MONICA RAMBEAU (aka Captain Marvel II, Photon, Pulsar, Spectrum)
Created By: Roger Stern & John Romita Jr.
First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982)
Role: Double Minority, Background Character, Blaster
Group Affiliations: The Avengers, Nextwave, New Orleans Harbor Patrol
Avengers Grade: C-Level
PL 10 (213)
STRENGTH 1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2
Skills:
Aerobatics 10 (+13)
Athletics 4 (+5)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+8)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Law Enforcement- Harbor Patrol) 4 (+7)
Expertise (Current Events) 2 (+5)
Insight 5 (+8)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 4 (+7)
Perception 4 (+7)
Ranged Combat (Blasts) 2 (+10)
Technology 2 (+5)
Vehicles 2 (+6)
Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Improved Aim, Improved Critical (Blasts), Improved Smash, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 4, Set-Up, Teamwork
Powers:
"Various Energy Forms" (Action -1) [-1]
Blast 10 (Feats: Variable Descriptor- Any Energy, Precise, Split, Dynamic, Penetrating 5) (29) -- [36]
- Dynamic AE: "Area Light" Environment 4 (Light 2) (9)
- Dynamic AE: "Invisibility" Concealment (Visuals) 4 (9)
- AE: Illusion (Visuals) 4 (8)
- AE: "Drain Energy" Nullify Energy Powers 10 (Extras: Broad, Concentration) (31)
- AE: Dazzle Visuals 10 (20)
Immunity 10 (Life Support) (Extras: Sustained +0) [10]
Flight 20 (2,000,000 mph) [40]
Movement 2 (Space Travel 2) [4]
Senses 4 (Detect Energy- Ranged, Acute & Analytical) [4]
Offense:
Unarmed +8 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Blast +10 (+10 Ranged Damage, DC 25)
Nullify Energy +10 (DC 20)
Initiative +3
Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +3, Fortitude +6, Will +8
Complications:
Responsibility (Mar-Vell's Legacy)- Monica had the name "Captain Marvel" thrust upon her, and she struggled with maintaining the impressive legacy of the dead former Marvel.
Relationship (Brother Voodoo)- They dated for some time in the past.
Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 109 / Defenses: 19 (213)
Monica Rambeau- Pet Character to Forgotten Character:
-The "Pet Character" of the 1980s Avengers was definitely Monica "Captain Marvel" Rambeau, beloved creation of Roger Stern. He created her for a Spider-Man book, and threw her onto the Avengers as quickly as he could, having all this great stuff happen to her, with all of her teammates talking about how good she was at her job. When The Wasp stepped down as leader post-Under Siege, Captain America IMMEDIATELY nominated Monica, commenting on her awesomeness, with the Black Knight instantly piping in with his own compliments. In crossovers with the X-Men, even THOSE guys go on about how great she is (she even KO's MAGNETO once). Stern even QUIT THE BOOK when Mark Gruenwald (his Editor) insisted that Cap be made the leader again. This is a writer who REALLY loved his own character- one fan even wrote in saying that Monica was a good character, but a bit too powerful and "too much is happening for her too quickly"- the fan didn't know it, but he had inadvertently called Monica a Mary Sue. And it fits- almost all of the attributes are there.
-However, Monica is also a good case of a POSITIVE Mary Sue. She didn't dominate the story. Not every man she met fell in love with her. She was uber-powerful and absurdly-versatile and hard to defeat (she had Insubstantial), but she didn't curbstomp absolutely every single villain with raw force. She wasn't this insanely dynamic, super-sympathetic character- she was just an honest Coast Guard girl-turned-superhero who really wanted to help. If anything, her personality was a bit bland- but this is an issue I've noticed in a lot of Stern's work- there's a handful of Wild Cards like Hercules (braggart, chauvinist), Namor (arrogant, flighty), and She-Hulk (flirt), but for the most part the other characters (Wasp, Knight, Cap, Monica) are just dull, get-along types who don't really act like anything other than nice, normal people. Oddly enough, as a highly-powerful visible minority, she's the kind of character Marvel SHOULD be pushing in their "Diversity Initiatives", but often forgets she exists and has to keep making new Legacy Heroes of color. Monica's currently floating around doing little aside from appearing in random books.
The New Captain Marvel:
-The second Captain Marvel was an attempt at creating a new minority character of some repute, also counting as a "twofer" (black AND a woman!) She was supposed to look like Pam Grier, but ended up looking like "a generic black woman" after the art team got through with modifications, says John Romita. Unfortunately, her character begins and ends right around there for the most part. Oh sure, she's interesting for BEING a double minority, and her powers sure are cool, and they even let her lead the team for a while, but they never really established her much beyond that- making her essentially a generic heroine. There's a reason Storm is like twenty times as famous and interesting, despite taking the same role.
-Monica debuted as a Coast Guard member who was injured stopping a super-science weapon- naturally gaining powers from this, she took the name of Captain Marvel, who'd been dead for less than a YEAR at this point, effectively ensuring that they name was still owned by Marvel Comics. She promptly joined the Avengers, and stayed for Roger Stern's five-year run. She was part of the legendary Secret Wars event, but was one of the least-used characters there (Jim Shooter barely used either her or Rogue), and also fought Kang, Nebula, and the Masters of Evil in the Under Siege arc. She was chosen to replace the Wasp as Avengers leader (though Cap was still a part of the book), leading them against the X-Men, Olympian Gods, and the Super-Adaptoid, and dealt with Dr. Druid attempting to undermine her authority and take charge of the team himself. Unfortunately, she was de-powered trying to fight Namor's wife Marrina, who'd been transformed into a sea monster- she turned into a bolt of lightning, and was dispersed across the surface of the ocean. Returning as a withered husk with no powers, she spent ages regaining them, and became one of those "Marvel Limbo" characters who just disappeared.
Post-Stern Monica Rambeau:
-Yeah, Monica's history is pretty sad once Stern left The Avengers after a behind-the-scenes scuffle with Mark Gruenwald (who wanted Cap made leader once more). Once re-powered, she does little of importance (she's a Reserve Avenger), and eventually gives up the Captain Marvel name to Genis, son of the original. After this, she takes the name "Photon", but is still one of those "Forgotten" characters that only shows up once in a blue moon (Stern's Avengers Infinity mini-series, mass All-Avengers Event Stories). When a brain-addled Genis himself goes under a new name as "Photon", Monica is PISSED, as this pretty much becomes her running gag. After a fight, she decided she liked the name "Pulsar" better. She appeared as a grouchy team leader in Nextwave (which I still think should be Non-Continuity), then showed up in Marvel Divas, a Sex & The City rip-off (one of MANY Marvel has tried to make over the years) that was spectacularly-awful, and notable for attempting to staple the four girls' personalities onto Marvel Heroines- in this case, Monica became "The Miranda", a sharp-tongued, sardonic, mouthy Career Woman-type.
-This is largely-ignored (thank god) for an appearance in Mighty Avengers- she becomes a Deputy Leader of Luke Cage's new squad. Now, she goes by "Spectrum", seemingly adding ANOTHER layer to our great Running Gag of Monica's codename repeatedly changing. Currently, it's become as big of a thing with her as Continuity Problems are with Donna Troy and Constantly Dying is with Jean Grey. Unfortunately, despite the book being a fun "Island of Misfit Toys" collection of weirdo characters and Al Ewing being one of my current favorites at Marvel, Monica probably had the least characterization out of anyone in there. Despite Ewing adoring her (stating he'd loved how competent and powerful she was on The Avengers when he was younger), he just kind of had her as this backgrounder who didn't get to DO anything. I mean, this book made me like background wizard KALUU, and poor Monica didn't get to do anything cool. Ewing even brought her onto The Ultimates, as part of the team that explored the new basis of Marvel's cosmos.
Monica Rambeau's Power:
-Jeez, Monica's expensive. I guess that's to be expected- M&M makes you pay out the NOSE for Spacefaring Flying Person-type builds, and she's got a regular Blast power on top of that. Not an easy build to put together, either- she can take the form of almost any kind of energy (most of which have similar base effects, so they fit under one "Alternate Form"), some complicated ones only by touching them first, which is sorta the definition of Variable Descriptors and spending a Hero Point on Stunts. She can fly in her base form, faster than any hero on Earth, so she gets 20 points of Flight right there. She can go invisible, nullify forms of energy, dazzle people, control light, and project energy like nobody's business as well. In addition to that, she's got decent stats, well-rounded skills, and is a half-decent ranged fighter/Blaster. I can scarcely think of a way to cut costs on her, which I guess is what makes her such a powerful Avenger.