Marvel Comics revealed that Ms. Marvel had the X-gene, on top of her Inhuman lineage. A way to align Kamala Khan closer to her new status as a mutant in the MCU, while keeping her Inhuman stretching powers, but with the possibility of unlocking her latent mutant abilities as well. After years of teasing these powers, they've finally awakened, but they aren't what readers expected.
Shortly after Ms. Marvel was unceremoniously killed in The Amazing Spider-Man, Kamala was revived in a new body and joined the X-Men on Krakoa. Although technically a mutant, her mutation never awoke and has loomed over the teenage hero ever since.
However, Ms. Marvel finally unlocked her mutation in today's Giant-Size X-Men #1, written by Jackson Lanzing and Collin Kelly, the first issue of the five-part event focused on Kamala Khan experiencing the most pivotal moments in X-Men history. In it, she delivered a devastating punch to Charles Xavier's time-displaced and corrupted son, Legion, and Ms. Marvel, to her shock, used what appeared to be her mutant powers for the first time.
But instead of the expected purple hard light constructs surrounding her fists like her MCU counterpart, they were coated in shining diamonds, leaving a trail of colorful sparkles in their path. But Kamala was thrown through time again before she could figure out what was happening to her.
Changes Made to Ms. Marvel's Unexpected Mutant Powers
Giant-Size X-Men #1 opened with Kamala contemplating her place within the mutant community, lamenting, "I can't even use my supposed mutation--it's all held dormant by my Inhuman powers 'cus they got there first." Now that she's seemingly unlocked these powers, one major factor in this event will be Ms. Marvel finally reconciling with them.
But what's strange is that Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant already showed Kamala's mutant powers, albeit through a reanimated corpse. Nitika, the scientist who stole and experimented on it, even called her mutation "hard light" and depicted it exactly as they were in the MCU.
So, why the sudden change? In this event, Kamala's mutant powers may continue to change and develop into her MCU powers. A simpler explanation could be that her powers would be too similar to those of another character in the comics: Armor.
As for why her mutant powers are awakening now, it's unclear. The comics have established that mutations typically awaken during puberty, at birth, or, as Nitika explained to Kamala, "as a survival mechanism" in stressful situations. While Ms. Marvel fighting Legion could be considered stressful, Kamala's already been in far deadlier fights.
Regardless of why Marvel Comics changed them or how they awakened, Kamala's new mutant powers appear to enhance her already existing Inhuman stretching powers instead of superseding them, as some fans have feared, keeping comic purists happy. It's hard to tell from their brief usage in this issue, but they appear to act as a second coat of hardened skin for Ms. Marvel.
It would explain how she could stun a powerful Omega-level mutant like Legion with a single punch. But readers will have to read the rest of the event to find out more about her new mutant powers in Giant-Size Dark Phoenix Saga #1, Giant-Size Age of Apocalypse #1, Giant-Size House of M #1, and Giant-Size X-Men #2.
