Ms. Marvel's New Origins Are Linked To This Obscure Comic Book Group

The origins of Ms. Marvel's powers have finally been revealed and their source is kind of a deep cut from Marvel Comics. Kamala Khan is a beloved comic character, so while fans were excited to see her make the jump from page to screen, many were understandably protective over how she would be portrayed. One of the major alterations obvious from the trailer was the clear change to Kamala's power set from the comics. This seemed to signal that her origin story would be different as well. The third episode of "Ms. Marvel," "Destined," proves this is the case.

Although Kamala is an Inhuman in the comics, Marvel has seemed intent on forgetting "Inhumans" ever existed — at least until a pivotal moment in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" reminded everyone that the group was indeed a part of the MCU. This made some speculate that Ms. Marvel's powers would be able to be traced back to Terrigen Mist, but honestly, if anything the "Doctor Strange" sequel felt more like it was closing the book on "Inhumans" than actually bringing them back into the fold. So, where do the powers of Iman Vellani's Ms. Marvel come from in the Disney+ series?

As it turns out, Kamala isn't related to the Inhumans at all, but instead has ties to an even more obscure group from Marvel Comics: Clan Destine. Up until now, it was a bit unclear whether Kamala's powers came from her great-grandmother's mysterious bangle or if the heirloom simply brought out her own latent abilities. A flashback to 1942 reveals Kamran's mother Najma, Kamala's great-grandmother Aisha, and others searching for two bangles, which they need to return home.

As Najma explains to Kamala in the present day, they are known as Clandestines, though what they truly are is Djinn. They have been exiled from their own dimension and trapped in this one for quite some time. Kamala is one of them, and apparently, they all possess similar light-based powers, though they cannot fully access them outside the Noor dimension they once called home. The bangle helps Kamala to channel these abilities, though the fact that she was born in this dimension might also be a factor. Najma and her fellow Djinn desperately want to go home and they are hoping for an assist from Kamala. There's just one problem: returning them to their own dimension could catastrophically impact her own.

Some fans might be disappointed to learn that Kamala isn't an Inhuman, but there could yet be a Kree connection, considering the severed hand discovered wearing the bangle in the flashback was blue. In some mythology, Djinn have blue skin, but so do the Kree. Only time will tell, but a link would make sense due to Carol Danvers' Kree history and the fact that Kamala has already been confirmed to appear in the "Captain Marvel" sequel.

Clan Destine is a group from Marvel Comics who were created by Alan Davis in 1994, making their first appearance in "Marvel Comics Presents" #158. The basic gist is that they are descendants of Adam of Destine and a djinn named Elalyth. Adam and Elalyth form a romantic connection after he frees her from the clutches of an evil sorcerer. In other words, a classic Marvel meet-cute. Their progeny are not only super-powered but also immortal. Much like Marvel has pulled from Norse or Greek folklore, Djinn (or Jinn) are straight out of Arabian mythology. Although they predate Islam, the powerful creatures have strong ties to Islamic culture.

It might seem a strange choice to link Kamala to these relatively minor Marvel characters, but aside from the cultural connection, it's also better than allowing her story to get bogged down by both the comics history of the Inhumans and the terrible TV show. Because Clan Destine is largely unknown, "Ms. Marvel" has a pretty blank slate in terms of what it wants to do with these characters. So far, with the exception of Kamran, they seem pretty villainous.

Despite the Clandestine revelation, it's doubtful the Disney+ series will lean too heavily into the source material on this one. The MCU's spin on their story is already quite different. While I was nervous about some of the changes made to Kamala for "Ms. Marvel," and haven't quite yet warmed up to her significantly different powers, I find this show to be a constant delight and I can't wait to see where it takes Kamala from here.