Religion in Ms. Marvel: How College Students Interpret Islam in the Life of Kamala Khan

In studying the Ms. Marvel comics, I examine how University of Northern Iowa students understand and interpret Islamic culture in the life of the teenage Muslim Pakistani-American immigrant and heroine, Kamala Khan. In a generation where Islam has become associated with terrorism due to 9/11 and ISIS, it has become a sensitive topic that should be studied. Understanding how comic readers view and understand Islam and how comics in mass media portray Islam is important because the medium of comic is often a subtle reflection of society. Although cartoons are meant for humor, Ms. Marvel provides realistic themes allowing for readers to feel connections with the character’s story. When discussing Islam in this comic, readers tended to lean towards more stereotypical over realistic descriptions. Due to both personal assumptions and how Ms. Marvel portrayed Islam, I find in this research that Ms. Marvel is reiterating and reinforcing Muslim stereotypes