The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16
Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 introduced Monica Rambeau — a New Orleans harbor patrol lieutenant who becomes the second Captain Marvel — making her one of the most prominent Black female superheroes in mainstream American comics at the time of her debut. The issue served a dual purpose: it launched a fully realized new character with a New Orleans working-class identity while also reasserting Marvel's trademark on the Captain Marvel name in the same year Mar-Vell died of cancer in Marvel Graphic Novel #1. Stern and the Romitas gave Rambeau a power set unlike any prior Marvel hero — the ability to transform into any form of energy along the electromagnetic spectrum — and within a year she was a full Avenger, eventually becoming the first Black woman to lead that team.
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Roger Stern was already the regular writer on The Amazing Spider-Man when he co-created Rambeau with artist John Romita Jr. for the 1982 annual, with John Romita Sr. finishing the breakdowns, Stan Goldberg on colors, Jim Novak on letters, and Tom DeFalco editing under editor-in-chief Jim Shooter. The story's structure is unusual: Monica's 17-page New Orleans origin is embedded as a flashback within a framing story set in New York — an arrangement that contemporary readers noted felt like a self-contained pilot grafted into the annual format, likely to seed her quickly into the broader Marvel Universe. The issue appeared the same year as The Death of Captain Marvel, and the need to keep Marvel's contested 'Captain Marvel' trademark alive provided clear editorial motivation for introducing a successor character.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and full origin of Monica Rambeau, who takes the name Captain Marvel — the second character to hold that title in Marvel Comics — written by Roger Stern and drawn by John Romita Jr. (breakdowns) and John Romita Sr. (finishes).
- Story title: 'Who's That Lady?' Released on-sale August 31, 1982, with an October 1982 cover date; published by Marvel Comics under editor Tom DeFalco and editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.
- Monica Rambeau is depicted as a lieutenant in the New Orleans harbor patrol who gains the power to transform her body into any form of electromagnetic energy after being struck by extradimensional energy from a weapon built on an offshore oil rig.
- The issue also serves as the first appearance of Professor Andre LeClare, the scientist whose research triggers Monica's transformation.
- Avengers appearing in the issue: Captain America, Hawkeye, Iron Man, She-Hulk, Thor, and the Wasp; Ben Grimm (the Thing) also appears, directing Monica to Avengers Mansion after she seeks help at the Baxter Building.
- Cameo appearances by Harry Osborn and Liz Allan Osborn; two backup features round out the annual: 'The Many Loves of Peter Parker' and 'The Daily Bugle.'
- Monica Rambeau's next appearance after this issue was Avengers #227, where she was granted Avengers-in-training status; she later became the first Black woman to lead the Avengers.
- The issue has been collected in the trade paperback Captain Marvel: The Saga of Monica Rambeau (also listed as Captain Marvel: Monica Rambeau), which reprints her earliest major appearances alongside issues from Avengers, Marvel Team-Up, Solo Avengers, Marvel Fanfare, Avengers Unplugged, and two Captain Marvel one-shots.
Cast · 20 characters
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Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Lt. Monica Rambeau of the New Orleans harbor patrol helps her grandfather's friend, Andre LeClare, after his former assistant used his research to create a weapon at an offshore oil rig. Rambeau causes the weapon to explode which gives her energy powers and she quits the harbor patrol to become the hero, Captain Marvel. Weeks later, the excess energy she absorbed at the oil rig has been building inside her. She travels to the Baxter Building to get Mr. Fantastic's help but, upon learning he is away, goes to Avengers Mansion where Iron Man is able to siphon off the dangerous excess energy.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).