Ms. Marvel is a classic superhero story of a young woman discovering the powers that lay within her, but in this case, these powers are awakened by a bangle that once belonged to her great-grandmother Aisha. The bangle is important enough that we even see Aisha discover it in a flashback at the beginning of Episode 3. But what exactly is the bangle?
Episode 6’s out-of-nowhere post-credits scene, combined with one shot from Episode 3, may reveal the bangle’s true origin as a strange alien Kree artifact with a long history and fabulous powers. Here’s what you need to know.
Nega-Bands in Marvel history
After the very end of Ms. Marvel Episode 6 depicted Kamala Khan suddenly swapping places with Carol Danvers, fans are speculating that the bangle isn’t just a family heirloom, but a Kree Nega-Band.
In the comics, the Nega-Bands were awarded to Captain Marvel by the Kree all the way back in 1969. But they were a trap, forcing the hero into the Negative Zone. However, on Earth, former Avenger Rick Jones finds a similar pair of bracelets, and by banging them together he instantly swaps places with Captain Marvel.
Other pairs of Nega-Bands exist in the Marvel comics universe, including one found by Star-Lord, another created by Hank Pym, and even a pair used as wedding rings in Hulkling and Wiccan’s wedding.
Could these Nega-Bands be the inspiration for the mystical bangle in Ms. Marvel? There’s plenty of evidence for it, starting with the blue arm seen at the beginning of Episode 3. Who could a blue arm belong to but a Kree? This also would explain the line about “needing two,” as the Nega-Bands were typically used in pairs.
Nega-Bands and the MCU
So what does this mean for The Marvels? If this theory is correct and the bangle is in fact a Nega-Band, it’s a bad twist of fate for Kamala. If she swapped places with Captain Marvel, it’s likely Kamala is now in the Negative Zone (or its MCU equivalent) and will need rescuing. Hopefully after that, we’ll see just what the true nature of this bangle really is — and if the Kree created it.
The ties to The Marvels in Ms. Marvel have been difficult to see until now, but Episode 6’s post-credits scene proves that not only will we have a seamless transition between the two, but that the connection has been in the making all along.
Ms. Marvel is now streaming on Disney+.
