Bigotry, by its nature, is foolish and illogical. Despite this, Marvel Comics has always had a problem in using Mutants as a metaphor for real oppressed minorities. Namely, that it makes little sense for people to hate and fear Mutants over all the other super-powered species.
There is no good reason why the same people who seek to kill all Mutants would single them out. People who fear Mutants because of their powers should also be afraid of alien heroes or mutates like the Fantastic Four. The first issue of the new Ms. Marvel solo series tackles this problem head-on.
Written by Sabir Pirzada and Iman Vellani, with art by Scott Godlewski, Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace #1 finds Kamala Khan facing a public image crisis. Recently, Kamala changed her costume to reflect the traditional blue and gold colors of the X-Men. She did this in solidarity after discovering she was a Mutant with an unmanifested power, in addition to her Inhuman abilities. This marks her as a rare Mutant-Inhuman hybrid.
Various X-Men comics made it look like the world turned against Ms. Marvel. The Anti-Mutant group Orchis tried to ruin her reputation, in keeping with their agenda to paint all Mutants as terrorists. However, many Kamala Khan fans felt this made no sense, given how beloved the hero was in her hometown of Jersey City.
Not Everyone Has Turned Against Ms. Marvel
The opening pages of Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace #1 add nuance to the earlier X-Men stories. While Ms. Marvel may have been looked on with suspicion while operating in Manhattan, opinions are mixed in Jersey City.
One police officer, whom Ms. Marvel assists in capturing a violent Anti-Mutant bigot, refuses to report her to Orchis, as per their orders. The comic also shows various people stopping others from using a Mutant Watch app to summon a Sentinel whenever Kamala is spotted in costume.
This offers a more realistic portrayal of how Orchis might try and fail to turn the public against Ms. Marvel. While their power is considerable, it would be hard to believe that they could instantly turn so many people into dyed-in-the-wool Mutant haters. This is particularly true of the Muslim Pakistani community which Kamala lives in, where most people experienced their own battles with oppression and bigotry.
Ms. Marvel: Mutant Menace #1 is now available on-line and in comic shops everywhere.
