Warning: contains spoilers forOne World Under Doom#1!
I am not joking:Squirrel Girlbelongs in theAvengers, and the writer most associated with her knows why. Squirrel Girl’s rise from gag character to bona-fide superstar has been one of the most satisfying arcs to watch in the Marvel Universe. Now, Squirrel Girl finds herself caught up in theevents ofOne World Under Doom, andwriter Ryan North has explained why she belongs beside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
Squirrel Girl is usually assisted two squirrels: Monkey Joe and Tippy Toe.
Ryan North, speaking in an interview withPolygon, offered insight into bothOne World Under Doomand Squirrel Girl’s involvement in the event. InOne World Under Doom,drawn by RB Silva, the Latverian dictator has used his powers as the Sorcerer Supreme to effectively bring the world under his control. A group of heroes, including Squirrel Girl, assemble to begin plotting a strategy.
Fans expressed puzzlement over her presence, but North had this to say:
Oh yeah, she’s going to show up again inOne World Under Doom, and she has an important role to play. There was no way I was going to do a Marvel event and not put Squirrel Girl into it, because I love her. But also, I think what’s so great about her is she is this really smart, intelligent woman, and she sees through baloney in a way that I think is really useful. She brings a fresh voice to the table.
So it’s not just like,Oh, Squirrel Girl is here because Ryan likes Squirrel Girl.Squirrel Girl is here and she has a cool role to play. She’s encountered [Doom] before, she knows what he’s like. And it lets us have some really interesting discussions on the hero side about, like,What are we doing here? What is the correct thing to do here? What is the ethical thing to do here?Those are Squirrel Girl questions. She’s involved in those conversations.
North is, of course, known for writingThe Unbeatable Squirrel Girlfrom 2015 to 2019.
Squirrel Girl’s Marvel Comics History, Explained
Despite Her Goofy Nature, Squirrel Girl Was Co-Created by a Comics Legend
In 30 years, Squirrel Girl has gone from a jokey, seemingly one-note character to one of Marvel’s most popular heroes. Debuting inMarvel Super Heroes#8, Squirrel Girl was created by writer Will Murrayand the legendary Steve Ditko. In her first appearance, Squirrel Girl went straight for the big leagues, fighting Doctor Doom–and emerging victorious. From there, Squirrel Girl acquired a reputation for being “unbeatable,” scoring major wins over characters far more powerful than her. In fact, the running joke became that no one, not even Galactus, could defeat Squirrel Girl.
It would not be until Brian Michael Bendis brought Squirrel Girl into the world of the Avengers that she truly took off and became an awesome character.
However, this gag only took Squirrel Girl but so far, and by the mid-1990s, she slipped into obscurity. Yet in the 2000s, Squirrel Girl returned, although most of her appearances during this time, such as inGreat Lakes Avengers, kept with the light-hearted, comical nature of the character. It would not be until Brian Michael Bendis brought Squirrel Girl into the world of the Avengers that she truly took off and became an awesome character. In a stroke of genius, Bendis used Squirrel Girl as the nanny for Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’ newborn child.
Marvel’s Best Heroes Have Great Backstories, But 10 Avengers Didn’t Get the Memo
Marvel Comics is known for giving their characters complex backstories, but not every origin for Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is made equal.
At the time Squirrel Girl entered the Avengers’ orbit, the franchise was quickly becoming Marvel’s most popular, which gave her more exposure and stories than she ever had before. According to legend, when Bendis announced at a convention Squirrel Girl would be appearing inNew Avengers, the room went wild, indicating she already had fans. Building on this momentum, Marvel began pushing Squirrel Girl even more, and fans ate it up. For Squirrel Girl, who had spent over a decade languishing in comic book limbo, it was a sweet victory.
Squirrel Girl Hit the Big Time Thanks to Writer Ryan North
Squirrel Girl’s Role inOne World Under Doomis Still Under Wraps
Squirrel Girl’s surging popularity led Marvel to finally give her an ongoing series, and in 2015,The Unbeatable Squirrel Girldebuted to high sales and critical acclaim. Ryan North, who had made a name for himself in the 2000s with the acclaimedDinosaur Comics, was tapped to write the book with Erica Henderson and Derek Charm drawing. North and Henderson played on Squirrel’s Girl’s reputation as “unbeatable” in the title. The book lasted for an incredible 58 issues total, which cemented Squirrel Girl’s place in the Marvel Universe. The book was also nominated for industry awards, including the Eisners.
Ryan North is also writing the officialStar Trek: Lower Deckscomic for IDW.
SinceThe Unbeatable Squirrel Girl’sconclusion, North has gone on to writeFantastic Fourand other titles for Marvel, andOne World Under Doomis his, and Squirrel Girl’s, the biggest book to date. At the conclusion ofBlood Hunt, Doctor Doom steals the title of Sorcerer Supreme from Doctor Strange. Doom went into hiding, but emerged at the beginning of the first issue, seemingly taking over the world with hardly any effort. Doom has promised the world quality education, jobs and healthcare–but it comes at a price, and it is one Earth’s heroes are not willing to pay.
The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and other heroes have gathered to stop Doctor Doom, and somehow Squirrel Girl is there as well.
As seen inOne World Under Doom#1, Squirrel Girl is among the heroes assembled at the Baxter Building to oppose Doom’s plan. The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and other heroes have gathered to stop Doctor Doom, and somehow Squirrel Girl is there as well.One World Under Doom#1 does not explain, at least in-universe, why Squirrel Girl was drafted to fight. While this may be explained in future issues, it is immaterial in the end, as it will mark the beginning of the next great chapter in Squirrel Girl’s career.
Ryan North is Ready to Take Squirrel Girl to the Next Level
Will Squirrel Girl Become a Full-Time Avenger?
Some fans may have wondered whySquirrel Girl was tapped to help fight Doctor Doom, but North explained it well: she has a history with the monarch, going back to her first appearance three decades ago. A key reason Squirrel Girl is able to win every time is her opponents underestimate her, and Doctor Doom is no different. He did just this the first time they met, but he is only fooled once, ensuring Squirrel Girl will not have as easy a go of it this time. Doom is about to put the “unbeatable” reputation to the test once again.
Marvel’s Most Hated New Hero Proves Squirrel Girl Can Team-Up With ANYONE
In Spider-Boy #1, Squirrel Girl teams up with the newly, most hated member of the Marvel roster, proving that team-ups are her best superpower.
One World Under Doom, like all of Marvel’s crossover events, will have profound implications for its universe, and hopefully, one of them is Squirrel Girl joining the Avengers. She has been affiliated with the team before, but the time has come for Squirrel Girl to join the upper echelons of the Marvel Universe. Ryan North, who may knowSquirrel Girlbetter than anyone besides her creators, feels she belongs in theAvengers–and I happen to agree.
Source:Polygon
One World Under Doom #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
