The first trailer for Marvel's next Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel, has dropped, and fans are excited about the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's hero line-up. The show's lead character, Kamala Khan, only made her first appearance in the comics in 2013. This makes her one of the quickest page-to-screen debuts in Marvel's history.
However, the character's connection to Brie Larson's Carol Danvers may confuse fans who aren't as knowledgeable about Marvel Comics. Kamala Khan's history in the comics is recent, but it might be worthwhile to brush up on. These ten comic book runs are some of the best Ms. Marvel stories for fans of the upcoming series.
10 Ms. Marvel Volume 3 (2014)
Kamala Khan officially made her solo debut in the third volume of the Ms. Marvel series. Previously, the title had been held by Carol Danvers before that character took on the mantle of Captain Marvel. Starting with a run titled "No Normal," Kamala became part of the next generation of Marvel superheroes.
This series largely follows Kamala Khan's origins as a Muslim teenager in Jersey City who writes Avengers fan-fiction. However, after an encounter with Terrigen Mist, she inherits powers similar to Mr. Fantastic. While the Disney+ series may take an alternate approach to Kamala's origins, this is a great intro to the character's world.
9 Ms. Marvel Volume 4 (2016)
The follow-up to Kamala Khan's debut comic run began in January 2016. Taking place post-Secret Wars, Kamala has become a member of the Avengers — her dream come true. However, this change of pace doesn't come without its consequences, as Kamala has to balance the superhero life with her typical teenage affairs.
Whereas the previous volume serves as an origin for how Kamala evolves into Ms. Marvel, this volume sees her struggle with the title. However, she comes into her own as a protector of Jersey City and an independent hero on her own. As per usual with Kamala Khan stories, this volume is also jam-packed with pop culture references.
8 Civil War II (2016)
Kamala has also made several appearances as a supporting character in other comic runs. One of the biggest examples of this is Civil War II, a brawl between Avengers that was acclaimed by comic fans for its tense, high-stakes action. While Kamala's role is brief, she truly steps into her own and faces some tough challenges as a hero.
Surprisingly, Kamala does not take the side of her idol, Carol Danvers, and instead joins the other Avengers in support of Tony Stark. Not only is this series a good chance to see Kamala get into pretty action-packed fights, but it forces Kamala to take a stand as a hero for the first time. Aside from that, it's a very entertaining comic story.
7 Champions Vol. 2 (2016)
This comic book team-up follows the events of Civil War II, seeing Kamala join forces with Sam Alexander (Nova) and Miles Morales (Spider-Man) to form their own superhero team: the Champions. Alongside Amadeus Cho (Brawn) and Vision's daughter Vivian, the five ex-Avengers seek to protect humankind on their own terms.
Later, the team gains a sixth member in Scott Summers, a.k.a Cyclops. Together, the new Champions made some pretty great strides in crime-fighting. One of their biggest accomplishments was battling an alien invasion alongside the Avengers. This is a great comic run for fans who want to see Kamala work with other heroes as a team.
6 Secret Warriors Vol. 2 (2017)
The Champions wouldn't be Kamala's only opportunity to interact with other heroes. She gets another shot in the second volume of Secret Warriors, this time teaming up with the likes of Moon Girl, Daisy Johnson (Quake), Karnak, and more. This time, however, their enemy is more of a close friend.
The story of Secret Warriors involves Daisy Johnson's discovery of Hydra infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. With Captain America on their side, Hydra is targeting Inhumans, putting characters like Kamala Khan at risk. Needless to say, the stakes are high for Kamala in this run, but it's another great story that shows off her teamworking abilities.
5 Generations: Ms. Marvel & Ms. Marvel (2017)
This one-shot comic is a team-up between Kamala Khan and Carol Danvers against Barbara Nelson, a.k.a the super-villain Nightscream. Still following Kamala and Carol's falling-out during Civil War II, Kamala finds herself interning for Carol's department at the Daily Bugle. Soon enough, Kamala must team up with her former idol.
This comic book does a great job at expanding upon the pivotal plot point in Civil War II. While Kamala falling out of love with her favorite superhero is a fascinating turn, it's nice to see the two work together again in this Generations one-shot. It's a brief but interesting evolution for Kamala's character that no Ms. Marvel fan should miss.
4 The Magnificent Ms. Marvel (2019)
Comic book writer Saladin Ahmed took Kamala Khan for a spin in the 2019 ongoing solo series, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel. After many comic runs of team-ups and supporting roles, this series finds Kamala back in the forefront. Some comic book fans will definitely be relieved to get back to Kamala's solo adventures in Jersey City again.
This series finds Kamala protecting Jersey City from an alien invasion at the hands of Maliq Zeer. Along the way, she also teams up with Tony Stark once again to battle a hitman, Daniel DeCriscio, who goes by the name "Deathbringer." While it's not as high-stakes as her previous adventures, it's nice to see Kamala get back to the basics.
3 Ms. Marvel Team Up (2019)
This one-shot finds Kamala Khan partnering up with another former Avenger, though it's not Carol Danvers. Finally, Kamala gets a chance to team up with the original Spider-Man himself, Peter Parker. This is a great opportunity for Kamala and Peter to bond over their shared love of science, as well as their superhero expertise.
Written by writer Eve Ewing, this one-shot finds Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man teaming up to fight Jackal, an iconic villain in Spidey's rogue gallery. This comic is guaranteed to be a hit among both Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel fanatics, or even any casual Marvel fans. It's charismatic, action-packed, and to top it all off, emotional.
2 Outlawed (2020)
This team-centric one-shot returns to the story of the Champions, which Kamala is still a part of. This time, however, their roster has increased, now including Riri Williams (Ironheart), Joaquin Torres (Falcon), Moon Girl, and others. For MCU fans, this one-shot places the Young Avengers under the same threat of the Civil War film.
Thanks to a new law banning underage superheroes, Kamala and her Champion teammates have become outlaws to the U.S. government. Helmed again by Eve Ewing, this series sees the young superheroes at their most vulnerable. However, Kamala also faces extreme consequences for her protest of the law passing.
1 Ms. Marvel: Beyond The Limit (2022)
Kamala Khan's adventures in Marvel Comics are far from over. For fans looking to catch up quickly before the Disney+ series, a great series to check out is Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit, which only started in February 2022. This new ongoing series, written by Samira Ahmed, begins with Kamala on a new adventure in Chicago.
Since this series is only three issues in, there's no telling where it'll go. However, given that new issues will be released alongside the Ms. Marvel show, it's bound to be popular among new fans. To those looking for a hint as to where Ms. Marvel is heading next, here's a tiny spoiler: this new series has her running into none other than Loki!