“ | You just saved my life, Dr. Brashear. It's Monica. Or Spectrum. If you're nasty. | „ |
~ Spectrum to Blue Marvel. |
“ | After that? We're the Mighty Avengers. We get back to work-- for the people who need us. And if we have to, we do it all over again-- Only bigger. | „ |
~ Spectrum. |
Spectrum (real name Monica Rambeau) is a fictional character and superheroine from the Marvel comics and its universe. She became known as second Captain Marvel after being dubbed so by the media, but would later go on by different aliases, such as Photon and Pulsar, as she gave up the title of "Captain Marvel" and "Photon" to Genis-Vell.
The daughter of Frank and Maria Rambeau, the Louisianan became a superhero after being exposed with extra-dimensional energy from a energy disruptor. After learning how to control her powers, Monica became a superhero and dedicated her life to stopping threats on Earth. She has been a member of the Avengers, the Mighty Avengers, Nextwave, the Ultimates, and Strikeforce.
She was created by Roger Stern, the late John Romita Sr. and John Romita Jr., and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15 in August-October of 1982.
Biography[]
Early Life[]
Monica Rambeau was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to the firefighter Frank Rambeau and seamstress Maria Rambeau, but her childhood is unknown. After graduating from high school, Monica went off to an unnamed college and eventually joined the Police Academy. After graduating from the academy, she joined the New Orleans Harbor Patrol, managing to reach to the rank of lieutenant. Monica's life would change forever when a scientist created a energy disruptor weapon, and she was exposed to the extra dimensional energy, giving her the ability to absorb energy.
Becoming a Superhero[]
Unable to control her powers, Monica went to New York to see if anyone could help her, and she was assisted by Tony Stark after she met Spider-Man. Monica then went by the name "Captain Marvel", having been dubbed so by the media, and joined the roster of the Avengers. During her tenure with the team, she became their leader before being forced to leave after receiving serious injuries during a mission. When Genis-Vell, the son of the original Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell) wanted to follow in his father's footsteps, Monica gave it to him out of respect and changed her alias to "Photon". When a vampire outbreak occurred in New Orleans, Monica was recruited by Black Panther to assist him in fending them off alongside Blade, Luke Cage and Brother Voodoo. When Monica learned that Genis-Vell changed his name to Photon, she became angered and decided to go by the name "Pulsar".
After her tenure of the Avengers, Monica joined Nextwave, a team formed by the subsidiary of the Beyond Corporation called the Highest Anti-Terrorism Effort. Pulsar showed herself to be annoyance to her teammates Elsa Bloodstone, Boom-Boom, "The Captain" and Aaron Stack, as she would frequently retell of her time with the Avengers. However, it's heavily implied that all of the events were a fiction that was implanted in her mind by the corporation. During an unknown time, Monica began a relationship with Brother Voodoo, but ended it before joining Nextwave. Monica would meet and befriend Patsy Walker, Felicia Hardy and Angelica Jones, and would support the latter when she revealed she had cancer. When Angelica defeated the cancer, Monica and her friends celebrated at Emma Frost's party after Monica helped Frankie Raye solve a cosmic crisis. During the first superhuman civil war, Monica sided with Captain America and joined the Secret Avengers.
Monica then adopted the name "Spectrum" before Thanos and his children attacked New York, and Rambeau assisted the heroes in fighting Proxima Midnight. With the Avengers on mission, the heroes there combined forces and went by the name Mighty Avengers to battle Thanos and his allies. During the battle, Spectrum was infected by Midnight's spear, but was saved in time by her fellow teammate Blue Marvel. Though she was saved from the infection, her powers were augmented from it as a side effect from Proxima's spear. Spectrum then began dating Blue Marvel, and she later learned that her powers were above human level, causing her to fear of her newfound immortality. Despite these fears, she continued to stop threats, such as stopping the Beyond Corporation with the assistance of Blue Marvel.
After the Mighty Avengers were dissolved, Monica joined the Ultimates, a newly formed team of superheroes to protect the Earth from galactical threats. Joining alongside Carol Danvers, Black Panther, Blue Marvel, and Ms. America, the team was tasked with preventing threats from space coming to Earth. The team was later terminated by the government after the second superhuman civil war, where heroes battled over the use of Ulysses Cain's precognitive powers. The Ultimates would reassemble to help Galactus investigate the person responsible for chaining Eternity. Monica would lose much of her powers when she helped Vision during their quest to stop the Greek Goddess Nyx, having burned her abilities to get the android into the House of Ideas.
Portrayals[]
Films[]
- In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, she is portrayed by Teyonah Parris, as Akira and Azai Akbar played the character young.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Considered an alpha level threat by Iron Man and Falcon.