Captain Marvel: 12 Major Characters From The Comics You Need To Know

The Captain Marvel the MCU is taking to the big screen, Carol Danvers started out her comics career as Ms. Marvel, eventually becoming the current - and most prominent - holder of the mantle, which was passed to her by Mar-Vell himself.

A top-class Air Force pilot, Carol Danvers befriended a disguised Kree soldier, Mar-Vell, while in NASA. Because of their involvement, she was accidentally exposed to a powerful Kree machine that altered her body and made her superhuman with a combination Kree DNA. This would make her one of the most powerful and well-known superheroes operating on Earth, fighting alongside stalwarts such as Spider-Man, the Defenders, and the Avengers, and even branching out to more cosmic reaches like her predecessor.

Though her history is long and complex and full of strange and sometimes disturbing experiences, her status as a great and memorable hero has remained constant, and she has since become one of the Avengers' most noteworthy leaders, alongside Iron Man, Captain America, and a handful of other heroes.

Despite having no familial ties with him, Carol is widely considered to be Mar-Vell's greatest successor, and would continue the great Captain's legacy long after his death.