Ms. Marvel #17: "Shadow of the Gun!"
Ms. Marvel must face a new mystery enemy – Mystique – while Carol Danvers struggles at work. Sorry that I am jumping a month backwards, but this is the only way the different plots feel connected to me.
The first panel shows us Ms. Marvel through a Shotgun sight, about to die. But this is Ms. Marvel we are talking about, she flies straight for her attacker and doges the shoot. Her enemy has come prepared, a special gun designed specially to knock her out and then to kill her. He is also wearing full body armor. Her arm is dislocated, and she is barely conscious. But being a true heroine, she tries to make sure that the people around her will not be harmed. The gun has a sophisticated targeting system, designed by S.H.I.E.L.D. Yes, S.H.I.E.L.D. She asks him why, and he tells her that she is a threat. We are left wondering if he stole S.H.I.E.L.D equipment, or is he actually an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. He aims a gun at her head from point blank, and Carol Danvers wakes up. It was a seventh-sense vision, the latest in a series of visions, warning her about her impending death. Carol Danvers is terrified.
When her landlord, Arabella comes to ask what happened because she heard a scream, Danvers invites her in. She needs the company. She tells her the edited story of her life, leaving out Ms. Marvel. Arabella says that Danvers is too stressed. Danvers needs to do more than survive, she needs to live. Danvers says that she lost a loved one who she loved with all of her heart, and perhaps could have saved. I guess she refers to Salia. It makes sense for her to be sad, she did choose to let her die, so she could save the world. Arabella tells Danvers that she will crack under strain at this pace, bottling up her feelings and depending on one else. Even though Danvers is very capable of asking for help when it comes to being a superheroine. Danvers says that she has already cracked, and I guess that she refers to her split personality era. While Arabella kindly offers her help, Danvers rudely pushes her out the door, saying that she has to be at work in a few hours. Not a friendly way to treat your friend or landlord.
Then we switch to S.H.I.E.L.D’s headquarter on the heli-carrier. We see two man watching Ms. Marvel on the news, on the screens security system. One of them admires her moves as well as her looks. He is sure that Nick Fury won’t show up anytime soon, so obviously he does. This Fury is a very angry man. When he leaves, one of the workers comments that Fury looks terrible. That is because it is not Nick Fury, but everyone’s favorite shapeshifter in her first official comic book appearance ever, Raven Darkholme – A.K.A Mystique. Technically, it was her watching Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel #16, the new mystery enemy who wants Ms. Marvel dead. Yes, Mystique was first created as a Ms. Marvel villain. Mystique plans to steal from S.H.I.E.L.D a very special weapon in order to use it to kill Ms. Marvel. A difficult enemy. Her new companion is Ballard himself. The man who went over Carol Danvers’ office and attacked Frank Gianelli.
We switch to Woman magazine office, where we see Gianelli kissing one of the workers, who doesn’t look so happy about it. I don’t know why we need to see this, to hate him? Apparently, he is back after being in Washington and looking for Ballard. Danvers cancels his assignment and he wants to talk it over during lunch, which she refuses. Danver is not a fool.
Gianelli goes to Tracy to cry on her shoulder and tells her that Danvers seems really stressed. Tracy says that Danvers is under a lot of stress at work, and apparently, she hasn’t been Ms. Marvel in a while because she’s working 70 hours a week. Gianelli has an idea to cheer Danvers up, and Tracy agrees.
Back on the heli-carrier Nick Fury/ Mystique manages to gain access to S.H.I.E.L.D’s main armory after going through retina scans, voice identification scans and finger print scans. All of S.H.I.E.L.D’s top security measures can’t keep Mystique out, it’s what she’s best at. Nick Fury/ Mystique find the centurion, the deadliest weapon ever created. It even has a built-in computer in it. We still don’t know why Mystique and Ballard want to kill Ms. Marvel. Ballard accidently fires and creates a hole in the impenetrable wall. Just so we know how strong this weapon is. As they leave Fury’s lover, Contessa deFontaine, shows up. From some reason Mystique fears that she will know that she is not Fury, because under her big coat she’s still a thin as a woman, who reshaped her mass to look like Fury. To deal with this new threat Mystique changes from Fury to another agent. Then she transforms to Contessa deFontaine herself and pretends that she is escorting Ballard to the C.I.A. headquarter.
Then while Danvers is trying to have a good and relaxeing lunch Gianelli finds her.
Apparently, his Valentine’s Day present for Danvers is an epic snowball fight. Danvers is totally in and even says that she was called “the former terror of Webster elementary.” Danvers follows Gianelli who runs for the trees, she thinks it could be a perfect ambush hideout, and it is. All of her office workers are there throwing snowballs at her. Then she gets into the mood and fires snowballs at everyone else, actually having fun for once. Sometimes actions are better then heart to heart pep talks. Then she finds Gianelli and tackles him, because she’s not going to let him get away with this.
She lands on her back so Gianelli won’t get hurt. But he uses the opportunity to kiss her against her will, after doing the same thing to another employee. But she’s has the super-strength and she throws him off the hill when he suggests going back to her apartment together.
While Danvers was having fun, Ballard has been searching for Ms. Marvel. Or more correctly, searching for someone wearing the Ms. Marvel's costume. Danvers decides to fly home to change. She is perfectly happy, her guard is down, and Ballard tracks her aims and fires. The issue ends.
Carol Danvers has a new enemy, Mystique. We don’t know why Mystique wants to kill Ms. Marvel, but she’s an epic enemy to have. Mystique is so famous by now that it’s hard to believe that she started as a Ms. Marvel enemy. That’s the coolest part of the issue. This animosity has been building for some time now as Ballard was mentioned in Ms. Marvel #15 and he is probably responsible for burning Danvers’ house in Ms. Marvel #9. The resolution for this conflict will probably be pretty cool. Gianelli is the worst part of the issue. Sure, the snowball fight was cute, but he is kissing a lot of women against their will and he is no good at his job. I hope he gets fired soon. All in all, it's still a very cool issue.
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