This article was first published in the July 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
Carol Danvers is about to go intergalactic. In 2018, she will become the first female hero to headline a Marvel movie, Captain Marvel. But in the meantime, she has become a lightning rod for fans clamouring for more diversity in comics.
Danvers debuted in 1968, supporting the original (male) Captain Marvel. After a stint as Ms. Marvel, Danvers took on the deceased captain's mantle in 2012. Under writer Kelly Sue DeConnick, 44, fans calling themselves the Carol Corps have rallied around the hero. "We knew something important was about to happen," says Marvel comic-book editor Sana Amanat. Initial anger towards Danvers' promotion was quickly drowned out by positivity. "The conventions were incredible -- women and men dressed as the new Captain Marvel made us realise that this was bigger than the comic series."
This enthusiam inspired Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps, out June 9, a mini-series co-written by DeConnick and Kelly Thompson. The comic is part of Marvel's Secret Wars event, a crossover storyline that promises to reshape the comics' multiverse.
Even bigger is the part the Carol Corps are playing in improving representation in comic culture. "There's been progress," says Amanat, "but the real progress happens when we have a balance of men, women and minorities on the main stage -- and no one bats an eyelash. That's when we'll be victorious."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
