Carol Danvers first appeared in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968), created by Roy Thomas and Gene Colan, as a determined United States Air Force officer and head of security at a NASA facility. Encountering the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, who operated under the alias Dr. Walter Lawson, she became entangled in his conflict with the villain Yon-Rogg. During an explosion involving the Kree Psyche-Magnitron device, Danvers' human DNA fused with Kree genetics, granting her superhuman strength, flight, energy absorption, and photonic blasts. This transformation led to her debut as the superhero Ms. Marvel in Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977), where she balanced a career as a magazine editor with vigilantism, eventually joining the Avengers and establishing herself as a prominent hero in the Marvel Universe.
Danvers faced significant trials in subsequent decades, including the permanent absorption of her powers and memories by the mutant Rogue in Avengers Annual #10 (1981), leaving her depowered and emotionally detached. Rescued and aided by Professor X, she later underwent experimentation by the alien Brood, which unlocked a connection to cosmic energy, transforming her into the immensely powerful Binary in Uncanny X-Men #164 (1982). As Binary, she operated on a galactic scale with the Starjammers before eventually losing that link, reverting to reduced abilities, and adopting the alias Warbird upon rejoining the Avengers. During this period, she grappled with personal demons, including alcoholism, which strained her team relationships and led to temporary suspensions.
In 2012, honoring the legacy of the original Captain Marvel following his death, Danvers assumed the mantle in Captain Marvel volume 7 #1, written by Kelly Sue DeConnick, with a redesigned costume reflecting her military roots. This marked a resurgence in her prominence, involving leadership roles in the Avengers, command of Alpha Flight's space program, and participation in major events such as Civil War II and Empyre. A 2018 retcon in The Life of Captain Marvel further revealed her innate half-Kree heritage through her mother, refining her origin while affirming her status as one of Marvel's foremost cosmic protectors and a symbol of resilience.