Embedded below is a hilarious rant from Stephen Colbert (The Colbert Report) about the new Muslim Ms. Marvel. Inspired by the original Ms. Marvel, Carol Danvers (now known as Captain Marvel), the new character is a 16-year girl from New Jersey named Kamala Khan. She is the daughter of Pakistani immigrants. Ms. Marvel is struggling to balance a life of adventuring with the wishes of her conservative Muslim parents.
Here are some choice quotes from Stephen Colbert on the Muslim Ms. Marvel:
This affront has taken me aback. A Muslim cannot be a superhero, for Pete’s sake, they’re on the no fly list.
It’s even more upsetting when you consider the original Ms Marvel. She was wholesome and all American, blonde, family values, with two bulging chest muscles, and clearly wearing her Sunday church panties.
This is nothing more than Sharia creep, plain and simple. First she’s a comic character, then she gets her own movie, then action figures, then the next thing you know, my kids are dressing up as her for Halloween and shouting, ‘Trick or treat! Death to Captain America!’
The clip also makes outstanding use of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
While the satirical host’s rant is super-funny, it’s sad that I can picture the same sentiment being expressed in a serious tone on Fox News. Conservative news programs have blasted Northstar from the X-Men marrying another man. They have railed on Superman for viewing himself as a citizen of the world rather than an American citizen (though culturally, the Kryptonian is pure Kansas to me). A Muslim female getting the spotlight in the Marvel Universe? I have a feeling that the conservative press will have a field day with the Muslim Ms. Marvel.
Anyway, check out the clip below when you have a moment and let me know you think. Are you interested in Kamala Khan’s Muslim Ms. Marvel? Do you think she’ll be popular or will she be Darkhawk 2013? What do you think Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly will make of her? Shout it out in the comments section (please!).
