The following article contains minor spoilers for Episode 4 of Ms. Marvel.
Last week inMs. Marvel, fans were introduced to the Clan Destine and their “Noor dimension.” At first, it seemed like they were going to be allies to Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan, guiding her in her journey to discovering the truth behind the magical bangle and her powers. Nimra Bucha’s Najma seemed like the perfect role model, with her comforting words and explanations. However, things turned around pretty fast, and before the episode was even over, Najma and her clan had turned against Kamala.
Within the first hour of their introduction inMs. Marvel, the Clan Destine went from being supportive allies to the villains of the show. Their portrayal, however, has been rather pale in comparison toother villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While using Islamic mythology as their background, the show has so far failed to paint them in the same light as the mystical beings that they were inspired from, and they appear to be the weakest aspect of the Disney Plus series. Is that really an issue though?
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After Najma reveals the truth about the Clan Destine, or the Djinn as she refers to them, it is understood that Kamala is also one of them. Moving away from her comic book roots,Kamala’s powers were rooted in Islamic mythology, and not derived from the fact that she was Inhuman. However, many questions still remained unanswered, and even Najma seemed to hold back on the information that she was sharing. The next time she shows up on screen, she is suddenly the big bad of the series, and is ready to go to any extent to get her hands on the bangle, including killing Kamala and her entire family. The journey from being introduced to being portrayed as the evil forces seemed too quick and almost absurd.
The Clan Destine were next seen attacking Kamala at her brother Aamir’s wedding, followed by a rather lackluster action sequence. WhileKamala’s powers were put on display, the villains who have clearly been around for a century seemed average at best, and were unable to capture a teenage girl who is still learning how to use the bangle to her advantage. After a few minutes of a dull display of their strengths, set to Bon Jovi’s fantastic “Livin' on a Prayer,” the Clan Destine are arrested by the Department of Damage Control. It is obvious at this point that this isn’t the last that fans will see of them, and the next episode brings them back immediately.
Inthe latest episode ofMs. Marvel, the Clan Destine are seen being escorted through a corridor at a secure DODC supermax prison. That entire sequence is perhaps one of the clumsiest things that the MCU has done so far. When arresting the Clan Destine, the DODC sent an entire army to the wedding hall, but at the facility, just one guard was assigned to escort five individuals with superpowers, and evil intentions, to their cells. Also, why does a super secret facility have old, rusted pipes in its corridors? It almost seemed like they were asking for trouble.
Within a few seconds, the five individuals have overpowered this guard. As they are unlocking their handcuffs and breaking free, only a few more guards approach them in this giant facility that is supposed to be a prison for beings with powers. One would expect alarms, a storm of guards, and a potential showdown between the two sides. But, none of that happens, and the Clan Destine manage to escape with ease. The scene was poorly written and choreographed, and instead of making the big bad of the series appear stronger, it cast them in a dim light.
With Kamala now in Karachi, it was expected that the Clan Destines would appear there as well. She meets withAramis Knight’s Red Dagger, who further introduces her to Farhan Akhtar’s Waleed, the leader of their group. Their headquarters are in a super secret location, with a hidden entrance that only the members are aware of. However, down come the Clan Destine crashing through the skylight within minutes of escaping from prison. It makes one wonder how they tracked Kamala and reached Karachi so quickly. Was it her Noor? Can they teleport? Either way, the show’s villain continues being a one-dimensional threat in Episode 4.
Compared to last week’s showdown, thelatest episode ofMs. Marvelhad a much better action sequence. As Kamala and Red Dagger race through the streets of Karachi, and are chased by the Clan Destine, the action is a fun watch. But, it still doesn’t make up for the missing pieces of the puzzle. What’s frustrating is when Waleed reveals that “the Clan Destine are not like the Djinn you’ve heard about in stories or religious texts.” While they were established as being from Islamic mythology last week, the latest episode paints them as just otherworldly beings, similar to aliens.
While it remains to be seen where the show goes with the Djinn plotline, it has been a weak one so far. But, many fans do not seem to be paying any attention, as there are several other aspects in the show that are way more appealing.Ms. Marvelhas placed alot of emphasis on Kamala’s familyfrom the beginning, and her relationships have been at the center of the plot all along. A lot of the runtime in the series’ episodes is dedicated to exploring these relationships, and the cultural and religious nuances in the series are quite accurate as well.
The show has so much to offer apart from just a fight between good and evil, and Kamala’s familial relationships shine in every episode. The latest one features some meaningful conversations between Kamala and her grandmother, which act like the true strength of the episode. While the villain inMs. Marvelhas been the weakest aspect so far, there are moments in the series that make the fact irrelevant. The cultural representation has been a refreshing aspect of the show, with Kamala and her family being the star element. Both these factors setMs. Marvelapart from the other content in the MCU.
