The Marvel Cinematic Universe has a new hero, and she’s already made quite the impression. Ms. Marvel is the latest Disney+ series, which introduces a Pakistani American girl named Kamala Khan. The energetic teenager is a superhero fangirl who becomes a heroine herself. Based on the critically acclaimed comic series by G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona, the show follows Kamala as her life turns upside down when she manifests mysterious new superpowers.

Warning: If you haven’t seen the first episode of Ms. Marvel then turn back now, because we will be discussing spoilers.

Ms. Marvel episode 1 mid-credits scene

Like most MCU properties, Ms. Marvel’s premiere episode 'Generation Why' contains a mid-credits sequence. This particular sequence deals with the fallout of Kamala’s visit to Avengerscon, an in-universe fan convention celebrating the heroes of the MCU. Kamala’s new powers had manifested as she was onstage for the Captain Marvel cosplay contest, resulting in a bit of chaos and property damage. The confused teenager found that she was able to project mysterious energy blasts from her hand, which naturally caused some problems in an enclosed space like Avengerscon.

This brings us to the mid-credits sequence. Con attendees had filmed Kamala’s powerful display, and that footage got the attention of the government agency Damage Control. A female agent is seen watching video footage of Kamala on her cell phone, and she’s clearly troubled by the footage. She alerts a male colleague, who is initially quizzical until he sees the footage himself. “Bring her in,” the male agent instructs.

Who are Cleary and Deever?

Neither of the agents are named in the scene, but the credits identify the female as Sadie Deever and the male as P. Cleary. They are portrayed by Alysia Reiner and Arian Moayed respectively. Although Cleary wasn’t namechecked during the mid-credits scene, some MCU fans might remember him from the 2021 film Spider-Man: No Way Home. Cleary was the agent who arrested Peter Parker after the teen was framed for the murder of Mysterio. He was later seen aggressively interrogating Peter’s friends MJ Watson and Ned Leeds.

Cleary is loosely based on Albert Cleary, a comptroller who was introduced in Damage Control #1 (1989). Cleary’s comic book counterpart was an African-American bureaucrat with nerves of steel. In Damage Control #2 (1989) he confronted Doctor Doom over a delinquent bill and lived to tell the tale. Sadie Deever is a new character to the MCU, and she doesn’t appear to be based on any particular comic book character. However, it’s possible that future episodes will reveal she has ties to other characters.

What is Damage Control?

The United States Department of Damage Control has been part of the MCU from the very beginning. The agency was seen cleaning up after the climactic battle in the 2008 film Iron Man. The agency was seen cleaning up after the Battle of New York during a flashback in the 2017 film Spider-Man: Homecoming. Damage Control took a more active role in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, pursuing Peter Parker throughout the movie. In 2015 a Damage Control series was in development for the ABC television network, but the project fell apart. The series would have been a half-hour comedy set in the MCU.

In the comics, Damage Control was a construction company that cleaned up the messes made by superhero battles. Dwayne McDuffie and Ernie Colon created the concept, pitching it as a sitcom set in the Marvel Universe. After debuting in Marvel Age Annual #4 (1988), Damage Control was given their own four-issue series in 1989, which was followed by a few sequels. They’ve been a part of the Marvel Universe ever since.

What comes next?

What does this all mean for Kamala Khan? If you saw the way Agent Cleary interrogated Peter and his friends in Spider-Man: No Way Home, then you know that the man isn’t afraid to bully teenagers. Unless he’s mellowed out, Kamala is in for a rough time when Cleary catches up with her. And where does Agent Deever fit into this? Will she be the good cop to Cleary’s bad cop, or is Kamala in for double trouble? Either way, Kamala doesn’t know what she’s in for. It will be interesting to see what happens when Damage Control catches up to the new Ms. Marvel.

Ms. Marvel episode 2 will premiere on Disney+ on June 15.

---

Here's a spoiler-free review of Ms. Marvel episodes 1 and 2.