The penultimate episode of Ms. Marvel arrived this week, and with just one episode to go in the miniseries, fans are yet to see Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan don her superhero costume. Glimpses of the costume have already been spotted in the multiple trailers, posters, and leaked set photos. But, the series hasn’t officially introduced the iconic costume yet. Despite that, it seems like the Marvel Cinematic Universe is putting in a lot of thought into Kamala’s costume, with many hints dropped along the way.
In Ms. Marvel’s official trailers and posters, Kamala is seen wearing a red and blue costume, with a large golden lightning bolt running across the front. The look is comic book accurate, and fans have been wanting to see it brought to life in the series since it premiered. So far, Kamala has only worn her makeshift cosplay Captain Marvel outfit, which also happens to be the same color scheme, and the blue mask that her best friend Bruno Carrelli had gifted her. With just one episode to go, it won’t be a surprise if Kamala finally wears the official outfit, but the series has already offered fans a look at how it comes together.
In the comics, Bruno helps Kamala design her suit using the same technology that brings Reed Richards’ suit to life. Working together, Kamala decides the look of her outfit, which is made out of a burkini, while Bruno finalizes its abilities, allowing the suit to morph as Kamala uses her powers. While Ms. Marvel hasn’t introduced its version of Kamala’s suit just yet, there seems to be a little more emotion involved when it comes to its creation. Similar to Kamala’s character development in the series, her costume is also being developed piece by piece. A few key elements of the suit have already been spotted in the episodes so far, all of which have been gifts from family and friends.
When Kamala first discovers her powers, she uses her cosplay outfit during the practice sessions, just so her identity remains hidden. When the shoe thief accidentally falls off a mosque minaret, Kamala shows up in the same outfit while trying to rescue him. There has been no talk since of Kamala getting a suit, even though things play out differently in the comics. Kamala is seen saving Zoe Zimmer from drowning, and during that sequence, she wears a t-shirt and a red scarf. But, following that moment, she decides that she needs a costume, which is when Bruno comes into play.
In Ms. Marvel, while the official suit hasn’t been revealed or talked about, Bruno does give Kamala the mask that will ultimately become a part of her outfit. The emotional connection to that piece of the outfit is a lot more than the comics, though, because it is a gift that Kamala obviously cherishes. When she arrives in Karachi in Episode 4, she puts on the mask for the first time while looking for clues related to the train she keeps seeing in her visions. It’s the first time that the series hints towards her eventual suit, but there are still pieces of the puzzle that are missing.
In the same episode, Kamala also receives a gift from Farhan Akhtar’s Waleed, the leader of the Red Daggers. While the comics featured the character Red Dagger, the Disney Plus series went in a slightly different direction, and created a clan of Red Daggers, all of whom use a red scarf as a symbol. Waleed gives Kamala a blue vest, which could potentially be the inspiration for her outfit. “Though we may not have fancy armor, you should know there is history in every thread of this fabric, so you always remember where you came from,” he says.
In the latest Ms. Marvel episode, Kamala faces a massive threat as the Clan Destine open a gateway between the two dimensions. During that confrontation, the necklace that Kamala has been wearing since the series premiered breaks and falls off. The necklace, which reads Kamala’s name in Arabic, was first highlighted in Episode 1 when Zoe comments on it. When Kamala’s mother Muneeba arrives at the scene following the confrontation, she finds the necklace. The broken piece of jewelry now looks like a lightning bolt, which fans already know is what features on the front of Kamala’s superhero outfit as a logo. What’s great, however, is that the bolt also resembles the letter K in Arabic, which shows that despite being the hero that fans expect her to be, Kamala will still be holding on to her roots, just as Waleed said.
In the comics, the lightning bolt was included on Kamala's costume as a logo even though it has no connection to Captain Marvel. However, both the comics and the series have repeatedly highlighted Kamala’s love for the superhero, and her dream of becoming just like her someday. Kamala even participated in the Captain Marvel cosplay contest during AvengerCon, before things went sideways as she was unable to control her powers. But, it seems like the series is offering an explanation behind the logo that Kamala will eventually choose for her outfit.
The last hint towards Kamala’s outfit in Ms. Marvel comes in the form of a red scarf. Aramis Knight’s Red Dagger was introduced last week, and he quickly becomes an ally for Kamala. Similar to the comics, he wears a large red scarf to cover his face and keep his identity a secret from the world. After the confrontation with the Clan Destine, before bidding farewell to Kamala, Red Dagger gives her a parting gift. He takes off his red scarf, hands it over, and simply says “for you.” It seems like a momentous scene, and perhaps it is the same red scarf that will become a part of Kamala’s suit. It is already known that as part of her superhero outfit, Kamala wears a red scarf or dupatta, and the series hints at it also being a gift from one of her close allies.
Several pieces of Kamala’s costume seem to be derived from gifts given to her by family and friends, making the outfit that much more special. For other heroes in the MCU, the outfits are typically all about strength and armor, and the ability to protect them during a fight. While a large part of Kamala’s outfit is going to be about that eventually, considering she will be showing up alongside Captain Marvel in The Marvels and possibly fighting big threats, it seems like the show has changed the backstory of her outfit, just like her powers. There’s rarely an emotional connection involved when it comes to creating the heroes’ suits, but Ms. Marvel is going down a different path with Kamala, and fans are loving it.
Ms. Marvel is streaming on Disney Plus.