When Marvel Studios planned on adapting Kamala Khan into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was decided early on that her powers would be changed for Ms. Marvel on Disney+. However, one new theory not only connects back to Kamala's original powers but, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and the multiverse as presented in the MCU today.
As Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige put it, the character was "coming into a very specific time within the MCU continuity." Of course, this quote implies that Kamala Khan is no longer an Inhuman in the MCU, but The Marvels co-star is likely to be positioned as a more prominent player in this franchise moving forward.
It appears more likely with every project that everything is leading to an adaptation of "Secret Wars" with Johnathon Majors' Kang the Conqueror as the villain. So, would you be surprised to learn that not only are Ms. Marvel's original powers in the comics intrinsically tied to the multiverse but that she has bizarre connections to Kang too?
Explaining How Ms. Marvel's Original Powers Worked
On the surface, Ms. Marvel's powers aren't dissimilar to those of Mr. Fantastic in the comics, but what isn't mentioned as much is her similarity to Ant-Man. In addition to her elastic body, Kamala also has the ability to alter her size to something as big as a building or as small as an ant.
However, some fans would occasionally question the logic of how Kamala Khan was able to do this, especially when she shrunk, as her excess mass would seemingly disappear. Additionally, when she grew several times her own size, she would suddenly gain additional mass out of thin air.
Even some characters, like Kamala's friend Bruno, questioned it, and when her powers began to go haywire, Bruno quickly decoded how the teenage vigilante's powers worked. The teenager eventually discovered that Ms. Marvel's powers relied on the Multiverse itself.
To put it simply, Kamala Khan is able to share her mass throughout time and space with different versions of herself and, on a molecular level, is technically jumping universes whenever she uses her powers. For example, whenever Ms. Marvel grew in size, she was taking the mass from various Kamala Khans from other universes who were shrinking at that exact moment.
It's an absurd and incredibly creative explanation of how her powers work, but it also helped facilitate excuses for Kamala to be involved in stories dealing with the Multiverse. But, how does this connect to the series? Well, something interesting happened when Kamala put on that bangle at AvengerCon.
Where Does Kamala's Bangle Take Her?
When the Muslim teenager put on the bangle, her eyes glowed purple and suddenly fell backward into what seemed to be another world. However, before that happens, audiences are treated to a semi-familiar visual of purple tears opening around her as she falls.
Similar tears were seen in No Way Home when entities began to make their way into Earth-616 through tears in the Multiverse. Of course, there are only so many colors to choose from, but it's certainly an interesting coincidence.
An even odder coincidence is what Kamala sees in these tears: hundreds of people with glowing white eyes surrounding her. Could these people be other versions of Kamala from across the Multiverse?
After all, this is another strikingly similar visual to No Way Home, when audiences see glowing white silhouettes of people inside the multiverse tears.
In the comics, Ms. Marvel is transported to a different dimension when her powers get out of control for the first time. The world she finds herself in is tinged in blue instead of purple, but the terrain is somewhat similar, being littered with hills and a starry sky.
Not to mention that Kamala is shown arriving in this dimension by falling, the same way she has her vision in the episode, "Generation Why."
Kamala's connection to the Multiverse goes even beyond the function of her powers, as she actually has an encounter with Kang the Conqueror in one comic storyline.
Connection to Kang the Conqueror
Kamala Khan has an incredibly odd connection to Kang the Conqueror in the comics that began with "Avengers: Back to Basics," when Kamala Khan is hurdled into the past when the Avengers were first founded. After proving herself and becoming a team member, she encounters her mother, who is then promptly hit by a bus.
As Kamala grieves over her mother's death, she's confronted by none other than Kang himself, claiming to be the one responsible for Kamala's trip to the past and subsequent torment—all because he felt like it. However, a version of Ms. Marvel from the distant future is thankfully able to stop Kang and return her past self to the present.
But, then, in another comic event, "Infinity Wars," multiple characters are fused together, such as Moon Knight and Spider-Man, Wolverine and Emma Frost, but also Ms. Marvel and Kang the Conqueror. In a genuinely baffling coincidence, these two characters form another odd connection, so it's unknown if Marvel Comics has some behind-the-scenes stories planned for the two characters.
Heck, in the most recent comic series starring the teenage hero, "Beyond the Limit," readers can see this version of Kamala again, not forgotten. So, since Kang is likely to be the villain of this new saga of the MCU and "Secret Wars," both Kamala's powers and connection to the time-spanning warmonger could potentially be used.
A Specific Time in MCU Multiverse
As Feige pointed out, Ms. Marvel is coming in at a particular time in this gigantic franchise, which will soon dive head-first into the Multiverse and Kang, both of which Kamala has links to in the comics. But will both of these factor into her new powers or later appearances in the MCU?
Hiring theoretical physicist Clifford Johnson as a consultant for the series would make a lot more sense, as he mainly helps with films or shows that use time travel or the multiverse. So, what if, instead of Kamala borrowing or sharing mass with other versions of herself, it's simply the energy of her hard light constructs that connects them all?
It could also give a reason for Kamala to be more involved in whatever Multiversal story Marvel Studios plans on telling with Kang. Having some connection to the Multiverse would undoubtedly be helpful when fighting a man willing to use it to conquer everything.
But, fans will have to continue watching Ms. Marvel on Disney+ to fully understand the scope of her powers and whether they connect to the multiverse.
