Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (1968). Carol Danvers debuts inside as a U.S. Air Force officer.

1st Appearance (Carol Danvers, civilian)

First Appearance of Captain Marvel

Marvel Super-Heroes #13

March 1968 · Marvel · Silver Age

U.S. Air Force officer, Avengers leader, and the heir to Mar-Vell's Captain Marvel mantle. Brie Larson's MCU lead.

Key Issue

Created by Roy Thomas · Gene Colan

By Atomm Updated Apr 24, 2026

Carol Danvers's first appearance is Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) as a U.S. Air Force officer in the Mar-Vell Captain Marvel series. She debuts as Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977), created by Gerry Conway and John Buscema. She takes the Captain Marvel mantle in Captain Marvel #1 (September 2012) by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Dexter Soy. Brie Larson plays the character in the MCU starting with Captain Marvel (2019).

Quick Facts

Debut: Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) civilian. Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977) as Ms. Marvel. Captain Marvel #1 (September 2012) as Captain Marvel.
Real name: Carol Susan Jane Danvers
Creators: Roy Thomas and Gene Colan (civilian debut). Gerry Conway and John Buscema (Ms. Marvel debut). Kelly Sue DeConnick and Dexter Soy (Captain Marvel mantle).
Publisher: Marvel Comics
First enemy: Yon-Rogg (her recurring antagonist from the Mar-Vell era)
First ally: Mar-Vell (the original Captain Marvel; her mentor figure before his death)
Team affiliations: Avengers (long-serving), X-Men (briefly, as Binary), Starjammers, Ultimates (modern)

Firsts Timeline

First Appearance (Carol Danvers, civilian) March 1968

Marvel Super-Heroes #13

By Roy Thomas, Gene Colan

Roy Thomas writes; Gene Colan pencils. Carol Danvers debuts as a U.S. Air Force officer in the Mar-Vell Captain Marvel series. Civilian-only role at this stage; no powers, no costume, no superhero identity.
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First Appearance as Ms. Marvel January 1977

Ms. Marvel #1

By Gerry Conway, John Buscema

Carol Danvers debuts as Ms. Marvel. Gerry Conway writes; John Buscema pencils. The series ran 23 issues through 1979. The Ms. Marvel framework is the basis for the modern Captain Marvel character.
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First Appearance as Captain Marvel September 2012

Captain Marvel #1 (Vol. 7)

By Kelly Sue DeConnick, Dexter Soy

Carol Danvers takes the Captain Marvel mantle from the deceased Mar-Vell. Kelly Sue DeConnick writes; Dexter Soy pencils. The DeConnick run is the foundation for the Brie Larson MCU performance and the modern Captain Marvel character.
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Creation Story

Carol Danvers has three first-appearance keys representing three identity stages.

Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) introduces Carol as a U.S. Air Force officer in the Mar-Vell Captain Marvel series. Roy Thomas wrote; Gene Colan pencilled. Carol is a civilian at this stage with no powers and no superhero identity. The framework establishes her relationship with Mar-Vell, the Kree military officer who is the original Captain Marvel.

Captain Marvel #18 (November 1969) provides Carol’s power origin: caught in the explosion of the Kree Psyche-Magnitron, she gains Kree-derived super-strength, flight, and energy projection. The framework was a setup for her eventual superhero debut, which arrived eight years later.

Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977) is Carol’s first superhero identity. Gerry Conway wrote; John Buscema pencilled. The 23-issue run through 1979 establishes the Ms. Marvel framework that has been Carol’s primary superhero identity for most of her publishing history. The title was cancelled in 1979 but the character remained continuously active across Avengers and X-Men titles.

The Captain Marvel mantle

Captain Marvel #1 (September 2012) by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Dexter Soy is the most consequential modern Carol Danvers book. DeConnick had Carol assume the Captain Marvel name after thirty years of the mantle being held in reserve following Mar-Vell’s death. The DeConnick run modernized Carol’s voice, established her current solo-publishing framework, and provided the foundation for Brie Larson’s 2019 MCU performance.

The DeConnick Carol has continued across multiple subsequent Marvel runs. The Captain Marvel name is now firmly attached to Carol; Mar-Vell appears occasionally in alternate-reality and time-travel stories but Carol is the modern Captain Marvel.

Collector context

Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (Carol Danvers civilian debut) is the technical first-appearance key. High-grade CGC 9.0+ copies have crossed $5,000 at auction.

Ms. Marvel #1 (1977) is the first superhero identity and is widely traded as a Carol-Danvers-as-superhero key. Captain Marvel #1 (2012) is the modern key and has spiked in value with each MCU appearance. All three are collected together by serious Carol Danvers collectors.

Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (December 1967) is the first Mar-Vell appearance and a Silver Age Marvel key in its own right; it predates Carol’s first appearance by three months and is the foundational Captain Marvel debut for either character.

Key subsequent appearances

After the debut, these are the issues collectors and historians reach for next.

1968
Marvel Super-Heroes #13
First civilian appearance.
1969
Captain Marvel #18
Power Origin
Carol gains powers when caught in an explosion of the Kree Psyche-Magnitron. The accident framework is her power origin.
1977
Ms. Marvel #1 (1977)
First Ms. Marvel appearance.
1982
Uncanny X-Men #164
First Binary
Carol becomes Binary after experimentation by the Brood. Joins the Starjammers. The Binary identity holds for years of subsequent comics.
2012
Captain Marvel #1 (2012)
First Captain Marvel mantle (Carol Danvers).

In adaptations

Film, TV, animation, and game appearances.

2019
Captain Marvel
Film
Starring:Brie Larson
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck direct. Larson's MCU debut as Carol Danvers. Grossed $1.13 billion worldwide. Set in the 1990s.
2023
The Marvels
Film
Starring:Brie Larson
Nia DaCosta directs. Larson alongside Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) and Teyonah Parris (Monica Rambeau). Mixed reception.

Frequently asked questions

The questions readers and collectors ask most.

What is Captain Marvel's first appearance?

Carol Danvers's first appearance is Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) as a civilian U.S. Air Force officer. She debuts as Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977). She takes the Captain Marvel mantle in Captain Marvel #1 (September 2012). Each is a distinct first-appearance key for collectors targeting different versions of the character.

Is Marvel Super-Heroes #13 valuable?

Yes. Marvel Super-Heroes #13 is a Silver Age Marvel key. High-grade copies (CGC 9.0 and above) have crossed $5,000 at auction. The book's value accelerated significantly with Brie Larson's 2019 MCU casting and has held since. The civilian-only debut framing makes it a less-cited key than Ms. Marvel #1, but collectors targeting Carol Danvers's true first appearance focus on this issue.

Is the original Captain Marvel the same as Carol Danvers?

No. The original Marvel Comics Captain Marvel is Mar-Vell, a Kree military officer who debuted in Marvel Super-Heroes #12 (December 1967). Mar-Vell died of cancer in The Death of Captain Marvel (Marvel Graphic Novel #1, 1982). Carol Danvers, who had been Mar-Vell's love interest and gained powers from the Kree Psyche-Magnitron explosion, eventually took the Captain Marvel mantle in 2012. Both characters are canonical.

Why did Carol take so long to become Captain Marvel?

Editorial decision. Carol Danvers operated as Ms. Marvel from 1977 through 2012 across multiple stories and identity changes (Binary, Warbird). Marvel held the Captain Marvel mantle on Mar-Vell's memory for thirty years out of respect for the 1982 Death of Captain Marvel storyline, which was widely regarded as one of the most committed character deaths in mainstream superhero comics. The 2012 Kelly Sue DeConnick relaunch broke that editorial reluctance and elevated Carol to the Captain Marvel name in time for the MCU launch.

What is the Death of Captain Marvel?

Marvel Graphic Novel #1 (April 1982) by Jim Starlin. Mar-Vell, the original Captain Marvel, dies of cancer in a long, philosophical book that is widely regarded as one of the most committed character deaths in mainstream superhero comics. Mar-Vell has remained largely dead in canonical continuity for over forty years, an unusually long character death. The book's commitment to the death is part of why Marvel held the Captain Marvel mantle in reserve until 2012.