Ms. Marvel #22 review: Kamala and Lockjaw save the day from Discord

Ms. Marvel is all but at the mercy of Discord and Lockdown. May her only salvation be in the Inhumans’ dog Lockjaw?

Ms. Marvel #22

Writer: G. Willow Wilson

Artist: Marco Failla

Colorist: Ian Herring

Talk about Keeping Your Friends Close and Your Enemies Closer!

What makes Josh’s revelation tough to swallow isn’t just that Kamala has known him forever. It is that the catalyst for his transformation was in some small way exacerbated by Ms. Marvel herself. During Civil War II, she and Becky St. Jude were among a group of cadets field testing Captain Marvel’s “predictive crime fighting,” using a psychic profile to arrest suspects before crimes happened. One of them was Josh, who found himself abandoned and alone afterward.

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While Kamala learned the error of her ways, it came at a price. Bruno crippled himself trying to blast Josh out of their makeshift holding cell. Becky, on the other hand, responded well to the idea of fascism, and went on to become Lockdown. Both Josh and Kamala have revealed their secret identities to each other after an emotional breakdown, and both are trying to process it. While Kamala refuses to give Josh a pass, Josh himself is guilt-ridden and refuses to apprehend her.

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Hence, Josh allows Ms. Marvel to escape out a window, facing the angry wrath of Lockdown herself. Unlike Josh, Becky has no moment of hesitation or regret. She sees herself as the face of the law, and relishes in the power of such a thing. The pair and their K.I.N.D. agents manage to suppress the uprising at the mosque among Aamir and the other detained Inhumans. Yet an even bigger challenge to their authority arises when Tayesha and Nakia lead a march their way!

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That Isn’t Lassie, It’s Lockjaw!

Ms. Marvel may have escaped as a result of Discord’s mercy, yet she is still nearly helpless. Her regenerative and elastic powers have been taxed to their limit, and she can barely stand. Out of nowhere, her savior arrives — Lockjaw! The beloved pooch of the Inhumans formed a bond with Kamala in the previous volume when she explored her Inhuman heritage with Medusa. Throughout the years, Lockjaw has had a habit of sensing when those he cares for are in need.

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Almost as soon as he arrives, Lockjaw has teleported Ms. Marvel to a local Mediterranean fast-food place to load up on carbohydrates. It’s here that Kamala realizes that while a very vocal minority of New Jersey citizens hate her, not all of them do. Just because Ms. Marvel isn’t as massively popular as she once was doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a job to do. And when an appeals court repeals Chuck Worthy’s coup, Mayor Stella Marchesi needs to help to enforce it!

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The end result is what some may call a “Rolling Stones ending.” Ms. Marvel doesn’t get what she wants, but what she needs. She has another showdown with Lockdown, whose zeal to enforce her vision of the law makes her borderline suicidal (or at least too zealous to be rational). Most of the K.I.N.D. goons side with Becky, even when they’re told their position is illegal. Aamir and Tyesha are reunited, yet Discord makes his escape and Kamala has to deal with the consequences.

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A Superhero Adventure That Speaks on Many Levels!

G. Willow Wilson has constructed a tale centered around confronting things like prejudice, privilege, liberty, and security in a very layered and balanced way. She uses long-term subplots and serialized storytelling to her advantage. While figures like Chuck Worthy and Lockdown represent entrenched, institutionalized prejudice and authoritarianism, Discord shows how people get there. Josh felt vulnerable and alone, and it was easy for him to join his oppressors to belong.

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It’s especially relevant that Kamala doesn’t automatically forgive Josh. The fact that he was someone Kamala knew, as well as someone she had a hand in harming due to an error in judgment, does not make Josh blameless in his actions. Josh could have learned, having been profiled and scapegoated, that such inequality is wrong. Instead, he turned around to become one of the oppressors to regain a sense of self at his first opportunity. That is a key distinction to note.

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On the other hand, Discord does take a step forward towards redemption. He allows Ms. Marvel to escape when he had her at his mercy, for one. And while the rest of the conflict breaks down around him, Josh is at least willing to try to confront Lockdown about her zealousness. Throughout the arc, he’s tried to prevent Becky from going too far into the abyss. Yet Becky has gone too far, and is willing to summon a giant cannon to blast everyone. Good thing Kamala is on her case!

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Basic Becky Lives up to Her Nickname!

Speaking of Lockdown, Ms. Marvel’s showdown against her is quite thrilling. Aside for Chuck Worthy, Becky St. Jude has quickly arisen as one of Kamala’s arch enemies. Unlike Worthy, Lockdown is able to use her armor to fight Ms. Marvel physically as well as ideologically. While Carol Danvers never intended it, Becky became seduced by having authority over others, and takes it to zealous extremes. She’s proof that at times a black heart can be hidden behind perky freckles.

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A scene between Tyesha and Nakia is also most noteworthy. While it’s great to see them rally the citizens and legitimate police to their cause, they also do something the world needs more of. Both of them have a brief debate about something — in their case the hijab and what it means in modern society — without becoming mortal enemies. They each agree to disagree on this particular point and realize they’re united in the greater cause. The world needs more of this.

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The presence of Lockjaw, at worst, could be seen as a plot contrivance. It’s an easy way to get Ms. Marvel out of harm’s way and near food so she can recharge for the final act. However, Lockjaw has had a long history of forming bonds with particular people are popping up when they need aid. As a pet of the Inhuman royal family, Lockjaw often pops up most often to aid Crystal, Medusa, or Black Bolt. Yet he’s also formed a similar bond to the Thing on occasion, and has again with Khan.

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A Notable Cameo Is a Highlight of Great Art!

Marco Failla wraps up the arc on art, and alongside regular colorist, Ian Herring does a great job on this finale. The action is spectacular and easy to follow without being uninspired. I especially like Failla’s take on Lockjaw. While most artists do their best Jack Kirby impressions with him, other artists have fun exaggerating the fact that he’s just a very large, weird looking dog. Failla is part of the latter, giving Lockjaw a lot of character. The scenes between Kamala and Josh also look great.

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The last page also has a fun cameo by a heroine who helped forge the path for Muslim characters in Marvel. Dust, best known as a member of the X-Men, briefly turns up in one of the last panels. Sooraya Qadir first showed up in 2002’s New X-Men #112 and was created by Grant Morrison, Frank Quietly and Ethan Van Sciver. She’s a native of Afghanistan who was rescued from slavery by the X-Men. I could imagine she and Kamala having an interesting chat, but this is a good start!

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Next: Ms. Marvel sees the true face of Discord in #21!

As Ms. Marvel narrates, it’s difficult to go on a pilgrimage and not be changed. Any hero who isn’t changed by a story is a hero who wasn’t challenged by it, and challenges create drama. Kamala has seen the dark underbelly of not just those in Jersey City she’s sworn to protect, but someone she personally knew in Josh. While she’s reminded of how many people love and support her, Kamala’s learned that not everyone does, or will. Her series remains one of Marvel Comics’ best!

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