Scan barcode
A review by archipeligo
Ms. Marvel, Vol. 8: Mecca by G. Willow Wilson
4.0
Spoiler
Upon returning from an expedition to get a sheep for Eid Al-Adha, Kamala and her family return to a changed Jersey City. Roads are bloacked and there are signs demanding the return of "The Real Jersey City". After their feast, Kamala and Gabe head out for a post-eating walk and are waylaid by two men, claiming to be with K.I.N.D. - Keepers of Integration, Normalization, and Deference. Essentially citizens who have formed their own military, looking to get rid of "undesirables" (i.e. super-powered people).
Assuming - correctly - that Becky/Lockdown is behind this, Kamala confronts her at the Waterfront. Becky used to be working for Ms Marvel. Kind of crazy fanatic. Kamala is attacked by someone named Discord. After Discord incapacitates Kamala using high-voltage bursts and electricity, Kamala suspects she has met Discord before, but can't figure out where.
Meanwhile, Kamala's brother, Aamir, is kidnapped by the members of K.I.N.D. We see Discord and Lockdown discussing their desire to remove any super-powers from Jersey city, citing recent Ms. Marvel battles. Aamir also discusses how lonely men often turn to radicalization: "[T]he morons who blow up shopping malls almost never look like me[.] They look like you, man. They date the cute girls, they wear the Adidas, they gel their hair, they go to parties. They do all that, but then they discover it doesn't work. Because they're still named Muhammad. They've still got an accent, or, if they don't, their parents do. They've still got brown skin. And because of that, they'll never really be one of you ... So a few of them snap. They feel guilty for giving up religion. Maybe they never really understood it in the first place -- never learned Quaran, never prayed, never read a single account of the prophet's life. Which makes them vulnerable to whatever vulture is circling overhead, selling death and despair as a way through the gates of paradise."
Kamala wakes from her battle with Discord and Lockdown and runs into a mob, listening to the new Mayor Worthy discussing his policy to remove powered people. The former Mayor, Marchesi,was removed from office in a closed door session, leaving Worthy as the Mayor. Lockdown and Discord, at Worthy's command, attack Kamala again, but she escapes, but not before we see that Worthy has control of a f***ing ship with a bunch of guns. She flees to Marchesi to recoup, but Discord shows up with a group of powered people, threatening to deport them back to New York or, worse, "lose" their papers, so that they no longer exist and therefore unknown things can happen to them, including Aamir. Kamala moves to surrender, but Aamir resists the officers holding him, not only allowing Kamala to fight back against Discord, but inspiring the other powers to fight as well. The powered flee and seek shelter in a mosque.
Lockdown and her alt-right military attack the mosque and Kamala and Discord's battle falls into there as well. Sheikh Abdullah is injured. (Don't worry, he's fine!)
Kamala seeks shelter in the wudu room, her healing powers running low. Discord comes in to confront her and Kamala rips off his mask, revealing it to be Josh., the former captain of the football team. Josh recalls how Kamala and company were never really his friends. He tried to date Zoe and make her happy (wasn't about you, Josh), tried to be nicer, tried to join the science fair team to prove he wasn't just a dumb jock and he was never accepted. After being detained for the possibility of a terrorist act and escaping, Josh was confronted by Lockdown. After pointing out that his friends "abandoned him", Lockdown convinces Josh to join her as Discord. Kamala reveals her identity to Josh. Josh tells Kamala to flee, offering to stall Lockdown while she escapes, but declares they are still enemies. Lockdown gives Discord grief, claiming he was too weak to end Ms. Marvel.
Tyesha , Aamir's wife, and Nakia gather a crowd to march on the K.I.N.D. officers guarding the mosque, bringing a statement from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, demanding for the release of those in the mosque and the disbandment of K.I.N.D.
Upon escaping, Kamala tries to find sustenance and reflects on the fact that so many people, including all of Jersey City, seem to hate her. Lockjaw appears and zips her off to a local Mediterranean join where she wolfs down a substantial amount of food, now ready to re-enter the fray. Lockdown summons the gun ship and Kamala makes herself into a huge blanket and consumes Lockdown to block the signal. The battle turns in her favor and eventually Lockdown is taken away in handcuffs. Aamir and Tyesha tearfully reunite and the sheikh declares the mosque open for sunset prayer.
Afterwards, we see Bruno has been awarded permanent residency in Wakanda. Kamala leaves for school and is told there's a new student from Karachi. It turns out to be Kareem, who Kamala met in a previous issue, while visiting Karachi. He is also, secretly, the Red Dagger, his own superhero, but not powered.
As they settle into class, they hear a train in distress. Kamala and Kareem excuse themselves and appear to save the train, whose electrical brakes have failed. The train can't be abruptly stopped, because the cars behind it will pile up. As they work to get the train stopped, Kamala and Kareem discuss how maybe Kamala needs to take some time to care about ... Kamala. After much hullabaloo, they get the train stopped. The reporters all gather around the Red Dagger, asking inane questions about this new superhero. Kamala is completely ignored, but she begins to accept the fact that maybe it's important to take care of "the person in the mirror". (Please, girl, do it!!!!!!)