Warning: contains spoilers for Captain Marvel #39!
Marvel’s Captain Marvel has often been positioned as the company’s version of Superman, and now the hero’s surprising weakness to magic proves it – but Carol Danvers has one major advantage against the Man of Steel. The half-human hero often travels through space and defends the people of Earth (and many other planets), and has the standard “flying brick” powers that allow comparisons to be made. Now in Captain Marvel #39, Danvers goes up against her greatest weakness – and Superman’s as well.
Captain Marvel takes many elements from Superman, even after copying his blue, red and yellow heroic color scheme. Both characters are phenomenally strong, fast, and have energy projection powers (Superman can use his heat vision to shoot energy from his eyes and Danvers from her hands). They can survive in the vacuum of space and have origins from beyond Earth (although it must be noted that while Superman is a full Kryptonian, Carol Danvers is only half-Kree; she was born on Earth instead of offworld).
But in Captain Marvel #39, written by Kelly Thompson with art by Juan Frigeri & Alvaro Lopez, all of Carol’s strength is no match for a magical tribunal called by Agatha Harkness. Her crimes involve stripping the magic from the Enchantress’ son Ove – the worst possible sin within the magical community – and Harkness, Doctor Voodoo and others have Danvers at their mercy. Trapped in a magical void, Captain Marvel realizes her major weakness is still magic – the very same weakness she sought to prevent ever since her vision of a dystopian future one year ago.
Both Captain Marvel and Superman are indeed vulnerable to magic, but these are not built-in weaknesses – that is to say, magic simply bypasses their bulletproof skin and other natural defenses. Even an inexperienced magic user poses a threat to Superman and Captain Marvel, and the two have great difficulty battling sorcerers with their strength alone. But while Superman has no defense against the practice, Captain Marvel went out of her way to learn magic – first by asking Doctor Strange, then by seeking help from nearly everyone in the Marvel magic community.
Unfortunately, Strange refused to teach Carol magic because he believed it was one of the few weaknesses keeping her in check. Undeterred, Captain Marvel used the Enchantress’ knowledge to cheat Ove out of his magic, culminating in her current trial. It’s true that Marvel has often positioned Captain Marvel as the universe’s Superman, but the difference between the two is obvious: Superman never tries to accumulate more power than he needs, and Captain Marvel sees her weaknesses as parts of herself she must correct, whatever the cost.
