Have you really experienced your teenage years to the fullest if you haven’t lived through any of the scenarios below? Perhaps you were a major geek for your favourite superhero and had dreams of fitting in at school or at home. Or maybe you loved doing just about anything with your besties and spent your teen years fostering relationships with your annoying siblings (still love ‘em though!) or discovering your identity.
Find out how well you relate with Kamala Khan aka Ms Marvel below:
1. An obsession with all things pop culture
Most of us grew up exposed to various aspects of pop culture, from creating jokes referencing our favourite TV series to fangirling over your beloved K-pop artists. Participating in pop culture adds some colour to our lives and helps us form better connections with people, as you “find your tribe” with others who share similar interests. Kamala is no exception! She’s an avid gamer, a voracious fan-fiction scribe, and a superhero megafan with an oversized imagination especially when it comes to her favourite hero, Captain Marvel.
2. Constantly on a quest to “find yourself” amidst the challenges that come with being a teenager
Every teenager wants to feel like they belong in a group, whether it’s your family or friends at school and so on. But feelings of belonging aren’t just about fitting in like some of us mistakenly believe it to be — it’s about being accepted for who we are. Born into a Pakistani Muslim family, Kamala feels the weight of being different from her schoolmates. She feels the pressure of following her mom’s expectation for her to live a traditional life while not to mention having to grapple with her newfound superpowers. Sounds overwhelming, doesn’t it?
3. Being joined at the hip with your best friends
There’s no better way to spend your high school life than with your best friends who stick by you while creating unforgettable memories. Nothing quite beats the friendship Kamala has with her childhood friends, Bruno and Nakia. While their friendship includes a healthy dose of teasing, their support for each other knows no bounds and only deepens further after Kamala discovers her powers.
4. Using your older sibling as a buffer between you and your parents
As the saying goes, “Blood is thicker than water”, and those with siblings can relate wholeheartedly. There may be times when your sibling drives you up the wall with their annoying antics but they always have your back. Aamir, Kamala’s brother is a shining example of portraying the latter as an older brother who acts as a buffer between Kamala and her strict parents, particularly when traditional values and expectations are involved.
5. Having a rosy view of the world
Being a teenager is a roller coaster ride, filled with ups and downs. Most of us experience multiple phases of questioning ourselves, juggling everything the world throws at us and figuring out who we want to be. Kamala differentiates herself from other superheroes as a perfectly relatable teenager who constantly questions herself and the world around her, while trying her best to figure out her identity as she goes on her heroic journey.
Be sure to catch the “Ms Marvel” series finale on 13th July.
