To be honest, I didn't think I had all that much to say about this character. I didn't actually encounter Ms. Marvel as Ms. Marvel for a long time, even after I'd become quite familiar with the character of Carol Danvers through guest appearances in X-Men. (Including the later transformation into Binary, which I probably won't be able to resist attempting to draw at some point.) I had to dig through my long boxes for a couple of classic Ms. Marvel issues to remind myself why Chris Claremont got such a reputation for writing strong female characters. I mean, check this sequence below -- Danvers' reaction to a nightmare in which Ms. loses a fight badly (from Ms. Marvel #17). Leaving aside the actual nightmare content (although it's good visceral stuff, ending with Danvers' about to have her brains blown out; thankfully this is when she wakes up), it's the two pages of angst and self-doubt that follow it, including a sympathy session with a red-headed friend, that really stick out in hindsight.
Remember this was written a good twenty years before Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Penciler Jim Mooney / Inker Tony De Zuniga / Colorist Jan Cohen / Letterer J. Costanza
Then, three issues later, Carol seems to have gotten her groove back, plus a new costume in the thigh-high-boots-and-sash mode favored by artist Dave Cockrum, who also designed the Phoenix. (Later, Binary rocked something very similar, only with sort of electric flame effects.)
Penciller Dave Cockrum / Inker Bob Wiacek / Colorist Mary Ellen / Letterer Annette K.
Subconsciously, this page must've made a big impression on me. No lie: when I sat down to draw Ms. Marvel, the very first image that came into my mind was her standing in front of a mirror. But the dialogue I remembered a little differently:
