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Draft:Kahhori

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Kahhori
Marvel Cinematic Universe character
First appearance
Created byRyan Little
Voiced byDevery Jacobs
In-universe information
SpeciesHuman
FamilyWáhta (brother)
OriginHaudenosaunee Confederacy
NationalityMohawk

Kahhori is a character voiced by Devery Jacobs in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise. Depicted as a young Mowhawk woman, Kahhori gains superhuman powers after falling into a lake imbued with the powers of an Infinity Stone. She uses her powers to free her land from Queen Isabella and her Conquistadores. She is later kidnapped by Doctor Strange Supreme and teams up with Captain Carter to defeat him.

She first appeared in the second season of the Disney+ animated series What If...? (2023–2024).

Concept and creation

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In March 2023, Marvel Studios officially revealed the character Kahhori on their website, prior to the release of the second season of What If...?.[1] She was announced to appear in an episode for the upcoming season, which would focus on the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Mohawk people.[1] The director of the show, Bryan Andrews noted that when working on the first season, one of his first ideas was doing a First Nations centred episode which asked the question, "What if colonization failed because there were super beings already there?".[2]

Writer Ryan Little noted that the episode for which Kahhori was set to appear in, was in works for over four years.[2] Little stated that he and Andrew spent the time "working with historical and language experts from Kanien'kehá:ka, the Mohawk Nation, to craft the episode".[2] He also noted that the Kanien'kehá:ka worked with them to bring the story to life.[2] He stated,

They collaborated with us on every layer of the story from the characters' names, personalities and costumes to the look of the civilization and the surrounding wilderness to make every facet of this episode the most accurate depiction possible.[1]

Mohawk historian Doug George-Kanentiio worked as a cultural advisor and provided history of the Akwesasne region to Little, stating the episode would be a "remarkable story from a Native-Mohawk perspective which is truly unique and historical, and will give the viewers a new, challenging and entertaining perspective on this land's first peoples".[1][3]

Characterization

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"Kahhori" is a real Wolf Clan name meaning "she stirs the forest or is someone who motivates those around her".[1] Voiced by Canadian-Mohawk actress Devery Jacobs, Kahhori is an original character and did not appear in the mainstream Marvel Comics continuity set in the Marvel Universe (Earth-616).[4][5][6] On her character, Jacobs noted that "[Kahhori] is literally why I got into this industry, and why I wanted to become a storyteller" and added that "It does something to you, when you see somebody from your community being able to rewrite history and can save the world, and save their community, and their culture. That was hugely empowering".[7]

From an alternate universe within the Multiverse, Kahhori first gains superhuman powers after falling into a lake which contains the energy of the Tesseract which had fallen to earth during a battle between Odin and Surtur.[8][9] She is transported to an alternate realm coined the "Sky World" which was compared to the ancestral plane in Black Panther (2018).[9] Kahhori's powers were compared to Captain Marvel / Carol Danvers' who also gained her abilities from the Tesseract.[9][8] However, CBR writer Renaldo Matadeen felt that she was different from Danvers who "could fly through space and shoot out energy blasts" while Kahhori was "a veritable god as she embarks on a crusade for justice".[9] Screen Rant writer Kai Young added that Kahhori's powers and storyline made her "one of the most significant original MCU characters".[6] Other powers she has includes the ability to teleport, levitate extremely heavy objects and create strong force shields.[10]

Fictional character biography

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Gaining powers and the Sky World

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Further information: What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World?

In an alternate reality to the sacred timeline, the Space Stone fell to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Several years later, Kahhori is born a Mohawk woman. Her tribute is attacked by the Conquistadores and to escape them, she and her brother, Wáhta, flee to Akwesasne. The two accidentally find a lake (imbued with the powers of the fallen Space Stone), which elders of their tribe referred to as a cursed, forbidden lake rumoured to have great power which drove the surrounding Mohawk nations into conflict. Trying to save her brother from the Conquistadores, Kahhori is shot and falls into the lake before being transported to an alternate world.

Kahhori is awoken by a former Mohawk villager, Atahraks, who welcomes her into the Sky World. She awakes healed, with unmitigated energy and new powers. Learning about her powers from the Sky World villagers, Kahhori learns that the portal in which bought them was above and too far to reach and go back home. Kahhori attempts to try reach the portal before joining the others on a hunt for Sky World Fruit which were atop creatures referred to as the Gakowaneh. Kahhori uses her telekinesis to get the fruit, impressing the Sky World villagers.

Fighting the Conquistadores

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Further information: What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World?

Unbeknownst to Kahhori, the Conquistadores had followed Kahhori into the lake. They attack the Sky World villagers before being defeated by Kahhori. She berates the Sky World villagers for getting too comfortable and leaving her and her people to fend for themselves. She brings the portal down to them, and invites them to be brave and join her in defeating the Conquistadores. After walking through the portal, Kahhori fights the Conquistadores who are leaving on ships with enslaved members of her village. She is joined by Atahraks and the Sky World villagers who defeat the Conquistadores and free Wáhta and the Mohawk people.

Kahhori goes to the Alcázar of Segovia where she approaches the Conquistadores' leader, Queen Isabella, with the Sky World villagers. She uses her powers to intimidate the queen into making peace with the Mohawk people. Kahhori is then approached by Doctor Strange Supreme who congratulates her and notes that he has been looking for her.

Teaming up with Captain Carter

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Further information: What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?

Sometime later, Kahhori is on the run from Doctor Strange Supreme who is trying to sacrifice her and other righteous heroes and universe killers to a Forge which would revive his universe. She escapes to a universe where HYDRA won World War II and is soon pursed by Captain Peggy Carter, Strange's former teammate, who is unaware of his plans. After telling her the truth, Carter flees with Kahhori with Strange pursuing the two. They free Strange's universe killers including Infinity Killmonger and Zombie Wanda Maximoff among others.

Kahhori joins Carter in a fight against Strange, using Mjølnir and the Ten Rings. Finding it hard to defeat him, Strange eventually chooses to sacrifice himself to destroy the Forge. In the process his universe is restored and Kahhori is sent back to her own universe by The Watcher.

Reception

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Inverse writer Dais Johnston praised the Indigenous representation Kahhori symbolised for the MCU stating that she felt the "franchise needs some fresh blood".[11] She added that while Kahhori "may not exist in the main timeline at this point, she's broken new ground for the MCU".[11] Collider writer Kelcie Mattson praised Kahhori's inclusion in What If...? feeling that she was the best part of the season.[7] The Mary Sue writer Rachel Ulatowski also praised Kahhori's representation as an Indigenous superhero, stating that "Jacobs was an excellent choice to voice Kahhori" and stated that the show did not "sugarcoat colonization [which] makes Kahhori a truly powerful and inspiring hero".[12]

After her introduction in What If...?, Kahhori made her comic debut in 2024 as part of the Marvel's Voices series, Kahhori: Reshaper Of Worlds #1 (November 2024), written by Ryan Little, Arihhonni David and Kelly D'Angelo.[13][14] The comic saw Kahhori being chased by an evil Loki and meeting various characters including Moon Knight and Echo.[15]

Merchandise

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A Funko soda of Kahhori was released in mid-2023 prior to the character's appearance in What If...?.[16] A standard funko pop was also released in 2024.[citation needed]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Graves, Sabina (March 9, 2023). "Marvel's What If? Season 2 Will Introduce a Brand New Mohawk Hero". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d "What If..? Production Brief" (PDF). Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. July 30, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  3. ^ Pukatch, Ava (December 27, 2023). "Marvel's newest superhero is a Haudenosaunee woman". WXXI News. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  4. ^ Jirak, Jamie (December 27, 2023). "What If...? Season 2: Will Kahhori Appear in Live Action?". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  5. ^ Harrington, Kayla (January 25, 2024). "Who is Kahhori? New Marvel superhero explained". Dexerto. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Young, Kai (November 15, 2023). "Who Is Kahhori? The MCU's Newest Superhero Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on November 16, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Mattson, Kelcie (January 4, 2024). "'What If…?' Can't Escape the Shadow of the Avengers, but It Needs To". Collider. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Bradley, Ollie (December 27, 2023). "The MCU's First Original Superhero Completely Retcons 1 Infinity Stone's Powers". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d Matadeen, Renaldo (December 30, 2023). "What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World? Ending, Explained". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on December 30, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Sultan, Mahin (December 31, 2023). "Kahhori's True Power Explained and 3 MCU Superhero Who Can Still Decimate the New Fan-Favorite What If Character". Fandom Wire. Archived from the original on May 6, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Johnston, Dais (December 28, 2023). "What If Season 2 Episode 6 is a Historic First for the MCU". Inverse. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  12. ^ Ulatowski, Rachel (December 29, 2024). "'What If…?' Introduces the MCU's First Original Superhero, and She Exceeds Expectations". The Mary Sue. Archived from the original on January 14, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  13. ^ "Get a First Look at 'Kahhori: Reshaper Of Worlds' #1". Marvel.com. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  14. ^ Brooke, David (November 6, 2024). "'Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds' #1 cements Kahhori's place in the Marvel multiverse". AIPT. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  15. ^ Watts, Ethan (November 7, 2024). "Marvel's What If...? Continuity Officially Introduces Wild New Version of Moon Knight, Transforming His Different Identities". Screen Rant. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
  16. ^ Aberl, Joseph (March 1, 2023). "New Funko May Have Unveiled an MCU Original Hero Kahhori for 'What If…?' Season 2". Murphy's Multiverse. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
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