The following article features spoilers for Ms. Marvel episode five.
This week’s episode of Ms. Marvel was a game changer for multiple reasons.
In many ways, episode five functioned as a fitting finale, closing the door on the personal aspect of Kamala’s origin story and waving goodbye to the main Clandestine threat.
It was also a game changer in how it played around with pre-established rules of time travel in the MCU – something which left many fans confused.
Marvel Studios
As we know from previous Marvel movies (but specifically Endgame), going back in time creates a new timeline which deviates from our own instead of triggering a butterfly effect in the present.
Here, as it was in Kamala’s destiny to help get her family to safety in Partition-era India, our hero comes back to the same present day she left – that’s the power of Noor for you.
Her return to the present day is how the show sets the stage for next week’s finale. After the opening of the veil that would engulf both Earth and their home territory, Najma sacrifices her life to close it in the hopes of saving her son Kamran – which, in the process, transfers her powers to him.
So, with the Clandestine leader out of the way, does this mean that Kamran will now take over this villain role?
Kamran
Marvel Studios
Introduced as a mysterious new love interest earlier in the season, the episode finale suggests he could become something much more complicated.
After swiftly reconciling with her son in order to save Earth, Najma transferred her powers over to him – although the Ms. Marvel series has deviated from the comics, a quick look at them lets us know what we could expect.
In the comics, both Kamran and Kamala are Inhumans, having been granted their powers through Terrigen Mist. Kamala’s origin story has changed here, with no connections to that event (even if a Kree hand was visible in the episode three prologue).
Marvel Studios
However, Kamran’s story has remained more faithful to the comics, where he was introduced in 2015. There his entire body emits a glowing bluish energy, which he can release as blasts or channel to cause objects to explode.
From the brief sequence we see in this episode, that looks to also be the case here, right down to the colour of the energy he projects.
But this still leaves one question unanswered: will gaining these new powers turn him into a villain?
The Final Boss
Marvel Studios
In a series that’s introduced several villains along the way (with this week also teasing the return of Damage Control who have been recently absent), could the big bad have been one of the love interests all along?
That’s certainly the case in the Ms. Marvel comics. In issue 14 of Ms. Marvel Volume 3, Kamran and Kamala bond over their similar powers – a variation on the crush story we saw earlier this season.
However, Kamran is soon recruited by mob boss Lineage (another figure with Inhuman powers), finding himself kidnapping Kamala in order to bring her to him.
Marvel Studios
We’re not expecting this to happen here – but with the sudden reappearance of Damage Control, we can’t rule out Kamala getting kidnapped and brought to the DODC by the boy she’s crushing on.
Kamran is already on the run from the organisation – but as we know from previous episodes, a lot can change week to week.
He’s certainly been afforded more screen time than other villains this series, so if the show were to pull this twist, it would make sense.
Marvel Studios
Ms. Marvel has done a great job handling the family drama, tying the personal and political histories of Kamala’s family into her revamped origin story.
Next week we can expect a more conventional superhero showdown, which is likely to set the ground running for Kamala’s next screen appearance: 2023’s The Marvels.
We’ve seen how Kamala’s history has made her a hero: now it’s time for her to officially become one.
