Amora Faces the Woe of the Mind-Swap Plot in Captain Marvel No. 7
By Alex Widen
It’s the mind-swap plot! Again!
This is the second and seemingly final issue of Captain Marvel‘s crossover with War Of The Realms. The plot which writer Kelly Thompson chose to align with it was “the mind swap plot.” Starting from the novel Vice Versa in 1882, it has been as standard a trope in pop fiction as heroes and villains themselves. Therefore, Thompson’s challenge is to tell such a yarn in a unique way, or put some distinctive spin on it. While she does deliver (as usual) on some terrific lines of dialogue, it may be debatable whether she succeeded in that task entirely.
Image by Marvel Comics
Thor’s enemy Malekith the Accursed has conquered the world, with the aid of a legion of monsters and fellow Thor villains. Amora the Enchantress has sought to oppress South America with a legion of zombies. The Avengers are fighting against Amora and, as Captain Marvel is a core member of the team, she’s at the front lines. Amora sought to avoid a fate of being defeated by Carol and Doctor Strange by swapping their minds, therefore eliminating both as threats!
Image by Marvel Comics
While the pair have been allies before, they have some unhelpful traits in common. Black Widow has often been caught in the middle of their squabbling and attempts to learn how to use each other’s powers. Although Carol (in Strange’s body) has his magic potential, she lacks the nuance or expertise to cast most spells properly. And Stephen (in Carol’s body) is too used to the tasks of over-analysis and intelligence mastery to learn how to use powers that thrive on instinct and gusto.
Image by Marvel Comics