’s demands for security into a reduction of liberty, as tyrants often do. Is there any hope for the city?
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While G. Willow Wilson is capable of being blunt and/or preachy at times with a message, she is being far more subtle about her themes than Nick Spencer is with Secret Empire. While this is still a comic book with over the top action, she is presenting her antagonists in ways that feel more true to life. Chuck Worthy is a perfect representative of the new “alt-right” modern day fascist. He doesn’t wear a mask or armband, and takes efforts to be presentable. But at the core, he’s pure evil.
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Providing a Powerful Allegory for Our Times!
In addition, the creeping rise of authoritarianism and the oppression of minorities are rarely done by costume wearing fanatics. They’re encouraged by scared citizens rallied to a frenzy and carried out by people doing what they think is right. It’s never stated on paper that the brunt of this force will be heaped upon those society deems as “other,” yet it is. And while the enforcers of authority and politicians being on the same team is great when they’re for you, it’s horrid when they’re not.
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As such, Wilson presents Aamir as the point-of-view character here, even more than Kamala is. He’s the one caught in the whirlwind of oppression for the moment, since he can’t simply escape. In addition, because he is a devoted Muslim, he has the garb of a stereotypical “enemy” to those in power. Because readers have gotten to know Aamir over the past four years (via his connection to Kamala and recent marriage), the tragedy of his situation feels more raw and unfair than expected.
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Speaking of tragedy, Wilson also completely understands how reasonable concern for safety can be manipulated. As a Muslim herself, certain aspects of this story are hardly academic for her. It is true there have been a rise in superhuman action since Ms. Marvel arrived. In fact, some of it was even her fault, such as overrunning the city with clones of herself, or her connections with Loki. The same mist which unlocked her Inhuman powers also empowered others in the area too.
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Is Discord One of the Carrelli Brothers?
The problem is when this concern for safety is exploited by a huckster who plays up all of that fear and hatred for his own ends. That’s the game Chuck Worthy always plays, either alone or alongside Dr. Faustus. By avoiding the green and yellow masked uniforms for glasses and political savvy, he may be the most dangerous Hydra operative around. His well-worded denials of obvious corruption will be overly familiar to anyone who is watching this presidential administration.
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Despite all of this, Kamala’s main antagonist for the arc may not be Chuck Worthy, or even Becky. Instead, it is Discord, who Wilson continues to develop as a cunning and conniving villain. He appears to have extensive knowledge of Kamala both as a heroine and a person, and knows how to play against her weaknesses. He also clearly has a grudge. His identity remains a mystery, and my best guess continues to be Vick Carrelli, Bruno’s brother. There really are no better suspects.
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Speaking of Bruno, Wilson has continued to think of interesting ways to include Kamala’s best friend within this series. That has become more difficult once he split to Wakanda, although issue eighteen was based entirely there. Bruno actually turns up after Ms. Marvel is defeated by Discord. While it was a tease as to whether or not Discord was Bruno himself, it proved to be just a hallucination. It is a clever fake-out, as if to deliberately point out how unlikely that would be.
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Why Don’t Villains Just Capitalize on a Win?
Marco Failla continues on with exceptional artwork for this issue. In addition, stalwart colorist Ian Herring helps keep the flow of the art consistent regardless of the variety of pencilers who have worked on Ms. Marvel. Wilson gives Failla a few action sequences here to work with, including a brawl between Ms. Marvel, Discord and Lockdown, as well as a fleet of robot bees! The ever elastic Ms. Marvel is a dynamic figure for a variety of artists to work with, Failla included!
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In fact, this arc’s only quibble isn’t Wilson’s tone or how her message is presented, but in what seems like a plot hole. Chuck Worthy wants Ms. Marvel arrested, period. Therefore, it would’ve made sense that Discord and Lockdown made more of an effort to do so in the last issue. Instead, Discord seems intent on getting Ms. Marvel to surrender, at best. Is this to prevent her from becoming a martyr? Or just a way to keep Kamala around to save the day in another few issues?
Image by Marvel Comics
Next: Check out the Discord and Lockdown tag team in #19!
Regardless of any convenient errors on the part of a villain, Ms. Marvel remains one of Marvel Comics’ best series. G. Willow Wilson has constructed an arc which utilizes Hydra as a metaphor — the rise of extreme right wing politics in a system which has already shifted towards authoritarianism over the last few decades. It has proven to be more nuanced than Secret Empire. Kamala is up against her worst enemies, and it will be thrilling to see just how she prevails overall.