Does Anyone Else Love Kamala Khan?
Two Muslim Superheroine’s walk into the room, and only one does it right. At least, that seems to be the case presented by Miriam Kent of the University of East Anglia in her analytic peer-reviewed essay, “UNVEILING MARVELS: MS. MARVEL AND THE RECEPTION OF THE NEW MUSLIM SUPERHEROINE.”
Kamala Khan our newest iteration of Ms. Marvel is explained in Kent’s essay as the most polished version of a Muslim woman of color in Marvel history. This is evidenced by a previous attempt with the character ‘Dust’ of the X-Men series who was a Sunni Muslim in Afghanistan. Her story is one that Kent claims paints her in the light of Western colonialism and female Muslim victimhood. In her character development the conversation surrounding her identity focuses too often on the dichotomy between Eastern and Western traditions.
Kamala Khan however, a girl created by one artist of an American-Muslim background and an editor who is Pakistani-American, defies these laws of oppression. Her existence is in line with conversations around xenophobia, feminism. Kamala Khan is unlike any Muslim character created before, she is Pakistani American with a muslim background living in New Jersey where she adores The Avengers and writes fanfiction on the subject. A major plot point according to Kent, being that Khan is finding ways to connect with her family while also reconcile with her American teenage life. Where Dust fell short in being a well-rounded representation of that livelihood, Kamala Khan can’t afford to, and ultimately succeeds in being a likable, modern adaptation of the original blonde bombshell. She is everything Ms. Marvel should be and being Muslim is not a hindrance to that ideal.
In speaking on Kamala Khan, Miriam Kent brings up the topic of demand for feminist archetypes in comic book canon. That demand touched Ms. Marvel and in creating her as a woman of color, it opens up conversations surrounding intersectionality, and both third-wave and post modern feminism. In creating Kamala Khan the way they did, they’ve opened up the avenue for conversations to be had surrounding deeper topics of feminism rather than just the average white feminist “girl power” ideal. As time continues on, Kamala Khan will shift to answer and face questions that other heroes simply can’t. Her creation in a technologically advanced world means that she is not barred from other forms of media, meaning her effects could launch to other platforms.
Kent describes the first issue of Ms. Marvel as an interesting delve into Kamala’s world. Her explanation, to someone who took the time to read the first issue resonates heavily. The supporting characters in Kamala’s life are mostly Muslim but their representations of the religion are astoundingly different. This choice makes it so the unknowingly, readers begin to grasp a diversity to Islam. The realization that being Muslim is not a two dimensional part of someone’s identity, just like any other aspect of identity. In doing this, they humanize every character, and beyond that they normalize the behavior that Western ideologies so often crush underfoot.
Although, the public held their breath at her supposedly controversial release, the reviews for Kamala Khan as the new Ms. Marvel are overwhelmingly positive. She’s just like every other teenager, all her quirks and differences are just as quirky and different as anyone else, by elevating her status, the things that separate her make her a superhero but the average part of Kamal Khan makes her relatable. This relatability is what saves her from criticism. She is painted in a light that finally makes it clear that being a woman of color or Muslim is not a scary thing.
In creating her, Marvel has begun to realize that people don’t often care what differences a character possesses as long as they possess something. As long as the character is relatable, and those who read the comic can see themselves in her position, she will find success, with or without her background. The background becomes an added bonus, a sweet spot where young kids reading can start accepting cultural diversity as a regular part of their narrative.
