In his high-flying identity as Captain MarvelCarol Danvers is one of Marvel Comics‘Strongest heroes. As a veteran hero and leader of the Avengers, there are very few threats that Carol can’t simply overcome. But even Captain Marvel has limits, and the one villain she can’t defeat has some pretty personal ties to Captain Marvel’s legacy.
Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #5 by Ann Nocenti, Paolo Villanelli, Java Tartaglia, and VC’s Ariana Maher, finds the titular hero facing off against the explosive villain Nitro, a bombastic villain ultimately responsible for the death of one of Carol’s predecessors, Mar-Vell. Confronting Nitro on the home planet of his alien benefactor, Nada, Captain Marvel withstands Nitro’s full fury. As he unleashes a signature explosive blast, she thinks to herself, “Another blow? I can’t take another hit. One more and I’m toast…“
In the end, Carol defeats her enemy with the help of allies like her best friend Spider-Woman, but the fact that a being like Nitro is so close to defeating her is a shock in itself. After all, Captain Marvel’s signature ability is her ability to absorb energy, and it’s pretty rare for someone to dish out more than she can take.
Nitro and Captain Marvel have an explosive history
A relatively low-level criminal with the ability to turn all or part of his body into explosive gases, Nitro may not be a household name in terms of Marvel Comics’ biggest villains, but he has a surprisingly strong track record when it comes to cause trouble for Earth’s mightiest heroes. In addition to detonating the nerve gas bomb that ultimately gave Mar-Vell cancer, Nitro is also the villain responsible for the destruction of Stanford, Connecticut—the incident he incited behind Marvel Comics. Civil war That tore the hero community apart. He’s also taken on heroes like Captain Marvel’s old friend Wolverine, reducing the lone fan-favorite X-Men to little more than an adamantium skeleton.
With a pedigree like this, it’s not entirely implausible that such a feisty foe could give Captain Marvel a headache. But the fact that he is generating so much energy that she can’t even fully absorb it shows how powerful he has become thanks to Nada’s machinations. After all, Captain Marvel is a flying powerhouse linked to the primal energies of the universe. In other words: if Captain Marvel can’t survive Nitro, very few beings can.
Carol Danvers should watch her back
Captain Marvel is one of the most powerful heroes in Marvel Comics, but even she has a breaking point. Alone against a dynamo like Nitro, there’s very little even someone like Carol Danvers can do. And if she ever gets her way, Carol Danvers will be second. Captain Marvel Murdered by Marvel Comics‘Nitro.
Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest #5 It is now on sale at Marvel Comics.