Captain Marvel: 10 things to know about Captain Marvel before her MCU debut
Other Captain Marvels
Over the years, there have been plenty of previous heroes to use the moniker “Captain Marvel” besides Carol. The first was a 1940s character from Fawcett Comics, whom National Comics (later DC) complained was an infringement on their copyright of Superman.
The ensuing lawsuit pretty much ended Fawcett’s existence, and about twenty years later DC and Marvel both created characters using the name “Captain Marvel.” After the copyright of the name went to Marvel Comics, DC changed their hero’s name to Shazam, who will be getting his own movie starring Zachary Levi in April.
The original Captain Marvel for Marvel was a Kree named Mar-Vell. Sent to monitor Earth’s increasing technology, Mar-Vell decided to protect Earth. He had a link with Rick Jones via the Nega-Bands bracelets, and eventually died of cancer in 1982.
The second hero to use the Captain Marvel title was Monica Rambeau, originally a New Orleans police officer who could transform into all types of energy. She was one of the heroes to fight on Battleworld in 1984’s “Secret Wars” storyline, and her mother Maria (Lashana Lynch) will be in the upcoming film and Monica currently uses the codename Spectrum.
The third Captain Marvel was Mar-Vell’s son Genis-Vell, who eventually went insane, died, resurrected himself, and was finally killed for good by Baron Zemo.
The fourth Captain Marvel was Mar-Vell’s daughter Phyla-Vell, who Genis-Vell created with a bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer reshaping of reality, giving himself a little sister who had previously never existed. As Martyr, she joined the Guardians of the Galaxy, where she perished to save her teammates.
The fifth Captain Marvel was Khn’nr, a Skrull spy deep undercover in the form of Mar-Vell. Though on the pro-registration side of the First Superhero Civil War, he’s mostly neutral during the conflict. When the Skrulls later attack in full force, he decides to fight back somewhat by attacking Thunderbolt Mountain in Colorado, feeling that the government should not employ known villains. He then attacks the Skrulls head-on, where he is mortally wounded. Just before dying, he requests that the Kree naval officer Noh-Varr continue the legacy of the Captain Marvel name.
Originally a Kree ensign who was the only survivor of a wrecked starship called (what else?) The Marvel, Noh-Varr became a brutal assassin locked up in the Cube prison after declaring war on humanity. When the Skrulls attack Earth during “Secret Invasion,” Noh-Varr leads a mass breakout of the Cube and later comes across the dying Khn’nr, inheriting the Captain Marvel mantle and playing a large role in the final battle against the Skrulls. He then joins and leaves the Dark Avengers, and is presently using the code name Protector.
Ironically, Carol Danvers only took up the title in 2012 at the encouragement of Captain America, leaving the Ms. Marvel name for Kamala Khan to inherit and setting the stage for Carol to make her MCU debut.