Update: As expected, heroes that previously bore the mantle of Captain Marvel will be returning for the 'The Last of the Marvels' story arc kicking off in September's Captain Marvel #32. Or at least one will anyway.
Genis-Vell, son of the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell), will return for the storyline, joining Carol Danvers and Kamala Khan when a "dark presence" from earlier in writer Kelly Thompson's run mysteriously reemerges.
"Months ago, Carol was trapped inside a twisted version of her own suit. Now the nightmare prison has returned…but it's not Carol inside," reads Marvel's description.
As seen on artist Gerald Parel's variant cover to October's Captain Marvel #33, Genis-Vell is back for the storyline, looking much like he did during his '90s heyday, when he debuted under the codename Legacy. Marvel calls this the first of many shocking reveals and given he died in 2006, it's arguably at least surprising.
But hey ... comic books.
"But what role will the son of the original Captain Marvel play in the cosmic conflict?" Marvel asks. "And who else is hiding behind the masks?"
Check below for more information about 'The Last of the Marvels.'
Original story follows...
Carol Danvers is the most recent hero to wear the Captain Marvel moniker, but will she be the last? A new teaser for September's Captain Marvel #32 is setting the stage to reveal which hero may take the mantle of 'The Last of the Marvels,' possibly presaging another evolution of Carol's status quo.
The image promises "The Marvels of the past return."
"An old darkness has re-emerged, one that almost brought the Avengers to their knees. A twisted Captain Marvel is terrorizing the galaxy – and this time, it's not Carol Danvers...we're almost sure. And where is Vox Supreme? Carol must race to find out as 'The Last of the Marvels' begins." reads Marvel's official synopsis for Captain Marvel #32.
"Superstar writer Kelly Thompson joins forces with Black Knight: Curse of the Ebony Blade artist Sergio Dávila to kick off a thrilling fight to save the Captain Marvel legacy!"
That last bit is a reminder that Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel isn't the only Marvel Comics hero to invoke the publisher's name in their secret identity - not by a long shot.
Oddly enough, the first hero to use the Marvel name was Robert Grayson/Marvel Boy, who first appeared way, way back in 1950, when Marvel Comics was still publishing under the name Timely Comics. Marvel Boy was later incorporated into the Marvel Universe proper, but not before Wendell Vaughan, the future Quasar, debuted under the name Marvel Boy sporting an appearance almost identical to Grayson's pre-Marvel costume.
The first Marvel Comics 'Marvel' hero was Jean Grey, who originally went by the name Marvel Girl in her 1963 debut in X-Men #1. She later shared the codename with her daughter Rachel Summers.
The first Marvel Comics Captain Marvel, who first appeared all the way back in 1967's Marvel Super-Heroes #12, was Mar-Vell, Carol Danvers' Kree warrior mentor from whom she inherited the Captain Marvel codename long after his death - 30 years later, to be exact.
In the time between Mar-Vell and Carol Danvers, several other heroes used the Captain Marvel name as well. First, there was Monica Rambeau, who debuted just a few years after Mar-Vell's death. Then the name was used separately by two of Mar-Vell's children, Genis-Vell and Phyla-Vell.
Finally, just before Carol took up the codename herself, it was given to the Kree warrior Noh-Varr by Norman Osborn as part of his Dark Avengers. Oddly enough, though he didn't use the name in continuity, Noh-Varr first appeared as 'Marvel Boy' in a title of the same name.
Before becoming Captain Marvel, Carol was originally named Ms. Marvel, taking up the codename in 1977. Like Marvel Boy and Captain Marvel, Carol has her own successor as Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan. As for Kamala, she's actually the fourth Ms. Marvel, following Sharon Ventura (who later became She-Thing) and Karla Sofen, the villain known as Moonstone who masqueraded as Ms. Marvel as part of the aforementioned Dark Avengers.
Then there's the Blue Marvel, Kevin Brashear, an interdimensional superhero with a whole family of super-powered children and descendants - including a future hero named Marvel Woman.
So what's up in Captain Marvel #32? Well, there's a dark possibility that Mar-Vell, Carol's mentor, may return from the dead in a substantial way for the first time since his 1982 death - which could spell out huge ramifications across the Marvel Universe and could bring in any or all of the aforementioned 'Marvel' heroes as part of the legacy of Captain Marvel.
Captain Marvel #32 goes on sale September 1.
Marvel history is filled with heroes with the name 'Marvel' over the decades. Newsarama recently looked at the best new hero to debut in every calendar year since 1961's Fantastic Four #1 in our Marvel Yearbooks.
Check out the best character to debut in every year of the:
