Compilations | 1st Appearance | Origin Story | Main Publication History | Secondary Publication History | Key Storylines | Media Source Material | Key Issues
by snowbi-wan, updated Jul 2019
Captain Marvel is Carol Danvers' latest of several superhero alter egos. Carol Danvers has had a long publishing history and an equally winding superhero career. First appearing in MARVEL SUPER-HEROES [1967] #13, regular 'ole human Carol was an Air Force officer but associated with Mar-Vell, the Kree superhero and the original Captain Marvel. She became Ms. Marvel with superhuman abilities when an explosion fused her DNA with that of Mar-Vell's. Carol's base powers include super-strength, invulnerability, flight and a precognitive 'seventh sense,' but have otherwise changed radically over the decades. While part of the Avengers, she was kidnapped by Immortus and taken to the Limbo dimension where he brainwashed and impregnated her. After she escaped back to Earth, the X-Man Rogue absorbed Ms. Marvel's powers and memories. While working with the X-Men, the de-powered Carol was the unwilling subject of genetic experiments by the Brood, which resulted in her gaining cosmic powers. She operated as Binary with the Starjammers throughout the galaxy for a time. She eventually returned home with slightly reduced powers and took the name Warbird, resuming her affiliation with the Avengers. During the 2005 HOUSE OF M event storyline, Carol bore the Ms. Marvel name once again in that 'false reality' and it stuck after the event. Ms. Marvel played a part in the 2008 SECRET INVASION event storyline, where the Skrulls had infiltrated Earth by replacing key figures and even some superheroes. Carol Danvers has typically been a part of any of Marvel's intergalactic stories that involve the Kree and Skrulls. In 2012, Carol assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel in AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #9-10 to honor that original Kree's legacy. Since then, she's had more memory problems, more cosmic adventures and a prominent role in the 2016 CIVIL WAR II--and just about every other--Marvel event storyline. The 2018 mini-series, THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018], brought new facts to light in Carol's origin story, particularly that her mother was Kree and that the explosion did not fuse Mar-vell's powers to her so much as activated her inherent abilities. Carol Danvers has been a regular character in the Marvel Universe for decades. She is the star of her own March 2019 film as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) which has brought her even more popularity.
Compilations
In modern comic publishing, it's common (and expected) for individual comic book issues to be collected into compilations of trade paperbacks and/or hardcovers, as well as other special compilations. Unlike the individual source issues, the collected editions typically stay in print for long periods and are less 'collectible.' If individual issues are out of reach or are not of interest to you or if you just need reading copies, the following collected editions of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) comic books are the most recent in-print editions and are the perfect alternative to get started right away with Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers). The following compilations are presented in a chronologically-based suggested reading order with softcover editions before any hardcover editions (unless the only in-print editions are hardcover--these are integrated into the softcover list).
Given that Captain Marvel relaunched several time throughout the 2010s and there were just as many series of compilations, Marvel is trying to make it less complicated by instituting two major compilation collections. CAPTAIN MARVEL: CAROL DANVERS--THE MS. MARVEL YEARS [2018-TPB] collects stuff from before Carol assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel. And CAPTAIN MARVEL: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO [2016-TPB] is replacing the gaggle of relaunches which occurred throughout the 2010s. But this process is not quite complete, so many of the older series are still in print, and the latest volume of EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO has not been issued. So, there is some overlap with the 2016 series. If you're only interested in the Captain Marvel years (not the Ms. Marvel years) then you can skip the MS. MARVEL YEARS series. You will miss her classic origin if you skip that series, but you'll still get her modernized origin in the LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018] compilation.
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| Cover | Release Month | Series / Number / Storyline | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Quick View | Apr 2020 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: THE MANY LIVES OF CAROL DANVERS [2020-TPB] | UNAVAILABLE | $19.49 | |
 Quick View | Mar 2018 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: CAROL DANVERS--THE MS. MARVEL YEARS [2018-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING |  | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2018 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: CAROL DANVERS--THE MS. MARVEL YEARS [2018-TPB] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2018 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: CAROL DANVERS--THE MS. MARVEL YEARS [2018-TPB] VOL 03 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jun 2016 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO [2016-TPB] VOL 01 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Oct 2016 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO [2016-TPB] VOL 02 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Feb 2017 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO [2016-TPB] VOL 03 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2017 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO [2016-TPB] VOL 04 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Feb 2019 | CAPTAIN MARVEL: EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HERO [2016-TPB] VOL 05 CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Oct 2017 | CIVIL WAR II [2016-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2017 | MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL [2017-TPB] VOL 01: ALIEN NATION CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Dec 2017 | MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL [2017-TPB] VOL 02: BAND OF SISTERS CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | May 2018 | MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL [2017-TPB] VOL 03: DARK ORIGINS CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Jan 2019 | LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018-TPB] CURRENT PRINTING | | Go to Amazon | |
 Quick View | Aug 2019 | CAPTAIN MARVEL [2019-TPB] VOL 01: RE-ENTRY | UNAVAILABLE | $10.39 | |
 Quick View | Dec 2019 | CAPTAIN MARVEL [2019-TPB] VOL 02: FALLING STAR | UNAVAILABLE | $11.69 | |
 Quick View | May 2020 | CAPTAIN MARVEL [2019-TPB] VOL 03: THE LAST AVENGER | UNAVAILABLE | $11.69 | |
![MARVEL ACTION: CAPTAIN MARVEL [VOL 01]: COSMIC CAT-TASTROPHE](images/comics/NOV19/NOV190697.jpg) Quick View | Jan 2020 | MARVEL ACTION: CAPTAIN MARVEL [2019-TPB] [VOL 01]: COSMIC CAT-TASTROPHE | UNAVAILABLE | $8.49 | |
 Quick View | Oct 2019 | FEARLESS [2019-TPB] | UNAVAILABLE | $10.39 |
1st Appearance
The first appearance of a character in comic book form is often the most valuable issue featuring that character. It's a nice place to get started in Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), if it's within your budget. Carol Danvers has had several superhero identities (and none at points) throughout her long publishing history. The chronological list below includes all of her most prominent alter egos. The mantle of Captain Marvel is only her most recent. Technically, the preview of AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #9 contained in the SUMMER OF SPIDER-MAN SAMPLER [2012] #1 predates the full issue of which it previews. Additionally, AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #9 came out the week before CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #1, so even thought the story comes chronologically after the #1, it technically is her first story appearance. Rightfully so, CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #1 also gets a lot of attention because it is a #1 and it does contain the origin of Carol assuming the mantle of Captain Marvel. The technicallities of first appearances are continually up for debate in such instances, and there is no standardized way to satisfy everyone. However, the relative market values will typically reveal where the bulk of collector interest lies, although this may change over time as well. We tend to list all interesting issues in our guides and be as descriptive as possible about the subjective importance of each.
- MARVEL SUPER-HEROES [1967] #13 (1st appearance of Carol Danvers)
- MS. MARVEL [1977] #1 (1st appearance of Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- UNCANNY X-MEN [1981] #164 (1st appearance of Binary (Carol Danvers))
- AVENGERS [1998] #4 (1st appearance of Warbird (Carol Danvers))
- SUMMER OF SPIDER-MAN SAMPLER [2012] #1 (1st preview appearance of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #9 (***1st appearance of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers)***)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #1 (2nd appearance/origin of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers); 1st issue of this series)
Origin Story
The original presentation of an origin story or a retelling/recounting of it can be a good place to get started with a character or subject. The 'origin' of a superhero is typically the event or circumstances surrounding how they gained their powers and/or began fighting crime. Carol Danvers has had multiple superhero identities, each with its own origin, but with respect to her 'Captain Marvel' incarnation, the two most significant are how she initially got powers as Ms. Marvel and how she eventually took the name Captain Marvel. These events occurred in the two different issues listed below, however, Marvel has also published a 5-issue mini-series which is the definitive modern-day origin of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers). This series contains new facts and details that alter the classic events to some degree. A shifting and evolving origin is not uncommon for comic book characters that have been around for decades. See the Key Issues section of this guide for all the other significant milestone issues in Carol Danvers' long publishing history.
- MS. MARVEL [1977] #2 (2nd appearance/origin of Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #1 (2nd appearance/origin of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018] #1-5 (origin of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) retold with new details)
Main Publication History
Series beginnings are always great places to get started in comic books. Here is the Main Publication History for Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) comic books. Carol Danvers has had multiple superhero identities but only assumed the name CAPTAIN MARVEL beginning in 2012 in a couple issues of AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] and her own self-titled series. Captain Marvel has had quite a few #1 issues, as Marvel went through a rapid succession of relaunches in the 2010s. Per Marvel's typically confusing methods, the Marvel Legacy numbering of the 7th ongoing, self-titled CAPTAIN MARVEL series below (#125-129) includes Carol's first two MS. MARVEL series (1977 and 2006) then her Captain Marvel series (that take place in the main Marvel Universe). The following chronological list only contains series where Carol is Captain Marvel. There are also some all-ages team-up one-shots listed in the Secondary Publication History.
- AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #9-10 (introduction of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #1-17 ((4th ongoing, self-titled series) MARVEL NOW! launch; 'origin' of new identity as Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- AVENGERS: THE ENEMY WITHIN [2013] #1 (THE ENEMY WITHIN, Part 1; one-shot kickoff of 5-part crossover event storyline)
- AVENGERS ASSEMBLE [2012] #16-17 (THE ENEMY WITHIN, Parts 2 and 4; crossover with CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #13-14 (parts 3 and 5))
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2014] #1-15 ((5th series) ALL-NEW MARVEL NOW! relaunch)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL AND THE CAROL CORPS [2015] #1-5 (SECRET WARS [2015] WARZONES mini-series)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2016] #1-10 ((6th series) ALL-NEW, ALL-DIFFERENT MARVEL relaunch)
- CIVIL WAR II [2016] #1-8
- MIGHTY CAPTAIN MARVEL [2017] #0-9 (MARVEL NOW! 2.0 (post-CIVIL WAR II) relaunch)
- GENERATIONS: CAPTAIN MARVEL AND CAPTAIN MAR-VELL [2017] #1 (GENERATIONS are a series of one-shot preludes to the MARVEL LEGACY relaunch)
- GENERATIONS: MS. MARVEL AND MS. MARVEL [2017] #1
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2017] #125-129 ((7th series) MARVEL LEGACY relaunch)
- INFINITY COUNTDOWN: CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018] #1 (event storyline tie-in one-shot)
- LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018] #1-5 (origin of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers) retold with new details)
- MARVEL'S CAPTAIN MARVEL PRELUDE [2019] #1 (original story part of Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continuity)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2019] #1-
- CAPTAIN MARVEL: BRAVER AND MIGHTIER [2019] #1 (one-shot released in conjunction with MCU film)
- MARVEL ACTION: CAPTAIN MARVEL [2019] #1-6 (1st series of IDW all-ages series of original material)
- FEARLESS [2019] #1-4 (ensemble mini-series with Captain Marvel, Storm, Invisible Woman)
- ABSOLUTE CARNAGE: CAPTAIN MARVEL [2020] #1 (event tie-in)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL: THE END [2020] #1
- MARVEL ACTION: CAPTAIN MARVEL [2020] #1- (2nd series of IDW all-ages series of original material)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL: MARVELS SNAPSHOTS [2020] #1
Secondary Publication History
If you've already enjoyed some of the series listed in the Main Publication History above, series from this secondary publication list are very good places to further your exploration. This section lists all of the MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES one-shots. These are all-ages team-up stories.
- MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES: CAPTAIN MARVEL--FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL [2018] #1 (MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES are a series of all-ages team-up one-shots)
- MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES: CAPTAIN MARVEL--HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR [2018] #1
- MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES: CAPTAIN MARVEL--MEALTIME MAYHEM [2019] #1
- MARVEL SUPER HERO ADVENTURES: CAPTAIN MARVEL--FROST GIANTS AMONG US [2019] #1
Selected Key Storylines
This section contains a curated list of some of the best storylines for Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers), any one of which can be a good place to get started. While a chronological read-through of all of Carol Danvers' Captain Marvel material is not not recommended, it's entirely acceptable to start with any of her series' several relaunches (i.e. #1's) without too much disorientation. And although Carol Danvers has some great story arcs in her long publishing history--especially her Ms. Marvel years, we limit the entries in the list below to those from her tenure as Captain Marvel which only began in 2012. (If you're looking also for Ms. Marvel stories, check out the Key Issues section of this guide for clues to hot stories from that era.)
| 2012 | CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #1-6 ('IN PURSUIT OF FLIGHT'; encouraged by Captain America, Carol Danvers assumes the mantle of Captain Marvel in this 'origin' arc) |
| 2012 | CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #7-12 ('DOWN'; Carol Danvers meets another Captain Marvel in the second arc of her first series as a Captain Marvel) |
| 2014 | CAPTAIN MARVEL [2014] #1-6 ('HIGHER, FURTHER, FASTER, MORE'; Captain Marvel goes cosmic) |
| 2016 | CAPTAIN MARVEL [2016] #1-5 ('THE RISE OF ALPHA FLIGHT'; Carol's powers are changing and the former Air Force officer is in charge of Alpha Flight...should work out fine) |
| 2018 | LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018] #1-5 (retelling of Carol Danvers' origin for the modern era) |
Media Source Material
Captain Marvel deputed as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in her own self-titled film in Mar 2019. The movie has many ties to Carol's comic book roots as detailed throughout this guide.
Key Issues
A key issue can be an acceptable place to get started with Captain Marvel (carol Danvers), but they are more of a collector's checklist, as they can carry high price tags. The following list also contains a bunch of key issues from before the time that Carol assumed the mantle of Captain Marvel in 2012. SECRET INVASION [2008] #1 is only included because Captain Marvel's Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film appears to be--in part--a pretty likely setup for the SECRET INVASION storyline in the MCU.
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- MARVEL SUPER-HEROES [1967] #13 (1st appearance of Carol Danvers)
- MARVEL'S SPACE-BORN SUPERHERO! CAPTAIN MARVEL [1968] #1 (2nd appearance of Carol Danvers; 1st issue of this series)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [1968] #18 (contains the attack that subsequently imbuded Carol Danvers with superpowers)
- FOOM [1973-MAG] #15 (1st cameo appearance of Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers)(non-story))
- MS. MARVEL [1977] #1 (1st appearance of Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- MS. MARVEL [1977] #2 (2nd appearance/origin of Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- MS. MARVEL [1977] #20 (1st appearance of Ms. Marvel's (Carol Danvers) black costume)
- MS. MARVEL [1977] #23 (final issue of this series)
- AVENGERS [1963] #183 (Ms. Marvel (Carol Danvers) joins Avengers)
- AVENGERS [1963] #200 (1st appearance of Marcus Immortus; controversial rape of Ms. Marvel)
- AVENGERS ANNUAL [1967] #10 (1st appearances of Rogue, Madelyne Pryor; Rogue permanently absorbs Ms. Marvel's (Carol Danvers) powers/psyche)
- UNCANNY X-MEN [1981] #164 (1st appearance of Binary (Carol Danvers))
- AVENGERS [1963] #346 (1st appearance of Starforce)
- MARVEL SUPER-HEROES [1990] #10 (previously unpublished MS. MARVEL [1977] #24)
- MARVEL SUPER-HEROES [1990] #11 (previously unpublished MS. MARVEL [1977] #25)
- AVENGERS [1998] #4 (1st appearance of Warbird (Carol Danvers))
- MS. MARVEL [2006] #1 (1st issue of this series)
- SECRET INVASION [2008] #1 (1st issue of this series)
- SUMMER OF SPIDER-MAN SAMPLER [2012] #1 (1st preview appearance of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #9 (1st appearance of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #1 (2nd appearance/origin of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers); 1st issue of this series)
- AVENGING SPIDER-MAN [2011] #10 (3rd appearance of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #2 (4th appearance of Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers))
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #14 (1st appearance of Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)
- CAPTAIN MARVEL [2012] #17 (final issue of this series)
- LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL [2018] #1 (1st issue of this series)