Ms. Marvel's Episode 5 Villain Twist Sets Up a Surprising Finale
Ms Marvel episode five spoilers follow
Ms Marvel's latest episode was a banger (and no, we will not stop raving about the show).
On top of being a stunning, emotional roller-coaster that explores generational healing in a way that would make even the stoniest hearts melt, it threw a massive wrench in the works. One that changes the direction of the finale.
Episode five surprised us all by killing off its main antagonist Najma (Nimra Bucha).
Najma pulled a 180 on her villainous ways when she sacrificed herself to close the veil which was inadvertently opened during her duel with Kamala (Iman Vellani).
Her act of selflessness was completely unexpected considering she's killed and sacrificed her relationship with her son Kamran (Rish Shah) in her quest to open the veil and return home.
Najma was persuaded by Kamala to do so when Kamala reminds her how much Kamran needs her and how her actions robbed fellow ClanDestine Aisha (Kamala's great-grandmother) of the chance to be with her family ("her actions" being the straight-up murder of Aisha (Mehwish Hayat)).
Overcome with remorse she absorbs the energy of the veil (or lets it absorb her – honestly we can't really tell) calling out Kamran's name in the process as she dies.
It is that moment that changes the course of Ms Marvel.
Najma's death seems to awaken something in Kamran, who can be seen manifesting a similar power to Kamala for the first time.
We know that Kamran was not able to activate his powers thanks to an earlier conversation between Najma and Kamala. In episode three, Najma reveals that the bangle Kamala wears helps her to unlock the powers of the Noor and hopes it will one day do the same for Kamran.
Flash-forward to this latest episode and Kamran is able to access his powers without the use of the bangle, potentially making him stronger than Kamala. At least for now.
He is also seen using them when the Department of Damage Control (DODC) finally track him down after he seeks out Bruno's help. Quick learner that he appears to be, Kamran has mastered his abilities, setting him up perfectly to pick up where his mother left off.
Kamran was born on this plane (as opposed to the Noor dimension) so it's unlikely he'll resume the exact same mission as his mother's in breaking down the veil to find his way to his ancestral home, however her death may very well have sparked a desire for revenge.
Despite her abandoning him, Kamran is adamant that Najma will come back for him and insists on staying with Bruno (Matt Lintz) so that his mother knows where to find him.
When Bruno reminds him that she left him to fend for himself against the DODC Kamran hits back saying: "She wouldn't just leave me behind like some kind of orphan."
His unwillingness to accept this truth may make it difficult for Kamran to believe that his mother would give up her life. Not when it meant leaving him behind or closing the veil which she'd fought so hard to open.
If that is so, it would set him up for a showdown with Kamala in the finale whom he may very well hold responsible for her death. To be fair, Kamala killing her does seem more likely than Najma choosing to give up her life's long mission and her life to save others. She was a pretty selfish human being.
Though Ms Marvel has veered away from the comic-book narrative, there are some elements that have been carried over to the show – and a Kamran betrayal could be one of them.
In the comics, Kamran and Kamala almost have a love connection until he kidnaps her. Kamran attempts to indoctrinate her into an evil organization led by the radical Inhuman terrorist Lineage whose mission it is to eliminate all non-humans from earth. While a Kamran betrayal may not translate directly from page to screen his duplicitous nature would work in this context.
Given that we are one episode away from the Ms Marvel finale, the introduction of another big bad seems highly improbable. The DODC have been breathing down Kamala's neck since the get-go but they haven't established themselves as a threatening enough presence to adequately place them in that position.
Kamran seems a much likelier route to take and deception is already baked into the DNA of their relationship thanks to their comic-book history.
We can't confirm what's in store but the build up thus far has set the finale up to be a success. In Ms Marvel we trust.
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