Marvel writer Margaret Stohl on tugging at emotional chord with 'The Life of Captain Marvel' series

THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN MARVEL - VOLUME I 
Margaret stohl 
Marvel 
33 Pages

When Marvel Studios announced its first solo female superhero movie starring Captain Marvel in July 2016, the move was received with a lot of cheer. The entertainment powerhouse had long dodged questions about a movie with a female lead, but the success of DC Comics’ 'Wonder Woman' left no room for delay. And now, with the movie starring Brie Larson releasing in March 2019, the buzz is at fever pitch.

Carol Danvers had been created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan, and was first introduced in 1968 in Marvel 'Super-Heroes #13', as an officer in the US Air force. But she was a minor character. The move to bring Danvers centre stage started back in 2012 when Kelly Sue DeConnick rebooted the character. The 2012 revival was an attempt to give a clear direction to Danvers’ story. DeConnick gave Danvers who later becomes Captain Marvel a special place in many series like 'Avengers Assemble,' 'Secret Wars,' 'The Ultimates,' and 'Civil War II.' The idea was to create a strong female voice and make Captain Marvel a household name.

In 2016, Marvel roped in Young Adult author Margaret Stohl to continue Captain Marvel's story. In collaboration with artist Ramon Rosanas, Stohl worked on a series titled 'The Mighty Captain Marvel', establishing Captain Marvel on par with Iron Man and Captain America in the comics world.

In 2018, Stohl came back to write a limited series titled 'The Life of Captain Marvel,' likely to tie-in the origin story of this half-human, half-Kree (fictional alien race) superwoman with what audiences will see in the movie. 'Share enough of DNA with the movie' as Stohl calls it.

The biggest shocker was the retconned (jargon for ‘retrospective revision of previously described events in a movie franchise, TV series or books’) origin story of Danvers. "We wanted to do it before the movie. Her journey has been the same as other female superheroes’. We wanted to retell her story in a way that was true to the history of the character but let her own it as a hero," says Stohl in a phone interview.  

In the series, Stohl sheds light on Danvers' relationship with her mother who has not been a great player in her stories so far. Talking about the emotional aspect of this new arc, Stohl revealed that it was based on her own relationship with her mother who has struggled with multiple sclerosis all her life. "Seeing a mother and daughter [Danvers] together as warriors, I was feeling like, 'this is where my power comes from; this story is about both of us.' I almost can't even look at that page without weeping. I figured if that was an important thing for me, it was going to be an emotional thing for my readers."

"On the page, it's a much smaller story than any comic stories. It's much more character driven. It's about a mother and a daughter and a missing father in a certain way. It was really emotional to write. It is gratifying that readers have responded so well to it because it was so different," Stohl continues. 

Having written a character that inspires young girls, Stohl thinks that it's brilliant to see young women take a chair in what was essentially a 'boys' club' and change the narrative. As one of the pioneering women writers of video game stories, Stohl says, "I am so impressed with the millennial and post-millennial generation that is so fearless, challenge all these bases, believes they can do anything. I really have a lot of faith in them. A lot of adults may not be acting like heroes lately, but teenagers really have."

After the final issue of Stohl’s 5-issue limited trade paperback is out in December, she will pass the baton to Kelly Thompson, who has worked with DeConnick. "Kelly is excited about where to take that story. It's been really fun, we have been talking about character. She asked me what I think about where she (Carol) is headed and I gave her my advice. But it is a bigger thing than any one of us. The breakout story of Marvel's first female solo movie. So we've all been sharing that responsibility and that privilege."

When asked why stop with five issues, Stohl responds, "I know I am leaving Carol in good hands. Part of me is sad, I'd like to go on writing her forever, especially now that I know her so well. Part of me is ready to move on to another challenge."