Essential Ms. Marvel Volume 1

This volume contains some superb stories and although the artwork on the main title undergoes numerous changes during its brief run, just over 2 years it is by and large excellent.Security Chief Carol Danvers becomes Ms. Marvel as a result of an accident when an explosion releases radiation from a alien (Kree) device as Captain Marvel saves her.Her own title starts off strongly with Marvel stalwart the Scorpion returning after revenge on J Jonah Jameson as Carol is going for a job at the Bugle publishers new woman's magazine. Cameos abound from Peter Parker, MJ and the rest of the Bugle staff normally seen in Spider-Man titles.Settling in we get the return of several of Marvel's superb villains, Modok and the hordes of AIM, Grotesk, Death-Bird, Tiger-Shark, and the Faceless One, there's even a very brief appearance by Dracula.Some new villains appear, Destructor (with a souped up Doomsday Man), Hecate and the Elementals, Centurion and The Lizard People and an odd combination of two alien robots .Several of Marvel's heroes also make guest appearances The Vision, The Beast and Scarlet Witch to be followed later by the rest of the Avengers, Nick Fury and SHIELD, and Captain Marvel himself in an inter-stellar tale featuring Ronan the Accuser and The Kree Supreme Intelligence.The first series ends with issue 23 which has an appearance by Major Vance Astro from the Guardians of the Galaxy as he and Ms.Marvel fight The Faceless One in a space station, this issue also brings the return of a supporting character who was thought to be dead, tying up loose ends.Due to the series being cancelled quite abruptly the planned story for issue 24 did not appear until it was printed in Marvel Super-Heroes 10 (1992), in this issue she faces Sabretooth. In between Ms. Marvel became a member of the Avengers for a short but memorable time and the final story-line is quite moving.The final story is confusingly presented out of "actual" date sequence but the stories do follow on. It starts as a linking story in Marvel Super-Heroes 11 (1992) and finished in Avengers Annual 10 (1981) as Ms. Marvel takes on The Hellfire Club, a new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants led by Mystique, who kills Ms.Marvel's love interest in a savage attack and Rogue who leaves Ms. Marvel for dead after taking her powers and throwing her off the Golden Gate Bridge. Rescued by Spider-Woman she is taken to a hospital where Professor X finds out she has had her powers taken by Rogue. It ends with a battle royale between the Avengers and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.The last scene where she accuses the Avengers of betraying her is quite moving and refers to events from the Avengers own title which are referred to but not featured here. It gets a little confusing near the end with the time shifts but that does not detract from what was a great series that did not have sufficient sales to keep it going.Thanks for the chance to catch up on the later stories that I missed first time round.

Essential Ms. Marvel Volume 1 is one of my favourite books I have every purchased the storylines are fantastic and the artwork is amazing, it's well worth buying and is an essential addition to anyone's marvel collection :-)