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This article comprises spoilers for Defenders Beyond #2 (by Al Ewing, Javier Rodriguez, and VC’s Joe Caramagna), accessible now from Marvel Comics.
Brought collectively by the recently-deceased (and since revived) Doctor Strange, Defenders Beyond depicts a gaggle of heroes and anti-heroes united to to avoid wasting actuality itself. One of the members, Ms. America Chavez, known as upon at a clumsy time in her life, the place she’s questioning every part about herself and doesn’t have entry to her full powers. One second in Defenders Beyond #2, nonetheless, offers her an opportunity to be extra highly effective than she’s ever been earlier than – although it is unclear what this may increasingly imply for her future.
Defenders Beyond #2 opens with the Defenders speaking to the Omega council, a gaggle of God-like beings who serve the Celestials. When Tigra notes how their final encounter with one among their members, Beyonder, resulted within the universe virtually being worn out, Beyonder responds warmly, as if the near-destruction of existence is nostalgically endearing to him. After this, it turns into clear that they won’t come to a mutual understanding with one another. To this finish, Blue Marvel reveals the ace in his pocket: the eternity masks, which he obtained within the earlier challenge as an merchandise among the many late Doctor Strange’s belongings.
He offers the masks to America Chavez, suggesting she use it to spice up her energy and present the Omegas what an actual battle is like. The ensuing scene is parallel in development to a scene from the earlier challenge, the place America punched Loki. While that second resulted in Loki being underwhelmed by the hit, noting how America had beforehand struck her a lot more durable, this scene has Beyonder shocked – if additionally amused – by the extent of America’s energy. He notes how she shouldn’t be solely hanging him bodily, however in a number of realities without delay — they usually proceed their battle all through the remainder of the problem, with America remaining at par with Beyonder himself.
This scene is notable within the historical past of America’s character. She is usually identified for her energy, being each one of many strongest Young Avengers and the one notably superpowered character in probably the most fashionable incarnation of West Coast Avengers (Quentin Quire and Gwendolyn Poole, whereas extremely sturdy, each lacked their common powers throughout their time with the staff). This standing, nonetheless, modified final yr.
The 2021 mini-series America Chavez: Made within the USA modified a number of issues round America’s character. Most notably, it retconned her origin in its entirety: revealing that America was born in a lab to 2 human mother and father, as an alternative of being born on one other airplane of existence referred to as the Utopian Parallel. The story additionally, nonetheless, arrange the lack of her signature powerset, together with her powers turning into more durable for her to regulate – probably because of the lie she has been dwelling for her life up till now.
This depiction of her powers has continued previous her solo mini-series. In Marvel’s Voices: Comunidades (2021) #1, America and Amadeus Cho work collectively as America struggles to perform issues she beforehand did with ease. In Marvel’s Voices: Pride (2022) #1, Billy and Teddy attempt to get America’s assist to avoid wasting Loki from a coalition of his exes, just for America’s portals to consistently convey them to the unsuitable locations – till they lastly handle to get to Loki. Similar moments happen in each the Young Avengers and America Chavez solo Infinity Comics which have been added to Marvel Unlimited in latest weeks.
Notably, this drop in energy has not stopped America from doing nice issues – and with good purpose. As Defenders Beyond places it, America Chavez is a “Pandemic of the Multiverse” – and, as a pandemic ought to, she is going to comply with her oath to guard individuals whether or not or not she has the instruments on-hand to do it. She would not let her powers or lack thereof get in her manner and can save the day, whether or not at full energy or not – and he or she has the assist of her pals and neighborhood behind her as nicely.
This problem of America being unable to regulate her powers is not, nonetheless, distinctive to her comedian e book incarnation. This can also be true of the MCU model of America, who needed to achieve the self-confidence to have the ability to management her powers throughout her debut movie. While there isn’t any proof that the comedian e book model of America’s powers are equally impacted by her confidence, it’s potential that America’s present “energy change” within the comedian books is merely a prelude to the same reveal.
If that occurred, then America’s powers would have been current and secure all alongside, with the issue being that revelations about her previous and the guilt about her disconnect together with her household has precipitated her to lack the interior stability wanted to regulate her powers. To that finish, it is even theoretically potential that the Eternity Mask Blue Marvel gave her in Defenders Beyond #2 is not the true Eternity Mask – she may theoretically be drawing from her personal powers, with the Eternity Mask being a placebo used to spice up her confidence.
There are numerous totally different potentialities for the way forward for America Chavez. While comedian e book established order signifies that America is nearly sure to regain her full energy finally, it is onerous to foretell what the path to her regaining them shall be. Between her continued function in Defenders Beyond and her upcoming function within the Thunderbolts sequence, it is going to be fascinating to see what adventures await her subsequent.
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