Marvel’s Newest Superhero is like Nothing You’ve Seen Before

Marvel Comics is bringing back their character Ms. Marvel for a new series, and they're giving the classic superhero a modern take.

Ms. Marvel is typically depicted as a buxom blonde woman, but in the new series, she'll be a Muslim teen girl from New Jersey named Kamala Khan, daughter of two Pakistani immigrants.

The new Ms. Marvel's powers will include growing and shrinking different parts of her body, as well as shape-shifting. She'll also deal with normal teenage problems, like discovering her individuality and learning to face responsibility.

Marvel Entertainment is hoping to diversify its characters and reject tired stereotypes. "I wanted Ms. Marvel to be true-to-life, something real people could relate to, particularly young women," says series writer G. Willow Wilson, who himself is a convert to Islam.

"High school was a very vivid time in my life, so I drew heavily on those experiences - impending adulthood, dealing with school, emotionally charged friendships that are such a huge part of being a teenager," he says.

Kamala won't be the first Muslim crime-fighter in the comic book world. DC Comics has two characters; Nightrunner and the newly re-launched Green Lantern, both of whom are Muslim. The Marvel universe also features Dust, a young Afghani woman who has powers to manipulate sand.

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