Captain Marvel, in the beginning, was never a character that shined brightly. Especially not the one who started it, Walter Lawson. Born out of a need to keep the 'Marvel' name actually at Marvel, the character underwent many changes and through several runs but no one quite found the right approach to him.
That was, until, one name came. And that name was Jim Starlin. His run was short, only lasting about a year and a half and encompassing only 10 issues, but he left an impact on the character that no other writer was able to achieve. Starlin's artwork was groundbreaking, bringing in a rich depth that truly brought the characters to life. His Thanos War storyline is vastly underrated and brought the Mad Titan fully into the Marvel Universe, proving just how much of a threat the villain is. Sadly, Starlin moved on to better things and once he left, Captain Marvel once again fell flat until the comic was eventually put out of its misery.
But that wasn't the end of the Marvel name. Before Lawson's time ended, a new character was brought in to uphold the mantle who had a much lasting legacy that continues on to this day. That character is Carol Danvers who, while known as Captain Marvel now, started out as Ms. Marvel. The 1970s was a time for Women's Liberation and like all major political movements, the comics wanted to reflect that and so more and more female driven comics were created (sadly, very few made it to print and fewer lasted, Ms. Marvel being the longest at the time). So, when thinking up a new character, a decision was made to hit two birds with one stone and make another effort to keep the Marvel name at Marvel. And so, Ms. Marvel was created.
She had a rocky start, no doubt about that, with both Gerry Conway, who started the run but quickly left, and Chris Claremont doing their best to do the character justice. While they didn't quite hit the mark, they certainly got the ball rolling amd helped propel the character for her own lasting history, moreso than Walter Lawson ever had. The comic only had 23 issues and none really stood out as great or even very good, but they helped solidify her as a worthy hero in the Marvel pantheon and the eyes of the fans. So for now, that would have to do.
5. Captain Marvel Vol 1 34: Blown Away
Jim Starlin’s last story on Captain Marvel and he ends with a literal bang, having the hero face-off against villain Nitro who has explosive powers. The action and artwork are stellar as always for Starlin and the dialogue is on point. It is a little abrupt, coming right off the Thanos War and right before Starlin leaves, but it still works and holds a powerful moment here where Mar-Vell first contracts the cancer that will eventually take his life.
4. Ms. Marvel Vol 1 17-18: Shadow of the Gun
Foreshadowing taking to another level as Ms. Marvel keeps dreaming of her upcoming death. The first issue is all build-up as Carol goes about her life with this threat hanging over her head while the threat itself readies, infiltrating SHIELD and showing off the danger they pose. Then the action begins, bringing in the Avengers in a large team-up in a battle stretching across the city as Ms. Marvel fights for her life with barely given room to breathe as she is attacked. Claremont manages to build great suspense and pull it off with equally great action in this story while continuing his penchant for world-building as introduces X-Men villain Mystique here for later use.
3. Ms. Marvel Vol 1 20-21: The All-New Ms. Marvel
Debuting in a new costume (now known as her swimsuit costume), Ms. Marvel does feel all-new in this story as she is more confident in who she is and in her hero identity. And just in time as she investigates mysterious disappearances that leads her into a city of lizard people. And it is here that Claremont shows how powerful she is as she takes on the whole city of lizards single-handedly. But it’s not just her power but how she uses it that is shown as she works to make peace with her enemies, not wanting to fight, since the Saurians (as they are later revealed) are just defending themselves. While not her greatest story, this one is a fresh starting point to the character that gives readers a clear picture as to who Ms. Marvel is and what she stands for.
2. Ms. Marvel Vol 1 1-14: This Woman, This Warrior
The launch of Carol Danvers’s own comic and from the start writer Gerry Conway shows that she is her own distinct character separate from Captain Marvel, fleshing out her character. And while he only stayed on for a few issues, Chris Claremont quickly takes over and continues what Conway started, making Carol the powerhouse she is today. While the plotline of Carol having Ms. Marvel as a separate identity from her meandered for too long here, it still provided a good starting point for Carol to accept her role as a superhero. The action sequences and story threads to leave something to be desired but when the focus is on Carol’s personal life, Claremont’s script elevates as he truly digs deep into who she is, the final issues showing her relationships with her parents and how they influenced her. This story, while not the best, is a good starting point for the character who would day be a star of the Marvel universe.
1. Captain Marvel Vol 1 25-33, Avengers Vol 1 125: Thanos War
It is here that Jim Starlin shows off what makes him a powerhouse in the comic book industry. Not just the greatest Captain Marvel story told yet, this story is also one of the best stories told yet. And it is really thanks to one main character: Thanos. Starlin’s creation comes onto the scene in a massive way, seeking the cosmic cube to elevate himself to god-level power and status. Expanding the character’s lore with the introduction to Eros and Father on the Titan moon and explaining the villain’s backstory, Starlin truly fleshes out a character brand new to the scene who will one day become one of the greatest comic book villains of all time. Adding in villains Controller and Blood Brothers and heroes Drax the Destroyer and Moondragon while exploring their joined history, tying in to other comics such as Two-in-One and Daredevil and especially Avengers, and having artwork that is so beautifully crisp and detailed, this book can’t receive enough praise. Starlin also doesn’t forget the star of this story, diving into the character of Captain Marvel, trying to infuse him with more depth and power to maintain reader interest. There is so much that works in this story and little that doesn’t.
Not too many stories as Captain Marvel didn't really have much of an impact at this point. Still, these ones stood out as the best but sadly, the 1980s had even fewer for Cap. Ah well.
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