Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) has easily been one of the best parts of WandaVision. Getting to see the character we met back in Captain Marvel all grown up and a S.W.O.R.D. captain all her own is incredible but her inclusion in the show is more than just a character we knew.
So let’s explore Monica in general and why “Breaking the Fourth Wall” in particular was the most important episode for her.
**Spoilers for the WandaVision episode “Breaking the Fourth Wall” lie below**
Monica Rambeau is an interesting character in the world of Marvel comics. Starting as the daughter of Maria Rambeau, she grew into a strong woman all her own.
This week, we finally got our first glimpse of Photon. In the comics, Monia Rambeau is a bit different. Maria Rambeau was a seamstress and she grew up in New Orleans with her parents and became Photon when she was hit with extra-dimensional energy from an energy disruptor weapon.
In WandaVision, we’re teased twice about Monica getting her powers. First, when Darcy tells Monica that going through the forcefield twice has started to rewrite her DNA. Second, in this episode when she’s trying to drive a space rover into the forcefield and it’s being rewritten.
But what gives Monica her Photon abilities is her own determination to do the right thing. It’s emotional and shows the true nature of her heroism because she didn’t have to go back into the forcefield that way, they could have figured something out but when the rover doesn’t work, Monica chooses to run through the field herself, knowing it will change her forever but doing it because she understands Wanda’s pain and has to tell her about what Hayward is doing.
Listening to the voices that Monica hears as she’s going through the field, they’re all about her mother or how she needed to be stronger to do something. And she has proven time and time again that she’s strong and doesn’t need help or protection and watching as she fights through the forcefield is extremely emotional.
And ends with Monica Rambeau taking a superhero landing pose as Photon for the first time.
What I love about Monica in this show is that she never fully trusted Hayward and what was happening. She was there for work, she saw first-hand what was happening with Wanda, and when she got out of the hex the first time, she wanted to help her in whatever way she could.
This episode is no different. The reason Monica was willing to risk everything was because she understood. Wanda’s pain was something she knew from experience and knew that Hayward treating Wanda as a threat instead of someone suffering was going to make things worse and she was willing to sacrifice herself to make sure that Westview and Wanda were safe.
Getting to see Monica become Photon of her own free-will, knowing what the field would do to her but choosing to do it anyway, is truly the perfect hero origin story. It wasn’t about Monica accidentally getting hit with something or Wanda changing her despite Monica’s wishes.
Monica Rambeau decided to go back into the hex and she was willing to let it rewrite her DNA because she knew that’s what Westview needed from her and if that’s the kind of hero Monica is going to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she’s going to be awesome to watch.
And in this episode, when she did confront Wanda about what Hayward was doing, she didn’t back down. She wasn’t afraid of Wanda or trying to placate her. Monica stood up, told Wanda the truth, and called her out on her bluff when Wanda began to threaten her. Because Monica Rambeau not only understands Wanda’s pain but she knows what a hero has to do and Monica is already pretty badass.
To be honest, we knew that Photon was going to come one way or another but I’m glad she exists because Monica chose to go back inside. If she’d been changed by Wanda growing out the field, it would have been fine but Monica choosing to do this? It just hits in a way that is extremely emotional.
Since we first met her, she wanted to be a hero too. She wanted to help Carol Danvers and she wanted to be out there fighting. And she was a hero before the Blip, after the Blip, and even more so now that she’s Photon. I love Monica Rambeau and watching her fight to do the right thing is, truly, one of the best parts of this show.
(image: Marvel Entertainment)
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