The Marvels: The Quantum Bands' Strange Powers And History Explained
Contains spoilers for "The Marvels"
It seems 2023 may go down as the weirdest year for Marvel Studios yet. And while some may determine as much based on behind-the-scenes drama, unpredictable box office returns, and the continued lethargy afforded to the post-Infinity Saga Marvel Cinematic Universe, it's also earned this title thanks to the bizarre comic book concepts Phase Five brought us.
Indeed, the multi-billion dollar franchise that once leveraged a quippy and cool attitude (to convert countless moviegoers who otherwise wouldn't be caught dead in their local comic shop) is now throwing out phrases like "High Evolutionary," "Universal Weapon," and "Eye of Agamotto." "The Marvels" will likely stretch the limits of this cosmic familiarity for some audience members — who may or may not tune out by the time the film starts to explain that Kamala Khan's (Iman Vellani) superpowered bangles are actually something called "Quantum Bands."
One of the two bands is first seen in the "Ms. Marvel" Disney+ series, wherein it is established that they allow those genetically tied to the Noor Dimension to awaken latent abilities of hard-light manipulation. Though the bands are not ultimately necessary to wield these powers after they're awakened, they do seem to make it easier to create more complex and powerful constructs. This is similar to how they work in the comics, where they're actually used by an entirely different cosmic superhero.
The Quantum Bands have had many owners in Marvel Comics
Created by Roy Thomas and George Perez during the '70s era of the "Fantastic Four," the Quantum Bands have historically been gifted to so-called "Protectors of the Universe" by the eight-billion-year-old cosmic entity Eon. Though they have been wielded by a variety of recognizable characters, including Maelstrom and Annihilus, they're arguably most commonly associated with Avril Kincaid, Phyla-Vell, and Wendell Vaughn — all of whom operated under the alias Quasar at one time or another.
Rather than drawing energy from the Noor Dimension, the Marvel Comics Quantum Bands draw energy from — you'll never guess — the Quantum Zone (not to be confused with or erroneously related to the Quantum Realm, an MCU variation of the Marvel Comics Microverse). In doing so, they allow the wearer to absorb light and the life force of nearby beings. This energy can then be used to create "Quantum-Constructs," essentially just like Kamala's hard-light constructs with a yellow hue instead of purple.
As was revealed in "Ms. Marvel," Kamala's powers are also apparently related to her mutation. It will be interesting to see how the MCU reconciles this fact with the Quantum Bands' Marvel Comics lore — or if they'll simply ignore it entirely.