Giant-Size Ms. Marvel #1
Giant-Size Ms. Marvel #1 (February 2006) is the opening salvo of Carol Danvers' first solo ongoing series in over two decades — a deliberate editorial reset that used the aftermath of the House of M event as Carol's psychological springboard for declaring she would be 'the best of the best.' The 16-page new lead story, written by Brian Reed and drawn by Roberto De La Torre, directly bridges the House of M crossover into Ms. Marvel Vol. 2 #1, making this issue the true narrative genesis of the characterization that would eventually carry Carol all the way to the Captain Marvel mantle. Crucially, the issue contains the first-ever appearance of Carol's cat Chewie — later revealed to be an alien Flerken — a supporting character who went on to become a significant presence in the ongoing series, the 2014 Captain Marvel run, and the 2019 MCU film. The bundled classic reprints served an equally important archival function, making Carol's defining Bronze Age origin material (Captain Marvel #18, Ms. Marvel #1, #2, and #20) accessible to a new generation of readers who had never encountered her 1970s adventures.
In "Vengeance Is Mine!" from Giant-Size Ms. Marvel #1 (2006), Rick Jones struggles to hold on to his identity as Mar-Vell’s earth host while Captain Marvel races to rescue Carol Danvers from Yon-Rogg and The Mandroid at a forgotten Kree outpost. The stakes rise as old alliances fracture and the weight of cosmic power tests the limits of one man’s resolve.
In "This Woman, This Warrior!", Carol Danvers arrives in New York to start her new role editing a women's magazine for Jameson, but soon finds herself struggling with unexplained headaches and blackouts. When the Scorpion targets Jameson for revenge, Ms. Marvel steps in to stop him—just as her own fractured memories begin to surface.
In "Enigma of Fear!", Carol Danvers grapples with mysterious blackouts while tracking down the vengeful Scorpion, whose rage burns hotter after a brutal encounter left him scarred. Meanwhile, Kerwin Kormin, now the relentless Destructor, joins A.I.M. in a dangerous quest to unlock the secrets behind Ms. Marvel’s advanced technology.
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Marvel editorial, under editor-in-chief Joe Quesada and series editor Andy Schmidt, commissioned the Giant-Size issue as a dual-purpose launch platform: it both capped the House of M story arc for Carol Danvers and served as a heavily promoted on-ramp to the new ongoing series beginning the following month (March 2006). Writer Brian Reed — fresh off co-writing Spider-Woman: Origin — and penciler Roberto De La Torre were the regular creative team for that ongoing, and the Giant-Size issue was their joint debut on the character. The reprint selection was editorially curated to trace Carol's power origin through Captain Marvel #18 (by Roy Thomas and Gil Kane), her superhero debut in Ms. Marvel #1 (Gerry Conway and John Buscema), her secret-origin issue Ms. Marvel #2 (Conway and Buscema), and the debut of her black 'Lightning Bolt' costume in Ms. Marvel #20 (Chris Claremont and Dave Cockrum), giving the volume a sense of deliberate historical coherence.
Trivia · 8 facts
- Published February 15, 2006 by Marvel Comics; on-sale date confirmed by Grand Comics Database.
- Contains a brand-new 16-page lead story titled 'Moment of Clarity,' written by Brian Reed with art by Roberto De La Torre, inked by Jimmy Palmiotti, colored by Chris Sotomayor, and lettered by Dave Sharpe.
- The new story serves as the final chapter of the House of M story arc for Carol Danvers, depicting her waking on M-Day and deciding to become 'the best of the best' as Ms. Marvel — the defining character mission of Brian Reed's subsequent 50-issue ongoing series.
- First appearance (unnamed) of Chewie, Carol Danvers' cat and secretly an alien Flerken; the character would not be named 'Chewie' (after Chewbacca) until Ms. Marvel Vol. 2 #5 (2006), and was later confirmed to be a Flerken in Captain Marvel #7 (2014) and adapted as 'Goose' in the 2019 Captain Marvel film.
- First appearance of Sir Warren Traveler, a sorcerer-villain who carried over from the House of M reality into Earth-616 continuity and recurred in the early issues of the ongoing series.
- Reprints four classic issues charting Carol's origin: Captain Marvel #18 (1969, the Psyche-Magnitron exposure that gave Carol her powers), Ms. Marvel #1 and #2 (January–February 1977, her superhero debut and secret-origin resolution), and Ms. Marvel #20 (October 1978, debut of her black 'Lightning Bolt' costume) — with original covers included. Classic reprint material featured work by writers Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, and Chris Claremont, and artists Gil Kane, John Buscema, and Dave Cockrum.
- Edited by Andy Schmidt, with assistant editors Molly Lazer and Aubrey Sitterson, under editor-in-chief Joe Quesada; cover by Roberto De La Torre and Cam Smith.
- The issue was subsequently collected in Ms. Marvel Vol. 1: Best of the Best (hardcover and trade paperback editions, 2007), alongside Ms. Marvel Vol. 2 #1–5, and later in the Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers — The Ms. Marvel Years trade paperback series.
Full credits
Reprints
↩ Reprints Captain Marvel #18 (1969), Ms. Marvel #1 (1977), Ms. Marvel #2 (1977), Ms. Marvel #20 (1978)
Reprinted in Ms. Marvel #1 (2006), House of M: No More Mutants #[nn] (2010), Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers - The Ms. Marvel Years #1 (2018), House of M Omnibus #[nn] (2022)
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