Squirrel Girl: Powers, Origin, and the Story of the Marvel Rivals Hero

The release of Marvel Rivals introduced an exciting new way for players to experience the heroes of the Marvel Universe. It places them in an Overwatch-style arena where they can utilize their powers and abilities for fast-paced, electrifying combat.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has successfully brought some of its biggest “stars” to the big screen, such as Spider-Man, who already had five films, and The Incredible Hulk, who also appeared in multiple movies. It also popularized lesser-known characters like Iron Man and brought complete unknowns, such as the Guardians of the Galaxy and the Eternals, to center stage.

However, some of the characters featured in the game haven’t made their way to movies or animated series yet. These characters remain either obscure or entirely unfamiliar to many players, leaving them asking, “Who is this?” To clear up those doubts, let’s explore some of the lesser-known characters in the game, introduce them to players, and explain how and why they possess their unique abilities.

Let’s begin by talking about the The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl. If you still have questions or would like to learn about another character, leave your thoughts in the comments below.

According to the Marvel Rivals official site, Squirrel Girl is “more than just a computer science student at Empire State University (ESU). She also has the powers of a squirrel and the powers of a girl!”

Squirrel Girl, whose real name is Doreen Allene Green, is a teenager and a college student from Los Angeles, California, with squirrel-themed abilities. For years, she believed she was a mutant, but later it was revealed that her DNA had been altered for unknown reasons, granting her powers. She debuted in the Marvel Universe in 1991 and was created by Will Murray and Steve Ditko. As of her last appearance in Marvel Comics, Doreen has completed her second year of college, placing her age at around 20 or 21.

Her powers include the staple superhero traits of enhanced strength, agility, and durability beyond human limits. Additionally, she has night vision and the ability to balance perfectly and climb walls. However, her most unique (and effective) skill is her ability to communicate with squirrels.

She can summon all the squirrels in a given area and command them as an army. Doreen also has physical attributes resembling a squirrel, including a bushy tail, sharp ears, and vibrant green eyes. She has two loyal squirrel companions, Monkey Joe and Tippy-Toe, whom she affectionately calls her BFFF (Best Furry Friend Forever). Despite her quirky set of powers, she has pulled off some truly impressive feats as a hero.

Though she may not have the reputation of Marvel’s A-listers, Squirrel Girl has defeated some of the most powerful figures in the Marvel Universe. Capable of handling formidable foes from time travelers and dark sorcerers to cosmic entities and mutants, Doreen has an unbroken track record in battles against villains.

Thanos

Yes, the Mad Titan himself, who sought to destroy half of all life in the universe using the Infinity Stones, was defeated by Squirrel Girl. In Great Lakes Avengers Special No. 1, her teammates were separated from her during a mission. During this time, Doreen somehow managed to defeat Thanos, although the fight itself wasn’t shown.

When she rejoined her team, they found out she had defeated one of the most powerful villains of all time. How did she do it? Only Uatu the Watcher (featured in Disney+’s What If? series) witnessed the battle. He later confirmed her victory, assuring everyone that it was indeed the real Thanos, not an impostor or clone.

Doctor Doom

Introduced as a comedic character, Squirrel Girl proved her worth right away by taking down Doctor Doom during her debut in Marvel Super-Heroes Vol. 2 (1991). After Iron Man dismissively rejected her request to join the Avengers, Doreen and her squirrel allies managed to defeat the mighty Doctor Doom. Although Iron Man was impressed, he told her she was too young to formally join the Avengers. The opportunity would arise for her later.

Wolverine

So, Logan is “the best there is at what he does”? Apparently not. In New Avengers Vol. 2 No. 1, Squirrel Girl and Wolverine ended up fighting in front of the Avengers. The reason? Squirrel Girl wanted to be hired as Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’s nanny and needed to prove her abilities. Despite Logan’s years of expertise in combat and martial arts, combined with his feral instincts and healing factor, Doreen came out victorious.

The Villain Redeemer

While many of the enemies Squirrel Girl has faced were active threats to the Marvel Universe, not all of them were defeated in physical combat. Some, like Galactus, were dealt with through negotiation. Initially, her punches had no effect on the world-eating cosmic entity, but after engaging him in conversation, she managed to convince him to spare Earth... for the time being.

Doreen has built friendships with characters like Deadpool, Loki, and other prominent Marvel icons. She has helped Deadpool in battles and even completed assignments for Loki. Beyond fighting, her unique ability to reform villains makes her an exceptional hero. Many of the villains she has persuaded to change their ways have later returned as allies in her battles.

Some Marvel fans may recognize Squirrel Girl from comics like Marvel Super-Heroes and West Coast Avengers. In 2015, Squirrel Girl was featured in her own solo series titled The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl.

The success of this series earned Squirrel Girl a place in Marvel’s New Avengers comics, alongside heroes like Wiccan, Hulkling, Songbird, White Tiger, and Power Man. On TV, she has appeared in several animated series with other heroes, such as Spider-Man and Ms. Marvel. Her most prominent role is in the 2018 animated series Marvel Rising: Secret Warriors, where she teams up with Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, Gwen Stacy as Ghost-Spider, America Chavez, and other heroes.

She has also appeared in several video games, such as LEGO Marvel Super Heroes, Marvel Puzzle Quest, Avengers Alliance, and Marvel Super Hero Squad. In Marvel Snap, Squirrel Girl even appears in the trailer as an anime-style magical girl, facing off against Deadpool and Ghost Rider.

Squirrel Girl was born in Los Angeles. Her parents are Dorian and Maureen Green. She discovered her ability to communicate with squirrels as a child when she heard squirrels knocking against her house.

Squirrel Girl joined the Great Lakes Avengers, a superhero group based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Detroit, Michigan. Deadpool discovered Squirrel Girl and her allies after mistakenly believing the team was unregistered, leading him to attack their headquarters. Squirrel Girl defeated Deadpool in a fight, and the two later teamed up to battle A.I.M. agents. After defeating the Skrull invasion, Squirrel Girl moved to New York.

Before attending college, Squirrel Girl worked as a nanny for her fellow superheroes Luke Cage and Jessica Jones, taking care of their daughter Danielle Cage. During this time, she lived in the Avengers Mansion. Once she became a computer science major at Empire State University (ESU), she joined the New Avengers team led by Sunspot. A year later, S.H.I.E.L.D. merged with the young hero team, making Squirrel Girl an official Avenger.

At ESU, Squirrel Girl started dating her classmate Tomas Lara-Perez, who also has a superhero identity known as “Chipmunk Hunk.” Squirrel Girl, Chipmunk Hunk, and his best friend Ken Shiga (the hero Koi Boi) often team up to fight crime.

During her college years, Loki tasked Squirrel Girl with a mission to battle Frost Giants, and she developed a rivalry with Melissa Morbeck, a woman frustrated by her lack of powers. Melissa invented a chip to control animals during her time at ESU.

Melissa Morbeck exposed Doreen’s secret identity to the public and fought her in Central Park with an army of villains, including Doctor Doom, using Iron Man’s stolen armor technology under the name “Iron Ring.” When the situation seemed hopeless, the Avengers and even Galactus (remember their chat earlier?) stepped in to help. In the end, Squirrel Girl revealed her superhero identity to the public.

In the lore of Marvel Rivals, “things got weird” after Doctor Doom’s Timestream Entanglement, and Squirrel Girl supposedly “crafted an adorable army to reclaim Central Park from Dracula’s clutches.” She hopes the vampire doesn’t enjoy the taste of squirrels.

Now, tell us in the comments: do you play as Squirrel Girl? Were you familiar with her story? Leave your thoughts below, and don’t forget to read our Marvel Rivals beginner’s game guides.