Captain Marvel, aka Carol Danvers, has become the newest female superhero to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With her unmatched powers and steadfast dedication, her potential to be one of the great heroes cannot be questioned. However, like many heroes in the Marvel Universe, she has faced many personal and physical adversities that have stagnated her potential over the years. Since her introduction in the Marvel Super-Heroes #13 in 1968, Danvers has stood as a strong and independent woman. Her prolific military career led to opportunities in the CIA and NASA.
However, once she obtained her powers through an accident, her career was plagued with frequent blackouts as her new abilities overtook her. Although the powers helped her to become an unmatched superhero, the effects of their appearance damaged her career. Not only did Danvers struggle to find a place within a superhero team, she later lost her powers thanks to Mystique and Rogue. Many arcs of her history explore her pursuit of restoring not only her powers but her reputation as a hero. One of her main goals is to become a hero that people could be proud of and to do her best whenever possible.
Danvers has made numerous mistakes in the past. Along with quitting the X-Men and the Avengers several times, she let her long-standing feud with Mystique, and later Rogue, consume her. After facing numerous traumas, she eventually sought comfort with drinking, leading to her downfall as a hero for some time. And those are just a few of her low moments in her comic history. Let’s take a look at 20 Worst Things Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) Has Ever Done.
Tried To Destroy Every Version Of Rogue And Danvers That Existed
Danvers faced a very different confrontation in Ms. Marvel Vol 2 #9. A clash with an alternative version of herself brought her face-to-face with the consequences of her past mistakes. Earth-7192 Warbird had lost herself into alcoholism due to the actions of Rogue stealing her powers. She ignored a distress call from the Avengers, the Brood, and Cru, and went out drinking instead. Her planet was eventually destroyed, and she was knocked into the Earth-616 universe. She also revealed that her master plan was to eliminate all other versions of herself and Rogue in other worlds. In fact, she had already visited several Earths and began her plan. Danvers defeated her alternate self and left her in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody in Ms. Marvel vol 2 #10. Their fight gave her a harsh glimpse at the person she could become if was consumed by her own anger.
Had A Hand In Harry Osborn Losing His Life
The Ultimate Marvel version of Danvers was without any superhero powers whatsoever. Referred to as Captain Carol Danvers, she worked as acting director of S.H.I.E.L.D while Nick Fury was missing. In the Ultimate Spider-Man series, she worked to capture Norman Osborn after he escaped from Triskelion and tried to clear his name. She held a press conference declaring his innocence and wrongful conviction by the agency. As a means to lure him out of hiding, Danvers coordinated a fake press conference using Osborn’s son, Harry, against him. His son stated that his father was at fault for the passing of his mother and called him evil. Osborn later attacked the S.H.I.E.L.D Helicarrier. The father and son engage in a fight, but Osborn accidentally eliminated his son during the course of their confrontation in Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man #117.
Caused The Loss Of The Lives Of Several Avengers In Civil War II
Danvers’ steadfast trust in Ulysses’ powers continued to steer her in the wrong direction. Eventually, her strict belief in his abilities led to the destruction and injury to several members of the Avengers. The risks and casualties of using the precognition predictions began immediately in Civil War II #1. After claiming that he had a vision of Thanos trying to steal the Cosmic Cube, Danvers assembled a team of heroes to try to stop him. She-Hulk ended up in a coma due to her injuries, and War Machine perished. However, these tragedies only managed to make Danvers more committed to her cause. When Ulysses predicted the loss of thousands because of the Hulk losing control, she confronted the hero. In the end, Hawkeye eliminated Bruce Banner in Civil War II #3.
Supported An Agenda And An Undercover Enemy
The Civil War arcs pitted longtime allies against one another after the fallout over the Superhero Registration Act. Avengers Captain America and Iron Man found themselves on opposing sides when it came to the new law. Although Iron Man found just cause for the registrations, Captain America fought this oppressive movement. Danvers eventually sided with Iron Man and helped support him in forcibly registering and monitoring superheroes throughout the world. During Civil War II, her image definitely took a turn for the worse. Fans were alarmed to find out that Captain America had a secret Nazi agenda. Although she was unaware of her involvement, Danvers assisted in his plans to help Hydra thorough her actions.
She Turned To Drinking To Deal With Her Problems
Danvers was in pain many times in her life, and the traumas left her feeling quite empty and stressed. The loss of self, her powers, and other terrible personal tragedies left the hero to cope with her issues in unhealthy ways. However, she did not seek the help she needed to become better. Instead, she turned to drinking to help her through the bad times. Her drinking soon became a problem when it came to her trying to be a functional superhero. She would often go off on missions tipsy and make major mistakes and slipups. During the Live Kree or [Perish] arc, she made several mistakes, including shooting Lockjaw, getting captured by the Kree, yelling at Captain America, and attacking Iron Man. She was eventually expelled from the team. In the end, Stark helped her to tackle her issues and overcome drinking.
She Let Puppet Master Destroy Himself And Lied About Being Able To Save Him
From unprofessional relationships to betraying her friends, her moral compass has been a little skewed on occasion. In Ms. Marvel Vol 2 #18, she discovered that many superheroines, including Araña, had gone missing. With personal connections to those involved (especially Araña), she began to investigate their disappearances. Her findings led her to the Puppet Master who had been kidnapping the women to create his own slave army. During her confrontation with the villain, he eventually turned her friends against her and used them to attack her. He even tried to make Araña fight her but resisted and stated she could not fight her own mother. After defeating him, he threatened to take his own life, and she did nothing to stop him, consumed by her anger. She even lied to her team stating she could do nothing to stop his passing.
Supported King Hyperion And Became His Romantic Partner
The Exiles comic book series gave readers a glimpse into the many alternate universe versions of their favorite characters. Often removed from timelines and universes to fix some more significant issues (or hiccups), the characters would be plucked out and deposited in this reality. Usually, the characters would vary significantly from the familiar Earth-616 version readers had become accustomed to. In Exiles #38, the righteous and just version of Carol Danvers was nowhere to be seen. Instead, fans saw the more corrupt and intense version of the hero. To further add to this evil version of the superhero, she is depicted as having a relationship with ruthless King Hyperion. However, their evil reign together doesn’t last very long. During a battle between Weapon X and the Exiles, she is eliminated by Morph after being crushed by a building in Exiles #83.
She Let An Unhealthy Relationship Lead To Her Feud With Mystique
After obtaining her powers from an accident with a Kree device, Danvers developed her Ms. Marvel character. Unfortunately, the accident split her personality and she would blackout when those powers emerged. She sought help from NY psychologist Dr. Michael Barnett. The two made very questionable decisions which led to their strictly professional relationship to cross the line. They soon began dating with Barnett even losing his license over their relationship. Though he wanted to marry her one day (seen in Ms. Marvel #22), she didn’t take their involvement very seriously. Despite her ambivalence toward his affections, his passing at the hands of Mystique in Marvel Super-Heroes vol 2 #11 was enough to begin a life-changing feud with the mutant.
Changed Her Identity Way Too Many Times
Although many fans only know Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel, the character actually went through several identity crises during the course of her superhero career. Once she obtained her powers after an accident with a Kree device, she reemerged eight years after her character’s debut as Ms. Marvel. The name derived as a tribute to the Kree superhero Captain Marvel. She then shed her Ms. Marvel identity in Uncanny X-Men #158 and became Binary after being captured and experimented on by the Brood. By the 1990s, she lost the ability to use her Binary powers and went back to be Ms. Marvel. She entered into another identity change in Avengers vol. 3 #4 as Warbird but reverted back soon after. It wasn’t until Avenging Spider-Man #9 that she officially took on the Captain Marvel name.
Destroyed Her Friendship With Arachne
The Civil War arc not only forced allies and team members to go head-to-head over the Registration Act but friendships were destroyed in the process too. Take the relationship between Danvers and Arachne (Julia Carpenter). In the beginning, Arachne chose the pro-registration side and assisted Danvers and Stark with their agenda. However, when faced with having to capture her boyfriend Max Coleridge, she decided to help him instead of completing her duties. Danvers later discovered that she was working as a double agent and felt betrayed. She pursued Arachne and eventually arrested her. The arrest even took place before the eyes of Arachne’s daughter. Their longtime friendship was shattered after the event, and Danvers later regretted the fallout between them.
Believed In Precognition As A Way To Fight Crime
The idea of precognition as a means to stop crime has always been a controversial topic. Although some feel that it would serve as a means to prevent crimes from happening, others say that the perpetrators would be punished for crimes yet to be committed. These same opposing thoughts emerged during the Civil War II arc when the Inhuman Ulysses presented with his gift of predicting threats before they could happen. Committed to doing what she felt was right for everyone, Danvers jumped at the chance to use this power to her advantage. However, Stark felt that those powers were unreliable and could not be fully trusted. He also found himself siding with the belief that you can’t punish someone that hasn’t done anything wrong yet. Unlike the events in Civil War, Civil War II pitted these longtime friends against each other.
Continued Her Long-Standing Feud With Mystique Through Rogue
Dating back to occurrences in the 1970s appearance of Ms. Marvel, the two women have been set on destroying one another. However, it wasn’t just Mystique that she had to worry about. Rogue, the adoptive daughter of Mystique, was brought into their fight as a means to destroy her. After Destiny had a vision that Mystique needed to find Rogue and take care of her, the mutant raised the child to become a formidable opponent. Although she was still quite young when they confronted Ms. Marvel, she jumped right into the fight with the heroine. Rogue absorbed Ms. Marvel’s powers and memories in the fight. Instead of ignoring the young girl’s involvement (and blaming her mother for using her), she expanded her feud to include Rogue too.
Caused Her Own Loss Of Memories
During Avengers: The Enemy Within, she decided to finally see a medical professional concerning the painful headaches she would have. The doctor explained to her that she had a brain lesion. In addition, he said she was prohibited from flying because the pressure of flight would be too great and could cause brain damage. So what did she do? Ignored his diagnosis and continued to fly while confronting an enemy. She fell unconscious and ended up in the hospital. Again, she was told to restrict her use of her flying abilities as it could affect her short and long term memories. Once again, she ignored the advice and looked for the villain for a rematch. After this next fight, however, she found that she had lost her memories.
Nearly Eliminated Mystique
The constant back and forth between Danvers and Mystique seemed to come to a head when the two faced off for a final battle. Mystique decided to take advantage of the fact that Danvers lost her powers after her fight with Rogue. The powerless Danvers would be easier to take down, and she planned to take full advantage of her weakness. In Uncanny X-Men vol 1 #158, Danvers ran into Rogue and Mystique while on a mission at the Pentagon. While the X-Men fought Rogue, Danvers was confronted by Mystique. Despite not having her original powers, she still managed to overpower Mystique. Fueled by pure anger, Danvers knocked her unconscious and actually contemplated annihilating her. However, she decided to spare her life.
Her Character Was Played Down For A Romance Plot
From the beginning, Danvers was presented as a strong female character. She has a prolific career in the military and was successful on her own. Even after her creation and eventual debut in her own series, the use of the term “Ms.” also seemed to reflect the movement as well. She was respected for her intelligence, talent, and independence. However, her character became more of a “damsel in distress” when she took a romantic interest in Captain Marvel. He even had to rescue her on more a few occasion. Although she did take a position at a feminist magazine and fought for equal pay, her relationship seemed to damage her original portrayal.
Tried To Destroyed Rogue
While Danvers had been exploring her new powers as Binary, Rogue eventually made peace with the X-Men. She sought help for her mental anguish from housing her own memories and the memories of Danvers. She ultimately became a part of the team. However, when Carol returned from her journey and saw Rogue at the mansion, she did not know about her old enemy’s change of heart and new status. Still viewing her as an enemy, she immediately attacked her. Although Rogue she had Danvers old powers, her new abilities as Binary proved to be much greater. Danvers soon took the upper hand in the fight and defeated Rogue. She would have eliminated her completely had the X-men not stepped in to stop them. Feeling betrayed, she cut her ties with the team and left in Uncanny X-Men #171.
Ignored Her Amnesiac Symptoms
One of the strangest aspects of Danvers’ powers came with the division of her personality. Although she was quite powerful as Ms. Marvel, her new identity came with a caveat. In order to become Ms. Marvel, she would lose consciousness as that half of her personality took over. Afterward, she would have no recollection of what occurred. After the first few times this happens, she concluded that she must have been ailing from amnesia. However, she didn’t do anything about it. She did little to resolve the issue nor did she take her symptoms seriously. It was later that she discovered the cause of her blackouts was due to her transformation into the new superhero.
Let The Avengers Convince Her That Nothing Was Wrong With Her Absurd Child Rearing
One of the most unsettling events in Marvel Comics took place in The Avengers vol 1 #200. In this issue, Danvers discovered that she was to give birth. However, she had not been seeing anyone, and this occurrence should not have been biologically possible. Anyone else would find this occurrence strange and be skeptical of how this could happen. Although the impossible birth was unusual on its own, so were the reactions of her teammates. Instead of expressing concern or questioning how any of this was biologically possible, they congratulated Danvers. No one batted an eye at her current state even when she reached the full term of her potential birth in just a few months. Later it would be revealed they were under the control of the villain Marcus, however, Danvers still felt that her team let her down.
Gave Birth To Her Former Romantic Partner…
The storyline of The Avengers vol 1 #200 remains one of the low points in Danvers’ comic book history. One would think that Marvel writers would want to create a better story to mark the bicentennial issue. Danvers became mysteriously with child and gave birth just a few months later. Not only was her pregnancy a concern but the child as well. The infant developed and grew rapidly and became a fully matured man in the course of one day. When she checked on her “child”, he revealed himself to be Marcus, the son of the time-lord Immortus, an enemy of the Avengers. He admitted to taking her into Limbo, using mind control to make her “fall in love,” and coupling with her with a version of himself.
And Left Earth To Be With Him
Despite the unsettling truth of the events that led to her birthing event, Danvers still found herself drawn to the villain. Although his plan worked, his presence on Earth created issues in the time stream. He found that he had to leave in order to fix them. Moreover, in a strange turn of events, Danvers agreed to leave with him as he returned to Limbo in The Avengers vol 1 #200. She explained that she loved him and wanted to be with him. And yet again, her so-called friends went along with her stomach-churning plan and even wished her well with her “new love.” Yikes! She left Earth to live in Limbo with him, and no one made a move to stop her. It wasn’t until his passing that she realized they had all been mind-controlled yet again.
