Marvel Is Killing An Avenger Months Before Their MCU Return

In a shocking and divisive decision, the beloved Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan is being killed off in the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man #26, killing one of Marvel’s most prominent Muslim characters during AAPI Heritage Month and just a few months before her return to the MCU in The Marvels.

Kamala Khan quickly became a fan-favorite character during her 2014 solo series Ms. Marvel from writer and co-creator G. Willow Wilson. Readers gravitated towards this relatable and heroic young Inhuman, whose adventures provided a major source of positive media representation for Muslim and Pakistani-American communities.

First revealed in a major leak, Kamala’s upcoming death in Amazing Spider-Man #26 from writer Zeb Wells and artist John Romita Jr. has many fans feeling incredibly disappointed. They are particularly bewildered by the fact that Ms. Marvel barely has a relationship with Peter Parker. Many believe her death is being used as a stunt by Marvel Comics editorial to drum up attention for the Amazing Spider-Man series and Kamala’s upcoming MCU return.

Ms. Marvel’s Death Is Unnecessary And Unwanted

Ms. Marvel has become a major Marvel hero over the past decade – one of the most prominent new legacy heroes alongside others like Miles Morales and Riri Williams – and she has played a significant role on the Champions, Secret Warriors, and New Avengers rosters. Many fans have pointed out that Ms. Marvel’s death seems to serve no other purpose than to provide fodder for Peter Parker’s continued struggles, with Marvel itself saying that Kamala will make a “heroic sacrifice” that leads to her death. This hints that this death may be yet another example of the tired and misogynistic “fridging” trope. There are many examples of why Kamala’s death feels like a disrespectful creative decision to fans, with a major reason being that she is one of very few prominent Muslim heroes at Marvel. Her death – not matter how temporary – has a much more negative impact on representation then other recent comics “deaths” like The Death of Doctor Strange.

Another major issue is with the cover for the upcoming one-shot Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel. The heroes featured on the cover of this issue make zero sense. Even though Kamala was on the Avengers for a while, in reality the main team she is associated with is the Champions, and not a single member of that team is present on the cover. In addition, Kamala herself is not the focus of the cover, instead centering Peter and his grief. One small potential saving grace about the Fallen Friend one-shot is that it is being written by Ms. Marvel co-creator G. Willow Wilson, so hopefully Kamala will get the respect and focus she deserves. While many fans are rightfully outraged, offended, and disappointed by Marvel’s decision to unceremoniously kill off Ms. Marvel, it is also important to remember that this decision might not have been made by Amazing Spider-Man writer Zeb Wells, as many people are assuming.

Kamala’s Disney+ Show Retconned Her As A Mutant

Kamala Khan’s death seems to be yet another case of unnecessary “MCU-synergy” attempts by Marvel, which often attempts to capitalize on the success of its MCU projects by retconning comics continuity to fit into MCU changes. Kamala’s acclaimed Disney+ series Ms. Marvel revealed in the finale that she is in fact a mutant, not an Inhuman like in the comics. Many fans online are assuming that Kamala will be brought back to life on Krakoa by the X-Men’s Resurrection Protocols, retconning Ms. Marvel as a mutant in the comics to align with her MCU character’s origins.

Marvel’s decision to kill off Ms. Marvel before Kamala Khan‘s big return to the MCU in The Marvels has been disappointing and frustrating to many fans to say the least. Readers feel that Ms. Marvel deserves more respect, especially if the iconic Muslim hero’s death is solely being used as a gimmick to increase sales.

Amazing Spider-Man #26 from Marvel Comics debuts on May 31.