Gender Diversity in Comics

After the recent gender flip in Thor, my sister tweeted me this article from NPR. Normally I'd submit that NPR is a bastion of informed and balanced coverage, there's something I find disconcerting there. It seems to indicate that male comic fans are misogynists, who stand united against any change to the status quo especially with regards to allowing females to infiltrate the comics, in the halls of the creators, convention centers, and on its hallowed pages. Yes, there are those who would harass female fans and creators, but I have to believe that they are not the majority of comic fans, just the most vocal.

First of all, it's been recognized by the industry that comics have been male-dominated over the decades, and that it need not be. In 2000's Reinventing Comics, artist and writer Scott McCloud outlines twelve revolutions that the Comics industry must embrace in order to survive. Among goals like embracing digital technology in creation and distribution, cementing public perceptions of comics as "art," genre diversity, and gender balance.  Basically, gender balance is important because a percentage of comic fans will grow up to become the next generation of creators, who will in turn inspire the next generation of fans. If content is exclusively directed toward males it creates a negative feedback loop, leaving females out at every level, but by expanding content to include more positive female characters they can reach more female fans, some of whom will grow up to be artists and writers, which will lead to a greater variety of content. A push in this direction is not only in the best interest of female fans and creators; a balanced industry benefits the art form itself as well as the entire community of fans.

There are entire books on the role of female characters in comics throughout history. Early figures like Lois Lane, even the first Batgirl were hardly paragons of feminist literature. Lois wasn't the dedicated journalist we see today, she was obsessed with Superman eternally trying to uncover his secret identity only to be foiled by the hero. And while Batman and Robin slugged it out with a bunch of thugs, Batgirl would be off to the sides with, "Oh no!" a tear in her leggings. Inevitably this would distract the criminals, allowing the Dynamic Duo to prevail. By the time I was reading comics in the 90's things were not too much better. Women were getting more presence in the pages, but the female role models you might find in Justice League or X-Men were largely overshadowed by the "Bad Girl" trend. This marketing strategy was designed to deprive male teens of their pocket money depicting female anatomies in a way that requires a compass to draw, and costumes that were either a series of straps or seemed to be on the verge of falling off. Extra points if the character had a demonic or vampiric nature. See Vampirella, Lady Death, etc. Sex appeal had always been a part of the female comic character, but the "Bad Girl" comics not only put it front and center, they did so with zero subtlety. Fortunately this trend stayed in the 90's and is regarded as a dark time in comics when character and story took a backseat in favor of flashy images.

Marvel's leading heroine Captain Marvel

I can safely say in the last decade things have been improving. Classic Marvel character, Carol Danvers has historically had been reinvented several times. She started as a government agent who encountered alien technology of Kree origin that rearranged her DNA granting her super-strength, flight and invulnerability.  As Ms. Marvel she established herself as a valued member of the Avengers, when in battle with the then-criminal Rogue, lost her powers and memories and fell into a brief coma. With Professor X's help she regained some memories and later got new star-themed powers calling herself Binary. She later went on a space adventure with the Starjammers, a group of space-pirates led by Corsair, Cyclops' father. After returning to Earth she rejoined the Avengers as Warbird. As if the writers of the time didn't know what to do with a strong female character, her heroic identity and powers constantly changed.  After decades of being a secondary character for the Avengers and X-Men. Returning to her original alias, Ms. Marvel she began to take more of a leadership role among the Avengers. In 2009's "Civil War" she sided with Iron Man and fought as his second in command. In the aftermath she was given leadership of a team in a series titled Mighty Avengers.  In 2012 after the "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline, inspired by the sacrifice of a clone of Mar-Vel, the original Captain Marvel, she took on the role becoming the third Captain Marvel and the second woman to adopt the alias. Carol who for decades bounced from identity to identity, in and out of comas and was even violated in a controversial story-line in the 70s, finally commands the respect she deserves within the Marvel Universe as well as from the fans. When Marvel Studios announced its plans for phase III, the news that Captain Marvel would be the Carol Danvers version garnered almost as much applause as the title itself.

Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige announces Captain Marvel

X-Men (2013) focuses on the women of the team

Ironically one of Marvel's titles that has always featured rich female characters is X-Men. Though it seems women are excluded from the outset, the word itself is not used divisively. They all self identify as "X-Men."  I would argue that these heroes fight not as man or woman but together as "X-Men."  This is one franchise in which female characters are as important if not more than their male counterparts. Storm, one of the most iconic X-Men is known for her leadership skills and regal personality. Jean Grey who as Phoenix has controlled more power than any other single Marvel character. Often a new character is introduced to a series to allow the writer a reason to explain background elements to the audience especially for newcomers. In X-Men, this role is traditionally filled by a new female student. When the series debuted in the 60's it was Jean Grey.  In the original "Days of Future Past" story and the 80's animated pilot (that didn't get picked up as a series) both feature Kitty Pryde as a new student. In the 90's animated series Jubilee is introduced to the school. And in the 2000 film a young Rogue inherited this role. Newcomers to the franchise can take on the perspective of new students and by proxy are welcomed to the ranks and guided into a new world as they discover they are far more powerful than they thought possible. The repeated use of a female perspective character, is no less than an open invitation to girl readers everywhere.

Short Effects: Remembering Steve Koch

One of the men I thank for my enduring love of comics passed away recently. Steve Koch was the owner of Comic Headquarters. Open since 1988, this was the longest standing comic shop in the area I grew up. I remember as a small child riding by, seeing Spiderman on the sign, and begging my parents to stop. But it wasn't until I could drive that I started to shop there regularly. This was the store that, (when I was doing a bit better money-wise) I visited ritualistically every Wednesday to pick up the latest issues of my favorite titles. This was where I discovered "Free Comic Day." Of all the comic shops I've frequented, I could honestly say he was the nicest owner I've encountered.  I could always rely on a friendly greeting when I stopped in to the HQ. Never a nasty word said about some kid's greasy fingers touching the merch.  Though its been a few years since I was a weekly shopper, whenever I went back, if he was working, I'd hear, "Keith, where've you been?" While I can't imagine the pain that his wife, Carla or his daughter must be feeling, I can't help but feel the loss of a fixture in my community.

Most of my memories of Steve are not of us talking about comics or superheroes. Of all the times I came to the store donning superhero t-shirts (some of which I bought from him), the only one he commented on was my old Beatles- Let it Be t-shirt. From what I understand, the quickest way engage with him was to talk about classic rock. Mostly I remember how approachable he was. Always wearing a genuine smile, you couldn't leave without hearing him say "We'll see you next time!"

Steve, thanks!

When It's Time to Change, You Got to Rearrange

With Marvel's recent announcement that Thor would become a woman, and that the next Captain America would be black, people are asking "Why?" Someone actually said to me "Why are they turning Captain America black?" There are actually two different hallmarks of the Superhero sub-genre at work here, literal character metamorphosis and a hero's legacy being taken up by another.

While Thor hasn't gone through as many transformations as, say, Spiderman or Jean Grey, there have been a few. The strangest case would have to be the time in the 80's that the mighty Thor was turned into a frog by his spiteful brother, Loki.  He encountered an army of frogs in Central Park (had to look it up, but that's what you call a group of frogs). These frogs were at war with a group of rats, whom Thor helped to defeat. His froggy state only lasted two issues, but one frog that Thor befriended, named Puddlegulp, was later given a shard of Mjolnir, Thor's hammer, which morphed into little froggy-sized hammer. As "Throg" Puddlegulp wields the powers of the thunder god, and is a founding member of the Pet-Avengers.

Frog Thor 

Loki as a woman

And a sex-change isn't completely out of the blue for gods of Asgaard. As the result of a Ragnarok event, all of the Asgaardians were dead, except for Thor who was in a coma.  When they returned, as gods sometimes do, Loki was resurrected as a female. She continued as the goddess of mischief until she sacrificed herself to aid the Avengers and a completely shocked Thor. He then returned as a young boy, with no memory of his past lives.

To really understand this gender-bend, remember how was Thor originally. Classic Thor had a human form, Dr. Donald Blake.  When he tapped his cane he transformed into Thor, and his cane became Mjolnir. Marvel abandoned, this at some point, by having Odin give this power to Thor's ally Beta Ray Bill. Since then, Thor was Thor, but Marvel will be returning to a similar set up. Instead of Donald Blake, Thor's newest host is a woman. They'll have to change a pronoun on Mjolnir's inscription, though.

UPDATE: Finally, eight issues into the new series, Thor's identity is revealed. It wasn't' Lady Sif, Valkyrie or Odin's wife, Frigga as many speculated. It turns out, it was Jane Foster all this time. While its great they're using a character familiar to fans of the films, Dr. Foster is fitting in another sense. In the comics she's been battling cancer. Like the way Donald Blake's limp went away when he was Thor, When Foster wields Mjolnir, the symptoms of her disease and leukemia treatments disappear.

The coming change in Captain America is much simpler and down to earth (as it should be for Cap stories). This is just another person taking up the shield and stripes, which is also not a first in the character's history. There have actually been as many as eighteen others to serve as Captain America in the mainstream Marvel continuity depending on who actually counts.  According to the Marvel Wikia, even the Punisher and Deadpool have had a turn, which is news to me, so I'll just stick to Cap's successors that I'm most aware of.

In the 70's, Steve Rogers became disillusioned with the U.S. government after a cover-up to protect a high-ranking official, whom Rogers exposed as the leader of an organization called the Secret Empire. He went on as Nomad, and the Captain America identity was fought over by two men: Bob Russo and "Scar" Turpin.

Despite their efforts, Rogers awarded his shield to a third man, Roscoe Simons. After proving his fighting skills to Rogers, he underwent training by long-time Captain America ally, Sam Wilson, the Falcon. After Red Skull found out that someone had replaced Rogers, he made a gruesome example of him, crucifying him on a downtown building.

Introducing Steve Rogers as Nomad

Nomad and Falcon find Roscoe's body

In the late 80's, there was a story-line in which Red Skull had managed to discredit Steve Rogers and he was forced to abandon the Captain America identity.  This paved the way for a man named John Walker to take his place. Walker was a former soldier and former "UCWF" wrestler. Much like the "Super-Soldier" serum that gave Rogers his powers, Walker went through the "Power Broker" process to become a vigilante called Super-Patriot before filling the Cap role. He was always a bit harsher than Rogers, but he fought the good fight and even continued after the original Captain America returned, calling himself just Captain before settling on the code-name, U.S.Agent, as a reserve Avenger.

The rogue-ish U.S.Agent clashes with Cap

More recently, after the event's of Marvel's "Civil War" story-line, a more familiar character took up Cap's legacy. Marvel's heroes were at odds over a initiative called the "Superhuman Registration Act." The law was designed to protect civilians, after a disaster triggered by a super-team, who botched a raid on a villain hideout for a reality t.v. show. There were many civilian casualties, and being such a public debacle, Tony Stark decided that the superhero community needed be more responsible, so he was the law's most vocal supporter, and Captain America lead the opposing rebels. It makes sense that the Sentinel of Liberty would fight for the freedom to masked heroes to protect their identities. The debate escalated to a fight, which escalated to a battle between heroes. After this continued far too long, Captain America questioned whether the ideals he fought for were worth so much destruction. He took the only course he could see would stop the fighting; he surrendered himself. On the day of his trial, on the steps to the courthouse, he was shot by an assassin, Crossbones, who was of course hired by Red Skull. James "Bucky" Barnes, Cap's original sidekick, though he was unable to face his mentor after his actions as the Winter Soldier, recovered the shield from Black Widow and wore a suit designed by Tony Stark to become the new Captain America.
Some fans' reactions to the gun-wielding Bucky-Cap were echoed by Clint Barton and Sam Wilson who initially thought Barnes unworthy of the mantle. But he carried on Rogers' legacy, fighting terrorists and aiding the New Avengers to combat the Secret Invasion by the shape-shifting aliens the Skrulls.

Classic Cap and Bucky

Bucky Cap or Captain Buck?

As it turned out, Steve Rogers wasn't really dead. Agent Sharon Carter of S.H.I.E.L.D., under the guise of being controlled by the enemy was able to plant a time displacing device in order to freeze Rogers in time. While Bucky continued his  run as Cap, Rogers worked with the Secret Avengers before fully returning as the Captain we're all familiar with.

Throughout the last few years he greatly expanded the Avengers, went to war in space and defeated a near-impossible threat and returned to Earth to defend it against Thanos and his death-obsessed Black Order. But Marvel is switching it up again, so Steve Rogers is going to lose his strength and vitality. As he's for the first time showing his age, Rogers passes the shield to his longtime ally, Sam Wilson. Too bad Nintendo already has a character named Captain Falcon.

Falcon's first appearance 

Lastly, I couldn't resist bringing up the strangest chapter in Captain America's long history. In the early 90's, Cap battled some werewolves and got infected, so naturally, he became Cap-Wolf!

Death in Comics

Yesterday my father's only brother passed away, hardly three weeks after we lost their sister, my aunt, and one of the most giving people I've ever known. While my family restarts the healing process I've been thinking about how death is dealt with in superhero comics.

Usually, if a big name character dies they don't stay dead for long. Captain America, Human Torch, Spiderman, Hawkeye, Green Lantern, Green Arrow, the first Flash, the second Robin, Superboy, and Superman all died in canon storylines, only to come back in one way or another. In some cases a successor took up the mantle, but each eventually returned as the character we readers knew and loved. While this cheapens the impact of a character's loss, I think in some way, this is why comics can be a comforting fantasy. Our favorite heroes have such fortitude they can overcome death.

But, death in comics isn't always a temporary state. When a supporting cast member is lost, the hero has to deal with it as we do. Think Spiderman. When Uncle Ben, Capt. Stacy, and Gwen Stacy were each subsequently killed Peter Parker felt terrible grief, blaming himself. He refuses to accept that he can't save everybody, so like Sisyphus, Spiderman has to repeat his torture.

In the D.C. mini-series Identity Crisis, the death of Sue Dibny, wife of Ralph Dibny, and longtime friend of the Justice League, uncovers a secret in the League's past that I won't spoil here. As the Elongated Man, Ralph is a detective with super-stretching powers, so we're used to seeing Sue and him in more lighthearted stories. When Ralph finds her he cradles her in his arms and his face stretches in anguish. There's another poignant scene that I feel reflects how anybody might feel when a loved is lost. Ralph steps to the podium to give his wife's eulogy. His friends watch as he struggles for words. Losing control, he has to hold up his chin with his hand because his emotional state is again uncontrollably expressed by his stretching powers.

Comics as a medium allows for interesting representations of death. Death can been personified literally as a walking, talking character. In Marvel Comics Death sometimes takes the form of a woman in purple robes. Thanos, the mad tyrant from space sees himself as Death's perfect suitor. He relishes in the opportunity to get her attention (like we got to see in the Avengers film). Unfortunately for Thanos, another Marvel character holds Death's affection: Wade Wilson, Deadpool. Before he had any powers, he was a mercenary dying of cancer. An experimental treatment gives him rapid-regeneration and makes him basically immortal. So, as much as he loves her they can't be together because he can't die.

In Neil Gaiman's Sandman, we meet another version of Death. She's one of seven Endless Ones, siblings that embody Destiny, Dream, Delirium, Desire, Despair, Destruction, and Death. They oversee the functions of their corresponding realm. For Death, its quite beautiful. When anything in the universe dies, she appears to them in a comforting form (we usually see her as a pale, young lady with Gothic dress, this was the 90's). She welcomes you with a smile and walks you to the afterlife that you believe you deserve. No matter how much you beg and plead to stay, she'd reply "You got what everybody gets: a lifetime."

Why Cyclops Makes Sense as a Villain

I thought I knew Scott Summers. Since the X-Men cartoon of the 90's I saw Cyclops as a kind of  "boy scout" character, the "good son" of the X-Men family. As a character, he was always trustworthy and stoic, but was hardly given much to do besides uphold Xavier's vision and lead the team on missions. Where many would see a one dimensional yes-man, I now see a villain stew on a slow boil.

A few years ago the X-Men split up. In the wake of M-Day the mutant population was reduced to around two-hundred globally. Cyclops took half the team to Asteroid M which had fallen into the ocean and turned Magneto's old base into a mutant haven called Utopia. Among those with him are Emma Frost, Namor, Storm, Magneto, Magik and Colossus who by the way has added the power of the Juggernaut. He sits down with some of the most powerful mutants in the world and tells them they're his "Extinction Team." Explaining that they'll still do super-team stuff like saving the world sometimes but if there's any threat to the mutant race, they are the final answer. He intends them to be a walking nuclear deterrent. If hanging out with Magneto, the White Queen, and Juggernaut on Asteroid M wasn't enough to be a villain how about threatening mass destruction from a rogue island nation?

Correction: After reading X-Men: Schism, I realize I got the order of certain events wrong. After M-Day, nearly all mutants looked to Scott for leadership, including the likes of Wolverine and Magneto. Wolverine left after Cyclops tried to justify using untrained children to defend Utopia against a sentinel attack. This was part of a massive attack on the mutants on multiple fronts, so the X-Men's resources were spread thin.


It makes sense if you look at his history. In the plane crash that made him and his brother, Alex, orphans, their mother pushed them to safety with the only parachute. Her last words to him were "Don't let go" or something to that effect, making Alex the first mutant life he was responsible for. They survived but Scott fell into a coma. He comes out with a little brain damage, and when his eye-beam powers develop he can only stop them by closing his eyes. He's fifteen years old and he has this burden of causing destruction if he opens his eyes just a little. Charles Xavier finds out about him and takes him on as his first student. By his late teens, Cyclops is pretty much leading the X-Men. He falls in love with Jean Grey, the first X-Woman. After the Phoenix Saga, when everyone thought Jean was dead Scott meets Madelyne Pryor who looks eerily like Jean. So he goes ahead and has a child with the exact lookalike of his dead ex-lover (I almost typed X-Lover). Baby Nathan gets kidnapped by Apocalypse who infects the infant with a techno-organic virus. They had to use some crazy Celestial technology to keep him alive. Then Cyclops meets Rachel Summers from two millennia in the future. She tells him that Nathan grows up to be a mutant savior. Since he's too important to die, she has to take him to the future. He finds out Nathan turns out to be Cable, a time traveler he had already met and leader of the future resistance against Apocalypse. Somewhere along the way he finds out that Madelyne was a clone created by Mr. Sinister who'd been interested in the Summers/Grey bloodline since he encountered the time traveling Cyclops and Phoenix in the 1800's. Sinister witnessed the couple battle Apocalypse, who later cursed him with immortality. Sinister has taken advantage of his longevity performing genetic experiments, studying mutants, and manipulating the Summers'/ Grey bloodline. So, all his life he's had responsibility thrust on his shoulders, and a parade of people from past, present and future telling him how important he is. All of these events either fed or confirmed his ego, until he took on the responsibility of ensuring survival of the entire mutant race.

The tipping point occurred in, Avengers vs. X-Men. Both the Avengers and the X-Men had discovered that the Phoenix, a cosmic living embodiment of creation and destruction, was on its way to earth. Conflict arose because the X-Men thought the Phoenix would help the mutant cause, while the Avengers feared its destructive potential. Scott was possessed by the Phoenix, and even though he initially tried to be a savior-figure for the whole planet, Cyclops, corrupted absolutely, became the Dark Phoenix. He stood against the Avengers and eventually the X-Men as well. With the immense power boost from the Phoenix he caused massive destruction and even killed Charles Xavier. He claims he wasn't in control but he has to live with the fact that he killed his main father figure.

Cyclops took his name for how he looks with his visor, which is a great symbol in itself. It allows him precision control of his concussive eye blasts. All he could do to cope with his power was to restrain it. Unlike Iceman or Wolverine he couldn't fully embrace his power. Unlike any of the telepaths or flyers it didn't change his perspective or gain him any freedom. He could only choose between holding back or destruction. He's always been all about control. As the Dark Phoenix he abandoned this self-imposed limitation, leading to the death of his mentor.

What makes Cyclops a good villain is the fact that he feels his actions are completely justified. Like Magneto he is acting only protect the mutant species. Their backgrounds have twisted their perspectives such that even as wanted terrorists, they believe everything they do is in the right. You could have an extended conversation with them, agree with their every point, and then they'd say "That's why we need to revolt against the humans."

First Issue!

Hello, Internet.

Recently I've found I've been kinda going through the motions in life, all but neglecting some of my passions  such as writing, drawing and keeping up with current comic books to name a few.  There was a time when I made weekly trips to some beautiful St. Louis comic shops, picking up four to six titles at a time; if there was a mega-crossover event such as Infinite Crisis, or House of M it would jump up to eight or more.  After I lost my job in early 2010 I couldn't really sustain dropping forty bucks a week on comics. Around that time DC's New 52 launched, I decided was as good a time as any to cut the weekly ritual and eventually catch up with trade paperbacks. I guess writing and drawing slowly lost out to World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Minecraft, YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, as well as my current full time retail job.

This blog is my attempt at reclaiming some of those passions.  Its main purpose is to share my love for the comic as a medium, the modern superhero as a genre, and the accompanying fan culture.  I'll chronicle myself catching up with characters that I love, how some are being handled by new talent, discuss my favorite writers and artists at length, and maybe dig up a classic title every now and again to nerd-out over.  You'll find I like to talk about character arcs, Joseph Campbell's hero's journey, multiverse theory, and how comics are represented in mainstream media.

Can't wait to talk about the changes over the years to the X-Men and Spiderman. Though Superior Spiderman is over now I recently got through #16 and decided I should go back and check out writer, Dan Slott's run on Amazing. I'll eventually delve into  New 52 but I feel I have a lot to say about Marvel's current state aptly titled Marvel Now. I hope the faithful will forgive me for falling behind.