The highly graceful and powerful ‘America Chavez,’ also known by her moniker ‘Miss America,’ joins the list of heavy hitters in the MCU. She was born in the ‘Utopian Parallel,’ a parallel reality where she can punch star-shaped gateways into other universes. Yeah! You correctly identified me. With a single punch, she can open routes across the multiverse. She fought for what was right in her home nation.
She is a game-changing interdimensional superhero that you would want on your side. According to the MCU’s storyline, Doctor Strange will soon require Miss America’s assistance in order to rescue the multiverse. Xochitl Gomez will play her in the next Marvel film “Doctor Strange 2: Multiverse of Madness,” and we first saw her in the movie’s first trailer in the post-credit scene of “Spiderman: No Way Home.” So, in today’s video, we will be discussing ‘America Chavez,’ a brave and soon-to-be MCU superheroine.
AMERICA CHAVEZ FIRST APPEARED IN COMIC BOOK
Created by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta, ‘America Chavez’ or ‘Miss America’ first appeared in “Vengeance” issue 1 in September 2011. She is the second character to use the title ‘Miss America’ after Otto Binder and Al Gabriele’s Madeline Joyce from “Marvel Mystery Comics” issue 49. She later appears in 2013 ‘Young Avengers’ by Keiron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie and fights along with Captain America’s team in the comic book ‘Civil War’ episode. In 2015 Chavez appeared in “A-Force”, which was a part of the “Secret Wars” crossover storyline.
Created by writers G.Willow Wilson and Marguerite and artist Jorge Molina, the series featured Marvel’s all-female team of the Avengers. She then appeared in “Ultimates” at the beginning of October 2015, written by Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort as part of the All-New, All-Different Marvel Initiative. In the series, Chavez along with Black Panther, Blue Marvel, Spectrum and Captain Marvel fought against the cosmic threats to Earth and the larger Universe.
The group borrowed the name from the original ‘Ultimates’ who were the ‘Avengers’ of the Ultimate Universe. There was an initiative by Latin-American novelist Gabby Rivera to publish a solo series for Miss America titled “America”, but it got canceled. Finally, Chavez joined the ‘West Coast Avengers’ in a series written by Kelly Thompson and artist Stefano Caselli.
WHO IS AMERICA CHAVEZ?
America Chavez is a superheroine, who was a member of the ‘New Teen Brigade’, ‘Young Avengers’, and ‘Ultimates’, all of which were short-lived. America Chavez is from the Utopian Parallel, a realm outside conventional time and space formed by the multidimensional messiah Demiurge’s “unbinding of magic”. She was previously known as Miss America, a codename previously held by Madeline Joyce Frank. When America was six years old, supernatural anomalies penetrated the Parallel with dimensional rifts, threatening to crumble it, destroy its inhabitants, and strew its fragments throughout the infinite realities of the Multiverse.
America’s two mothers sacrificed their lives to seal the rifts, dispersing their atoms through them in the process, to stabilize the Parallel. America, in a fit of grief-stricken rage and half-formed universalism, generated an interdimensional portal to evacuate her home realm into the larger Multiverse to replicate her mothers’ heroism in other universes, instead of remaining in the seemingly perfect Parallel. She spent the rest of her childhood gallivanting through various dimensions, her powers shielding her from harm.
By her early adolescence, she had moved to Earth-616, where she joined Ultimate Nullifier’s ‘Teen Brigade’, a clandestine group of super-operatives, along with the Young Avengers to combat a powerful mind-controlling parasite. America had a brief experimental relationship with Nullifier, but she is romantically attracted to women. ‘Miss America’ was developed in 2011 by Joe Casey and Nick Dragotta and debuted in “Vengeance”. Ms. America Chavez is a strong, no-nonsense superheroine who genuinely wants to assist others and do good.
MAJOR STORY ARCS
The major story arcs where America Chavez had a key role in saving the universe and the multiverse include-
“Vengeance”: This was the story arc where Miss America appeared in the Marvel comics for the first time. She was a part of the “Teen Brigade” alongside Ultimate Nullifier, Barnell Bohusk, Angel Salvadore, and the In-Betweener in the third incarnation group. The In-Betweener, after being broken out from confinement from a government facility at Area 51 by Chavez, describes how an interdimensional horde of creatures, the Brotherhood or Braak’nhub are hunting him and are also a threat to the universe. Miss America distracts the creatures from hunting the In-Betweener and engages in a fierce battle with them. She was joined by She-Hulk, Son of Satan, and Krang in the fight which lasted till the moment the creatures realized that Miss America is not whom they are looking for.
“Young Masters: The Dark Reign”: Young Avengers story arc from issue 1 to issue 5 is known as the ‘Young Masters’ story arc. With a different attitude and ideology from the Teen Brigade, the group known as ‘Young Masters’ included new younger versions of Egghead, Mako, Black Knight, Radioactive Kid and Executioner. In the plot, the Young Master comes to conflict with the Teen Brigade thereby being a threat, causing an imbalance between chaos and order. Following a chain of events, the Young Masters goes on a rampage, killing villains, and attacks Dr Octopus, who was sheltered by the Teen Brigade. The fight goes on between the two teams till Miss America arrives and neutralizes the Young Masters with full authority.
“The Sixth Dimension”: In this story arc following a set of events, Loki uses one of Thor’s goats, Toothgnasher, against Chavez. While the two fought back and forth, Loki used the Screaming Idol, an artefact with the power of sending anyone to the sixth dimension, home of Tiboro, against Chavez. Trapped in the sixth dimension, Miss America is rendered helpless. She encounters the massive resident of the dimension, Tiboro, which storms towards her. Meanwhile, In-betweener, loosely aware of Chavez’s situation, sets out to recruit She-Hulk and the Son of Satan to help him rescue Miss America.
“Young Avengers”: Despite their sour history, Loki manages to speak to Miss America, stating his proposition of her heading back to Earth. She soon loses her calm when Loki talks about harming Wiccan of the Young Avengers and attacks the Asgardian. However, Loki succeeds in his plan to convince America to keep an eye on Wiccan, with his ultimate plans yet to be revealed.
“Mother”: Wiccan, in an attempt to replace Hulking’s mother, who had died during the events of “Young Avengers Volume 1”, with an alternate reality version, accidentally summons a powerful and parasitic creature known as ‘Mother’. The creature attacks the duo, pretending to be their respective parents, and later disguises as Laufey, Loki’s father when Loki comes to rescue the duo. Miss America then arrives and saves the three by thrashing into the creature’s duplicate.
“The Ultimates”: In this story arc, Miss America plays an important role as a part of Black Panther’s team of cosmic heroes including Carol Danvers, Spectrum, and Blue Marvel. The team fought against cosmic threats like changing Galactus from planet Devourer to Lifebringer.
“West Coast Avenger”: In this story arc, Miss America was recruited by Kate Bishop for a team along with Fuse, Gwenpool, and Clint. The team took on Madame Masque’s ‘West Coast Masters of Evil’ and a Vampire Cult.
AMERICA CHAVEZ ABILITIES AND WEAKNESSES
Though the full scope of her abilities is unknown, she has demonstrated abilities such as self-propelled flight, superhuman speed, superhuman strength, invulnerability, star portal creation such as interdimensional travel and time travel, energy infusion, superhuman longevity, and hyper-cosmic awareness. Her other skills include being bilingual, an amateur investigator, and a trained combatant. America has demonstrated her ability to combat Carol Danvers and Adam Brashear on equal footing, as well as effortlessly raise a water tower.
But along with her abilities, she has a weakness, that is, Edges Syndrome. What is it? It is a hereditary disorder that causes cellular deterioration and is connected to the XX chromosomes. America’s childhood treatment of the sickness was undone after around 13 years, causing her powers to be diminished and time-sensitive.
AMERICA CHAVEZ IN ANIMATED MOVIES, TV SERIES, AND GAMES
“Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors” is a 2018 American animated superhero film created by Marvel Animation that stars America Chavez, Squirrel Girl, Patriot, and others. America Chavez’s motorbike is taken by Dante, who is still hesitant to cooperate with Victor because he despises his talents for ruining his life. An unintentional gas explosion on the street pushes America, Kamala, Doreen, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents to collaborate.
Later, Quake is detained by the agency for taking unofficial action in his investigation of the Inhumans. Kamala recalls how the Terrigen bomb unleashed her talents, and she believes that Dante is suffering from his own. She and Doreen disagree on whether they should believe Dante or Victor. As he changes into his superhuman avatar, Exile, Victor invites Kamala to join his organization and battles her when she rejects.
He admits that he is scouting Inhumans for the Kree, a military extraterrestrial species, for Hala the Accuser. Exile kidnaps Kamala, who then vanishes via a portal. Doreen teams up with America and Patriot to save Kamala. They assist Quake in escaping from jail, and she joins them, revealing that she, too, is an Inhuman. Captain Marvel joins them and utilizes her resources to aid the quest.
“Marvel Rising” is a Marvel Animation-produced American media franchise based on Marvel Comics characters. The Secret Warriors are a varied group of adolescent superheroes who must come together to save the planet from tremendous threats. The franchise was initially announced in December 2017 and would include a television feature, a series of shorts, and Marvel Comics novels to be revealed later, as well as more television specials.
America Chavez is a playable unlockable character in Lego Marvel’s “Avengers”. America Chavez appears in Pinball FX 2’s “Marvel’s Women of Power” DLC table. America Chavez, voiced by Sandra Espinoza, featured as an unlockable playable character in Marvel Avengers Academy during the “A-Force” event. She is also a playable unlockable character in “Marvel: Future Fight”, “Marvel Puzzle Quest” and “Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2”. America Chavez is also a playable character in the “Marvel Strike Force” mobile app and in the Marvel Contest of Champions.
AMERICA CHAVEZ IN – DOCTOR STRANGE IN THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS
In 2019, when the mad titan had snapped his fingers to destroy the six infinity stones, the Avengers had to travel back in time to get the stones and stop him. Apart from the famous recall phrase “I am Iron Man” from our favorite Tony Stark, there was also something important that he had mentioned, “You mess with time and it tends to mess back”. This phrase fits perfectly with the present nature of the plot for MCU as we can see in “Spiderman: No Way Home” and also the “Loki” series. “No way home” marks the beginning of a bigger universe for MCU and seeing new characters and heroes is the least you can expect. One such character is “America Chavez”, Marvel’s first Latinx and LGBT hero.
As far as the story has developed, it is evident that there are various threats from the multiverse that is about to be witnessed. Now of course, “multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little” but we sure know from the trailer of “Doctor Strange 2” that Stephen does need help from some ‘A-listers in the MCU, and with Chavez’s skill to punch interdimensional portals across worlds, she is the perfect candidate. Kevin Feige announced that “Baby-Sitters Club” actress Xochitl Gomez will be playing the role of Miss America in the “Multiverse of Madness”, leaving us with the question of how the MCU will bring out a new character successfully amongst two firm pillars of the cinematic universe – Wanda and Strange.
MCU had made several changes to the original comic series. Their character design and casting have made ‘B’ listed superheroes from the comics like Iron Man leave unforgettable memories. ‘Guardians of the Galaxy from the comics were not even close to this famous as they are now. Hence, all we can do is wait and watch, and see what the MCU makes of this strong yet underrated superheroine.