As one of the greatest leaders in the Marvel Universe, Captain Marvel commands the respect of every hero on the Avengers‘ extensive roster. However, the sentiment is not reciprocated, as Carol Danvers calls out the member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes whom she seemingly will never respect.
Captain Marvel Doesn’t Respect Fellow Avenger Darkhawk
Carol Sees Christopher Powell as a Criminal First, Hero Second
In Imperial War: Imperial Guardians #1 – from Jonathan Hickman, Dan Abnett, Luca Maresca, Cory Smith, Wayne Faucher, Espen Grundetjern and Cory Petit – Captain Marvel travels to space to investigate recent chaos within the Skrull Empire. She encounters Gamora and Darkhawk, fighting alongside them while making it abundantly clear that she holds nothing but disdain for the latter, despite their shared history with the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.
As a cosmic hero, Captain Marvel is well aware that Darkhawk has a questionable history with the Shi’ar Imperium, largely due to his connections with the treacherous Fraternity of Raptors. Despite Darkhawk being a former member of the West Coast Avengers, Carol asserts that he, “never really did get the hang of this super-hero gig” and questions his prophetic vision, arguing that his abilities cannot be trusted.
Guardians of the Galaxy Knows What the Avengers Franchise Has Forgotten
Team Drama Is the Lifeblood of Great Superhero Groups
Carol notes that she hasn’t spent much time working with Chris, so there’s room for both to reach a new understanding, especially with the upcoming Imperial Guardians series continuing to follow the team. Indeed, their bickering is a great sign for this new era of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Bad blood and drama between teammates often serve as the foundation for an excellent team book, adding a human element to otherwise fantastical stories of superhumans saving the world. This dynamic was part of what made the Avengers great in their initial appearance, with team members constantly on edge and eager to prove themselves against each other.
This lack of interpersonal conflict may have contributed to making recent volumes of Avengers feel lackluster. It is no coincidence that hero vs hero conflicts like Civil War remain Marvel’s best-selling graphic novel of all time. Therefore, it is positive news for fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy that Captain Marvel and Darkhawk seem to have such issues with each other—there’s significant potential for drama in a team where members do not trust each other and feel they have something to prove.
Captain Marvel may be overly harsh on her fellow Avenger Darkhawk (especially since her own past is also filled with mistakes that could be held against her), but this just makes for a more intriguing team as they come together for the first time in the Imperial Guardians.
Imperial War: Imperial Guardians #1 is currently available from Marvel Comics.
