Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal (comic)

Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal is a comic book published in 2014 and written by American author G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona. It contains the first five comics in the Ms. Marvel series which follows the story of Kamala Khan attaining her superhero powers and coming to terms with her new identity as Ms. Marvel. Kamala is one of several humans to attain her superhero abilities when Terrigen Mist is released into the atmosphere. Her abilities allow her to extend her limbs, alter her appearance and shapeshift.

Plot Summary

Set in Jersey City, Kamala Khan is the 16-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants. She idolises the Avengers, especially Captain Marvel, and writes fanfiction about them. The comic opens with Kamala and her friend, Nakia, in the Circle Q convenience store talking to their other best friend, Bruno. Zoe and her boyfriend, Josh, walk in and invite them to a party on the waterfront. Kamala decides to sneak out from her parents' house to attend the party. Zoe and Josh trick Kamala into consuming a drink which contains alcohol and she runs away. At this point, Terrigen Mist has surrounded the city which causes Kamala to faint. She experiences a dream-like trance and envisions Captain Marvel speaking Urdu alongside Captain America and Iron Man. In the dream, Kamala states that she does not know who she is meant to be. When Captain Marvel asks her who she wants to be, Kamala replies "I want to be you." The first issue ends with Kamala, morphed as Captain Marvel, punching her way out of a cocoon she is trapped in and realising that she has has been granted the abilities to shapeshift, distort her size and warp her limbs.

The second issue begins with Kamala hearing Zoe and Josh arguing by the waterfront. They are both drunk and when Josh attempts to dance with Zoe, she refuses. As a result, Zoe falls into the water and begins to drown. Kamala remembers a quote her father used to recite from the Quran, "Whoever kills one person, It is as if he has killed all of mankind." Morphing herself as Captain Marvel, Kamala uses this as guidance to save Zoe. After this, Kamala realises that being "someone else" does not make her happy. When she returns home, she finds her parents and brother waiting for her.

The third issue begins with a television report announcing Zoe's rescue. Worried that she will be exposed, Kamala and her brother, Aamir, attend Sheik Abdullah's Saturday youth lecture at the Majid. Kamala speaks to Nakia about her powers metaphorically, asking whether a person can ever wake up and feel "different." They leave and attend school where Kamala begins to feel a tension in her skin suggesting her body is about to change. Before Bruno can speak to her, Kamala hides in the school's gymnasium and tests out her powers. Kamala is found by one of the teachers and is given detention after creating damage. After serving detention, Kamala notices Circle Q being burgled. The burglar asks Bruno why he is working instead of another worker, Chatty Bob, and begins talking about a mysterious character named the Inventor. Suddenly, Kamala, morphed as Carol Danvers, attempts to stop the robbery. Instead, she is shot.

In the fourth issue, Bruno witnesses Kamala morphing back into her true form and realises that she is Ms. Marvel and thus the person who saved Zoe from drowning. Kamala's wound begins to heal and she finds out she can do so as long as she does not shapeshift. Kamala finds out that Bruno's younger brother, Vick, was the one who tried to hold up the store and they both agree to keep Vick's identity a secret from the police. Kamala visits an abandoned house in Greenville which Vick attends clandestinely. Kamala realises she needs to be herself, not Captain Marvel. Inside, she is attacked by small robots who belong to Doyle. Kamala fails to rescue Vick and shrinks to a smaller size to escape.

In the final issue, Kamala tests out her superpowers with Bruno. She enlists Bruno to help alter her costume by using the "super snot" polymer which he is developing. She rubs some on and finds she can enlarge and shrink her body more efficiently. In more control of her powers, Kamala defeats Doyle and rescues Vick by enlarging herself and storming out of the house. Doyle attends the Southbank Coal Plant to speak to the Inventor who announces "You haven't just created a problem, Doyle. You've created an urban legend. And the legend ends NOW!"

Characters

Kamala Khan aka Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan is a 'Muslim Pakistani-American teenage growing up in Jersey City.' She faces problems balancing her family's religious and spiritual belief with the society she lives in. Kamala idolises all the Avengers and superheroes but especially Captain Marvel, she dreams of having the opportunity to join her role models in safeguarding society from the forces of evil, she spends her spare time writing Avengers fanfiction.

After getting lost in the Terrigen Mist she gains inhuman abilities. Her abilities include altering shape and size (shapeshifter). She can extend her limbs, alter her appearances, and shift shapes into any manner. To begin with she uses her powers unconsciously – she merges from the Terrigen mist looking like her idol Captain Marvel. She finds she has the ability to heal for an injury when she transforms back into her Kamala form after being shot.

Kamala adopts the name Ms. Marvel in order to follow on from Captain Marvel’s legacy, she is often mistaken for being Captain Marvel to begin with.

Bruno Carrelli

Bruno Carreli is Kamala’s best friend from childhood. Bruno works at the Circle Q where Kamala and a lot of the student hang out.

Bruno and Kamala both have romantic interest in each other but throughout the story they have a will they wont they saga as they struggle with their relationship due to their different backgrounds. Bruno is the first person to find out about Kamala’s inhuman powers. He is smart and works to help and support his family. He tries to be the voice of reason and talk her out of jumping into danger, but he is always there to help.

Yusuf Khan

Yusuf is Kamala’s father, his occupation is banker. He wants for his son Aamir to get a job and is 'extremely protective over Kamala.' Yusuf encourages Kamala to embrace her roots but ultimately want what is best for her. Yusuf is a proud parent and when he discovers Kamala’s heroic exploits, he supports her.

Muneeba Khan

Muneeba is Kamala's very strict mother. She wishes she didn’t have to move from Pakistan to the USA. Like Yusuf she is proud parent who wants to encourage Kamala to embrace her roots but, in the end, just wants to best for her children.

Aamir Khan

Aamir is Kamala’s older brother. He is a more devoted Muslim than Kamala is, he provides her with steady guidance’s throughout. He is unemployed and spends most his day praying, his parents wish he would concentrate more on getting a job but he insists this is all a part of God plans.

NakiaBahadir

Nakia is one of Kamala’s best friends. Nakia is the person Kamala turns to first with all her problems though she doesn’t tell her about becoming Ms. Marvel.

References

This article "Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal (comic)" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal (comic). Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.

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