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Carol Danvers Reading Order, From Mrs. to Captain Marvel

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Created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968), Carol Danvers was originally an officer in the United States Air Force and a colleague of the Kree superhero Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel.

It wasn’t until 1977 that Carol got her powers and became known as Ms. Marvel (created by writer Gerry Conway and artist John Buscema). At that time, she resurfaced as the editor of WOMAN Magazine, a spin-off of the Daily Bugle. We then discovered that the energy exposure from the explosion of a “Psyche-Magnetron” was behind the melding of Carol’s genetic structure with Captain Marvel’s. She technically became a human-Kree hybrid.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Mrs. Marvel was the victim of bad writing before being mixed up with the X-Men, especially with Rogue, who absorbs her abilities and memories. This story led to her becoming known as Binary, the superhero capable of generating the power of a star. During the 1990s, after some cosmic adventures, she reverted to her original Ms. Marvel powers and later rejoined the Avengers as Warbird.

When Brian Michael Bendis took over the Avengers, he introduced the idea of Carol Danvers becoming Captain Marvel. This didn’t become a reality immediately; she reclaimed her place in the hero community as Ms. Marvel and played significant roles in major events. In fact, it was in July 2012 that Carol Danvers finally assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel in an ongoing series written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Dexter Soy. And now, she has her own movies!

Carol Danvers Reading Order

  1. Simply Carol Danvers: Captain Marvel’s Sidekick
  2. The Original Ms. Marvel: A Hero is Born
  3. The Binary era: Carol and the Starjammers
  4. Warbird: On and off with the Avengers
  5. The second Ms. Marvel era: Bigger and better
  6. The Captain Marvel Eras:
    1. by Kelly Sue DeConnick
    2. by Margaret Stohl
    3. by Kelly Thompson
    4. by Alyssa Wong

Simply Carol Danvers

Before becoming a superhero, Carol Danvers was an officer in the United States Air Force and the Security Chief of a restricted military base. That’s where she met Dr. Walter Lawson, aka Captain Marvel. She’s mostly present during the first part of the series (mostly issues #1 to 18, but she came back a bit later in #34-35, 40).

Those stories were reprinted in the Masterworks Collection (see Captain Marvel Masterworks Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol. 4), but Marvel announced the line was put on hold, and those books will become harder to find. However, those issues were also reprinted in the omnibus collection and made available in Digital format, here and here.

  • Captain Mar-Vell Omnibus Vol. 1
    Collects Marvel Super-Heroes (1967) #12-13 and Captain Marvel (1968) #1-33, Iron Man (1968) #55, and material from Not Brand Echh #9.
  • Death of Captain Marvel Omnibus
    Collects Captain Marvel (1968) #34-62, Marvel Spotlight (1979) #1-4 And #8, Avengers Annual (1967) #7, Marvel Two-In-One Annual (1976) #2, and Marvel Graphic Novel #1 – And Material From Marvel Super-Heroes (1990) #3, What If? (1977) #17 And What If? (1989) #14.

Mrs Marvel Logo - Carol Danvers Reading Order

Carol Danvers is Ms. Marvel

In 1977, Carol Danvers debuted as Ms. Marvel and was hired by J. Jonah Jameson as the editor-in-chief of Woman Magazine, a Daily Bugle spin-off inspired by the real-world feminist publication Ms. magazine. Early in this run, she struggled with a fractured psyche, completely unaware that she and Ms. Marvel shared the same body.

  • Captain Marvel: Ms. Marvel – A Hero is Born
    Collects Ms. Marvel (1977) #1-23; Marvel Team-Up (1972) #61-62, 76-77; Defenders (1972) #57; Marvel Two-In-One (1974) #51; Avengers (1963) #200, Avengers Annual (1967) #10; Material From Avengers (1963) #197-199, Marvel Super-Heroes (1990) #10-11, Marvel Fanfare (1982) #24. Ms. Marvel #19 is part of the crossover Avengers: The Korvac Saga.

Those Ms. Marvel issues and crossovers have also been reprinted in the Epic Collection:

Carol Danvers joined The Avengers in issue #183, but left the team in #200:

[ X-MEMO // CEREBRO_FILE_150 ]
Carol Danvers lost her memories and powers during a fight against Rogue. After Avengers Annual #10, Carol decided to leave The Avengers behind and stay with the X-Men. She then appeared in Uncanny X-Men #150, and #153-154.
— X-Men Entry Point Protocol // End of File.

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Carol Danvers is Binary

Starting with Uncanny X-Men #158, Carol Danvers meets the Starjammers, then takes part in The Brood Saga (#161-166), during which she is changed by the alien race known as the Brood and becomes the extremely powerful Binary (in issue #164).

As Binary, she stayed in space with the Starjammers, appearing in multiple issues of Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants, and Quasar, but the stories rarely focused on her.

Carol Danvers as Binary in Uncanny X-Men #171

After one last appearance in Uncanny X-Men #174, Carol learns about Mar-Vell’s death in the story “Elegy,” published in Marvel Fanfare #24 by Chris Claremont and Dave Ross, from the new Captain Marvel, Monica Rambeau. After that, she left her old life behind to travel with the Starjammers and appeared on occasion, like in:

Most of those appearances can at best be qualified as anecdotal, which makes the character’s disappearance for a few years unsurprising.

Mrs Marvel Logo - Carol Danvers Reading Order

Carol Danvers as Warbird

Carol Danvers returned with Kurt Busiek and George Perez’s version of The Avengers in 1998. At first, she’s still known as Binary (while wearing her old Ms. Marvel costume), but she became known as Warbird in Avengers vol. 3 #4. This didn’t last long as Carol started drinking heavily, and this led her to leave the team.

  • Avengers Assemble, Vol. 1
    Collects Avengers vol. 3 #1–11, Annual 1998; Iron Man vol. 3 #7; Captain America vol. 3 #8; Quicksilver #10.

After leaving the Avengers in #7, Carol mostly appeared in Kurt Busiek’s Iron Man series (Iron Man #11-12, 18-19, 21, 23-27).

  • Iron Man By Kurt Busiek and Sean Chen Omnibus
    Collects Iron Man (1998) #1-25, Captain America (1998) #8, Quicksilver #10, Avengers (1998) #7, Iron Man & Captain America Annual 1998, Fantastic Four (1998) #15, Iron Man Annual 1999, Thor (1998) #17, Peter Parker: Spider-Man (1999) #11, Juggernaut: The Eighth Day, and Iron Man: The Iron Age #1-2.

Carol later got back with The Avengers in Avengers #26, taking part in The Nefaria Protocols crossover, Maximum Security, and playing a big part in The Kang Dynasty storyline.

After Avengers #70, Carol mostly made cameos, until she was brought back in Brian Michael Bendis’ Avengers Disassembled, which launched his famous run on the title.

Mrs Marvel Logo - Carol Danvers Reading Order

Carol Danvers is Ms. Marvel (bis)

🔔Starting with the Bendis era, and still going strong, Marvel Comics jumped from one event to the next, with the Avengers being part of all of them to some degree. As an Avenger, Carol Danvers appears in… everything, but read the descriptions of the events to know if there’s something for her in it.

Carol Danvers made her comeback in an alternate reality during the House of M event. When everything came back to normal, she remembered everything, and those memories pushed her to become a new and improved Ms. Marvel. In fact, Marvel decided to finally treat her as an important Avenger, and she had a new ongoing series.

⚡Carol Danvers: Ms. Marvel Years
Before looking at a more detailed list incorporating most of Ms. Marvel’s appearances in and outside her series, the following is the list of all the latest editions of the Ms. Marvel series. It was recollected in three bigger books under the title “Captain Marvel Carol Danvers: Ms. Marvel Years”:

Ms. Marvel #10

The Ms. Marvel Years: A Complete Reading Order

Being a full-time Avenger during the Bendis era came with a lot of events. Adding to that a solo series by Brian Reed and Roberto De La Torre, Ms. Marvel was not only busy, but she also finally became a major character in the Marvel Universe. You can limit yourself to reading the ongoing Ms. Marvel book, but following the Avengers at the time provided you with a lot more adventures and character development.

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Civil War Daredevil Reading OrderCivil War – The U.S. Government proposed the Superhuman Registration Act, intending to register all super-powered beings as living weapons of mass destruction and requiring all costumed heroes to unmask themselves before the government and subject themselves to federally mandated standards. Heroes had to choose between rallying behind either Iron Man’s pro-registration forces or Captain America’s opposition. The Civil War began. Check out our Civil War Reading Order for a more detailed look at the event.

After the Civil War, the officially sanctioned Avengers team of registered superheroes is The Mighty Avengers, composed of Ms. Marvel, Ares, Black Widow, Iron Man, Sentry, Wasp, and Wonder Man. Carol Danvers still appears from time to time in the New Avengers book, though.

The Mighty Avengers and the New Avengers have to team up due to a symbiote infestation with events from The New Avengers #3436, crossing over with Mighty Avengers #8.

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Secret InvasionThe Secret Invasion begins with a brutal battle between the New Avengers and the Hand—one that claims the life of Elektra and reveals that she was a Skrull! What does this mean for Tony Stark and his Mighty Avengers? How about the Illuminati? go to the Reading Order!

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Dark ReignAfter Secret Invasion came the Dark Reign, a new “dark” era for the heroes of the Marvel Universe. Dark Reign is not an event, but a thematic era (see this article to learn more about it). A new status quo, a bad one for the heroes but good for the Dark Avengers, Norman Osborn’s team!

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Marvel Siege LogoSiege is the end of the Dark Reign Era. Coerced by Loki and on the brink of madness, Osborn, in his final bid to take total control, targets the final obstacle in his mission…Asgard. Check out our Siege Reading Order for more information.

  • Siege
    Collects Siege: The Cabal, Siege #1-4, and Avengers: The Way Things Are.
  • Siege: New Avengers
    Collects New Avengers Annual 3, Dark Reign: The List – Avengers, New Avengers #61-64 & New Avengers Finale.

After that, Carol Danvers was for a short time relegated to be a secondary character in events like Spider-Island, Fear Itself, and Avengers Vs. X-Men.

Logo - Captain Marvel Reading Order

Carol Danvers is Captain Marvel

Starting in 2012, Marvel Comics committed to making Carol Danvers an even bigger character and rebranded her. She’s now Captain Marvel. The title came with a new costume and a new series.

Captain Marvel (2012) #2

Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick with art by Dexter Soy, the new Captain Marvel series established Carol Danvers as Earth’s Mightiest Hero. But there still is a Mrs. Marvel, see Kamala Khan Reading Order.

⭐ Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick Omnibus Collection
All the Captain Marvel comics from Kelly Sue DeConnick are now collected in one big omnibus.
  • Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick Omnibus
    Collects Captain Marvel (2012) #1-17, Captain Marvel (2014) #1-15, Avengers: The Enemy Within (2013) #1, Avengers Assemble (2012) #16-19, Avenging Spider-Man (2011) #9-10, Captain Marvel & The Carol Corps (2015) #1-4.
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Secret Wars 2015Secret Wars marked the end of a Marvel era. Interdimensional incursions have eliminated every alternate universe one by one. And now, the Marvel Universe and Ultimate Universe have collided…and been destroyed! For more information, go to our Secret Wars (2015) Reading Order.

Logo - Captain Marvel Reading Order

The Secret Wars rebooted the Marvel Universe (the story picked up eight months after the event). It’s the “All-New, All-Different Marvel” now, and the Captain Marvel series is written by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas, with artwork by Kris Anka. Carol Danvers took over the responsibilities of the military agency S.W.O.R.D., and also joined The Ultimates.

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Civil War IICivil War II put Carol Danvers at the heart of a crisis. When a new Inhuman emerges with the ability to profile the future, Captain Marvel wants him to work with the Ultimates to preemptively tackle disasters before they happen, but Iron Man opposes the idea. This is the beginning of a conflict. For more information, go to the Civil War II Reading Order. This event takes place after Captain Marvel (2016) #5, Ultimates #6, and A-Force #7.

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Captain Marvel by Margaret Stohl

At that point, the series was relaunched under the title “The Mighty Captain Marvel,” by writer Margaret Stohl and artist Ramon Rosanas.

⭐ Captain Marvel by Margaret Stohl Complete Collection
All the Captain Marvel comics written by Margaret Stohl are now collected in one heavy 488-page volume.
  • Captain Marvel by Margaret Stohl
    Collects The Mighty Captain Marvel (2016) #0-9, Captain Marvel (2017) #125-129, Generations: Captain Marvel & Captain Mar-Vell (2017) #1, The Life of Captain Marvel (2018) #1-5.
The Mighty Captain Marvel vol. 1 #0

As the commander of Alpha Flight, Carol Danvers has the world cheering her on. But has Captain Marvel become someone she no longer recognises? She would rather focus on her duties, which include confronting a sinister figure, hunting down alien refugee children and leading her troops in the defence of a volatile Earth against a Chitauri invasion.

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Secret Empire Icon 29Secret Empire exposed that Captain America is living a lie! The Cosmic Cube has remade the world’s greatest hero into a secret true believer in the cause of Hydra! Now, Steve Rogers makes Hydra’s ideals a reality. For more information, check out the Secret Empire Reading Order.

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Thanos - Infinity Reading Order, a Marvel EventInfinity Wars brought the Infinity Stones back. As each stone’s location is discovered, forces converge for a battle that will send the universe down a dark path…to the end! Captain Marvel is one of the main characters here. For more information, check out our Infinity Wars Reading Order.

  • Infinity Countdown
    Collects Infinity Countdown Prime #1, Infinity Countdown #1-5, Infinity Countdown: Adam Warlock #1.
  • Infinity Countdown Companion
    Collects Infinity Countdown: Black Widow, Infinity Countdown: Captain Marvel, Infinity Countdown: Champions #1-2, Infinity Countdown: Daredevil.
  • Infinity Wars
    Collects Infinity Wars #1-6, Prime, Fallen Guardian, and Infinite, and material from Thanos Legacy #1.

As we entered the Marvel Fresh Start era, Marvel published a new origin story by Margaret Stohl and Carlos Pacheco: The Life of Captain Marvel.

Logo - Captain Marvel Reading Order

Captain Marvel by Kelly Thompson

In 2019, with the first Captain Marvel movie coming out in theatres, Marvel Comics decided to launch a new Captain Marvel series. This time, it’s written by Kelly Thompson and drawn by Carmen Carnero.

⭐ Captain Marvel by Kelly Thompson Omnibus Collection
Captain Marvel (2019) #22

Carol Danvers is also a member of Jason Aaron’s Avengers.

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War of Realms Logo 72The War of Realms started when the Dark Elf Malekith the Accursed, who had conquered the Ten Realms one by one, came for the last one: Midgard (Earth!). For more information, go to our War of Realms Reading Order.

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Empyre Reading OrderEmpyre starts when old allies make a distress call to the Avengers with news of a terrible enemy that could wipe out humanity. Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four witness the final conflict of the Kree/Skrull War! With the Kree and Skrulls united under a new emperor, their war fleet charts a course — for Earth! Check out our Empyre Reading Order for more details. Carol plays a notable part in this one.

This series is part of Marvel Action, an imprint of comics meant for readers of all ages and generally out of the main continuity. You can read it here if you like.

  • Captain Marvel: Game On
    Collects Marvel Action Captain Marvel (2019) #1-6, Marvel Action Captain Marvel (2021) #1-5.

Captain Marvel by Alyssa Wong

A new start for Captain Marvel! She is now the leader of the Avengers (by Jed MacKay). For a short run, she also had her own ongoing series from Alyssa Wong and Jan Bazaldua, which introduced her new costume and brought back some of the previous Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel (2023) #8
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The Blood Hunt starts when the sun disappears, and vampires take over the world. From the front lines, the Avengers and Doctor Strange have to deal with waves of vampires led by ancestral monsters who come to take control. Visit our Blood Hunt Reading Order for more details.

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This is One World Under Doom. Sorcerer Supreme Doom declares himself Emperor Doom and takes over the world. The Avengers try to stop him, but every attempt is a new defeat. One World Under Doom Reading Order, a new Dark era in the Marvel Comics Universe

Jed MacKay’s run on the Avengers ended, and Chip Zdarsky took over with the event series “Avengers: Armageddon” that put an end to the last team’s iteration. Carol Danvers will join the new roster and keep fighting with the team, though. But for now, she’s dealing with family secrets in Paul Jenkins and Lucas Werneck’s 5-issue limited series “Captain Marvel: Dark Past.”

  • Captain Marvel: Dark Past
    Collects Captain Marvel: Dark Past #1-5.
  • Avengers: Armageddon
    Coming Soon…

To be continued…

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Reading digitally?
Check out Captain Marvel on Marvel Unlimited or Amazon / Kindle.

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