Kamala Khan is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker, writer G. Willow Wilson, and artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, Kamala is Marvel's first Muslim protagonist character and Pakistani personality with her own comic book. In the Marvel Universe, Kamala is a teenage Pakistani-American from Jersey City, New Jersey with body-morphing abilities who discovers that she has Inhuman genes in the aftermath of the "Inhumanity" storyline. She assumes the mantle of Ms. Marvel from her idol, Carol Danvers, after Danvers becomes Captain Marvel.

Kamala made her first appearance in a background cameo in Captain Marvel #14 (August 2013), before starring in the solo series Ms. Marvel from February 2014 to March 2019, in a second solo series, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel, from October 2019 to May 2021, and in three Ms. Marvel limited series from November 2019 to January 2023. From 2016 to 2021, the character played a supporting role in the team series Champions and Secret Warriors; Kamala was also the focus of the 2020 event series "Outlawed" after being rendered comatose and made the face of "Kamala's Law", a vigilante minimum age law. An alternate future widowed version of the character named Kamala Carrelli, known by the vigilante name Khan, appears as a main character in the team series Exiles, published from April 2018 to March 2019. Following her solo series' conclusion, Kamala became a reoccurring character in The Amazing Spider-Man (2022), culminating with her death in issue #26 of that series in May 2023. Kamala was then resurrected in the July 2023 X-Men Hellfire Gala storyline where it was revealed that she was an Inhuman/mutant hybrid, synergetic with her MCU adaptation.

Marvel's announcement that a Muslim character would headline a comic book attracted widespread attention, with The New York Times Best Seller Ms. Marvel: No Normal winning the 2015 Hugo Award for best graphic story. The character and her solo series have received an overwhelmingly positive critical reception, with strong sales for her solo series. However, her 2019 and 2023 deaths in Champions and The Amazing Spider-Man, respectively, have been criticized as fridging.

Iman Vellani plays the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) miniseries Ms. Marvel and attraction Avengers: Quantum Encounter (both 2022), and is scheduled to reprise the role in the film The Marvels (2023); unlike the comic books, Kamala is reimagined as a latent mutant who uses a magical bangle to create glowing constructs out of hard light. From 2016 to 2019, the character was voiced by Kathreen Khavari in animated series such as Avengers Assemble, Marvel Rising, and Spider-Man. She was voiced by Sandra Saad in the video game Marvel's Avengers (2020) and the animated series Spidey and His Amazing Friends (2021).

Overview

Creative origins
Marvel Comics announced in November 2013 that Kamala Khan, a teenage American Muslim from Jersey City, New Jersey, would take over the comic-book series Ms. Marvel in February 2014. The series, written by G. Willow Wilson and drawn by Adrian Alphona, marked the first time a Muslim character headlined a Marvel Comics book. Noelene Clark of the Los Angeles Times noted that Kamala is not the first Muslim character in comic books; other Muslim characters include Simon Baz, Dust and M. The character was conceived during a conversation between Marvel editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker. Amanat said, "I was telling him [Wacker] some crazy anecdote about my childhood, growing up as a Muslim American. He found it hilarious". They then told Wilson about the concept, and Wilson was eager to join it. Amanat said that the series came from a "desire to explore the Muslim-American diaspora from an authentic perspective".

Artist Jamie McKelvie based Kamala's costume on his redesign of Carol Danvers as Captain Marvel and on Dave Cockrum's design of the original Ms. Marvel. Amanat asked that the design "reflect the Captain Marvel legacy, and also her story and her background", and said that Kamala's costume was influenced by the shalwar kameez. They wanted the costume to represent her cultural identity but did not want her to wear a hijab, because most teenage Pakistani-American girls do not wear one. Amanat said that they wanted her to look "less like a sex siren" to appeal to a broader female readership.

Marvel wanted a young Muslim girl, saying that she could be from anywhere and have any background. Wilson initially considered making her an Arab girl from Dearborn, Michigan, but ultimately made her a Desi girl from Jersey City. Jersey City, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, has been called New York City's "sixth borough". The city is an important part of Kamala's identity and the narrative, since most Marvel Comics stories are set in Manhattan. Wilson said, "A huge aspect of Ms. Marvel is being a 'second string hero' in the 'second string city' and having to struggle out of the pathos and emotion that can give a person".

The series explores Kamala's conflicts with supervillains and her domestic and religious duties. Wilson, a convert to Islam, said: "This is not evangelism. It was really important for me to portray Kamala as someone who is struggling with her faith ... Her brother is extremely conservative, her mom is paranoid that she's going to touch a boy and get pregnant, and her father wants her to concentrate on her studies and become a doctor". Amanat said,

As much as Islam is a part of Kamala's identity, this book isn't preaching about religion or the Islamic faith in particular. It's about what happens when you struggle with the labels imposed on you, and how that forms your sense of self. It's a struggle we've all faced in one form or another, and isn't just particular to Kamala because she's Muslim. Her religion is just one aspect of the many ways she defines herself.

Powers and abilities
Kamala develops her superpowers after Marvel's Infinity storyline, when the Terrigen Mists are released. Her dormant Inhuman abilities are activated by the mists on a rare night when she rebelliously decides to sneak out after her parents forbid her from attending a school party. Amanat said in 2022 that when she and Wilson were creating Kamala, the character was originally going to be a mutant before they changed her to an Inhuman. Screen Rant noted that Kamala is a "polymorph", with moves which "are basically Ant-Man and Mister Fantastic's combined". According to academic Sarah Gibbons, Kamala's body-morphing is paralleled by the flexibility required of the characters who live in Jersey City; her unusual, superpowered body shape conveys a non-conforming message.

Her best-known power is elongation, which allows her to extend her limbs, torso, or neck great distances. Kamala's other powers include the ability to alter her size, shrinking and enlarging herself. When she enlarges, she can lift up to 75 tons. Kamala has also used this ability to make her body as thin as paper. She has a healing factor (capable of healing bullet wounds), which works when she is not using her polymorph abilities. If Kamala extensively heals, however, she becomes very tired. She can shapeshift into other people and inanimate objects, although she rarely uses this power.

Asked about Kamala's transition from comic book to live action in 2019, Wilson said: "I think there're some characters who are very much set up for the big screen; they're very naturally sort of cinematic. But with Ms. Marvel, we really weren't interested in creating something that had very obvious film potential [...] She's got very comic booky powers. God bless them trying to bring that to live action; I don't know how that's going to work out in a way that doesn't look really creepy". In the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Kamala's comic-book powers are reinterpreted and she has "the ability to create and manipulate a kind of purple 'hard-light' (think Green Lantern, or Symmetra from Overwatch)". In the series finale of Ms. Marvel, "No Normal", it is revealed that Kamala Khan has a genetic mutation. Iman Vellani then confirmed that Kamala was the first mutant in the MCU.

Kamala is later revealed to have both Inhuman and mutant heritage, with Charles Xavier believing that Kamala having her Inhuman powers activating first may have suppressed her mutant powers. Xavier noted that unlike other mutants, Kamala was able to make contact with Terrigen Mist without suffering any ill effects. She will "retain her original stretchy embiggening powers that were established via her Inhuman heritage".

Publication history

Volume one (2013–2015)

Kamala is the daughter of Yusuf and Muneeba Khan and the younger sister of Aamir Khan. She takes the name Ms. Marvel from Carol Danvers, who is now known as Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel writer Kelly Sue DeConnick said that Kamala made a brief appearance in Captain Marvel #14 (August 2013): "Kamala is in the background of a scene in Captain Marvel 14 ... She is very deliberately placed in a position where she sees Carol protecting civilians from Yon-Rogg". According to co-creator G. Willow Wilson, Kamala idolizes Carol and emulates her when she acquires superhuman abilities: "Captain Marvel represents an ideal that Kamala pines for. She's strong, beautiful and doesn't have any of the baggage of being Pakistani and 'different'". "Khan is a big comic book fan and after she discovers her superhuman power – being a polymorph and able to lengthen her arms and legs and change her shape – she takes on the name of Ms. Marvel", Amanat said. Kamala is one of several characters who discover that they have Inhuman heritage after the "Inhumanity" storyline, in which the Terrigen Mists are released worldwide and activate dormant Inhuman cells.

She opposes Inventor, a clone of Thomas Edison tainted with the DNA of Gregory Knox's pet cockatiel, in the series' first story arc. Wilson created the Inventor as Kamala's first archrival to mirror her complexity. She characterized the Inventor and the overall look of the opening story arc as "kooky and almost Miyazaki-esque at times" due to the style of illustrator Adrian Alphona, which balances the drama of the threats faced by Kamala with the humor of Alphona's "tongue in cheek sight gags". During the story line, Khan also teams up with the X-Man Wolverine against the Inventor. Because Wolverine is dealing with the loss of his healing factor during this time, Khan is placed in the position of having to shoulder much of the responsibilities since Wilson felt this was a role reversal that would subvert reader expectations that Wolverine would take the lead in such a team-up.

At the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International, writer Dan Slott announced that Kamala would join Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man #7 (October 2014) during the "Spider-Verse" storyline. Slott characterized Kamala as "the closest character to classic Peter Parker": "She's a teenage superhero, juggling her life, making mistakes, trying to do everything right".

Ms. Marvel tied into the "Secret Wars" crossover event with the "Last Days" storyline in June 2015, which details Kamala's account of the end of the Marvel Universe. Wilson said, "In the 'Last Days' story arc, Kamala has to grapple with the end of everything she knows, and discover what it means to be a hero when your whole world is on the line". Kamala rushes to deal with the threat in Manhattan and, according to Wilson, "She will face a very personal enemy as the chaos in Manhattan spills over into Jersey City, and she will be forced to make some very difficult choices. There will also be a very special guest appearance by a superhero Kamala—and the fans—have been waiting to meet for a long time".

Volume two (2015–2018)
Marvel announced in March 2015 that Kamala would join the Avengers in All-New All-Different Avengers FCBD (May 2015) by writer Mark Waid and artists Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar, which takes place in the aftermath of "Secret Wars", with Kamala personally facing off against enigmatic Asian American billionaire Mister Gryphon. A second volume of Ms. Marvel, starring Kamala, by Wilson, Alphona and Takeshi Miyazawa also debuted after "Secret Wars" as part of Marvel's All-New, All-Different Marvel initiative. Amanat said, By the time this new launch comes around, it will have been almost two years since the premiere of Ms. Marvel—and boy, has Kamala Khan been through a lot since then. She's been slowly coming into her own, dealing with the challenges of navigating adulthood and being a super hero. But her training is over now and it's time for the big leagues; the question is can she handle it? ... As much as Kamala has a right to be there—it's still a bit of a culture shock. Dreaming of being an Avenger and then suddenly being one is a lot to take on for someone of her age. So, she'll be a little awestruck, a little overly ambitious.

In March 2016, Marvel announced with a promotional image illustrating a rift between Kamala and Danvers that Ms. Marvel would tie into the "Civil War II" storyline. Amanat said that this storyline would center "around self-discovery and identity, and a part of that exploration includes separating yourself from those you put on pedestals [...] It has to do with growing up and realizing that you perceive the world differently from even the ones you love". Academic Sandra Eckard wrote, "Kamala at first follows her mentor's lead until she realizes that she is not comfortable with putting people in jail for crimes they may commit. The idea of 'predictive justice' that Kamala fights against leads to a domino effect of her friends abandoning her and Captain Marvel dismissing her from duty in her group and friendship. Kamala, broken and hopeless, goes on a journey to find herself in Pakistan". According to Eckard, Kamala realizes in this journey that places cannot fix a person and problems within oneself "must be figured and sorted out by that person". The story arc introduces Kamala to Kareem, a family friend, and to a young Pakistani hero named Red Dagger. Kamala does not discover that Red Dagger is Kareem, and Kareem does not know Ms. Marvel's secret identity.

Marvel announced in July 2016 that Kamala would join the Champions, a team of teenage superheroes who leave the Avengers after the conclusion of "Civil War II". The team, featured in a series by writer Mark Waid and artist Humberto Ramos, consists of Kamala, Spider-Man (Miles Morales), Nova (Sam Alexander), Hulk (Amadeus Cho), Viv Vision, and a teenage version of Cyclops. Waid said, "The first three are the kids who quit the Avengers proper. That was an easy get. Those three, in and of themselves, form a nice little subteam. Their dynamic is great. They all show up in each other's books, and even though they have their arguments and stress points, clearly they're good together".

The following month, Kamala appeared in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #10 by writers Amy Reeder and Brandon Montclare. She is a mentor to Moon Girl (Lunella Lafayette), a fellow young Inhuman who suddenly acquires her powers. Amanat said that Kamala sees much of herself in Lunella and, by teaching her, learns much about herself.

In November 2016, Marvel announced that Kamala would join a new incarnation of the Secret Warriors in a series by writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Javier Garron; it debuted in May 2017. The team is composed of "Inhumans who are a little outside traditional Inhuman culture", such as Quake, Karnak, Moon Girl, and Devil Dinosaur, and was formed in the wake of the "Inhumans vs X-Men" storyline. Rosenberg said that there is some conflict and friction amongst the team members: "Ms. Marvel and Quake are really fighting for the soul of the team in a lot of ways, while Moon Girl will continue to really do her own thing. They will all be tested and challenged, they are superheroes after all, but they are going to do things their way". The first five issues of the Secret Warriors series were tied to the Marvel Secret Empire crossover storyline.

Marvel announced in March 2017 that Kamala would join Carol Danvers in a one-shot issue of the limited anthology series, Generations by Wilson and Paolo Villanelle. Wilson said that the issue would explore Carol and Kamala's mentor–student relationship, but "at its heart, [it] is about growing up, and a big part of growing up is discovering that your idols have feet of clay – and forgiving them for their flaws as you gain an adult understanding of your own".

From April to August 2017, the Champions series was also involved in the Secret Empire storyline. In the final story arc of the second volume of Champions, Kamala survived Weirdworld with her teammates. In October of that year, Kareem returns to Ms. Marvel in issue #23 as an exchange student at Kamala's high school. In this story arc, Kamala (as Ms. Marvel) has her first kiss with Red Dagger and they discover each other's secret identities.

Marvel Legacy relaunch

In December 2017, Ms. Marvel began the "Teenage Wasteland" story arc as part of the Marvel Legacy relaunch. Wilson said, "Since the events of 'Civil War II', there's been friction between Kamala and her mentor, Captain Marvel. In this arc, we're exploring how complicated legacies can be when they're passed from generation to generation ... She's questioning a lot about herself and her mission. Her friends end up stepping into some very important—and unexpected—roles. So in a sense, the arc is really about a bunch of chronically under-estimated teenagers who pull together to fight evil".

In January 2018, Secret Warriors was cancelled after twelve issues. Kamala continued to co-lead the Champions with Miles Morales, which relaunched with a third volume that month. According to IGN, "writer Jim Zub will be sticking around, and he'll be joined by new artist Stephen Cummings as the two explore what happens when Ms. Marvel takes the team global". In the third volume's first arc, Kamala and Viv Vision are killed in a battle against the supervillain Zzzax in Dubai, dying along with numerous civilians. As a result, Miles arranges for this to be undone by agreeing to the devil Mephisto's offer of a "cosmic do-over", turning back time second-by-second long enough for Miles and Amadeus Cho to restrain Zzzax. This is done at the cost of a bystander's life who Miles had originally saved from falling rubble – in this new timeline, the bystander dies instead of Kamala and Viv. Guilt-ridden, Miles eventually tells Kamala of her death and the cost of her revival, "breaking her heart" and ending their friendship, before leaving the team in issue #4. In July 2019, it was announced that Champions had been cancelled, with issue #10 in October serving as its last.

Ms. Marvel #31—the 50th issue of Ms. Marvel featuring Kamala—was published in June 2018. To mark the occasion, Marvel brought in additional collaborators for the issue: writers G. Willow Wilson, Saladin Ahmed, Rainbow Rowell, and Hasan Minhaj, and artists Nico Leon, Bob Quinn, Gustavo Duarte, and Elmo Bondoc.

The Magnificent Ms. Marvel (2019–2021)

Kamala headlined The Magnificent Ms. Marvel, a new series written by Saladin Ahmed and illustrated by Minkyu Jung, in March 2019. Wilson said that she had planned her departure from the series for over a year (originally anticipating that it would only last for ten issues) and was pleased at having written 60 issues. Ahmed said that the new series would have a broader scope, "while still maintaining that intimate tone that people have loved about it".

From April to September 2019, Kamala headlined the ongoing relaunch of Marvel Team-Up. The first three issues, written by Eve Ewing and illustrated by Joey Vazquez, focused on Ms. Marvel and Spider-Man. Issues 4–6, written by Clint McElroy and illustrated by Ig Guara, focused on Ms. Marvel and Captain Marvel; the series was then cancelled.

Marvel announced in July 2020 that Kamala would star in a graphic novel, published in conjunction with Scholastic and aimed at younger readers. Ms. Marvel: Stretched Thin, written by Nadia Shammas and illustrated by Nabi H. Ali, was published on September 7, 2021.

Kamala was a focus of the October 2020 one-shot Outlawed #1, which began the "Outlawed" storyline in The Magnificent Ms. Marvel series and the relaunched Champions series. The Champions protect a young climate activist, speaking at Coles Academic High School, who is targeted by the Roxxon Oil Company. As the fight between the Champions and Roxxon escalates, the school collapses. Kamala saves the activist, but is critically injured; the government passes the Underage Superhuman Welfare Act, which bans superhero activities for those under age twenty-one, as a result of the disaster. Although the act is renamed "Kamala's Law", the character's secret identity remains intact.

Champions #1 and The Magnificent Ms. Marvel #14 pick up six months later, as they deal with fallout from Kamala's Law. CBR reported that "without disclosing her true identity, Ms. Marvel rejects Kamala's Law and publicly vows to continue her superhero activities alongside the Champions regardless of her age [...] Kamala's message has quickly split the young superhero community. Several agree to continue their double lives as usual in open defiance of the controversial law, while others believe Kamala is in the wrong and they should leave superhero activity to the adults". During the "Outlawed" event, the Champions take responsibility for their actions and reveal that Roxxon is using its government contract to intern young individuals with superpowers in brutal reeducation camps. This cause Roxxon to lose its contract, and the government suspends enforcement of Kamala's Law.

After the "Outlawed" event, The Magnificent Ms. Marvel ended its run with issue #18 (the 75th issue of the Kamala Khan Ms. Marvel comics) in April 2021. Kamala continued to appear in the Champions series, which covered the repeal of Kamala's Law. The series was then cancelled, with its last issue October 2021.

Limited series (2021–2022)
Kamala next headlined a new limited series, Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit, written by Samira Ahmed and illustrated by Andrés Genolet. According to Entertainment Weekly, "Ms. Marvel comics have only been written by Muslim writers so far [...]. But Samira Ahmed will be the first South Asian female writer to write a Ms. Marvel series". Ahmed is known for her young-adult novels, and Beyond the Limit was her first comic series. It had five issues, from December 2021 to April 2022. Kamala is on a multiverse adventure after visiting her cousin, Razia, a scientist who specializes in "multiversal theory". The series included multiverse variants of Kamala. A trade paperback collection of the five issues was scheduled to be published in June 2022, reportedly coinciding with the premiere of the Ms. Marvel television miniseries.

Marvel released the one-shot Ms. Marvel: Bottled Up, written by Samira Ahmed and illustrated by Ramon Bachs, in May 2022 as part of Marvel Unlimited's digital Infinity Comics. Kamala and her friend, Nakia, confront the destroyer Mariikh at the American Museum of Natural History after the jinn is accidentally released. In June 2022, Marvel announced a new weekly Love Unlimited romance anthology series on Marvel Unlimited's Infinity Comics. The first story arc, "Ms. Marvel and Red Dagger", was written by Nadia Shammas and illustrated by Natacha Bustos. The first of the storyline's six parts was published on June 9 of that year, and focuses on Kamala and Kareem (the Red Dagger) who have kissed but not yet shared their secret identities.

In April 2022, Marvel announced that Kamala would headline a series of one-shots, Ms. Marvel: Fists of Justice, in which she joins three heroes: Wolverine, Moon Knight, and Venom. The first issue, written by Jody Houser and illustrated by Zé Carlos was released in August 2022. According to CBR, the series is "a jumping-on point for Ms. Marvel newcomers, as the new saga will lay the groundwork for the character's next era [...] The series of one-shots begins shortly after Khan makes her live-action debut in the new Disney+ Ms. Marvel series".

The Amazing Spider-Man (2022–2023)

Kamala appeared as a new Oscorp intern in the renewable energy division in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 5 #7 (August 2022) where she runs into Peter Parker; Kamala went on to be a reoccurring supporting character in the series. In September 2022, Marvel announced that Kamala's internship would be further explored in the two-issue series Dark Web: Ms. Marvel; this limited series is a tie-in to the Spider-Man/X-Men crossover comic event titled Dark Web which details Spider-Man and the X-Men fighting Goblin Queen and Chasm as Goblin Queen's magic reactivates the chip in Inventor's head enough to revive him. The first issue, written by Sabir Pirzada and illustrated by Francesco Mortarino, was released in December 2022.

Kamala continued to appear in Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr.'s relaunched The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 5 (2022) as the personal assistant of the Norman Osborn. The Direct commented that Kamala "has only appeared on 14 out of 646 pages and 37 out of 3204 comic panels of Wells' story thus far, which includes The Amazing Spider-Man #1-25, Dark Web #1, and Dark Web Finale #1". Following a leak in May 2023, Marvel confirmed that Kamala will die in The Amazing Spider-Man #26 ahead of its publication on May 31.  In the issue, Kamala saves Mary Jane Watson from being sacrificed by the dimension-hopping Emissary by using her shapeshifting abilities to take on Watson's appearance. The Emissary attacks Kamala, assuming she is Watson, which botches the Emissary's ritual, and leads to his death. However, Kamala is unable to heal from the wounds sustained during that attack. Kamala reveals her identity to Peter before dying in his arms.

This was followed by the single issue Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel (2023) which released on July 12, 2023. The issue features various superheroes gathering to memorialize Ms. Marvel. The first chapter, by writer G. Willow Wilson and artist Takeshi Miyazawa, focuses on Ms. Marvel's supporting characters. The second chapter, by writer Mark Waid and artist Humberto Ramos, focuses on Kamala's Champions teammates. The third chapter, by writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Andrea Di Vito, focuses on several Avengers such as Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man. The three chapters are structured around the reading of "Al-Falaq or The Daybreak, the 113th chapter of the Qur'an" during Kamala's funeral. An additional last page for the issue was released online – it features the modern day Cyclops showing up as people leave the funeral with his former Champions teammates furious at him for missing it. Cyclops responds with: "You'll understand [...]. Not today. But soon". On the same day, Marvel also published a recap of the friendship between Cyclops and Kamala which highlighted that Cyclops had inherited the memories of his younger time-displaced counterpart who was a member of the Champions. It teased that "it may just be that enduring friendship that saves Kamala in the end".

Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant (2023)
As part of the "Fall of X" relaunch, Kamala is resurrected on Krakoa in the July 2023 one-shot X-Men Hellfire Gala 2023 #1. Kamala discovers that she possesses a dormant X-Gene, making her a mutant/Inhuman hybrid. Charles Xavier plans to have Kamala announce her mixed heritage to the general public at the Hellfire Gala to improve mutant and human relations, but is prevented so when Orchis forces attack the Gala.  In X-Men vol. 6 #25 (August 2023), Emma Frost uses her powers and connections to mindwipe the memories of Kamala's death from the general public, including her family and friends. Kamala subsequently joins the X-Men, who are forced to operate underground amidst the current wave of anti-mutant sentiment due to Orchis' manipulations.  In The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 6 #31 (August 2023), Kamala reunites with Spider-Man, who apologizes for the circumstances surrounding her death and reveals his identity as Peter Parker to her.

Later that month, Kamala starred in a new four issue limited series – titled Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant – which follows Kamala's new status as a mutant and as member of the X-Men. The series is written by Iman Vellani, who plays Kamala in the MCU, and Sabir Pirzada, who wrote Dark Web: Ms. Marvel and episodes of the Ms. Marvel show, and drawn by Carlos Gómez and Adam Gorham. Kamala's new costume was redesigned by McKelvie, the designer of Kamala's first Ms. Marvel costume, to highlight "her newfound mutant identity with X-Men logos replacing the traditional Ms. Marvel lightning bolt that dates back to Carol Danvers".  In the miniseries, Kamala is sent by the X-Men on an undercover mission to infiltrate an Orchis-sponsored summer program at Empire State University as a student. Ms. Marvel's ties to the X-Men and her mutant status are exposed, resulting in anti-mutant backlash against her. Her infiltration mission is also featured in the main ongoing X-Men series starting in X-Men #26 (September 2023).

Reception

Cultural reaction
Kamala's announcement by Marvel had a widespread online reaction. Fatemeh Fakhraie, founder of Muslimah Media Watch (a diversity advocacy group), told Al Jazeera America that "she is going to be a window into the American Muslim experience" and she "normalizes this idea of the American experience as Muslim". Brett White of Comic Book Resources said, "With Kamala Khan, the daughter of Pakistani immigrants living in Jersey City, Marvel Comics has shown yet again that it wants to include groups of the American population that have yet to be personally inspired by their heroes". Hussein Rashid, writing for CNN, said: "The character of Kamala Khan has the opportunity to offer something new to pop-culture portrayals of Muslims. She is born in the United States, appears to be part of the post-9/11 generation and is a teenager". Muaaz Khan of The Guardian compared Kamala to Malala Yousafzai, and the entertainment industry should follow Marvel's example.

Leon Moosavi of the University of Liverpool felt that the character's family would reinforce the stereotype of restrictive Muslim parents, and her shape-shifting ability resembled several anti-Muslim stereotypes (especially taqiyya: a legal dispensation whereby a believing individual can deny their faith or commit illegal or blasphemous acts while at risk of significant persecution). Political satirist Stephen Colbert, parodying right-wing commentators on The Colbert Report, said: "A Muslim cannot be a superhero — for Pete's sake they're on the no-fly list". Conan O'Brien tweeted a joke linking Kamala's religion to polygamy, but removed it due to a public backlash.

Kamala was received positively by students in Jersey City. At McNair Academic High School, the inspiration for the fictional school Kamala attends, Class of 2025 student Shreeya Shankerdas founded the Coles Kamala Korps (named for Kamala's fictional school). Shankerdas said, "When I first heard about Ms. Marvel being this brown teenage girl, I thought it was really cool that we're finally represented. On top of that, we were represented in the Marvel Universe, and I thought that was really cool, because it's a big company."

Critical reaction

2014–2018
Meagan Damore of Comic Book Resources said, "There is nothing not to love about Ms. Marvel #1: every character is well formed and distinct; the story, lovingly crafted; the art, meticulously planned and—at times—downright funny". Jen Aprahamian of Comic Vine said, "Ms. Marvel makes a delightful debut, showing confidence and heart even before she puts on a mask. Kamala is not your average superheroine and her stories seem like they're headed in an exciting direction. Kudos to Marvel for expanding its range; amping up the diversity factor in a way that doesn't feel token or temporary is a great move, and Ms. Marvel is launching with a solid first issue and a world—a universe, even—of story possibilities". Joshua Yehl of IGN said, "Ms. Marvel introduces a vibrant and troubled character that you can't help but love". George Marston of Newsarama said, "Ms. Marvel is a solid debut issue, and that in itself should be a victory not just for G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, but for Marvel Comics itself ... It's not exactly edgy, and Kamala Khan is not exactly the first reluctant teen hero in Marvel's long history, but Ms. Marvel is one of the strongest debuts for a new character that Marvel has had in a long time".

In 2016, USA Today said that Kamala "broke onto the comics scene a few years ago and has since stolen awards, sales and, oh right, our hearts. Her solo comics, written by G. Willow Wilson, are entertaining and fly off the page, and her appearances elsewhere have only increased". Alex Abad-Santos, for Vox, wrote that "Wilson and Alphona imbue the comic with grace while steering clear of 'after-school special'-of-the-month types of stories [...] As you see Kamala slowly figure out the ways of superheroism and the balance of her own life, you can't help but feel like she represents an alternate path that can save us from the ugly stuff threatening to strangle our hope, our joy, and our love. That's why superheroes were first created, and it's why Ms. Marvel is one of the greatest heroes of our generation".

Katie M. Logan, for Salon in 2017, said that Kamala "signals an important development in cultural representations of Muslim-Americans [...] Kamala Khan is precisely the hero America needs today, but not because of a bat sign in the sky or any single definitive image. She is, above all, committed to the idea that every member of her faith, her generation and her city has value and that their lives should be respected and protected". Joshua Davison, for Bleeding Cool in 2018, wrote that "Ms. Marvel #31 is the landmark 50th issue of Kamala's beloved series. G. Willow Wilson never ceases to amaze me at how she can have me invested in mundane activities like a sleepover. This is done through a good balance of endearing characters, solid drama, and the quirks and detours one can expect from a superhero comic [...] Mix that with some talented artists, and you have a book well worth recommending". In a 2018 review of the series, the Wisconsin Muslim Journal said that the story "is a rare burst of authenticity in what can so easily become clichéd and cheap. In short, Kamala Khan has a refreshing amount of depth".

2019–2022
IGN included The Magnificent Ms. Marvel on its list of "Best Comic Book Series of 2019". Charlie Ridgely, for ComicBook.com, wrote that The Magnificent Ms. Marvel was "an incredible challenge" for Ahmed since he had to follow Wilson, the character's creator. Ridgely said, "Ahmed has leaned hard into the issues that plague our current lives while still making the comic uplifting", and "every revelation that Kamala comes to is thoroughly earned and formed based on the specific experiences we see her confront. It's a master class in evolving a character while keeping them grounded in their own identity".

Kamala's death and subsequent resurrection via Miles Morales' agreement with the devil Mephisto in Champions vol. 3 1–2 (January–February 2019) was criticized by Bam Smack Pow for the lack of intended follow-up in Kamala's solo series The Magnificent Ms. Marvel, calling out "learning that one of her best friends accidentally traded an innocent life for hers via a deal with the devil [as] the sort of trauma which really should be followed up upon", while overall praising the "emotional gut-wrenching [conversation] between Kamala and Miles" about life and death. Vishal Gullapalli, in a review of Champions Vol. 1: Beat the Devil for AIPT, also criticized the Mephisto plot line as "the entire core premise of it is built on fridging — first Kamala and Viv die with very little agency in their story, which requires Miles and Amadeus to save them. Their corpses are shown as a way to drive home the horror of what has happened, but it is also a scene of two women who died to provide emotional angst for the men around them". Gullapalli commented that "Kamala does get agency in the story as it continues, which is what saves the story" and Kamala is a character who writer Zub focuses on resulting in "good development, as Kamala steps into her role as the team leader and all the duties that entails".

Avery Kaplan, in her review of Ms. Marvel: Beyond the Limit for The Beat, wrote: "Beyond the Limit was a fun and interesting story that went to some unexpected places, all while allowing Kamala plenty of time to shine (and to make a lot of funny food jokes)". Kaplan added, "Issue five brings the main conflict to a satisfactory enough close while promising further explanation in a sequel series (which I guess is an alternative to an ongoing series, probably based on the idea that marketing five-issue arcs which are subsequently collected into graphic novel-style TPB collections is easier than getting new readers to jump on at issue #546 – whatever, just give me more Kamala)".

Death in 2023
Kamala's death in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 5 #26 (May 2023) was criticized after several low-resolution pages leaked before the issue's publication. Both Joe Grunenwald of The Beat and James Whitbrook of Io9 commented on the character's increased popularity following her onscreen appearance in the television show Ms. Marvel and that Kamala's death was occurring in another headliner's book at time when the character doesn't have her own series. Whitbrook wrote, "killing off such a prominent and influentially representative character at all, even temporarily—let alone not as part of a publisher-wide event or even in her own comic, but instead a book where she is an infrequent supporting guest character—is a move that is just as likely going to have fans reacting in anger as it is going to draw attention through shock". Grunenwald stated that "having her die in ASM feels like an afterthought, and smacks of fridging the character for the sake of making headliner Peter Parker sad". George Marston of GamesRadar+ highlighted that the marketing for The Amazing Spider-Man had been hyping an "impending death" for months and that Kamala's death feels like "an opportunistic bait-and-switch" as she hadn't been the central focus of the current storyline; Marston commented that this could also be setting up "a potential ratings bump" when Kamala is resurrected.

Marston asserted that Marvel comics have a current trend "of killing off characters who are about to star in upcoming films [...], only to give them a big, triumphant return to coincide with their new movie or series". Rich Johnston, for Bleeding Cool, wrote that Zeb Wells is not only the writer of this run of The Amazing Spider-Man but also "one of the writers of The Marvels movie. He knows, in this regard at least, exactly what he is doing". Johnston also highlighted that while Kamala is an Inhuman in the comics, she is a mutant in the MCU; he speculated that the character could be brought back in the comics as mutant if the "Resurrection Protocols of Krakoa" are used on Kamala as these protocols were "recently extended to certain select humans on a charitable basis". Susana Polo, for Polygon, commented that while there are great superhero death stories in a genre that expects resurrection, "when it's the death of a rather popular character who has her first blockbuster film coming out this fall — it breaks the kayfabe, so to speak". Polo stated "it's cruel to play shenanigans with an audience that has very few Muslim superheroes, much less Muslim superheroes known outside of comics, to go around (or teen girl superheroes, for that matter). It's telling that the character's death is already inspiring celebratory racist reactions on social media. This does not seem like a plot hook for Kamala Khan fans, which makes Marvel's copy — about the glory of Kamala's apparent upcoming heroic sacrifice — ring particularly hollow".

Fallen Friend: The Death of Ms. Marvel (2023) received mixed reviews – Chase Magnett of ComicBook.com called it a success "in fitting fashion" and a "stirring tribute" while David Brooke of AIPT rated it a 6/10 and stated "it's far too little and maybe too late". The critics highlighted the use of Kamala's religion in her funeral with the comic structured around completing a "khatm quran". Magnett stated that the issue is "a poignant reflection on the loss of a human being so young. Each of the assembled creative teams build upon their connections to the character and what she embodies in order to say something of value". Brooke wrote that the issue captures "the pulse of key characters who Ms. Marvel touched" and that "the story feels like a good way to honor Kamala by showing us how her friends are reeling, but there isn't much to it either". He commented that "with the character's revival assured, we have a comic that shows important Muslim culture but little else". Cy Beltran, for The Beat, stated that "the first two stories were solid and moving, while the last felt out of sync with the rest of the issue, both for its decentering of Kamala and the strange Spider-Man epilogue. The comic felt incomplete because of this, but the earlier two stories captured the spirit of two long-concluded runs in a way that felt enriching to long-time fans and impactful for those just coming into this world".

Accolades

Sales
Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal was the best-selling graphic novel in October 2014; the following month, it reached No. 2 on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books. In April 2015, Ms. Marvel Volume 2: Generation Why debuted at #4 on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books. In July 2015, Ms. Marvel Volume 3: Crushed debuted at #3 on The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books. Ms. Marvel Volume 5: Super Famous debuted at #3 on the July 2016 The New York Times Best Seller list of paperback graphic books. By August 2018, Ms. Marvel had sold half a million trade paperbacks, in addition to digital sales.

During a slump in Marvel's 2017 market share, senior vice president of print, sales, and marketing David Gabriel "blamed declining comic-book sales on the studio's efforts to increase diversity and female characters". Gabriel then attempted to walk-back the statement. George Gustines, for The New York Times, said that "the issue is more nuanced"; sales are also impacted by numbering restarts and fan opinion about storylines. Gustines wrote that in February 2017, Ms. Marvel "sold an estimated 19,870 copies. It landed at 109 out of the top 300 comics for the month. But the series is known to be doing well digitally and with collected editions. There are also other signs of prestige. This week, a collected edition of the series, 'Ms. Marvel: Super Famous,' written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Takeshi Miyazawa, was nominated for a Hugo Award, which is given to the best science-fiction or fantasy stories". Later that year, during Marvel's Legacy initiative, many titles featuring "diverse and new voices" were cancelled. On the survival of the series, Joe Glass of Bleeding Cool wrote that Ms. Marvel periodical sales were only slightly higher than many of the cancelled titles; however, "it could be down to trades sales. It is generally held that these books survive on the popularity of their trades sales, not just in the direct market and local comic shops, but in book stores across the world" and at "Scholastic [book] fairs and the like". Associate professor at Northumbria University and comics scholar Mel Gibson said that Ms. Marvel "absolutely leapt in sales to what could be considered non-traditional comic book readers – such as females, Muslims, or Pakistani-Americans for example. The idea of who reads comics and how they read them was changing. It helped draw in new folk and diversify the fan base".

The hardcover collection Ms. Marvel Volume 1 and Volume 2, which collected the 2014–2015 run and non-MM appearances, made the top 10 of Diamond's Top 500 Selling Graphic Novels charts for September 2020; volume 1 reached number five, and volume 2 reached number nine on the charts. In September 2021, Ms. Marvel Volume 1: No Normal (2014) was number 11 on the NPD BookScan's top 20 Superheroes Graphic Novels Chart.

Cultural impact

In January 2015, images of Kamala began appearing over anti-Islamic advertisements on San Francisco city buses. The advertisements, purchased by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, equated Islam with Nazism. Street artists covered the ads with images of Kamala and messages such as "Calling all Bigotry Busters", "Stamp out racism", "Free speech isn't a license to spread hate", "Islamophobia hurts us all", and "Racist". About the response, Wilson tweeted, "Some amazing person has been painting over the anti-Muslim bus ads in SF with Ms. Marvel graffiti ... To me, the graffiti is part of the back-and-forth of the free speech conversation. Call and response. Argument, counterargument".

Sana Amanat was introduced to United States President Barack Obama at a March 2016 reception celebrating Women's History Month at the White House. In his opening remarks, Obama said: "Ms. Marvel may be your comic book creation, but I think for a lot of young boys and girls, Sana's a real superhero".

Kamala appeared on the cover of The Village Voice in an October 2016 illustration by Autumn Whitehearst which paid homage to J. Howard Miller's "We Can Do It!" poster. The cover was accompanied by "The Super Hero For Our Times: Ms. Marvel Will Save You Now", an article by Mallika Rao which profiled Wilson and focused on the increasing diversity of comic-book characters, creators, and fans.

In March 2018, Merriam-Webster added 850 words to its dictionary. This included the word "Embiggen", which first appeared in a 1996 episode of The Simpsons and was popularized in Ms. Marvel as an exclamation by Kamala when using her shape-shifting powers.

Other versions

Agent Khan
An older version of Kamala, referred to as Agent Khan, appears in Inhumans: Attilan Rising by Charles Soule and John Timms as part of the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline, which details Black Bolt's rebellion against Queen Medusa of New Attilan. In her review of Inhumans: Attilan Rising #2, Emma Houxbois of The Rainbow Hub said: "While [Kamala has] had a few chances to shine in the core Inhuman book, her reintroduction (complete with character redesign by Dave Johnson and strong line work by John Timms) packs a real punch. Soule's evolution of her powers and costume will hopefully also coincide with further opportunities later in the story to learn more about her views on the resistance and reasons for supporting Attilan – solidifying this version of Kamala as a comparatively matured hero forced to make difficult moral choices".

Kamala Carrelli

A future version of Kamala, a widow named Kamala Carrelli (née Khan), known by the vigilante name Khan after her maiden name, appears as a member of the Exiles with the Unseen, Blink, Iron Lad, Valkyrie and a chibi-style cartoon version of Wolverine in a series by writer Saladin Ahmed and artist Javier Rodriguez which debuted in April 2018 and concluded in March 2019. From Earth-81111, a reality where the events of Inhumans vs. X-Men lead to a Third World War, Khan joins the titular team sometime after her husband's and daughter's murder by Sabretooth.

President Khan

Another future version of the character appears in All-New Wolverine #33 (April 2018) by Tom Taylor and Ramon Rosanas as part of the "Old Woman Laura" storyline as the future President of the United States of Earth-18366, who, some time after fighting in the Doom World War, retired as Ms. Marvel to enter politics. Kieran Shiach of Comic Book Resources said, "Kamala as President of the United States makes a lot of sense. She's smart, resourceful and cares about her community ... It also helps solidify the world of 'Old Woman Laura' as a 'good future,' presenting a President who is both a woman and Muslim as a possibility within our lifetime".

Kamala Kang

During the "Infinity Wars" storyline, there is a Warp World version of Kamala Khan who is amalgamated with Kang the Conqueror where she is known as Kamala Kang. CBR commented that in this storyline "Kamala was exposed to Chronogen Mists – which warped her perception of the universe and gave her the ability to 'embiggen her cosmic perspective,' effectively allowing her to stretch across the course of time and space".

Collections

In other media
Marvel creative consultant Joe Quesada said in September 2016 that Ms. Marvel would appear in "other media" because of the character's success, which "doesn't happen a lot" and probably would not have happened ten years earlier.

Animation

 Kamala Khan appears in Avengers Assemble, voiced by Kathreen Khavari. This version is a founding member of the All-New, All-Different Avengers.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel Future Avengers, voiced by Akari Kitō in Japanese and again by Kathreen Khavari in English.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel Rising,voiced by again by Kathreen Khavari.
 Kamala Khan appears in Spider-Man, again voiced by Kathreen Khavari.
 Kamala Khan appears in Spidey and His Amazing Friends (2021), voiced by Sandra Saad.

Live action
Kamala Khan appears in media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), portrayed by Iman Vellani:

 Introduced in a self-titled miniseries, this version wields a magical bangle which gives her the ability to harness cosmic energy and create glowing constructs out of hard light. In the final episode, Kamala is described as having a "mutation" unrelated to her powers.
 Vellani is scheduled to reprise her role as Kamala in the 2023 film, The Marvels.

Video games

 Kamala Khan appears as an unlockable, playable character in Marvel Puzzle Quest.
 Kamala Khan appears in Lego Marvel's Avengers, voiced by Ashly Burch.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel Avengers Academy, voiced by Priyanka Chopra.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel: Future Fight.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel Contest of Champions.
 Kamala Khan appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2, voiced by Rebecca Kiser.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel Strike Force.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel Heroes, voiced by Erica Luttrell.
 Kamala Khan appears in Zen Pinball 2 as part of the "Women of Power" DLC pack.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, voiced again by Kathreen Khavari.
 Kamala Khan appears in Marvel's Avengers, voiced again by Sandra Saad.

Miscellaneous
GraphicAudio released the audio book Ms. Marvel: No Normal in August 2015, with the first five issues of the comic-book series. Jeff Reingold, Marvel's manager of licensed publishing, said that "The challenge here was conveying the comic visuals into a strictly audio form without the use of a third-person narrator".

In March 2016, Marvel Press announced that it would publish a 128-page chapter book entitled Ms. Marvel: Fists of Fury in October 2017. The story focuses on bullying, due to Kamala's gender and background.

Vellani again appears as Kamala / Ms. Marvel in the Disney Wish cruise ship attraction Avengers: Quantum Encounter, which launched in July 2022. She joins the Avengers in facing a rebuilt Ultron.

Notes

References

External links

 Kamala Khan at Comic Vine
 Kamala Khan at Marvel Database

Asian-American superheroes
Avengers (comics) characters
Comics adapted into television series
Comics characters introduced in 2013
Coming-of-age fiction
Culture of Jersey City, New Jersey
Fictional characters from New Jersey
Fictional characters who can change size
Fictional characters who can stretch themselves
Fictional high school students
Fictional Pakistani American people
Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story-winning works
Inhumans
Marvel Comics American superheroes
Marvel Comics characters who are shapeshifters
Marvel Comics characters with accelerated healing
Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength
Marvel Comics child superheroes
Marvel Comics female superheroes
Marvel Comics hybrids
Marvel Comics mutants
Muhajir people
Muslim characters in comics
Muslim superheroes
Teenage characters in comics
Teenage superheroes
X-Men members

Kamala Khan


Donald J. Butz (born 1933 in Nevada City, California) is a retired major general in the United States Air Force. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento, California, before attending Yuba College, Chico State College, the University of California, Berkeley and the School of Dentistry at Saint Louis University.

Career
Butz joined the Air Force in 1959 and was stationed at Misawa Air Base in Japan in October of that year. In 1962, he returned to the United States and was assigned to Vandenberg Air Force Base. He was later assigned to Robins Air Force Base before becoming an instructor and course supervisor at Sheppard Air Force Base.

From 1973 to 1978, he was assigned to the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States Air Force. He then transferred to Headquarters United States Air Forces in Europe. In 1979, he returned to the Office of the Surgeon General before transferring to Headquarters Tactical Air Command in 1982.

Butz was named Assistant Surgeon General for Dental Services in the Office of the Surgeon General in 1987. He would retire in 1993.

Awards he received include the Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster, the Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf cluster, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Outstanding Unit Award, the Organizational Excellence Award and the National Defense Service Medal.

References

People from Nevada City, California
Military personnel from Sacramento, California
United States Air Force generals
Recipients of the Legion of Merit
American dentists
California State University, Chico alumni
University of California, Berkeley alumni
Saint Louis University alumni
1933 births
Living people
Military personnel from California

Donald J. Butz


Damarwulan is a Javanese legendary hero who appears in a cycle of stories used in the performance of wayang klitik, as well as Langendriya (female dance-opera) and ketoprak (popular theater). These stories tell of the struggles between the Majapahit and Blambangan kingdoms, in which Damarwulan gains honor. The stories are especially popular in East Java.

Origin
The Damarwulan legend is associated with the Majapahit court at the time of the queen Suhita, at which time there was a war with Blambangan. However, the names of the characters Damar Wulan ("radiance of the moon") and Menak Jingga ("red knight") suggest that it may incorporate elements of an older sun-moon myth. It is uncertain when the story was (MSS.Jav.89) was donated to the Library in 1815. It is thought to date to the late 18th century, and "begins with the accession of the daughter of Brawijaya (Kusuma Kancana Wungu) to the throne of Majapahit."

Characters
 Prabu Kenya, also known as Queen Kencanawungu, the maiden queen regnant of Majapahit
 Patih Lohgender, her prime minister
 Layang Seta and Layang Kumitir, the prime minister's twin sons
 Dewi Anjasmara, the prime minister's daughter
 Damarwulan, the prime minister's nephew, raised away from court by his grandfather
 Menak Jingga, the King of Blambangan, a vassal of Majapahit
 Dewi Wahita and Dewi Puyengan, princesses held captive by Menak Jingga as concubines
 Sabdapalon and Nayagenggong, Damarwulan's servants

Synopsis

Damarwulan is a prince by birth, a nephew of the prime minister, Patih Lohgender, but was raised in the hermitage of his grandfather. Following his grandfather's advice, he goes to the Majapahit court seeking worldly experiences and employment. His cousins, the arrogant Layang Seta and Layang Kumitir, the prime minister's sons, mistreat him when he arrives. Patih Lohgender, not wanting him to compete with his own sons, assigns him as grass-cutter and stableboy to attends Lohgender's horses. Though he is stripped of his fine garments and works as a humble servant in stable, Damarwulan still looks strikingly handsome. The rumors of a handsome stableboy eventually reach Anjasmara, the prime minister's daughter. She seeks him out secretly and they fall in love and are clandestinely married. One night, Anjasmara's brothers overhear voices in her chamber. They break in to find Damarwulan in Anjasmara's chamber, and try to kill him, but he is able to overcome them. They flee to their father, who orders that Damarwulan be executed. Anjasmara pleas for her lover, and he doesn't execute Damarwulan, but imprisons the pair.

Meanwhile, Menak Jingga, the king of Blambangan has written a letter to the Queen Kencanawungu asking for her hand. When the queen rejects him, he declares war on the Majapahit kingdom. He is successful in dispatching Majapahit's allies, and finally the kingdom is threatened by his forces directly. In distress, the queen announces that whoever kills Menak Jingga and brings her his head can have her hand. Worried when no saviors present themselves, she has a divine revelation that a young knight named Damarwulan can overcome him. She orders Patih Lohgender to release him from jail and send him forth on his mission.

Damarwulan, accompanied by his servants, makes his way to Blambangan. Arriving at night, he sneaks into the gardens and manages to overhear a conversation at the pavilion between two resentful captive princesses, Dewi Wahita and Dewi Puyengan, that are forced to be the concubines of Menak Jingga. Damarwulan enters the pavilion and confides in them, enamoured by his charm and good looks, they fall in love and become devoted to him. At this time, Menak Jingga decides to visit the princesses, and discovers Damarwulan. They fight, but Damarwulan is unable to hurt Menak Jingga, and severely wounded, appears to die. Menak Jingga leaves, ordering his servants to guard the body. However, when they fall asleep the two princesses carry him away, nurture him, and explain to the secret of  Menak Jingga's magic invulnerability, a club of yellow iron kept behind his headrest. If the king is hit on his left temple with this club, he will die. Risking their lives for the sake of their lover, the princesses manage to steal the club while the Menak Jingga is asleep. A second battle between Menak Jingga and Damarwulan follows, in which Damarwulan manages to behead the king. Successful, he returns to Majapahit, but the prime minister's twin sons ambush him outside the palace, killing him and presenting Menak Jingga's head to the queen. However, Damarwulan was not died yet, a hermit rescues and revives Damarwulan. Finally the queen learns what happened to Damarwulan. In a final battle, Damarwulan defeats his cousins. Damarwulan is crowned as the King of Majapahit, and is permitted to retain Anjasmara as his other wife, also Dewi Wahita and Dewi Puyengan as his concubines.

Notes

References
 Claire Holt. Art in Indonesia: Continuities and Change. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1967.

Further reading
 Yoe Djin Lim. The story of Damar-Wulan the most popular legend of Indonesia Semarang: Lim Yoe Siang. OCLC: 24973772

Javanese folklore
Indonesian fairy tales
Mythological kings

Damarwulan


William J. Duiker is a former United States Foreign Service officer and is currently Liberal Arts Professor Emeritus of East Asian Studies at Penn State University. His area of expertise is East Asia; while in the Foreign Service, he was stationed in Taiwan (the Republic of China), the Republic of (South) Vietnam, and Washington, D.C.. After leaving the State Department in 1965, he received his PhD degree in East Asian studies at Georgetown University.

While at Penn State, Duiker served for ten years as Director of International Programs and as Chairman of the East Asian Studies Committee. He is the author of several books, including The Rise of Nationalism in Vietnam, Cultures in Collision: The Boxer Rebellion, Sacred War: Nationalism and Revolution in a Divided Vietnam, The Communist Road to Power in Vietnam, U.S. Containment Policy and the Conflict in Indochina, China and Vietnam: the Roots of Conflict, and Ho Chi Minh: A Life. The last, published in 2000, was the first comprehensive biography of Ho Chi Minh using sources from Vietnam. He also collaborates with his colleague Jackson J. Spielvogel in authoring the textbook World History, which is now in its ninth edition with Cengage Press. He is also the sole author of Contemporary World History (Cengage Press), which is now in its seventh edition. Duiker retired from teaching in 1997 and currently lives in Southern Shores, N.C., with his wife Yvonne.  He has two children: Laura Duiker Garlitos and Claire Louise Duiker.

References

Bibliography

External links

Pennsylvania State University faculty
Historians of the Vietnam War
Living people
20th-century American historians
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American historians
21st-century American male writers
United States Foreign Service personnel
American male non-fiction writers
Year of birth missing (living people)
Georgetown University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences alumni

William J. Duiker


Laurence Massillon Keitt (October 4, 1824 – June 2, 1864) was an American planter, lawyer, politician, and soldier from South Carolina. During his tenure in the United States House of Representatives, he was included in several lists of Fire-Eaters—men who adamantly urged the secession of southern states from the United States, and who resisted measures of compromise and reconciliation, leading to the American Civil War.

Keitt is notable for his involvement in two separate acts of legislative violence in the Congressional chambers. In the first, Keitt assisted fellow South Carolina Representative Preston Brooks in his 1856 attack on Republican Senator Charles Sumner. During the attack, Keitt brandished a pistol and cane to prevent other senators from coming to Sumner's aid. The second was in 1858, when he attacked and attempted to choke Republican Representative Galusha Grow during an argument on the floor of the U.S. House.

When the Civil War began, he served as a deputy of the Provisional Confederate States Congress and later as a colonel in the Confederate States Army, until he was mortally wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor in June 1864.

Early life and education
Keitt was born at Puritan Farm in Orangeburg County (present-day Calhoun County, South Carolina). He graduated from South Carolina College in 1843, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1845, and practiced in Orangeburg.

Career

Early career
A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the South Carolina House of Representatives from 1848 to 1853. From 1853 to 1856, he served in the U.S. House of Representative from South Carolina's 3rd District.

Caning of Charles Sumner
Keitt was censured by the House in 1856 for aiding Rep. Preston Brooks in his Caning of Charles Sumner.  Brooks had considered challenging Sumner to a duel after Sumner's anti-slavery The Crime Against Kansas speech, which Brooks interpreted as an insult to his cousin, Senator Andrew Butler.  After consulting with Keitt and deciding that Sumner was no gentleman, and therefore not worthy of a duel, Brooks resolved to beat Sumner with a cane instead.

With Keitt and Virginia Representative Henry A. Edmundson on hand to assist, on May 22, 1856, Brooks entered the Senate chamber and began beating the defenseless Sumner with his gold-headed cane, while Edmundson and Keitt prevented others from stopping Brooks or aiding Sumner.  Keitt drew a pistol from his belt and brandished his own cane, holding off the horror-struck senators who tried to assist Sumner, loudly announcing "Let them be!" In July, the House censured Keitt for his part in the attack.  He resigned in order to create a vacancy that would be filled by special election, thus giving his constituents the opportunity to ratify or condemn his conduct.  They supported Keitt's actions, overwhelmingly returning him to Congress in the August special election.  He served until December 1860, when South Carolina seceded from the Union.

Later career

On February 5, 1858, Keitt started a massive brawl on the House floor during a tense late-night debate. Keitt, offended by Pennsylvania Congressman (and later Speaker of the House) Galusha A. Grow, a Republican, having stepped over to the Democratic side of the House chamber, dismissively demanded that Grow sit down, calling him a "black Republican puppy". Grow responded by telling Keitt that "No negro-driver shall crack his whip over me." Keitt became enraged and went for Grow's throat, shouting that he would "choke [him] for that". A large brawl involving approximately 50 representatives erupted on the House floor, ending only when a missed punch from Rep. Cadwallader Washburn of Wisconsin upended the hairpiece of Rep. William Barksdale of Mississippi. The embarrassed Barksdale accidentally replaced the wig backwards, causing both sides to erupt in spontaneous laughter.

Perhaps Keitt's most famous quotation best summarized his political views and dominant agenda. In 1860, Congressman Keitt said, "The anti-slavery party contends that slavery is wrong in itself, and the government is a consolidated national democracy. We of the South contend that slavery is right, and that this is a confederate republic of sovereign states."

After South Carolina's secession Keitt served as a delegate to the Provisional Confederate Congress from 1861 to 1862.

American Civil War and death
Keitt later joined the Confederate States Army, and attained the rank of colonel as commander of the 20th South Carolina Volunteer Infantry Regiment.  He later commanded Kershaw's Brigade, succeeding to this position after Kershaw advanced to command of a division.

During the Battle of Cold Harbor on June 1, 1864, Keitt —in his first experience of combat in the field— was leading his infantry brigade on a horse in a charge on Philip Sheridan's dismounted cavalry near Beulah Church when he was shot in the liver or lung. He suffered a mortal wound while his forces collapsed into disarray. He died the next day (though some sources say 3 or 4 June) near Richmond, Virginia, and is buried at West End Cemetery in St. Matthews, South Carolina.

References

Further reading

External links

1824 births
1864 deaths
19th-century American lawyers
19th-century American politicians
Censured or reprimanded members of the United States House of Representatives
Confederate States Army officers
Confederate States of America military personnel killed in the American Civil War
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina
Deputies and delegates to the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States
Democratic Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
People from Calhoun County, South Carolina
People of South Carolina in the American Civil War
Signers of the Confederate States Constitution
Members of the United States House of Representatives who owned slaves
Signers of the Provisional Constitution of the Confederate States
South Carolina lawyers
University of South Carolina alumni
Fire-Eaters killed in the American Civil War
Slave owners killed in the American Civil War

Laurence M. Keitt


The Southern California Striders (also SoCal Striders or SC Striders) is a track and field athletics club based in Los Angeles, California.  From its foundation in 1955 through the 1980s it was an elite club producing numerous national and Olympic champions. For a time in the 1970s it was called the Tobias Striders for sponsorship reasons. From the 1990s to 2006 the club was restricted to masters athletics and still produces national champions in older age classes. After 2006 it became a nonprofit open to all ages.

History
The club was formed originally in the fall of 1955 by five elite athletes; Olympic multiple Gold Medalists Mal Whitfield, George Rhoden, silver medalist Meredith C."Flash" Gourdine, NCAA Champions Lang Stanley, and George Brown.  In its day it laid claim to being "largest and strongest multiracial track-and-field club in the history of the sport."  They were also called a collection "America's finest Olympic Track and Field Stars."

Between 1957 and 1965 the team won 8 AAU National Team Championships by attracting a who's who of elite track athletes of the day.  Among the people to wear the Striders uniform were: Rafer Johnson, Ralph Boston, Bill Toomey, Mike Larrabee, Bob Seagren John Rambo, John Smith, Fortune Gordien, Ronnie Ray Smith,  Larry Stewart, Marshall Clark, Otis Burrell, Charles Dumas, Ed Caruthers, Bob Avant, Leon Coleman, Don Quarrie, Adolph Plummer, Chuck Smith, Ulis Williams, Rex Cawley, Wayne Collett, Ralph Mann, Ron Whitney, Geoff Vanderstock, Jim Cerveny, Jim Dupree, Jerome Walters, Bob Seaman, Paul Wilson, Ron Morris, Dick Railsback, John Pennel, Dave Volz, Art Walker, Parry O'Brien, Dallas Long, Peter Shmock Rink Babka, Ben Plucknett, Ed Burke, Hal Connolly Larry Young,
Mike Manley and
Max Truex. All (listed) were USA National Champions, most were also Olympians across the full range of disciplines in the sport.  The last of these National Champions appears to be Ben Plucknett, winning his championship in 1981.  Plucknett set the still standing United States record in the Discus while wearing the Southern California Striders uniform.

At the 1978 Sun Devil Relays, USC Trojans set a 4 × 200 m world record (1m 20.26s) despite losing to the Tobias Striders: the Striders' mark (1m 20.23s)  was ineligible as a record because the team was of mixed nationality: Guy Abrahams (Panama), Michael Simmons (USA), Don Quarrie (Jamaica), and James Gilkes (Guyana).  By 1980 Tobias Striders had absorbed Angel's Flight Striders and resumed the name SoCal Striders.

With the egalitarian attitude professed at its inception, the team catered almost exclusively to male athletes.  This is because in the era of their successes, prior to Title IX, women athletes were not common and usually segregated.

The President of the Striders during the 60's was Dr. Jerry Bornstein, who put together a team of fellow doctors to provide medical care, and sometimes airline tickets, for the athletes out of their own pockets.  Doctors Whitmore, Silver, Mels and Barnes and trainer Paul Schechter were part of this team.  Now retired, Dr. Bornstein continues to be involved in sports medicine leading the team of athletic trainers at LAUSD sporting events.

Just as the team had the finest talent, it also attracted the finest coaches.  Several people have laid claim to coaching the team. Charlie Coker joined in 1962.  Joe Mangan also coached for the team.  Later John Bork became the Coach and Athletic Director  Other coaches and managers included Pete Petersons, Hank Erlich, Carl Ito, and Whitey Taylor.

The club continues today, primarily in Masters track and field, though some elite athletes continue to represent the team.  The club now has a sizable female membership and the club's president for the better part of a decade was female Masters World Champion Brenda Matthews.

The club hosts an annual meet, the Southern California Striders Meet of Champions.

Olympic accomplishments
 Mal Whitfield 5 Olympic Medals, 3 Gold
 Parry O'Brien 3 Olympic Medals, 2 Gold
 George Rhoden  2 Gold Medals
 Mike Larrabee 2 Gold Medals
 Don Quarrie  4 Olympic Medals, 1 Gold
 Ralph Boston 3 Olympic Medals, 1 Gold
 Rafer Johnson 2 Olympic Medals, 1 Gold
 Bob Seagren 2 Olympic Medals, 1 Gold
 Dallas Long 2 Olympic Medals, 1 Gold
 Rex Cawley 1 Olympic Gold Medal
 Hal Connolly 1 Olympic Gold Medal
 Charles Dumas 1 Olympic Gold Medal
 Bill Toomey 1 Olympic Gold Medal
 Ulis Williams 1 Olympic Gold Medal
 Ronnie Ray Smith 1 Olympic Gold Medal
 Fortune Gordien 2 Olympic Medals
 Larry Young 2 Olympic Medals
 Rink Babka 1 Olympic Medal
 Ed Caruthers 1 Olympic Medal
 Wayne Collett 1 Olympic Medal
 Meredith "Flash" Gourdine 1 Olympic Medal
 Ralph Mann 1 Olympic Medal
 Ron Morris 1 Olympic Medal
 John Rambo 1 Olympic Medal

Other Olympics activities
 Dick Van Kirk-Vice President, Technology, 1984 Summer Olympics

USA Masters Track and Field Championship

1.	USATF Masters Outdoor Championships
2.	USATF Masters Indoor Championships
3. Masters So Cal Track and Field Championship

Resources

1.	USATF website
2.	USATF Masters website
3.	World Masters Athletics (WMA)
4.	SCA USATF
5.	Mastershistory.org website:
6.	National Masters News magazine
7.	World Masters Rankings
8.	North and Central America and Caribbean Region of World Masters Athletics   (NCCMA)
9.	Southern California Striders
10.	Club West track club
11.	List of USA Masters Track and Field Records
List of United States records in masters athletics
12. Mastersrankings

References

External links
 Official Club website
  USATF Masters West Region Meet
  USATF Masters So California Championship Meet
  Club West Track Meet
  Track and Field News magazine
  National Masters News

Running clubs in the United States
Track and field clubs in the United States
Sports clubs and teams in Los Angeles
Clubs and societies in the United States
Athletics clubs in the United States
Track and field in California
1955 establishments in California
Sports clubs and teams established in 1955
Track and field in the United States

Southern California Striders


The Ford Flex was a full size crossover which was manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Its styling was based on the concept of the Ford Fairlane. The vehicle made its debut in 2007 at the New York International Auto Show. It replaced the Ford Freestar as well as its sibling, the Mercury Monterey and the Ford Taurus X and began sales in June 2008 as a 2009 model. It was facelifted for the 2013 model year and ended production in 2019.

2000s automobiles
2010s automobiles
Flex

Ford Flex


The MGM-18 Lacrosse was a short-ranged tactical weapon intended for close support of ground troops.
Its first flight test was in 1954 and was deployed by the United States Army beginning in 1959, despite being still in the development stage. The program's many technical hurdles proved too difficult to overcome and the missile was withdrawn from field service by 1964.

History

Development
The Lacrosse project began with a United States Marine Corps requirement for a short-range highly accurate guided missile to supplement conventional field artillery. The Navy's Bureau of Ordnance issued contracts to both the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory in September 1947, for the study of design aspects pertaining to this mission. Initial planning involved a missile which could be fired from a ship or land launcher. Preset guidance would guide the missile until terminal guidance by a forward observer could take over. Then command guidance would be used to provide a circular probable error of not more than .

The missile system was named the Lacrosse because it employed a forward observation station which had a direct view of the target. The forward observation station was mounted on a jeep and after the missile was launched control was passed to the forward station for final guidance to the target. Hence the name Lacrosse which is how the game of lacrosse is played with the ball being passed to players closer to the goal.

Project Lacrosse was established by the U.S. Marine Corps in 1947 at the Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University (APL/JHU). Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, Inc. was selected for the initial study and later became the prime contractor. Initially progress was slow and by 1949 the missile had grown from a derivative of the Lark missile to a much larger weapon carrying a  warhead. Sight Tracking, Electronic Equipment Ranging (STEER) guidance was selected.

In Late 1949 the Joint Chiefs of Staff established a policy assigning Army Ordnance responsibility for short-ranged surface-to-surface missiles. As a result, in early 1950, the project was transferred from the Navy to the Army's Ordnance Corps and Redstone Arsenal. Cornell and Johns Hopkins continued with the project, with the former having primary responsibility for guidance systems design. The Lacrosse project went from exploratory to development of a weapon in mid-1951.

During the next years the Lacrosse system was plagued by funding restrictions, and unsolved technical problems which caused schedule slippage and costs. These caused user criticism and loss of confidence in Lacrosse as a practical weapon system. A serious deficiency in coordination by the Office, Chief of Ordnance Corps inhibited development during the mid-1950s.

In 1955, the Glenn L. Martin Company was awarded contracts to participate in research and development and production.  Martin would take over much responsibility for the project, as Cornell moved to work on expanding the missile's capabilities beyond the original requirements (particularly in the area of airborne control, funding for which was discontinued in 1959).

Early testing began in 1954 and production prototypes were available the next year. The difficulties encountered by the project are illustrated by the protracted design and testing periods, with the missile not entering into service until July 1959. Problems included reliability concerns and difficulties with guidance, particularly susceptibility to Electronic countermeasure jamming of the guidance signals.

In 1956, the Federal Telecommunications Laboratory began work on a different guidance system, known as MOD 1, which would have improved Lacrosse's performance with regards to electronic countermeasures. MOD 1, however, was terminated in 1959, causing the Marines to withdraw their participation in the project.

Lacrosse was briefly stopped in Fiscal Year 1957 and reinstated 1958 though without funding for production engineering. This funding situation was responsible for many of the deficiencies of Lacrosse I which was fielded. The first units received Lacrosse in 1959, though the system would continue to be in need of development and refinement.

The Lacrosse weapons system was composed of a large number of vehicles and systems aside from the missile itself. There were three trucks, and a jeep, in the firing unit. There was also an extensive forward guidance system composed of a radar, four Missile Guidance System units, and several other units including a 45 kW generator. There was also a large Maintenance section composed of four trucks with trailers. An extensive test program of the final system was mounted at White Sands. During the final development phase in 1958 and 1959 Martin fired 59 missiles. The Artillery Board fired from 1958 to 1960. The Systems Test Division fired 55 from 1958 to 1960. Finally the Army user fired 23 missiles in early 1960. Cold weather testing was conducted at Fort Churchill, Canada in 1958–1959. Despite the many problems and deficiencies the system was improved and accepted for service in mid-1959. Ultimately the Lacrosse would achieve an accuracy of between 0.9 and 2.1 meters, which was far better than the original objective.

From mid-1959 production of Lacrosse systems were maintained on or ahead of schedule. Though training had been in planning since the mid-1950s severe deficiencies existed for the first 18 months when the Lacrosse system was deployed. Deployment was to ultimately include one Battalion for training in the United States, seven Battalions were deployed in Europe and one in Korea.

Efforts at improvement of the Lacrosse system continued in 1960 but problems, especially with Electronic Counter Measures continued to plague Lacrosse. On January 4, 1961 the ax fell and the Lacrosse program was established at 3 reduced strength battalions in Europe, 1 in South Korea and 4 in the USA. Inventory was reduced to 95 per battalion from 120 by the end of 1962. Fiscal Year 1962 saw the effective end of the Army's experience with the Lacrosse system. Mary Cagle described the Lacrosse as "technically deficient and unacceptable to the user for which it was developed." In her official Army history of the program she also stated that it was "a victim of financial anemia and acute indecision and inaction.

Nearly 1,200 Lacrosse missiles were produced and deployed at a cost of more than US$2 billion in 1996 dollars (excluding the cost of the nuclear warheads).

Service
The first unit to be equipped with Lacrosse was 5th Battalion, 41st Artillery, based at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.  In total, eight battalions would be equipped with Lacrosse, with most going to Europe, except one to Korea and one retained by the Strategic Army Corps.

Designations
The original Navy project was assigned the designator SSM-N-9.  When transferred to the Army, the program became SSM-G-12, which changed to SSM-A-12 after minor changes in the Army's designation scheme.  When adopted into service, the weapon system was referred to as M-4 and only gained its MGM-18A designation months before being declared obsolete.

See also

References

Citations

Bibliography
Cagle, Mary T., History of the Lacross Guided Missile System (U) 1947-1962 U.S. Army Missile Command. 1962.

See also

Short-range ballistic missiles
Cold War nuclear missiles of the United States
MGM-018
Military equipment introduced in the 1950s

MGM-18 Lacrosse


Albaston () is a hamlet in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is in the civil parish of Calstock.

Geography
Albaston is about 1 mile (2 kilometres) from the centre of Gunnislake and half-a-mile (0.7 kilometres) from Gunnislake railway station, the junction of the Tamar Valley Line from Plymouth.

History
In the past, Albaston was closely connected with the nearby mine at Drakewalls. The success of the Drakewalls mine in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century led to the growth of the village of Albaston, including the building of a Methodist chapel and several shops, homes and businesses. A brewery, Edward Bowhay & Brothers, was established by 1877; this brewery had closed by 1930.

Facilities
The village has a Methodist church, known as Tamar Valley Methodist Church. It was opened in 2001.

The Old Post Office House is now rented as a holiday home accommodating nine people.

Notable residents
Christian Pentecostal leader Thomas Ball Barratt was born in Albaston in 1862, the son of a mining engineer. He moved to Norway when his father began working for a mine there and in later life became the founder of the Norwegian Pentecostal movement.

References

Hamlets in Cornwall

Albaston


An Urinometer is a simple piece of equipment for determining urine specific gravity.

Description
A typical urinometer is composed of a float, a weight, and a stem. The float is an air-filled glass tube, ending in the weight on the left and the stem on the right. The weight is a bulb filled with ball bearings embedded in a red solid, probably a glue of some sort. The glass stem extends to the right, and has calibrated graduations and numbers marked off to indicate specific gravity measurements.

Application
An urinometer is typically used in medical diagnostic labs. It is placed in a tube of urine, and where the meniscus of the urine reaches displays the specific gravity of the urine.

See also
 Urinalysis

References

Urine

Urinometer