MS MARVEL versus PROWLER
Battle Lines (Marvel)
Where: Ms. Marvel #6 When: October 2006
Why: Brian Reed How: Roberto De La Torre
The Story So Far...
When super-villains fleeing the New Warriors caused the destruction of Stamford, Connecticut and deaths of thousands, the US government is mobilized to create the Superhuman Registration Act. Supported by prominent figures, like Iron Man, the act makes it law for super-powered individuals to divulge their personal details and enlist as part of a fully sanctioned force.
Some heroes follow the example of Captain America, opposing the invasive authoritarian action by going underground. To apprehend and detain these rogue individuals, SHIELD deploys a task force nicknamed the CapeKillers, along with registered heroes such as Ms. Marvel. With suspicions of a mole working within their ranks, the Unlicensed Hero Recovery Team targets The Prowler!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Ms. Marvel 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Prowler 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Ms. Marvel 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Ms. Marvel 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Prowler 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Ms. Marvel 4 (Trained)
Energy: Ms. Marvel 5 (Lasers)
Total: Ms. Marvel 29 (Metahuman)
The Civil War event of 2006 made strange bedfellows & brawls out of a divided superhero community. We're going back to check out one of those curious asides directly caused by the Superhuman Registration Act!
Ms. Marvel has a long history with the United States Air Force and SHIELD, making it unsurprising she was on the side of government registration and regulation during Civil War. It was during her service with the Air Force when Carol Danvers was accidentally caught in an explosion that imbued her with hybrid alien genetics. Exposure to the Kree hero Captain Marvel meant she gained super-human strength, stamina, durability, and the power of flight.
After fighting the renegade Secret Avengers during the initial conflict [Civil War #3]; Ms. Marvel was assigned to the Unlicensed Hero Recovery Team, formed to track down and detain costumed vigilantes still operating without authorization.
One such unauthorized target was the original Prowler!
Hobie Brown first donned the purple & green costume of The Prowler to stage crimes he would later appear to solve in his civilian identity. After a robbery at the Daily Bugle escalated to violence, he was turned away from crime by Spider-man, turning his skills in engineering to become a force for good.
Prowler possesses no super-human abilities, but his costumed is equipped with various inventions of his own design, such as talon-like climbing gloves, various pneumatic weapons, and a reinforced but flexible suit. He's at home tackling the riffraff of New York City - but out of his weight class against Ms. Marvel!
This is the first time we're seeing Prowler in action, but we've seen Ms. Marvel demonstrate her power against big time threats like: Symbiote possessed Avengers [New Avengers #36], the Dormammu possessed Hood [New Avengers #54], and an Agamotto possessed giant Luke Cage [New Avengers #2]!
Prowler's only hope is to use speed, agility, and the familiarity of the city to try to turn the tables on the super-humanly strong Marvel! Good luck!
The Tape: Ms. Marvel Ranking: Ms. Marvel (#84)
What Went Down...
Choppers fill the night sky over New York City, casting a light upon the shadows that are home to Manhattan's scum and villainy. On this night, the criminal is not the usual breed. As the gliding form of Ms. Marvel exits the helicopters, use of force is authorized against a man whose only crime is not being registered.
Prowler is informed of his violation of the Superhuman Registration Act and ordered to stand down. Ms. Marvel hovers over him as he expresses disbelief for his government's reaction to efforts to help people. Like so many of his crime-fighting brethren -- Prowler chooses to go down fighting!
Pneumatically propelled explosives fire from Prowler's gauntlet, detonating against the alley wall behind Ms. Marvel. The hovering hero has no trouble evading, repositioning to return fire with cosmically charged consequences!
The energy bolt finds its target. Any hope of escape is thwarted. Prowler hits the cement - hard! An instant kayo as SHIELD Cape-Killers descend upon the alley to take the neutralized target into custody.
The Hammer...
So much for an upset! Prowler was always going to be outclassed against the might of Ms. Marvel, but who knew it would be such a devastating defeat? Such were the unflinching tactics used during the bitter conflict of Civil War!
A harsh Secret Wars on Infinite Earths debut for Prowler - but a no less welcome one! You may've seen another Prowler in the animated theatrical release, Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse, but this here is the bona fide original!
Prowler is technically the first character conceived by artist John Romita Jr, who submitted the design to his father John Romita Sr, and Stan Lee, when he was just thirteen years old! The result is a cult character who debuted in 1969, and has gone on to capture the imagination of generations of readers!
There must be something about that combination of purple and green that just tickles a child's mind. I'd drawn a similar figure in my own childhood, and thought Prowler was pretty cool once I discovered him some time after. I even bought an action figure when the character joined Spidey animated series line!
Not such an easy sell for Ms. Marvel. Carol Danvers will become a household name in March when Captain Marvel is released theatrically -- but it wasn't too long ago she was toiling in easily overlooked supporting roles, suffering from a strong of also-ran revamps, and changing identities.
Even during the conceited rebuild of the 2000s, it was easy to think of Ms. Marvel as a slightly dull and uninteresting character. The Warbird years seemed to work at creating an identity entirely distinct from Mar-Vell, but the slightly damaged militant affiliated with the Avengers and SHIELD could read quite dry.
I was never all that enticed by the flaming figure of Binary, who just didn't seem as cool as Phoenix or others, but the black suited Warbird often seemed like an over correction, existing too far from the character's colourful cosmic origins, still dogged by a sense of being a no-fun holdover from the seventies.
Captain Marvel's iconic death arguably should've freed his successor to inherit the legacy as fully as she has now. Instead, the burden of being a gender-swapped derivative of another hero seemed to persist, while upstarts like Genis-Vell, Marvel Boy, and Quasar were created to capitalize on Mar-Vell's legacy.
It wasn't necessarily an obvious move to relaunch a Ms. Marvel solo series in 2006, but EIC Joe Quesada, and Avengers writer Brian Bendis, seemed pretty determined to restore some of Marvel's seventies icons to their former glory.
Bets were hedged, relegating Danver's solo adventures to second & third tier guest characters and alternate realities, but the underrated hard work of Brian Reed and his collaborators helped get the character to where she is now. And let's be honest: Ms. Marvel throwing down with the likes of Prowler, Shroud, and Arachne might not make headlines -- but you know I'm gonna dig it.
The fight with Prowler plays as a nice pre-credits action sequence, getting the issue rolling into the Civil War tie-in. Itself another interesting, seemingly counter-intuitive facet, given the positioning of Carol Danvers as an antagonistic agent of the government's pro-registration, anti-vigilante hardline. Civil War had its arguments for both sides, but the romantic heart of the superhero concept was always to favour of Captain America, and the anti-registration side.
Regardless of divisions: the Marvel Universe is clearly better for having Carol Danvers in it, and I'll be looking forward to returning for more battles from Ms. Marvel's history in the coming months!
If you want more Ms. Marvel in your universe, you can find today's featured fight in multiple collected editions! Amazon purchase links are provided for your convenience, but shopping with them also ensures Amazon will support the site at no extra cost to you! Marvelous!
Find more classic combat and bigger battles by diving into the Secret Archive of every featured fight! Follow on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day!
Winner: Ms. Marvel
#53 (+31) Ms. Marvel
#870 (new) Prowler
Where: Ms. Marvel #6 When: October 2006
Why: Brian Reed How: Roberto De La Torre
The Story So Far...
When super-villains fleeing the New Warriors caused the destruction of Stamford, Connecticut and deaths of thousands, the US government is mobilized to create the Superhuman Registration Act. Supported by prominent figures, like Iron Man, the act makes it law for super-powered individuals to divulge their personal details and enlist as part of a fully sanctioned force.
Some heroes follow the example of Captain America, opposing the invasive authoritarian action by going underground. To apprehend and detain these rogue individuals, SHIELD deploys a task force nicknamed the CapeKillers, along with registered heroes such as Ms. Marvel. With suspicions of a mole working within their ranks, the Unlicensed Hero Recovery Team targets The Prowler!
Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Ms. Marvel 6 (Invincible)Intelligence: Prowler 3 (Straight A)
Speed: Ms. Marvel 4 (Olympian)
Stamina: Ms. Marvel 5 (Marathoner)
Agility: Prowler 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Ms. Marvel 4 (Trained)
Energy: Ms. Marvel 5 (Lasers)
Total: Ms. Marvel 29 (Metahuman)
The Civil War event of 2006 made strange bedfellows & brawls out of a divided superhero community. We're going back to check out one of those curious asides directly caused by the Superhuman Registration Act!
Ms. Marvel has a long history with the United States Air Force and SHIELD, making it unsurprising she was on the side of government registration and regulation during Civil War. It was during her service with the Air Force when Carol Danvers was accidentally caught in an explosion that imbued her with hybrid alien genetics. Exposure to the Kree hero Captain Marvel meant she gained super-human strength, stamina, durability, and the power of flight.
After fighting the renegade Secret Avengers during the initial conflict [Civil War #3]; Ms. Marvel was assigned to the Unlicensed Hero Recovery Team, formed to track down and detain costumed vigilantes still operating without authorization.
One such unauthorized target was the original Prowler!
Hobie Brown first donned the purple & green costume of The Prowler to stage crimes he would later appear to solve in his civilian identity. After a robbery at the Daily Bugle escalated to violence, he was turned away from crime by Spider-man, turning his skills in engineering to become a force for good.
Prowler possesses no super-human abilities, but his costumed is equipped with various inventions of his own design, such as talon-like climbing gloves, various pneumatic weapons, and a reinforced but flexible suit. He's at home tackling the riffraff of New York City - but out of his weight class against Ms. Marvel!
This is the first time we're seeing Prowler in action, but we've seen Ms. Marvel demonstrate her power against big time threats like: Symbiote possessed Avengers [New Avengers #36], the Dormammu possessed Hood [New Avengers #54], and an Agamotto possessed giant Luke Cage [New Avengers #2]!
Prowler's only hope is to use speed, agility, and the familiarity of the city to try to turn the tables on the super-humanly strong Marvel! Good luck!
The Tape: Ms. Marvel Ranking: Ms. Marvel (#84)
What Went Down...
Choppers fill the night sky over New York City, casting a light upon the shadows that are home to Manhattan's scum and villainy. On this night, the criminal is not the usual breed. As the gliding form of Ms. Marvel exits the helicopters, use of force is authorized against a man whose only crime is not being registered.
Prowler is informed of his violation of the Superhuman Registration Act and ordered to stand down. Ms. Marvel hovers over him as he expresses disbelief for his government's reaction to efforts to help people. Like so many of his crime-fighting brethren -- Prowler chooses to go down fighting!
Pneumatically propelled explosives fire from Prowler's gauntlet, detonating against the alley wall behind Ms. Marvel. The hovering hero has no trouble evading, repositioning to return fire with cosmically charged consequences!
The energy bolt finds its target. Any hope of escape is thwarted. Prowler hits the cement - hard! An instant kayo as SHIELD Cape-Killers descend upon the alley to take the neutralized target into custody.
The Hammer...
So much for an upset! Prowler was always going to be outclassed against the might of Ms. Marvel, but who knew it would be such a devastating defeat? Such were the unflinching tactics used during the bitter conflict of Civil War!
A harsh Secret Wars on Infinite Earths debut for Prowler - but a no less welcome one! You may've seen another Prowler in the animated theatrical release, Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse, but this here is the bona fide original!
Prowler is technically the first character conceived by artist John Romita Jr, who submitted the design to his father John Romita Sr, and Stan Lee, when he was just thirteen years old! The result is a cult character who debuted in 1969, and has gone on to capture the imagination of generations of readers!
There must be something about that combination of purple and green that just tickles a child's mind. I'd drawn a similar figure in my own childhood, and thought Prowler was pretty cool once I discovered him some time after. I even bought an action figure when the character joined Spidey animated series line!
Not such an easy sell for Ms. Marvel. Carol Danvers will become a household name in March when Captain Marvel is released theatrically -- but it wasn't too long ago she was toiling in easily overlooked supporting roles, suffering from a strong of also-ran revamps, and changing identities.
Even during the conceited rebuild of the 2000s, it was easy to think of Ms. Marvel as a slightly dull and uninteresting character. The Warbird years seemed to work at creating an identity entirely distinct from Mar-Vell, but the slightly damaged militant affiliated with the Avengers and SHIELD could read quite dry.
I was never all that enticed by the flaming figure of Binary, who just didn't seem as cool as Phoenix or others, but the black suited Warbird often seemed like an over correction, existing too far from the character's colourful cosmic origins, still dogged by a sense of being a no-fun holdover from the seventies.
Captain Marvel's iconic death arguably should've freed his successor to inherit the legacy as fully as she has now. Instead, the burden of being a gender-swapped derivative of another hero seemed to persist, while upstarts like Genis-Vell, Marvel Boy, and Quasar were created to capitalize on Mar-Vell's legacy.
It wasn't necessarily an obvious move to relaunch a Ms. Marvel solo series in 2006, but EIC Joe Quesada, and Avengers writer Brian Bendis, seemed pretty determined to restore some of Marvel's seventies icons to their former glory.
Bets were hedged, relegating Danver's solo adventures to second & third tier guest characters and alternate realities, but the underrated hard work of Brian Reed and his collaborators helped get the character to where she is now. And let's be honest: Ms. Marvel throwing down with the likes of Prowler, Shroud, and Arachne might not make headlines -- but you know I'm gonna dig it.
The fight with Prowler plays as a nice pre-credits action sequence, getting the issue rolling into the Civil War tie-in. Itself another interesting, seemingly counter-intuitive facet, given the positioning of Carol Danvers as an antagonistic agent of the government's pro-registration, anti-vigilante hardline. Civil War had its arguments for both sides, but the romantic heart of the superhero concept was always to favour of Captain America, and the anti-registration side.
Regardless of divisions: the Marvel Universe is clearly better for having Carol Danvers in it, and I'll be looking forward to returning for more battles from Ms. Marvel's history in the coming months!
If you want more Ms. Marvel in your universe, you can find today's featured fight in multiple collected editions! Amazon purchase links are provided for your convenience, but shopping with them also ensures Amazon will support the site at no extra cost to you! Marvelous!
Find more classic combat and bigger battles by diving into the Secret Archive of every featured fight! Follow on Twitter and Facebook for daily links to battles inspired by the topics of the day!
Winner: Ms. Marvel
#53 (+31) Ms. Marvel
#870 (new) Prowler
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