Marvel Is Redesigning A Classic Captain Marvel Villain In New Series

Carol Danvers is about to meet a classic Captain Marvel villain with an all-new look in "Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest" (beware: spoilers lie ahead). The next series for the hero will feature the cosmic powerhouse taking on Nitro. In his reintroduction, the explosive foe of the original Captain Marvel gets a significant redesign, giving him a stellar modern look.

Following the conclusion of the ongoing "Captain Marvel" series from Kelly Thompson, Carmer Carnero, Lee Garbett, Javier Pina, and other artists, and her upcoming stint leading the Avengers, Danvers will star in a new miniseries from "Daredevil" writer Ann Nocenti, which will have the hero taking on new cosmic threats. But the main villain of the five-issue comic is someone she hasn't had much experience encountering — even if her namesake (Mar-Vell) has had plenty. Nitro will be the main antagonist of at least the first couple issues of "Dark Tempest," marking his grand return to the Marvel Universe.

Nitro is a longtime villain of the original Captain Marvel, having first appeared in 1974's "Captain Marvel" #34 by Jim Starlin and Steve Englehart. Originally an Earthbound electrical engineering retiree who operated a ham radio as a hobby, Robert Hunter gained the attention of a group of Kree rebels, who experimented on him and made him a living weapon. As Nitro, he could explode his body like a bomb when needed, and would survive by reconstituting the leftover gas and reforming himself.

Nitro has battled several Marvel heroes, including Daredevil, the New Warriors, and Iron Man, but his most notable act of villainy came against Mar-Vell. 

Nitro's gases were responsible for giving the original Captain Marvel cancer, with the hero succumbing to his illness in 2019's "The Death of Captain Marvel" from Starlin. In a rare occurrence in the superhero genre, Mar-Vell has largely stayed dead since. Nitro's actions would lead several characters to take up the Captain Marvel mantle, including Monica Rambeau, Mar-Vell's son Genis-Vell, and the current (and main) version of the hero in the Marvel Universe, Carol Danvers.

In the present day, Ann Nocenti and artist Paolo Villanelli are bringing back Nitro for "Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest," where the villain will look different than his traditional, creepy appearance.

ComicBook.com has revealed Nitro's new redesign, courtesy artist Paolo Villanelli, and it's a striking one. 

The villain gets a fresh appearance as his costume stays the same color, now complimented by an armor-like design and a more distinctive shape. The logo on his chest also changes, as the gold circle logo becomes more like an explosion. 

While Nitro maintains his long grey hair, now it's thicker and paired with an overgrown beard. Nitro also gets an updated gaseous form, as the design page features him standing side-by-side with his deadlier visage. The redesign makes the villain seem less silly and more formidable, which is appropriate for his explosive powers. 

Marvel Comics

The accompanying text solicitation for "Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest" #2 teases trouble ahead for Carol Danvers:

Captain Marvel meets the challenge of a lifetime. When a few gloom and doom teenagers tell the Captain that heroics are a waste of energy on a dying planet, she sets out to prove them wrong — and gets more than she bargained for when they're all teleported to hostile alien territory! As Spider-Woman seeks help from some of Earth's greatest heroes, explosive villain NITRO and his spooky alien pal NADA make their move!

While Captain Marvel has been confronted by villains from Mar-Vell's past before, Nitro represents an all-new threat. It will be intriguing to see how much Carol's energy-absorbing powers can help her take down Nitro, or if she ends up facing a similar fate as Mar-Vell. The new adventure begins in "Captain Marvel: Dark Tempest" by Ann Nocenti and Paolo Villanelli, arriving in comic book stores and online retailers in July.