Ms. Marvel – Generation Why

By starrymag | June 15, 2022

By: Atiya Irvin-Mitchell

 

 

Meet Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani). She is a 16-year-old Avengers stan living in New Jersey. Specifically, she’s a Captain Marvel devotee. When the episode begins she is using her fanart to give a very enthusiastic recap of how Captain Marvel helped save the day during the face-off with Thanos for her Youtube subscribers. For the record, she doesn’t think Captain Marvel abandoned the earth as she has absolute faith in Carol.

 

Her daydreaming and fangirling this particular morning is interrupted by her mother. She tells her to stop daydreaming so much and gives her some reminders about checking the mirrors during her driving test scheduled for that day. Her brother, Aamir (Saagar Shaikh), and her father, Yusuf (Mohan Kapoor), both wish her luck and encourage her not to be nervous.

 

She is nervous and the test doesn’t go well. Actually, it’s over before it starts. Kamala turns on the car and seconds later rams into the car in back of her. She awkwardly turns to the driving instructor and says that no one saw that, but then he says that it is his car she hit. It goes without saying that she failed. Yusuf and Muneeba (Zenobia Shroff), her parents, try pleading her case, but the instructor is peeved that he’s now walking home. So, it’s a no go.

 

Kamala’s mom lays on a light guilt trip on the way to school where she expresses some frustration that without a driver’s license Kamala can’t assist with Aamir’s pre-wedding errands. And she blames her genes for Kamala’s spaciness. She thinks Kamala is a lot like her grandmother. That seems like something that’ll come into play later.

 

Once at school we learn that Kamala’s used to being brushed aside by everyone but her best friend Bruno (Matt Lintz). He gives her condolences about her failed driving test and tells her he was totally betting on her. In addition to him being out ten bucks, Kamala’s current setback presents a different problem. Bruno and Kamala have been planning to go to Avenger Con. Like they’ve spent months on cosplay costumes, planning to go. But no license means no ride. Bummer. And the day gets worse, the guidance counselor Mr. Wilson (Jordan Fistman) calls Kamala in for a meeting in his office.

 

She goes and we get a montage of Kamala’s recent series of unfortunate events at school. A dodgeball accident, a botched chemistry experiment and her teachers aren’t impressed with her constant daydreaming and doodling. Mr. Wilson isn’t angry but he wants her to spend the weekend thinking about her future.

 

Later Kamala goes to the convenience store to work on her Captain Marvel cosplay and talk about their Avenger Con problems: 1) No ride. 2) Kamala’s parents have no idea she wants to go. Bruno tells Kamala that the solution to both of their problems is for her to suck it up and ask her parents.

 

When Kamala gets home she doesn’t ask, but she does stumble upon a package from her grandmother. It includes a bracelet that Kamala’s intrigued by, but her mother quickly takes it away and calls it junk. Her mother tells her brother to take it to the basement and then tells Kamala it’s time to go errand running for Aamir’s impending nuptials.

 

They do some shopping and then go to a fitting for wedding clothes. Kamala’s outfit doesn’t fit which leads to a back and forth about whether or not she’s too short. Then, Auntie Ruby (Anjaili Bhimani) comes in. She catches up with Kamala’s mom about how the wedding prep is going and fills her in on some neighborhood gossip. A girl named Fatima broke off her engagement and is now backpacking through Europe. Auntie Ruby and Muneeba both think this is a big mistake, but Kamala says it is good for Fatima. She wasn’t ready for marriage and she wanted to see the world, so she went for it. Auntie Ruby thinks she’s just going to see spinsterhood in her future.

 

When they get home Bruno and Yusuf are hanging out. Bruno made Yusuf a device that can control all the other electronics in the house. The Khans invite Bruno to stay for dinner but he has to work. So, Muneeba makes him a few plates to take home to his grandmother. On his way out Bruno tells Kamala to ask about Avengers Con because it’s happening soon.

 

Once he goes Kamala makes her pitch for Avengers Con and is shut down by her parents. What she says is she’d like to go to a superhero convention. Unfortunately, what her parents hear is that she wants to go to a party at night wearing skimpy clothes. Kamala asks her parents to trust her. Her mom full on says she doesn’t trust her. Her dad takes a somewhat softer approach and says it’s not her, it’s just the rest of the world they’re unsure of. Kamala says it’s just a convention, it’s not like she’s planning to go off and do cocaine. Then, her brother walks in and Kamala thinks if he was asking, her parents would say yes without hesitating. She just wants to have some normal teenage experiences. But her father says she isnt’ normal, which just upsets her. So, she storms off.

 

Later Aamir goes to check on her. He respects that she was bold enough to ask about Avengers Con and tries to comfort her. Kamala just doesn’t understand why her mother seems to hate everything that she loves. Aamir takes pity on her and promises to try and soften their parents up. No promises, but he’ll try to make them see that Avengers Con isn’t some sort of wild rager.

 

The next morning it turns out Aamir came through. Sort of. Kamala can go, her mother says, but only for two hours with her father as an escort. And if she wears a matching Hulk costume with him. Parents giveth and parents taketh away. Kamala says no as that’d be humiliating and then she feels guilty. She doesn’t want to hurt her parents’ feelings, but she’s been planning to be Captain Marvel for months. But her mother says she doesn’t want her parading around in “skimpy” clothes. Gentle reminder, she wants to be Captain Marvel who’s costume covers her from head to toe. So, it’s matching Hulk costumes or nothing.

 

After the kerfuffle she goes on the roof with Bruno to decompress. She feels disappointed and guilty. Kamala didn’t want to upset her parents, but she’d also like a little more freedom. And also she’s in need of validation. She tells Bruno that lately it feels like everyone from the guidance counselor to her parents has a problem with her interests. Despondent, Kamala admits that she’s starting to worry that maybe her superhero love is too unrealistic. “Brown girls from Jersey never save the day,” she tells Bruno. But Bruno says he’s still betting on her. Plus, he made her special gloves to complete her costume.

 

Things are still chilly at home and depressing at school. Then, Kamala makes a decision: she’s sneaking out. The plan is seamless: pretending to be in her room studying while she and Bruno take the bus to Avengers Con. The execution, of course, leaves a lot to be desired. When it comes to actually completing the plan, they’re late and Kamala loses her bike. But they do get to take in the convention and take some pictures. Also, her costume which includes her grandmother’s bracelet is a big hit. About the bracelet when Kamala puts it on, it glows a little and briefly transports her to an astral plane. Before she has time to question that the contest starts.

 

But things get a little strange. While walking on the stage to show off her costume for the cosplay contest Kamala starts feeling lightheaded. Then, as the room is spinning she shoots energy out from her hands. The good news is that everyone in the audience, except Bruno, just assumes it’s all for show. The bad news is the energy blast creates quite a bit of commotion.

 

The blast knocks over a robot head that’s on display and it falls into the crowd. There’s a destructive domino effect that follows. People are running and screaming and trying not to get hurt. In the midst of everything Zoe (Laurel Marsden), an influencer Kamala goes to school with, wants a picture. She’s so focused on the possibility of pictures for her followers she doesn’t notice the replica of Thor’s hammer coming her way. Kamala, still dazed, tries to warn her but she’s a little too late. The hammer takes Zoe flying, but Kamala manages to save her. She shoots her arm out elastigirl style and breaks Zoe’s fall. With all of the commotion she and Bruno decide it’s time to go.

 

On the ride home Kamala is stunned and Bruno is too. He can’t believe she has super powers. Kamala can’t believe any of that happened and swears Bruno to secrecy. He promises not to tell anyone. Then gives her a boost so that she can climb in through her bedroom window. Unfortunately for Kamala, her mother is waiting for her. Busted!

 

Kamala’s mother feels very betrayed and can’t believe Kamala would be so “rebellious.” Kamala tries to explain she didn’t want to rebel, the Avengers are just important to her.  Muneeba says she needs to stop it with all the daydreaming and starts to tell her about her own mother, but Kamala explains she’s warned her about being like her grandmother a million times. Her mother tells her that she needs to think about what sort of person she wants to be “good” like she’s been raised to be or in fantasy land. Kamala isn’t happy her mother’s so disappointed in her, but once she’s alone she chooses fantasy.