Summary

  • Kamala Khan's introduction to the MCU as Ms. Marvel is groundbreaking for both the franchise and the Muslim community, providing much-needed representation.
  • The Marvels reveals that Kamala's bangle is actually the Quantum Bands, ancient Kree artifacts with immense power to manipulate space and time.
  • The inclusion of the Quantum Bands in Kamala's story connects her more closely to Captain Marvel and sets up potential storylines for the Multiverse Saga and future Avengers crossovers.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The MarvelsFans were excited when Kamala Khan, aka Ms. Marvel, was announced to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Played by Iman Vellani, she first appeared in the Disney+ series Ms. Marvel before making the leap to the big screen with The Marvels, where she joined Captain Marvel (Brie Larson) and Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris). Kamala Khan's arrival was a big deal. She is not only the first Muslim superhero to enter the MCU but is the first Muslim superhero to enter the mainstream media. Not only does this break new ground for the MCU, but it also breaks new ground for the Muslim community, getting the representation they deserve in the superhero genre.

Update November 13, 2023: Following the release of The Marvels, this article has been updated to film revelation about the Quantum Bands.

That said, the biggest change that the MCU has made to Kamala’s character is her powers. While the comic Kamala is an Inhuman in origin with stretching powers, the series changed the hero's abilities to be hard light constructs. While it was originally believed to be originating from the bangle she wore, the series later revealed that the powers were her own as she was a mutant. Yet the bangle was still a mysterious, powerful artifact, one that had ties to the history of the Marvel universe. The Marvels revealed that her bangle is a paired set called The Quantum Bands. Here's a guide to what Quantum Bands are exactly.

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What is a Quantum Band in the Comics?

Avril Kincaid in Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics

The Quantum Bands first appeared in Marvel Comics in Fantastic Four #164 in 1975. The bands are commonly associated with the hero Quasar. The bands are made of unknown materials and were originally created by the cosmic entity, Eon, to be worn by his designated Protector of the Universe. At some point, they were left in a weapons depot by the alien Kree. The band's power is the ability to tap into a limitless energy source called the "Quantum Zone" (not the Quantum Realm, which is a creation for the MCU in place of the Microverse from Marvel Comics).

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There are also The Nega-Bands, which are somewhat tied to the Quantum Bands. The Nega-Bands are also ancient relics from the Kree Empire. The bands have the power to convert psychic energy into physical energy. Whoever wears the bands is granted the powers of energy manipulation and super strength. The first bearer of the Nega Bands was Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell). The MCU seems to have combined the Nega-Bands ties to the Captain Marvel franchise with the Quantum Bands given that they can connect it to the already established Quantum Realm.

What are the Quantum Bands' MCU Origin?

Kamala and Djinn in Ms. Marvel
Marvel Studios

The MCU's version of the Quantum Bands dates back to the creation of the Universal Neural Transportation Network (UNTN). These jump points throughout space and time have been around since Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and were established as the hexagonal system people of the universe use to travel from one point to another. Up until recently, it was never explained how these came to be. That was until The Marvels finally answered that question along with the origin of the Quantum bands, tying them together.

As it turns out, the Quantum Bands are ancient Kree artifacts capable of immense power, with the ability to bend both space and time when used properly. This was teased in Ms. Marvel when Kamala was accidentally transported back to the 1947 Partition of India and Pakistan, completing a loop and saving her own ancestry. As it turns out, the true purpose of the bands was to control the power and create the jump points in the UNTN.

With just one band, Dar-Benn was able to create singular rifts in space to connect two locations in her place to restore the Kree's home planet of Hala to its former glory. When the two were united, they were able to tear the fabric of reality itself, causing two different universes to blend into the other. This finally gives fans the answer to where Kamala's bangle came from, and shows a whole new level of power if able to properly master it.

How Did Kamala Khan Obtain a Quantum Band?

Ms. Marvel
Disney+

The Quantum Bands' MCU history strays from comics, as Captain Marvel has never used them before. To her, they were only a myth from Kree legends. In reality, the first known user in the MCU was Aisha, a being from the Noor dimension, who discovered one of the bands on a Kree corpse in a temple of the Ten Rings. This became a sacred heirloom of the Khan family as it was passed down to Kamala's mother from her grandmother, Sana.

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When putting together her Captain Marvel cosplay for AvengerCon, Kamala discovered this bangle in a box and decided to make it part of her attire, unknowingly arming herself with powerful abilities of hard-light creation. It seemed like this was meant to be, as the band unlocked Kamala's mutant gene to give her those newfound powers.

What This Means for Ms. Marvel in the MCU

Brie Larson as Captain Marvel, Teyonah Parris as Marie Rambeau, and Iman Vellani as Ms Marvel in their super suits looking at something off-screen.
Marvel Studios

As opposed to the original comic origins of Kamala’s powers originating from her being an Inhuman, Ms. Marvel is instead choosing to include the Quantum Bands into the storyline. While many fans of the original Ms. Marvel are not so pleased with the changes that the MCU has chosen to make to the character, even choosing to eliminate her ability to stretch her limbs to great lengths, this new direction seems to work better in incorporating Kamala’s character into the MCU more seamlessly and connect her more closely to Captain Marvel.

Kamala’s next appearance was in the Captain Marvel sequel The Marvels, so it only makes sense to connect the characters more closely. With Kamala's powers now being light and energy-based, it sets her on a collision course with Carol Danvers and Monica Rambeau as their three powers become entangled for the movie.

The Quantum Bands having the ability to tap into space and time plays right into the MCU future plans for the Multiverse Saga. These bands might be powerful weapons to use against or be the target of Kang the Conqueror or whatever villain Marvel decides to make their new big bad. Given their ancient history to the origins of the universe, they might tie into the Celestials and the Eternals, if Marvel wants to revisit that property.

Kamala being in possession of Kang's own technology could set her up to be a massive player in Avengers: Kang Dynasty. The ending of The Marvels teased Kamala putting together her own team of Young Avengers with Hawkeye's own Kate Bishop and possibly Ant-Man's daughter Cassie Lang. Perhaps that's where we'll get more answers to her future and also set the stage for the upcoming epic crossover in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars.