15 Captain Marvel comics you need to read before seeing the movie

Avengers: Enemy Within (Cover image via Marvel)

6. Avengers: The Enemy Within

What’s up with Captain Marvel’s brain? We all know that being a superhero, including extended exposure to things like cosmic rays and viciously evil alien experimentation, isn’t super great for your general health. But Carol Danvers seems to have had more than her fair share of brain-related issues. Here’s hoping that she has a really, really good neurologist on tap for situations like these.

She’d better have the best of the best for dealing with the events of Avengers: The Enemy Within. This 2013 crossover event, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, has Captain Marvel crossing paths with the Avengers.

It starts with Danvers being grounded, no longer allowed to fly after the loss of her powers and the appearance of what looks like a serious brain tumor. That doesn’t stop her from becoming involved when the Avengers start dealing with violent echoes of their past, apparently orchestrated by a mysterious person somewhere in Manhattan.

Naturally, it soon becomes clear that the antagonism directed against the Avengers and the weird goings-on with Captain Marvel’s neurological health are related. Even worse, this unknown villain has become an ally of the Brood, who have definitely not forgotten Carol.

Neither have some big names from Captain Marvel’s past. She and the Avengers must race against time to protect Earth yet again (seriously, can someone please explain what’s so interesting about our planet that it’s constantly under attack?). But, all of this comes at a significant cost, especially to Carol herself. Will she survive the attack? Will she remain the same, or is this a new chapter in the story of Captain Marvel?