Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16

Monica Rambeau aka MY Captain Marvel, is one of the Black superheroes I’ve been building my personal comic book collection around. Which makes Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 a Grail for my collection.

Y’all remember that Jay Z line: “The only Christopher We acknowledge is Wallace.” That’s how I feel about Monica Rambeau. She’s the only Captain Marvel I acknowledge. Historically, she’s the first female Captain Marvel as well.

And for that reason I have a hard time referring to her as anything else. None of her other names, Pulsar, Photon and now Spectrum, seems to do her justice.

Monica Rambeau has the ability to transform into any form of energy present on the electro-magnetic spectrum.  Since her debut in 1981 she has gradually become more and more powerful. 

Sadly, she also has the ability to become the stand in diversity character in hundreds of Marvel flagship books; The Avengers, Next Wave, Marvel Divas just to name a few.

And before you dismiss this idea as your run of the mill woke hyperbole consider this quote from the creator John Romita Jr.:

I just took some reference on Pam Grier, because I always loved her, and at the last moment somebody said that, “Well, we need to use this woman, here,” because they thought maybe Pam Grier wasn’t as good-looking as the model they found. It was fine, because by the time she got done by other artists, it ended up looking like the generic black character, anyway. (Via Wikipedia)

Generic. Black. Character. Le-Sigh.

That’s why I cherish the moments where My Captain Marvel truly gets to shine thanks to the writer Dwayne McDuffie. THE Dwayne McDuffie who wrote two separate Marvel One-Shots featuring Monica Rambeau as Captain Marvel.  One in ’89 and another in ’93.

And with her new Disney+ show in the works I suspect that Marvel will publish some type of Monica Rambeau on going series soon.  And they’ll probably call it Spectrum.  And I’ll probably ignore that name.

“Her momma named her Captain Marvel.  I’ma call her Captain Marvel.”