What Are the Kree Nega-Bands?: Origin & Powers of Captain Marvel’s Ultimate Weapon

Warning: Contains spoilers for Captain Marvel (2023) #1!!

The Kree Empire has an impressive history, and one of Captain Marvel’s most important weapons is steeped in the alien civilization’s lore. The Nega-Bands are an incredibly powerful piece of Kree technology, capable of granting the wearer an amazing array of powers. While Carol Danvers possesses plenty of her own abilities, the Bands lend her an even bigger boost, just as they have given a few lucky others.

The Kree Nega-Bands debuted in Captain Marvel #16 – by Archie Goodwin, Don Heck, and Syd Shores – where they were given to Captain Mar-Vell as a reward for his service to the Supreme Intelligence. Multiple pairs of Bands exist, and have been worn by several notable characters, including Mar-Vell’s family, Rick Jones, and Carol Danvers.

The Nega-Bands grant physical powers, and create a unique link between wearers that allows them to trade places. The bands recently resurfaced, binding Captain Marvel with a thief named Yuna Yang, but that is only one layer of their past and power.

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The Kree Nega-Bands Create Ripples In The Marvel Universe

Carol Danvers is hardly the first person to wield the Nega-Bands; the Bands have been making waves since Captain Mar-Vell lived. Shortly after receiving the bands and a new uniform from Kree leadership, they trapped him in the Negative Zone. Mar-Vell was freed when Rick Jones donned a second pair of Nega-Bands, discovering that striking them together allowed the duo to swap places. Rick and Mar-Vell operated in different dimensions for much of their partnership, swapping between the Negative Zone and the wider Marvel Universe, until Mar-Vell’s death. His pair of Kree Nega-Bands went on to his son, Genis, who for a time kept up the same connection with Rick Jones.

Genis did not handle the Nega-Bands or his abilities like his father and, instead, experienced bouts of madness and incredible destruction. Much more recently, in Captain Marvel (2023) #1, new villain the Omen attempted to steal the bands – and removed Genis’ hands in the process. When the quick-moving thief, Yuna, stole that set for herself, she and Carol Danvers unwittingly replaced Genis-Vell and Rick Jones as the contemporary wielders of the Kree Nega-Bands. Others from Mar-Vell’s line, including Phyla-Vell and Hulkling, used some version of the Nega-Bands, as have Robbie Rider, Starlord, and more, but the new Carol-Yuna connection promises to be the most thrilling use of this powerful weapon yet.

Kree Nega-Bands Are A Versatile Gadget To Posess

The Nega-Bands can grant a number of abilities, depending on who wields them and for what purpose, but they primarily work by converting energy. They take psychic energy and turn it into physical power, essentially transforming something mental into a more concrete reality. This often manifests in powers like enhanced strength and speed, but it can also grant things like flight and the ability to manipulate matter and antimatter, among other things. Their teleportation abilities are not limited to Mar-Vell and Rick Jones’ Negative Zone, either, as demonstrated when Robbie Rider used his Nega-Bands to search for the Infinity Stones.

Although the Nega-Bands weave a thread through the Mar-Vell family line, they are not limited to them. Others have created their own versions of the weapons, including the Skrull and Hank Pym, with varying levels of success. The originals are an ancient Kree artifact, but the technology has been replicated and tinkered with over time, making it unlikely they’ll disappear for good, especially when they’re with the ultra-powerful Carol Danvers. The Bands have been manipulated to destroy worlds and protect them; there is little they can’t do in capable hands. Now that Captain Marvel has a set of powerful Kree Nega-Bands, they’ll undoubtedly be at the center of another pivotal chapter in Marvel history.

Check out Captain Marvel (2023) #1, available now from Marvel Comics!