Ms. Marvel deals with some stark real-life problems, while also managing to include light-hearted elements — like, y’know, superhero saving-the-day stuff. It’s not so strange, though, to speculate about what our heroine Kamala Khan might have to say to Donald Trump if she met him face-to-face, given how often the problems of the real world overlap with the troubles faced by Marvel heroes.
Now, thanks to Marvel editor Sana Amanat, we have an answer as to how that conversation might go down. Here’s what Amanat told Seth Meyers on Late Night when asked:
The first thing that she would say is that he’s doing such irreparable damage to young Americans and minorities everywhere. Young Americans. Words and images are really powerful, and these young kids are actually having a perception of themselves that are not true. That’s dangerous.
Then, she’d probably remind him that his grandfather was an immigrant, I believe? And if he had the same type of vitriolic sentiment being thrown at him, Trump would not have the opportunities that he would have or the successes that he would have.
Then she’d probably fly off with the Avengers and save the world from actual bad guys and prove him wrong about who Muslims really are.
Amanat goes on to tell Seth Meyers some details about Marvel’s Secret Wars storylines, explaining to the audience that they should see comics as accessible, even if all they’ve done is watch the movies. If you want to start somewhere, Ms. Marvel‘s first volume will serve you well!
Amanat concludes the interview by joking around about how her worst detractors see her work at Marvel as some sort of government conspiracy intent on “propagating Islamic Sharia law within the land.” She then quips to Meyers, “if you touch the comic, you do become Muslim!” She’s joking, of course, but the jokes are tinged with a sense of sadness, given how the irrational fear of Muslims has become in America — no thanks to the fear-mongering and misinformation campaigns by people like Trump.
It’s refreshing to hold up Ms. Marvel as an example of a humanizing story that will give the young Americans to which Amanat refers a different depiction of Muslims to look towards — but it would also be nice if Trump would read it, and then experience a Christmas Carol-esque awakening in which he decides to give all of his money to charities supporting relief efforts for refugees. In terms of realistic goals that will actually happen, though, you should go pick up Ms. Marvel if you haven’t, because it is great. Buy it for a friend as a belated holiday gift!
(via Twitter)
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