Ms. Marvel #1
Ms. Marvel #1 marks the first appearance of Carol Danvers in her superhero identity — a transformation nearly a decade in the making since her non-powered debut in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (1968). The series was self-consciously engineered as Marvel's flagship feminist title: the very title word 'Ms.' was then synonymous with the women's liberation movement, and Carol's civilian storyline — fighting J. Jonah Jameson for equal pay while editing a female-interest magazine — made the politics explicit on the page rather than merely cosmetic. Though Conway and Buscema departed after only two issues, the foundation they laid gave Chris Claremont a stage on which to develop Carol into one of Marvel's most complex characters, ultimately setting the trajectory toward her eventual ascension as Captain Marvel in 2012. The issue also introduces the split-identity device — Carol is completely unaware she is Ms. Marvel — a psychological hook that anticipates later Marvel explorations of fractured selfhood.
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The series grew out of a deliberate editorial mandate: Stan Lee and Roy Thomas conceived the 'Ms. Marvel' name as a brand statement — the 'Ms.' intended, in Lee's own words, to represent a 'new, liberated, upbeat spirit' — but neither man wrote the actual character. That task fell to writer Gerry Conway, who had just launched Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man the same month and was simultaneously filing scripts for both Marvel and DC titles. Conway took the name, applied it to Carol Danvers (a supporting player from the Captain Marvel series), relocated her to New York, and installed her at the Daily Bugle as editor of a women's magazine, a deliberate nod to Gloria Steinem's Ms. magazine. His then-wife Carla Conway received a co-story credit on the first two issues; the cover was painted by John Romita Sr. and Dick Giordano, with interior pencils by John Buscema inked by Joe Sinnott. Editor-in-chief at the time was Archie Goodwin. Conway later wrote candidly in the Marvel Masterworks introduction to the series that he had been embarrassed for years by what he came to see as the cluelessness of a male-only creative team claiming to launch a feminist title.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Carol Danvers as Ms. Marvel (cover date January 1977; on-sale October/November 1976); this is her powered-hero debut, distinct from her original non-powered appearance in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968).
- Story title: 'This Woman, This Warrior!' Written by Gerry Conway and Carla Conway; pencils by John Buscema; inks by Joe Sinnott; colors by Marie Severin; letters by John Costanza; cover by John Romita Sr. and Dick Giordano; editor-in-chief Archie Goodwin.
- First appearance of Professor Kerwin Korman, an A.I.M.-affiliated scientist who debuts here before becoming the villain Destructor in issue #2.
- Carol's powers — super-strength, flight, and a 'seventh sense' — are explained as the result of her DNA merging with that of the Kree Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) after exposure to the Psyche-Magnetron device in Captain Marvel #18 (1969).
- The dual-identity structure is established from page one: Carol Danvers and Ms. Marvel share a body but not a memory — Carol blacks out every time her alter ego emerges, and does not know she is Ms. Marvel.
- Spider-Man supporting cast anchors the debut: Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, J. Jonah Jameson, and Robbie Robertson all appear, with Carol taking a job as inaugural editor of Jameson's 'Woman' magazine — a setup that consciously parallels the real-world Ms. magazine co-founded by Gloria Steinem.
- The Scorpion (Mac Gargan) serves as the primary antagonist; the issue ends with Ms. Marvel rescuing Jameson from Scorpion's revenge scheme, though Jameson remains ungrateful about being saved by a female hero.
- The issue has been reprinted in: Essential Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 (2007), Marvel Masterworks: Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 (2014), the Captain Marvel: Ms. Marvel — A Hero Is Born Omnibus (2018), the Ms. Marvel Epic Collection Vol. 1: This Woman, This Warrior (2018/2019), and True Believers: Captain Marvel — Ms. Marvel #1 (April 2019).
Cast · 9 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Carol Danvers arrives in New York to begin her new job of editing a women's magazine for Jameson but is plagued by headaches and blackouts. Ms. Marvel stops the Scorpion from taking his revenge on Jameson.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).