‘Ms. Marvel’ Episode 1 Ending, Explained: What Happens to Kamala Khan In Episode 1?
Ms. Marvel is the newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show is being released on Disney Plus, and it comes with a lot of expectations. The series is the first Marvel show to be specifically aimed at younger audiences, and it also boasts the fact of bringing Kalama Khan, a fan favorite, to the screen for the first time. In terms of representation for the people of the Middle East, Kamala is a very important character and so is this show.
While the show is aimed at kids, it tackles some very universal topics, especially when it comes to dealing with your future and how not letting other people tell you who you really are. Identity is a huge part of what makes Ms. Marvel great, as she begins just as a fan of Captain Marvel and later evolves into a superhero of her own. If the show manages to convey that evolution in the proper way, then we couldn’t ask for more. The show releases new episodes every Wednesday.
The next paragraphs contain spoilers for the first episode of Ms. Marvel. So read at your own risk.
What Happens To Kamala Khan In Episode 1?
The first episode of Ms. Marvel spends all of its running time setting up the character of Kamala Khan, and how she relates to the people around her. Because of it, this first episode doesn’t really have a lot of action or very spectacular moments but balances it out by giving us enough character, so the show can do whatever they want next. Without feeling like we missed something. By this point, we know the conflict and the wants of our main character.
The episode begins with our introduction to Kamala as a character. We learn that she is a huge Avengers fan, and that she is planning to go to AvengersCon, a fan convention to celebrate the Avengers. This movie is set post Endgame in the timeline. So, as we are shown in the episode, the sacrifice of both Iron Man and Black Widow is being recognized by people around the world.
Kamala shares her excitement and passion for the Avengers with her best friend Bruno. Bruno, is a tech genius, or at least one in the making. He spends his time working on inventions, and we learn that he is preparing to go to CalTech after he leaves high school. Bruno also uses his technical abilities to help Kamala with her costume. They are really good friends, although at one point in the episode it seems that Bruno has romantic feelings for Kamala. We need to wait and see how this idea develops in further episodes.
Kamala has one issue, though. Her parents, and even some teachers at high school, keep repeating that she should stop following fantasies and instead follow a more normal and mundane life. The episode doesn’t really convey very well why the teacher and Kamala’s parents think so badly of her, but it doesn’t seem fair. Especially when it comes to her parents, they really don’t seem to understand that by trying to protect her from the world, they are stopping Kamala from living in the world.
Kamala asks for permission to go to AvengersCon, but she is denied. Her parents want to go with her to protect her, and at that moment Kamala explodes, as it seems they really don’t think she is capable of doing anything by herself. Their parents are hurt, but they have hurt Kamala a lot more, and they don’t even realize it.
Kamala knows that the only thing she can do is to escape and go to the convention, with permission or not.
How Does Kamala Khan Get Her Powers In Episode 1?
Something very important occurs in this first episode, and that is the fact that Kamala Khan gets her powers. Unlike the comics, in this show, Kamala doesn’t have any connection to the Inhumans. In this version of the story, Kamala’s family receives a package from Pakistan. The package comes apparently from Kamala’s grandmother, and it contains a bunch of old jewelry. Kamala’s mother dismisses the content of the package, but Kamala doesn’t.
Inside the package, there is an old and worn-out bracelet. Kamala picks it up just because she thinks it looks cool. However, at the convention, during the cosplaying contest, Kamala puts on the bracelet and for a moment she is transported to another place. This place contains purple energy and also a lot of strange purple people that look at Kamala in a very creepy way.
This journey to another dimension lasts just a second, but once Kamala comes back, she is able to make structures made from this purple energy with her mind. Kamala doesn’t know how to use these powers yet, but after she is scowled by her mother, she lays in bed looking at her newfound power and her mind rushes with all the possibilities.
In a post-credits scene, we see members of the Damage Control Agency looking at a video of Kamala using her power during the convention. Damage Control works with containing objects of the extraterrestrial origin, so it might be that Kamala’s bracelet is from another world, and it looks like magic here on Earth, just like Shang-Chi’s rings. The episode ends with Damage Control ordering Kamala’s arrested, and just like that the stakes got higher than ever for the young hero.
