Who Is Photon? Monica Rambeau"s Origin & Powers Explained
Summary
Monica Rambeau first appeared in the MCU in 2019. Since then, the character has evolved in several different ways, from growing up over two decades in-universe to developing her own superpowers that set up her appearance in The Marvels' cast and story. With that said, here is every element of Monica Rambeau/Photon explained from her MCU powers and origins to the differences in that respect to Marvel Comics and her connections to other major Marvel Studios characters.
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Related The Marvels Cliffhanger Ending Explained & MCU Future Set-Up Explained The Marvels tells a fairly straightforward narrative by MCU Multiverse Saga standards, but its exciting ending has big implications for the wider MCU. Photon's Origin In Marvel Comics Explained ![]()
Photon's origins in Marvel Comics are notably different to how things play out in the MCU. In Monica Rambeau's Photon Marvel Comics series, Monica was in the U.S. Navy and struggled to ascend to the rank of Captain given the obstacles that faced her as a Black woman in America. Eventually, she investigated a Roxxon oil rig near the Gulf of Mexico with an ally of her grandfather named Professor André LeClare to retrieve an energy-draining device. After a series of mishaps, Monica ended up destroying the energy disruptor with her bare hands, with the event giving her superpowers due to Monica being bombarded with extra-dimensional energy.
These powers allowed Monica to transform her body's molecular structure into any form of energy on the electromagnetic spectrum. This led to her becoming known as Captain Marvel, before she eventually conceded the name to Genis-Vell, the son of the original Captain Marvel, so that he could continue his father's legacy. Monica Rambeau then became Photon as the name better matched her superpowered abilities, explaining her Marvel Comics origin story.
How Photon's Origin Was Changed For The MCU![]()
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Photon's origin story was changed quite extensively. Monica Rambeau was first introduced as a child in Captain Marvel, and then reintroduced to the MCU as an adult after the Blip, with WandaVision revealing she'd become an agent of SWORD. In the show, Rambeau was sent to investigate the Westfield Anomaly alongside FBI Agent Jimmy Woo. The Westfield Anomaly was conjured by Wanda Maximoff, with an electromagnetic barrier named the Hex being placed around the town of Westfield.
This was created by Wanda as a coping mechanism for the loss of Vision, with her powers forcing everyone inside the Hex to act as though they were in a sitcom. Eventually, Monica Rambeau was sucked into the Hex before being ejected by Wanda for trying to coerce her into facing reality. Monica then entered the Hex a second time to further attempt to break Wanda's spell, with her constant crossing of the Hex's barrier changing Monica's molecular structure. As such, the Hex is what provided Photon with her powers in the MCU: a drastic change from her Marvel Comics origin.
What Powers Monica Rambeau's Photon Has In The MCU![]()
While there are still areas of Monica Rambeau's powers that are somewhat murky even now, the release of The Marvels has shed plenty more light on how her abilities actually work and what they are, as WandaVision was only able to demonstrate them briefly. After crossing the Hex barrier the third time, Rambeau was given the ability to see the electromagnetic waves emitted from various points - which was then swiftly revealed to be linked to her ability to absorb energy, and to use it to become intangible, allowing her to phase through attacks. Fittingly, Rambeau also seemingly received upgrades to her senses and general physical prowess, demonstrating inhuman reflexes and speed more than once in the MCU from this point.
Monica's time working for SABER during the interim between WandaVision and The Marvels appears to have further bolstered her abilities, as she demonstrates an ability to expel the energy she has absorbed for combat purposes. Rambeau also learns how to fly in The Marvels, going from apprehensive about the skill to seemingly something of a pro by the end of the film.
Perhaps most importantly, The Marvels' ending also shows a new power for Photon, as she takes on a literal new form temporarily by taking in a massive amount of energy from Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel to close Dar-Benn's hole in the fabric of reality. This form is able to move at immense speeds, and generally operate at a much higher power threshold - with the caveat being that Monica isn't able to hold it for long, and the effort it takes her appears to have its own cost to her health.
Monica Rambeau meeting a superhero iteration of her mother in The Marvels' ending suggests she may get another power upgrade via gaining an unexpected mentor.
What Monica Rambeau Is Doing Now In The MCU![]()
During the five-year gap between Thanos' snap and Hulk's which brought the Blip victims back, Monica's mother passed away, with WandaVision revealing that Monica didn't know her own parent had passed since she was effected by the Blip. Maria insisted that should the victims of the snap ever return, those who work for SWORD remained grounded on Earth with no interplanetary operations. This applied to Monica too, which resulted in her being assigned the Westfield case that provided her with superpowers. As of the end of WandaVision, Monica was called to SABER - SWORD's space station - by Nick Fury which leads directly into the beginning of The Marvels.
The Marvel's ending shows that Monica may have an even more important role to play in the future, as she regains consciousness after her energy form transformation in a room with a variant of her mother, and Kelsey Grammar's version of Beast. Whether this means Photon is currently in the Fox X-men universe or just a universe that is similar to it is unclear, but what is clear is that this will have a payoff fitting for the Multiverse Saga, potentially bringing Monica Rambeau to its forefront.
How Monica Rambeau Is Connected To Captain Marvel![]()
The final thing worth exploring concerning Monica Rambeau in the MCU is her bond with Captain Marvel. The connection between Monica and Carol comes through Maria Rambeau. Monica's mother served with Carol in the U.S. Air Force and the two quickly became best friends. As such, Carol was essentially an aunt to Monica growing up, spending lots of time with her before Carol disappeared due to being kidnapped by the Kree. Carol and Monica reunited in Captain Marvel when the former reforged her friendship with Maria after returning to Earth.
However, things didn't remain this simple, as Monica's discovery she'd been unable to be there when her mother passed made her angry at Carol - both for abandoning Maria when the elder Rambeau arguably needed her most, and for not being there to support Monica when she returned with everyone else who was Blipped after Avengers: Endgame. However, The Marvels sees the pair begin to properly repair their wounded familial relationship, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemingly setting up for them to reunite once more in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars, especially since the variant Maria could allow both Monica and Carol to get some closure on that side of their story.
[圖擷取自網路，如有疑問請私訊]
- Photon's origin in Marvel Comics is different from her origin in the MCU, where she gained her powers from the Hex in WandaVision.
- In the MCU, Photon has the ability to see and absorb electromagnetic waves, become intangible, and use energy for combat purposes. She also learns how to fly.
- Monica Rambeau has a close bond with Captain Marvel through her mother, Maria, and their relationship is explored and potentially repaired in The Marvels.
Monica Rambeau first appeared in the MCU in 2019. Since then, the character has evolved in several different ways, from growing up over two decades in-universe to developing her own superpowers that set up her appearance in The Marvels' cast and story. With that said, here is every element of Monica Rambeau/Photon explained from her MCU powers and origins to the differences in that respect to Marvel Comics and her connections to other major Marvel Studios characters.
Related The Marvels Cliffhanger Ending Explained & MCU Future Set-Up Explained The Marvels tells a fairly straightforward narrative by MCU Multiverse Saga standards, but its exciting ending has big implications for the wider MCU. Photon's Origin In Marvel Comics Explained 
Photon's origins in Marvel Comics are notably different to how things play out in the MCU. In Monica Rambeau's Photon Marvel Comics series, Monica was in the U.S. Navy and struggled to ascend to the rank of Captain given the obstacles that faced her as a Black woman in America. Eventually, she investigated a Roxxon oil rig near the Gulf of Mexico with an ally of her grandfather named Professor André LeClare to retrieve an energy-draining device. After a series of mishaps, Monica ended up destroying the energy disruptor with her bare hands, with the event giving her superpowers due to Monica being bombarded with extra-dimensional energy.These powers allowed Monica to transform her body's molecular structure into any form of energy on the electromagnetic spectrum. This led to her becoming known as Captain Marvel, before she eventually conceded the name to Genis-Vell, the son of the original Captain Marvel, so that he could continue his father's legacy. Monica Rambeau then became Photon as the name better matched her superpowered abilities, explaining her Marvel Comics origin story.
How Photon's Origin Was Changed For The MCU
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Photon's origin story was changed quite extensively. Monica Rambeau was first introduced as a child in Captain Marvel, and then reintroduced to the MCU as an adult after the Blip, with WandaVision revealing she'd become an agent of SWORD. In the show, Rambeau was sent to investigate the Westfield Anomaly alongside FBI Agent Jimmy Woo. The Westfield Anomaly was conjured by Wanda Maximoff, with an electromagnetic barrier named the Hex being placed around the town of Westfield.This was created by Wanda as a coping mechanism for the loss of Vision, with her powers forcing everyone inside the Hex to act as though they were in a sitcom. Eventually, Monica Rambeau was sucked into the Hex before being ejected by Wanda for trying to coerce her into facing reality. Monica then entered the Hex a second time to further attempt to break Wanda's spell, with her constant crossing of the Hex's barrier changing Monica's molecular structure. As such, the Hex is what provided Photon with her powers in the MCU: a drastic change from her Marvel Comics origin.
What Powers Monica Rambeau's Photon Has In The MCU
While there are still areas of Monica Rambeau's powers that are somewhat murky even now, the release of The Marvels has shed plenty more light on how her abilities actually work and what they are, as WandaVision was only able to demonstrate them briefly. After crossing the Hex barrier the third time, Rambeau was given the ability to see the electromagnetic waves emitted from various points - which was then swiftly revealed to be linked to her ability to absorb energy, and to use it to become intangible, allowing her to phase through attacks. Fittingly, Rambeau also seemingly received upgrades to her senses and general physical prowess, demonstrating inhuman reflexes and speed more than once in the MCU from this point.Monica's time working for SABER during the interim between WandaVision and The Marvels appears to have further bolstered her abilities, as she demonstrates an ability to expel the energy she has absorbed for combat purposes. Rambeau also learns how to fly in The Marvels, going from apprehensive about the skill to seemingly something of a pro by the end of the film.
Perhaps most importantly, The Marvels' ending also shows a new power for Photon, as she takes on a literal new form temporarily by taking in a massive amount of energy from Captain Marvel and Ms. Marvel to close Dar-Benn's hole in the fabric of reality. This form is able to move at immense speeds, and generally operate at a much higher power threshold - with the caveat being that Monica isn't able to hold it for long, and the effort it takes her appears to have its own cost to her health.
Monica Rambeau meeting a superhero iteration of her mother in The Marvels' ending suggests she may get another power upgrade via gaining an unexpected mentor.
What Monica Rambeau Is Doing Now In The MCU
During the five-year gap between Thanos' snap and Hulk's which brought the Blip victims back, Monica's mother passed away, with WandaVision revealing that Monica didn't know her own parent had passed since she was effected by the Blip. Maria insisted that should the victims of the snap ever return, those who work for SWORD remained grounded on Earth with no interplanetary operations. This applied to Monica too, which resulted in her being assigned the Westfield case that provided her with superpowers. As of the end of WandaVision, Monica was called to SABER - SWORD's space station - by Nick Fury which leads directly into the beginning of The Marvels.The Marvel's ending shows that Monica may have an even more important role to play in the future, as she regains consciousness after her energy form transformation in a room with a variant of her mother, and Kelsey Grammar's version of Beast. Whether this means Photon is currently in the Fox X-men universe or just a universe that is similar to it is unclear, but what is clear is that this will have a payoff fitting for the Multiverse Saga, potentially bringing Monica Rambeau to its forefront.
How Monica Rambeau Is Connected To Captain Marvel
The final thing worth exploring concerning Monica Rambeau in the MCU is her bond with Captain Marvel. The connection between Monica and Carol comes through Maria Rambeau. Monica's mother served with Carol in the U.S. Air Force and the two quickly became best friends. As such, Carol was essentially an aunt to Monica growing up, spending lots of time with her before Carol disappeared due to being kidnapped by the Kree. Carol and Monica reunited in Captain Marvel when the former reforged her friendship with Maria after returning to Earth.However, things didn't remain this simple, as Monica's discovery she'd been unable to be there when her mother passed made her angry at Carol - both for abandoning Maria when the elder Rambeau arguably needed her most, and for not being there to support Monica when she returned with everyone else who was Blipped after Avengers: Endgame. However, The Marvels sees the pair begin to properly repair their wounded familial relationship, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe seemingly setting up for them to reunite once more in Avengers: The Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars, especially since the variant Maria could allow both Monica and Carol to get some closure on that side of their story.
[圖擷取自網路，如有疑問請私訊]
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