Ms. Marvel #17-18 (1978): 1st Mystique (undisguised)

Dave Cockrum cover!

This is the first time we see Mystique.  I mean, the real Mystique (albeit only using the name Raven Darkholme).  We’ve seen her as a mysterious white lady who is stalking Ms. Marvel, but now we see that she can change her appearance and is actually blue.  She can also change her clothes.  

Speaking of which…

Ms. Marvel fights a villain who destroys her costume, but she happens to be with Wasp. Rather than let her design a new costume in a jiffy (that’s one of Ms. Van Dyne’s superpowers, no?), she puts on a black bathing suit.  

The Avengers show up and help.

The stupid henchman gives up Raven’s name in the altercation.

Wonder Man “saves” Carol Danvers, meeting her for the first time.

Yellowjacket can’t resist making a snide comment to Wasp.

What a jerk.  But before all that, she enters herself into the trenchcoat disguise contest.  See the “trenchcoat” tag below.

It’s a fastball special!

Ms. Marvel’s costume change is done because the villain is able to “track” her Kree-made costume.

The second round begins with Scarlet Witch being unusually gung-ho to fight…

But Ms. Marvel’s new costume seems to do the trick…

Ms. Marvel says the battle has just begun, but it’s over for Centurion/Dr. Ballard (this is the first time we’ve seen Ballard as a “super”–he’s just a doc who first appeared in Black Goliath #4). We’ll never see the character again.

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