Yeah, you knew Stephen Colbert was going to weigh in on this one.
The host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report opened last night's show with another rant about comics news, this time focusing on Marvel Comics' announcement of a new teenage Ms. Marvel that happens to be a Muslim. The new Ms. Marvel series by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona will focus on Kamala Khan, a 16-year-old Muslim who takes on the former identity of her idol Carol Danvers (currently calling herself Captain Marvel) after discovering that she has superpowers.
"I am sorry to bring you bad news," began Colbert, "but ladies and gentlemen, America has lost another battle in the culture war, which is surprising because we've got all the guns. This time, the battlefield is comic books and folks, that saddens me because I'm a fan. They have everything I love -- colorful pictures and a lack of grammar. Hulk smash? Stephen like. And tonight folks, I got a real bee in my cape over a dangerous new addition to the Marvel Universe."
Colbert then showed a news clip of Darlene Rodriguez, the co-anchor of Today in New York on WNBC, who discussed the Ms. Marvel story while repeatedly mispronouncing "Marvel" as "Mar-vell." "Thank you for that report on Ms. Mar-vell, Ms. Rod-ri-gweeze," mocked Colbert. "Folks, this affront has taken me aback. A Muslim cannot be a supehero. For Pete's sake, they're on the no-fly list. Her name is Kamala Khan and as Ms. Marvel, she can 'grow and shrink her limbs and her body and shapeshift into other forms.' Folks, if she can shapeshift, that means literally anything could be Muslim -- a lamp, a sandwich, a tiger, a non-threatening Muslim [Kareem Abdul-Jabaar]."
Colbert continued his faux-conservative outrage, showing this image from the cover to Ms. Marvel (vol.1) #1. "It's even more upsetting when you consider the original Ms. Marvel [Carol Danvers]. She was wholesome and all-American, blonde, family values, with two bulging chest muscles, and clearly wearing her Sunday church panties. This is nothing more than Sharia Creep, plain and simple. First she's a comic character, then she gets her own movie, then action figures, and the next thing you know, my kids are dressing up as her for Halloween and shouting 'Trick or treat! Death to Captain America!' It's coming, mark my words."
If you'd like to see the segment, you can view it below thanks to Colbert Nation...