A Tale of Two Captains...and Hulk in Captain Marvel #15

Hey friends and readers! Welcome to Captain C’s, the Marvel Files monthly look at Captain Marvel! Cat Purcell and Christina Eddleman are going to take you through the ins and outs of Thompson et al’s run on our favorite Captain.

Carol has been hiding the avengers in The Singularity as she tries to figure out how to disable Vox’s bombs without killing anyone. But her trick might be found out soon in this issue by Kelly Thompson, Lee Garbett, Tamra Bonvillain, and Clayton Cowles.

Cat Purcell: My anxiety on Carol’s behalf ramped up to the Nth degree here. From the fight at the start to the confrontation with Vox at the end I was biting my nails.

Christina Eddleman: I am very particular about how I’m served my metaphorical “heroes-fighting-heroes” eggs, and Thompson has been getting my order right every month [Ed. Note: Christi is a noted over-medium eater]. I’ve been excited for this issue and have brought my appetite, so let’s dive in!

The Final Countdown

CE: While Carol’s encounter with She-Hulk gives us the punching we love in comics, what is perhaps the most poignant to me is how this forces us to see the lengths Carol is willing to go to protect the innocent. It’s a real “trolley problem” as Carol must gamble the risk of killing her dear friend versus the lives Vox Supreme holds hostage. This moment to me sets the stakes for Carol. While we see the weakness she exploits in other Avengers, their compassion towards her, we see no such hesitation on Carol’s part here.

CP: When Jen realized she was fighting Carol, my heart sank so hard. Garbett’s ability to capture the pain in She-Hulk’s face is terribly amazing and Carol’s response points to your comment on their compassion to her here. Particularly her plan to take She-Hulk out by zapping her brain shows Carol knew in that form it would take her out by inflicting the least amount of harm [Ed. Note: I guess…].

CE: Thompson does a beautiful job of writing Captain America. While we’ve seen Cap countless times throw down against other heroes, seeing him place his trust in someone else’s guidance was beautifully unexpected. The trust Cap places in Carol was truly a heartwarming reflection of their relationship.

CP: One thing that didn’t surprise me was Captain America’s absolute trust in Carol. His willingness to just go with her and then let her punch him out was such a testament to his character and an example of how Thompson truly understands it. I’m not a huge Captain America fan, but gosh, if Thompson ever took up that book, I’d add it to my pull list in a heartbeat.

Our Secret Place

CP: The Clue with the nine bombs in the nine Kree refugees made me gasp out loud and it’s clear Vox knows Captain Marvel is smarter than she’s letting on to them. I know that’s gotta be vital information for the team back in the pocket.

CE: I’m always anxious waiting for the reveal of a plan, and I’m so happy to know they’ve got one! I’ve so much enjoyed the use of Singularity as a plot device in this story and was excited to see She-Hulk recognize her. With all of the Avengers stuck in a pocket dimension together, however, I would have loved to see a bit more interaction between them.

CP: Definitely. I feel like a whole extra issue could be written about how Tony, Thor, and She-Hulk spent their time avoiding twiddling their thumbs in Blue. After this arc, I might need a comical issue about the gang playing board games while floating in space in their skivvies.

CE: That sounds much more entertaining than Tony puzzling over broken pieces of his own suit. I have also been puzzling over just what those Chekov’s guns might be used for and I have a hunch, so buckle up! Tony mentions planning to use Vox’s greatest strength against him. As far as the Avengers know, Vox Supreme has a few things that could be considered their greatest strengths. First, their sound based powers or, as Tony theorizes, seeing through electrical signals. Second, the suit monitoring Carol. Finally, the bombs placed very likely in the bodies of nine Kree refugees in camps on Earth. Utilizing what’s left of Tony’s suit, I imagine he could create something that could disrupt Vox Supreme’s “sight” and ability to monitor Carol. The second part of my wild hunch, the delivery of this sabotage would have to be through either the bodies of the clones, or Carol herself. It’s a wild theory likely to be proved wrong next month, but doesn’t it sound just comic booky enough to be right?

It’s Electric

CE: I have been craving a villain monologue, and this issue delivered just that. While Vox Supreme doesn’t spill all their plans, hearing the words “Master Race” definitely sounds like some bad news. Just what do they plan to do with those bodies though? Something electrifying I’m sure.

CP: As SOON as I saw those words, I shivered. Are they compiling their powers? No, because as Carol noted, Vox wanted Tony’s body and he hasn’t got them. Unless it’s some amalgamation of their abilities? Tony’s brain, She-Hulk’s Brawn, T’Challa’s tech? Nevermind, I have no idea. Carol’s comment of “Here We Go” when she turns up with Barton and Rogers makes me wonder if getting knocked out by Vox was part of Tony’s plan. At least, I sure hope it was. She talked in the last issue about the suits being the key and hopefully that wasn’t just in reference to taking out the Avengers. It’s clear there’s suspicion about them turning up naked, but Carol isn’t. Hopefully she didn’t leave out her own gifted suit out of the equation.

CE: The art during our final villainous encounter ticked every box for me. Carol’s Vox suit gave me some serious body horror vibes. I’m hoping Carol’s panic is related more-so to her face being covered by an evil suit than a plan gone awry. The detail of an empty speech bubble next to Carol’s smothered face is a fabulous visual as well. Superheroes bodies strapped to a villain’s evil machine is always a great panic inducer. But it’s hard to feel too panicked with the next issue’s cover: Carol holding not only Cap’s shield but also Thor’s hammer! Unless Vox Supreme’s goal is to turn Carol into the first member of his “Master Race” [Ed Note: Yikes!] with the powers of all the Avengers, I think we’re safe.

CP: Gosh, I could see that though! If your last thought there combines with my thought on the pocket pals saving the day, that could very well be it! I’m crossing my fingers that they pool together to do something. Thompson rarely leaves threads hanging, so they have to come out somehow. I’ll hold that in my mind to carry me over until next month, which seems so very far away.

CE: A wise editor [Ed. Note: The wisest, in fact] mentioned that Thompson’s run of Captain Marvel will be one to definitely pick up in omnibus form someday as it’s shaping up to be a run that will be considered a classic, and I couldn’t agree more. This issue not only advances an engaging story, but I’m continually impressed with how thoughtfully Thompson writes each character.

CP: I am NERVOUS. I really have to trust that the good guys will win out in the end here. I’m hoping Tony slipped something up Carol’s sleeve before she got taken in by Vox. Either that or hopefully the rest of the folks back in the Singularity can bust out and save the day. I said at the beginning that I’m not usually one for good guys gone bad storylines and this one feels fresh because Thompson has kept the tropes subverted and pulls the heart of each of the Avengers to the forefront.