Monica Rambeau’s unique origin story

First introduced in Captain Marvel, the character of Monica Rambeau is now all grown up. The older Monica played by Teyonah Paris has reappeared in WandaVision and we have learnt more about her character. From the last episode we get to understand her character and what she has being doing since her last appearance. The focus on Monica provides an origin for her character which is more complex while also leaving the potential for her to become her comic book alias, Spectrum.

We first meet Monica in WandaVision as Geraldine, but since she was cast out of Westview by Wanda we know Monica to be more than just a friendly neighbour. Episode 4 of the series helped establish her as a strong captain of S.W.O.R.D. Also, the episode provides context to Monica and why she has chosen the path of becoming a S.W.O.R.D employee.

After Hulk snapped his fingers and half the planet was restored, we get to see what happened to Monica on her return. The harrowing scene in the hospital where Monica learns of her mother’s death was heart breaking, but it helps us understand her relationship with her mum. The devastation on Monica’s face shows that she had a close relationship with her mother like we saw in Captain Marvel. Monica loved her mother dearly and will want to make her proud as her mother was always her role model. This is indicated further when she admires the plack of Maria ‘Photon’ Rambeau, Photon was an alias that Monica has taken in the comics.

Maria, Monica’s mother, was a founding member of S.W.O.R.D. and like her mother; Monica is working for S.W.O.R.D. 3 weeks after the blip, Monica was the first to return to work. This shows that she is a strong person and is willing to put the good of others first, just like her mum did during Captain Marvel. She was even willing to undertake mundane tasks like helping the FBI with a missing person’s case.

What this tells us is that Monica has the mental capability of being a hero. She is strong, composed and will do the hard work needed in her line of work. But, what makes her origin more special is that she is doing everything to make her mother proud. The start of episode 4 is Monica adapting to her new life after the blip, where her mother isn’t alive. These details make Monica look special because instead of crying and grieving, she has got herself together and gone back to work which would have made her mum proud. This is also interesting as Monica’s response to the death of her mother is completely different to that of Wanda’s. Wanda created a false reality for herself and cannot accept her loss, whereas Monica uses her loss as motivation. Already we are seeing Monica possess the hero qualities needed, something which Avenger member Wanda doesn’t have.

The motivation Monica has is special, as she acts like a hero without any powers. If and how she gains her powers would not be her origin; her origin is how she responded to the death of her mother and how the legacy her mother left behind motivates her. This means her powers will not be her central focus, we will be more invested in her character rather than what she can do with her powers. If she gets her powers they would be secondary to the person that Monica has become.

We have begun to understand the character of Monica during WandaVision, but could Monica have also already received her powers in the show. Monica was cast out of Westview by Wanda’s attack and travelled through the energy barrier that surrounds Westview. This has the potential to be how Monica received her powers, or at least start to learn about them. In the comics Monica gained the ability to harness electromagnetic energy when she was exposed to an exploding energy device. In WandaVision, Monica has been exposed to a high level of energy, the barrier around Westview.

During the series we learn, courtesy of Darcy Lewis, that the energy barrier surrounding Westview is emitting CMBR (Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation). CMBR is electromagnetic radiation that can be traced back to the big bang. They key is that the radiation is electromagnetic, the same type of radiation that Monica harnesses in the comics. Therefore there is the possibility that travelling through the electromagnetic energy barrier could be how Monica develops her powers.

This can be backed up further by the powers Wanda possesses. Wanda gained her powers via the mind stone. Important here is the link once again with electromagnetic radiation. The mind stone like the other 5 infinity stones was created after the big bang. This means that the stones emit electromagnetic radiation which we learn from Bruce Banner in Avengers: Assemble, when he says the sceptre is emitting low levels of gamma radiation. What all this means is that electromagnetic radiation was one of the reasons Wanda gained her powers. Therefore the attack Monica is hit by Wanda has the potential to be electromagnetic. Obviously we have seen Wanda attack people before but the force she puts on Monica, with her sending her all the way out of Westview, could have had enough strength to trigger Monica’s powers.

If Monica does receive her powers then her character development will continue to flourish. As a regular human she looks up to her mother and wants to be like her. However if she gained powers then the possibility of another role model, Captain Marvel, is there. During Captain Marvel we know the younger Monica looked up to Carol Danvers and we know the older Monica feels the same way when she tells acting Director Tyler Haywood that they have allies in space. So, if Monica received her powers then as well as looking up to her mother on how to act, she would also have the role model of Captain Marvel on how to be a superhero.

This would be fantastic storytelling, as Monica would have 2 role models for the 2 different aspects of her life. We know Monica will return in the Captain Marvel sequel so the chances of her gaining her powers are more likely. Whether we see the powers during WandaVision or not would not take away the fact Monica would still look to her aunt Carol for help.

Having been reintroduced to an older Monica Rambeau we know we have a fantastic new character on our hands. Monica is already very complexed after such little screen time and this can only be developed upon. Despite being a secondary character in WandaVision, Monica is still one of the most talked about characters, which shows the character is intriguing and fun to watch. She hasn’t received any powers yet and even though there is a high chance she will; if she didn’t her character wouldn’t affected as we still know about her strong motivations, which is what makes Monica’s so special.