Marvel Rivals: Who Is Squirrel Girl?
The internet is abuzz over Marvel Rivals as its release date draws closer. The game features fan-favorite familiar faces such as Spider-Man, Iron Man and Doctor Strange but also adds lesser-known heroes to its lineup. Let's explore everything we know about one of Marvel Rival's upcoming heroes Squirrel Girl, including her backstory, lore, abilities and more!
What is Marvel Rivals?
Marvel Rivals is an upcoming 6v6 PVP shooter game based on the Marvel franchise. It will be released on December 6, 2024, and will include "Super Heroes and Villains from across the [Marvel] multiverse."
In Marvel Rivals, multiverses will collide during a 'Timestream Entanglement' event. Heroes must work together to defeat two versions of Doctor Doom (one from each timeline) and prevent him from achieving world domination.
Marvel Rivals will include a 33-character roster featuring well-known heroes like Captain America, Doctor Strange, Iron Man, Spider-Man, Loki and Scarlet Witch. The franchise also reintroduces lesser-known characters such as Psylocke, Peni Parker, Namor, Luna Snow and Squirrel Girl.
Related Article: Marvel Rivals Official Release Date and Roster
Who Is Squirrel Girl?
Squirrel Girl is a Marvel character from the Avengers. She is a teenager and college student from Los Angeles, California, with squirrel-themed powers. Squirrel Girl's real name is Doreen Allene Green, and she has appeared in Marvel comics since 1991. She also has a squirrel sidekick named 'Tippy-Toe', who her official lore page calls her BFFF (Best Furry Friend Forever). Doreen has a fluffy squirrel-like tail, squirrel ears, auburn haIr and bright green eyes.
Doreen is friendly with Deadpool, Spider-Man, Loki and many other Marvel household names. She has collaborated with Deadpool in battle and taken missions from Loki. Aside from her hero connections, Squirrel Girl is famous for bringing villains back from the dark side and convincing them to turn over a new leaf. These reformed villains often return to help her in battle later.
Some Marvel fans might recognize Squirrel Girl from Marvel Superheroes and West Coast Avengers. In 2015, Squirrel Girl received a dedicated series, titled The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. This series' success earned Squirrel Girl a place in Marvel's The New Avengers comics alongside heroes Wiccan, Hulkling, Songbird, White Tiger and Power Man. Now, Marvel has announced it will continue Squirrel Girl's story by making her an official playable hero in Marvel Rival's roster.
How Old Is Squirrel Girl?
As of her last Marvel appearance, Squirrel Girl completed her second year of college. This means she is 20 or 21 years old.
Squirrel Girl's Lore
According to Marvel Rivals' website, Squirrel Girl is "more than just a computer science student at Empire State University (ESU). She also happens to have the powers of a squirrel AND the powers of a girl!"
Squirrel Girl was born in Los Angeles. Her parents are Dorian and Maureen Greene. After listening to squirrels chat outside her house as a child, she unexpectedly discovered that she could communicate with them.
Squirrel Girl joined the Great Lakes Avengers, a ragtag group of superheroes based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Detroit, Michigan. Deadpool discovered Squirrel Girl and her allies after he mistakenly thought the group was unregistered and attacked their headquarters. Squirrel Girl beat him in a fight, and the two later teamed up to fight A.I.M. agents. After defeating Grasshopper in the Skrull invasion, Squirrel Girl moved to New York.
Before college, Squirrel Girl nannied for fellow superheroes Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, caring for their daughter Danielle Cage. During this time, she lived in the Avengers mansion. After becoming a computer science major at ESU, she joined Sunspot's New Avengers. A year later, S.H.I.E.L.D. merged with Sunspot and Squirrel Girl became an official Marvel Avenger.
At ESU, Squirrel Girl is dating fellow student Tomas Lara-Perez, who also has a secret super-identity as "Chipmunk Hunk." Squirrel Girl, Chipmunk Hunk and Lara-Perez's close friend Ken Shiga (Koi Boi) often team up to fight crime.
During her college years, Loki also sent Squirrel Girl on a mission to fight the Frost Giants and she had a rivalry with Melissa Morbeck. Afterwards, Melissa Morbeck exposed her identity to the public and battled her with an army of villains in Central Park. Morbeck utilized Iron Man's suit technology as the 'Iron Ring' and fought with Doctor Doom against Squirrel Girl. Though things looked bleak, the Avengers and Galactus ended the fight and Squirrel Girl made peace with her public persona as a superhero.
In Marvel Rival's lore continuation, "things got weird" after the Timestream Entanglement. Squirrel Girl reportedly "assembled an adorable army to reclaim Central Park from the clutches of Dracula."
What Makes Squirrel Girl Special?
Many of Marvel's heroes have tragic backstories and emotional storylines. Squirrel Girl's bubbly persona and lighthearted story arc sets her apart from the traditional superhero model, while still including plenty of action and hijinks. She participates in both groundbreaking battles for justice and everyday kind, heroic acts.
Aside from her personality, Squirrel Girl's powers do not have supernatural origins. They are simply genetic and part of her everyday life. Squirrel Girl has had her abilities since childhood and lived her entire life as a superhuman.
Squirrel Girl's superpowers are vital to her activities, but she also maintains a compassionate nature and wins battles through wit and skill. She is a strong communicator and a dedicated student who still tries to live a balanced, civilian life.
While Squirrel Girl's powers don't hinder her normal life much, they give her unique talents. Here's a quick list:
Squirrel Girl's Powers in the Marvel Universe:
- Squirrel Communication
- Super-Strength
- Jaw/Bite Strength
- Superhuman Jump
- Squirrel-like Climbing
- Night Vision
- Sharp Knuckle Spike
Squirrel Girl's Abilities in Marvel Rivals
Squirrel Girl's Marvel Rivals abilities are not public yet. However, we can reasonably assume that they will be related to her squirrel-themed lore. More specific abilities like super strength, climbing and jumping would fit right into a hero shooter environment.
It is noteworthy that Squirrel Girl is a Duelist class Marvel Rivals hero. In other ability shooter games like VALORANT, duelists are typically more aggressive characters. They take space, use utility to attack enemies and are the first onto a contested site.
When does Squirrel Girl release in Marvel Rivals?
Squirrel Girl will be released as part of Marvel Rivals' basic roster of 33 characters. She will arrive on the same day the game does, December 6, 2024.
