He is the son of Mar-Vell, once the greatest warrior the galaxy had ever known. Spawned in a test tube and prematurely aged to maturity, Genis now struggles to fill the boots of his late father—the boots of Captain Marvel. Therein lies the problem. For Genis has inherited his father's greatest gift, the ability of Cosmic Awareness, a oneness with the universe that allows him to know what will happen, what may happen, and what should happen to every living thing in the universe. You might think such knowledge would drive a person mad... and you'd be right.

Karl Coven is a serial killer sentenced to die for his crimes, and Rick Jones the star witness in the prosecution's case. Claiming to be an alien not subject to our laws, Coven's argument is dismissed, but he gets the last laugh by promptly returning back to life immediately after his death sentence is executed. When a loophole in the legal system requires Coven to be set free, he comes to the attention of Captain Marvel, who's intrigued by the mysterious figure not only because of his apparent resurrection and immunity to Genis' Cosmic Awareness, but by the peculiarities of the judicial system that let the killer go free. Rather than annihilate Coven, he suggests that they become the law: Coven to be prosecution, and Marvel to be judge. Collects Captain Marvel (2002) #7-12.

The complications continue to pile up for Captain Marvel as the return of his long-thought-dead mother and the arrival of a new female Captain Marvel force Genis to re-evaluate his life and role in the universe. Collects Captain Marvel (2002) #13-18.

It's the long-awaited return of Rick Jones' wife, Marlo. But her arrival may not be the upbeat event Rick had been hoping for...especially when the first thing she attempts to do is annihilate the new Captain Marvel! In trying to head off the horrible fate awaiting Marlo, Marv begins an odyssey into the future - where he immediately discovers he's the only being in the universe capable of saving the Earth from a conquering, power-hungry alliance of the Kree, Skrull and Shi'ar! Collects Captain Marvel (2002) #19-25.