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# Marvel Unveils Pakistani-American Teenage Girl Superhero
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/marvel-unveils-pakistani-american-teenage-girl-superhero/
- Published: 2013-11-08T17:47:42.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T16:34:20.000Z
- Description: Marvel is launching a new solo superhero series, which in and of itself wouldn't be that exciting — except the star will be a Muslim Pakistani-American teenage girl from New Jersey.
- Author: Jillian Steinhauer
- Tags: News, Comics, Marvel, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:59 (2012, 2013, part 2)

![The new Ms. Marvel](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/11/msmarvel.jpg)

The new Ms. Marvel (via marvel.com)

Marvel is launching a new solo superhero series, which in and of itself wouldn’t be that exciting — except the star will be a Muslim Pakistani-American teenage girl from New Jersey.

For those who stopped reading superhero comics around when they hit puberty, here’s a recap: the current Captain Marvel is a woman, Carol Danvers, who was formerly Ms. Marvel. Now that she’s assumed the coveted captain title, it’s time for a new Ms. Marvel, and the company has chosen (well, created) Kamala Khan, the teenage daughter of Pakistani immigrants. The series will be written by [G. Willow Wilson](http://gwillowwilson.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com), who, according to the [*New York Times*](http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/books/marvel-comics-introducing-a-muslim-girl-superhero.html?ref=hyperallergic.com), is a convert to Islam; drawn by [Adrian Alphona](http://sweetbizarre.com/?ref=hyperallergic.com); and the idea for it came from [Sana Amanat](http://marvel.wikia.com/Category:Sana%5FAmanat/Editor?ref=hyperallergic.com), a Muslim-American editor at Marvel.

Khan won’t be the first Muslim comic-book character ever, but her introduction is novel for a number of reasons, offered by Andrew Wheeler at [Comics Alliance](http://comicsalliance.com/marvel-comics-ms-marvel-g-willow-wilson-alphona-muslim-teen/?ref=hyperallergic.com):

> The new Ms. Marvel will be the first Muslim character to get her own ongoing solo series at Marvel, one of a growing number of female solo leads, and the only person of color headlining a solo book in the Marvel Universe.

The only person of color!

![Concept art by Alphona for the series (via comicsalliance.com)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2013/11/msmarvel_conceptart.jpg)

Concept art by Alphona for the series (via comicsalliance.com)

Kamala will apparently struggle with her ethnic and religious identity and the feeling of being “different,” as well as a conservative brother, overbearing parents — and, you know, supervillains. It sounds almost like [*Buffy*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buffy%5Fthe%5FVampire%5FSlayer?ref=hyperallergic.com) with a twist.

The new Ms. Marvel will be introduced in a comic called “All-New Marvel NOW! Point One,” coming out in January, and then starting as its own series in February, according to the [*LA Times*](http://herocomplex.latimes.com/comics/new-ms-marvel-isnt-the-first-muslim-or-religious-superhero/?ref=hyperallergic.com#/0). I, for one, am really looking forward. In the meantime, can anyone explain Ms. Marvel’s porcupine sidekick with Hulk-like green fists?