Captain Marvel No. 4 review: Carol Danvers versus Rogue
By Alex Widen
It’s a rematch for the ages! Can Danvers and Rogue team up, or kill each other in Captain Marvel No. 4?
Captain Marvel No. 4
Writer: Kelly Thompson
Artist: Carmen Carnero
Colorist: Tamra Bonvillain
Cover Artists: Amanda Conner & Paul Mounts
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Ask a comic book fan what “continuity” means to them and their answer may reveal much of how they view their hobby. Much like a religion, the ability for writers and/or editors to maintain a cohesive and progressive fictional universe built upon old tales, or the ability of said people to dismiss such things for the sake of “a good story” is the sort of thing which can split fans. Often times the tightest continuity between titles are multiple comics written by the same writer. Scions like Stan Lee, Chris Claremont, Steve Gerber, John Bryne, Kurt Busiek and even Brian Bendis all championed this. And now Kelly Thompson has a chance, with this and Mr. & Mrs. X delving into connected themes.
Image by Marvel Comics
Ever since 1981’s Avengers Annual No. 10, Carol Danvers and Rogue have been interconnected. Then a member of Mystique’s Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Rogue made her debut permanently absorbing the powers and psyche of Danvers, leaving her a weakened shell of herself. It was the worst time of Danvers’ life and it took her years to recover from it. Yet it also scarred Rogue too, as she had to fight to maintain control of her personality and had come to rely on powers she’d stolen.
Image by Marvel Comics
Will These Two Ever Meet in a Capcom Fighter?
Mahkizmo the Nuclear Man, a radiation powered womanizing fascist from a parallel universe, has taken control of Roosevelt Island. He’s trapped the entire island in a warped version of his own twisted future, and quickly turned it into an apocalyptic state. Having captured all the men and allowed only women to cross the dimensional barrier, Carol Danvers has stumbled into a rebellion alongside fellow heroines and Mahkizmo’s son Som. Yet now she’s once again been pitted against Rogue!
Image by Marvel Comics
Unfortunately for Danvers, Rogue’s powers have changed. Much as she feared in the 80s, Rogue’s gained the ability to absorb life-force within a short range of her, without needing to touch anyone! It was the result of psychic meddling during a mission in space, but it’s brought back Rogue’s oldest weakness. And it’s brought Carol’s worst nightmare home for her, all for the amusement of Mahkizmo, who basically is excited at seeing a “hot chick fight” in so many words.
Image by Marvel Comics
It was Som who convinced his dad to go after Captain Marvel, with the idea of bringing a champion who could save them all. Yet to Mahkizmo, he just wants to dominate a powerful woman and “make” her bare his mighty children. He sees the fight between Rogue and Danvers as a “final” test for his intended bride to showcase that she can overpower her oldest nemesis, even with the odds against her. Because even when Mahkizmo is arranging a sick “chick fight,” he hates a fair one. Carol may never like Rogue, but she clearly believes not even Rogue deserves this!
Image by Marvel Comics
The Ties That Bind Them!
Som says as much when he and Spider-Woman return to their rebel base to report back to Carol’s pals. Jennifer Walters, despite being unable to become She-Hulk, acts as a fair substitute for Danvers on the front lines, leading the squads in her stead. Som and Jessica have learned that the missing men of the island are entrapped within Mahkizmo’s “metal men” robots. It was obvious so long as readers caught the Mad Max: Fury Road references. While their forces are spread too thin to mount a rescue, they’ll move up their attack timetable to give Danvers the best chance.
Image by Marvel Comics
Mahkizmo, meanwhile, has shifted to another Mad Max movie, Beyond Thunderdome. Despite landing a sucker-punch, Danvers is simply little match for Rogue with her uncontrollable powers. And as for Rogue, she’s being forced into fighting Carol by Mahkizmo’s control collar, and literally begs for a quick death. As horrifying as it was for Carol to have her essence drained away, it was arguably just as traumatizing for Rogue to live with both the memories and guilt which that entailed.
Image by Marvel Comics
Ultimately, it all comes down to Danvers entrusting herself to a woman who even she admits she’ll “never be friends with” or always hate in some way. Despite any blows Carol lands, her strength is drained by the minute. Rather than fight Rogue, she convinces the mutant to absorb enough of Carol into herself that she can take control of her body and powers. It’s actually not a new trick; in 1988’s Uncanny X-Men No. 236-239, Rogue allowed her “Danvers persona” to take control in order to survive the ordeals on Genosha.
Image by Marvel Comics
It’s Time for the Nuclear Man to Melt Down!
Meanwhile, Walters isn’t about to let a good distraction go to waste. She’s leading an assault on Nuclear Man’s home base from three fronts. Spider-Man leads one squad underground, while Som (leading the hilariously dubbed “man-team”) is leading another to try to free the metal-men. Jen herself is wearing some hastily constructed armor to duplicate some of her lost gamma strength, while Hazmat (the “other Jen”) leads the secondary heavy assault weaponry, and Echo takes to the skies.
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Thankfully, Nuclear Man is such a horned up moron, that he doesn’t even notice that Danvers has taken command of Rogue, even when her hair and eye color changes to match. In theory this shouldn’t be a contest anymore, since now Carol has both her own powers as well as Rogue’s. While in the long term it will be a struggle to return to her own body, in the short term Mahkizmo is sucking pavement. At least until he starts talking about a hidden bomb. Will Mahkizmo have the last laugh, or is this simply a cliffhanger?
Image by Marvel Comics
Compare and Contrast This with Thompson’s Other Book!
Kelly Thompson is in a unique position where she is getting to write both Carol and Rogue in their own series, and can therefore explore their shared trauma from opposite angles. Mr. & Mrs. X No. 9 delved into how Rogue’s fears have been her worst enemies. This issue looks at it from Danvers’ perspective, where she had the endure the horror of a “pretty” yet dangerous brat stealing her entire life and well being from here for an extended period of time. It is the sort of trauma which made Carol stronger, but it still was harrowing nevertheless.
Image by Marvel Comics
And since this is a superhero comic, the best way to get through many of these issues is with a fight. Carol Danvers and Rogue have fought a few times in the past since that first time. Their most definitive was in 1999’s Contest Of Champions II, while 2012’s X-Men Legacy No. 266-270 (during the Avengers Vs. X-Men crossover event) was the most recent. Rogue’s actually been a longtime Avenger ever since, but the emotions and history between the two will always be raw.
Image by Marvel Comics
The thematic continuity between Captain Marvel and Mr. & Mrs. X is quite strong right now. Both Rogue and Carol are being forced to come to terms with their intertwined pasts. The only quibble is quite where this fits in with Mr. & Mrs. X chronologically. It would have to take place between Mr. & Mrs. X No. 5–6, after Rogue’s powers went haywire yet before she and Gambit were kidnapped by Mojo after their overdue engagement party. But does that mean Rogue was kidnapped by a lecherous man from another dimension twice within a few weeks?
Image by Marvel Comics
Great Art and Some Smaller Character Moments Make It Great!
While they take a back seat to the stuff between Carol and Rogue — which is fine — the rest of the heroines in the ad hoc “Carol Corps” also get their moments to shine. The Civil War II crossover robbed Thompson of having She-Hulk available to lead her last arc of A-Force, so it looks like Jennifer Walters is getting that chance here. Hazmat has managed to earn the respect of some of the elder heroines, despite her past. And Jessica Drew is there to deliver the sass when Carol is busy. Som also does his best to showcase what being a “good man” is, despite his lineage.
Image by Marvel Comics
Carmen Carnero continues on her excellent tour of duty on this title, providing one spectacular page and panel after the next. A sensational heroine like Captain Marvel who is at the center of the Marvel Universe (i.e. regular Avengers guest appearances) is a showpiece for Carnero’s talents. Yet it isn’t just the vibrant battles or explosions in which Carnero shines, but the more harrowing and emotional stuff too. It’s easy to see what Danvers, or Rogue, or even Mahkizmo are thinking even without dialogue. The color work also matches perfectly.
Image by Marvel Comics
Next. Danvers Leads the Rebellion in No. 3!. dark
This all said, the finale seems telegraphed a bit plainly. One way or another, Rogue and Captain Marvel will come to an understanding based on their shared experiences. Not just their trauma dealt to each other, but what they’ve each suffered in their own lives as well as their tenures as Avengers. Mahkizmo is going to get stomped hard, and all the men will be saved. And then the next arc will cross over with War Of The Realms without catching its breath. In some ways this work is more “mainstream” than some of Thompson’s other stuff like West Coast Avengers. However, her sassy dialogue, imagination, and themes continue to make Thompson a great new addition to the “house of ideas.”