Captain Marvel is back as of next month and Marvel Comics just released a preview of what fans can expect in the first issue of the new ongoing series.
This time, though, Carol Danvers' story gets told by Agent Carter executive producers and showrunners Michele Fazekas and Tara Butters, with artwork by Uncanny X-Men's Kris Anka.
In Captain Marvel #1, Marvel promises that the superhero is facing her "most daring mission yet" as the head of the Alpha Flight space program, which defends Earth from alien threats. The series also promises a new "unknown" enemy, one that Carol can't easily defeat.
"This is really meant to be the next level for Captain Marvel," said series editor Sana Amanat to Fast Company. "Carol is really meant to be a soldier and a commander, and also a diplomat. We're really trying to build up this space complex and this space world. You'll really feel like there's an extension of the Avengers world into space, but not necessarily lost out in the Guardians of the Galaxy cosmos. It's rooted in Earth but also an extension into the galaxy."
Carol also gets a new look in the relaunched book, in the form of a new haircut and new uniform. Apparently, Carol's hair was a source of contention for fans of the previous series: sometimes it was short, sometimes it was long. Butters, Fazekas and Anka all felt that they needed to design the character "exactly what she would look like." This time, the team chose to go with a shorter hairstyle.
"She's military," said Fazekas. "She's not going to have this huge mane of hair. It needs to be practical."
In Captain Marvel #1, Fazekas teased that the first thing Carol comes across is a ghost ship and hints that there's a reason that this ship's navigation has it heading straight for Earth.
Earlier this year, fan favorite writer Kelly Sue DeConnick announced that she was leaving the previous incarnation of the title, prompting Marvel to relaunch the series. However, considering Marvel fans' love for Agent Carter, it seems that the new series is in good hands.
Captain Marvel #1 launches on Jan. 20.
