tag:theconversation.com,2011:/au/topics/superheroes-14259/articles
Superheroes – The Conversation
2024-02-29T14:40:07Z
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/223984
2024-02-29T14:40:07Z
2024-02-29T14:40:07Z
South Africa’s business students want their own industry superheroes and success stories in the syllabus – study
<p>In the past few years there’s been much discussion globally about the need to <a href="https://globalchallenges.ch/issue/10/decolonising-education/">decolonise education</a>. Decolonisation is the process of undoing the impact of colonial thinking and its influence in the present. </p>
<p>Scholars have <a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-cant-decolonise-the-curriculum-without-defining-it-first-63948">differing opinions</a> about <a href="https://www.journals.ac.za/index.php/sajhe/article/view/4875">the best way to achieve this</a>, or whether it’s even necessary or desirable. </p>
<p>In South Africa, the issue of decolonisation was spotlighted by students during 2016’s <a href="https://businesstech.co.za/news/trending/141333/feesmustfall-leaders-explain-what-decolonised-education-means/#:%7E:text=%E2%80%9CFees%20Must%20Fall%20is%20an%20intersectional%20movement%20within,imperialist%2C%20colonial%2C%20capitalist%20patriarchal%20culture%2C%E2%80%9D%20the%20statement%20said">#FeesMustFall protests</a>. Eight years on, I was interested in finding out what the current cohort of students thought decolonisation could look like in their classrooms. So I asked final-year students in the management and commerce faculty at a rural campus in the country’s Eastern Cape province to take part in <a href="https://sajournalofeducation.co.za/index.php/saje/article/view/1637/1288%205">a study</a> that would centre their voices and opinions.</p>
<p>Students expressed a desire for decolonisation to embrace two important activities, especially in commerce education. First, students needed their curriculum to feature more business and industry leaders (framed in my study as “superheroes”) from South Africa and the continent more broadly. Second, students advocated for more localised stories and case studies in the courses taught in higher education. </p>
<p>The main issue and thread uniting the two findings? Relatability. These findings offer insight into how a decolonised curriculum can be created by striving for the infusion of <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/relatable">relatable</a> “superheroes” and stories. </p>
<h2>The status quo</h2>
<p>Much of management and commerce teaching globally can be described using the acronym “<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100630132850.htm">WEIRD</a>”: it’s dominated by western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic countries. This reality was flagged by many of the participants in my research. </p>
<p>They saw it, for instance, in which theorists’ and experts’ voices were used versus whose were not. Take US economics scholar Michael Porter: in 1979, in an article for the Harvard Business Review, Porter outlined what have come to be known as “<a href="https://www.isc.hbs.edu/strategy/business-strategy/Pages/the-five-forces.aspx">the five forces</a>”. His framework is useful in understanding the factors that drive competition in industries. </p>
<p>Students extolled the value of this work and did not suggest that it be removed from the curriculum. Instead, they suggested that more African examples be included – for instance, the work of the late Zimbabwean scholar <a href="https://theconversation.com/lovemore-mbigi-will-be-remembered-for-his-teaching-on-ubuntu-in-business-leadership-209260">Lovemore Mbigi</a>, who contributed enormously to research on ubuntu (a concept that emphasises the importance of including everyone and building a strong community) in business leadership.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lovemore-mbigi-will-be-remembered-for-his-teaching-on-ubuntu-in-business-leadership-209260">Lovemore Mbigi will be remembered for his teaching on ubuntu in business leadership</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>To the participants, decolonisation meant giving voice to scholars like Mbigi and increasing the volume of their contribution in classrooms. This would require lecturers to be more intentional in spotlighting what they called “superheroes”: African researchers and experts whose work was relatable to the students’ own context.</p>
<p>There have been efforts in South Africa to encourage case-based teaching similar to what my study advocates for. For instance, the Gordon Institute of Business Science at the University of Pretoria has a dedicated portal that <a href="https://www.gibs.co.za/about-us/faculty/pages/case-study-hub.aspx">houses and offers resources on case-based teaching</a>. Many of these case studies are from South Africa or elsewhere on the continent.</p>
<h2>Context and relatability</h2>
<p>One participant said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In our (focus) group there appears to be consensus of the need for a change. The type of change that places importance on the role of giving more South African and even African business leaders a chance to be heard. This for us was what decolonisation was all about.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The students suggested that management and commerce teaching lent itself to decolonisation by the very nature of the discipline, which focuses on problem solving and case studies.</p>
<p>One participant reported how their focus group saw decolonised teaching having resonance when it came to business protagonists (that is, leaders in their fields):</p>
<blockquote>
<p>At the core of strategic management instruction is a protagonist, the one that is faced with a dilemma. There needs to be more effort in seeing case examples and the lives of protagonists we can relate with.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another group reported:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>(We) made important links with the entrepreneurship space. There is (a) need to bring in the experiences of entrepreneurs from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/township-South-Africa">township</a> and even rural community to the classroom. (This) would edify the teaching experience.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And another said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Some great stories from South African business leaders fail to see the light of day in making it to the classroom. The challenge could be that researchers are not being active in making sure these stories make it to the classroom.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The students said some lecturers did introduce such examples in class and praised them for creating a pathway for African stories into the curriculum. </p>
<h2>So what happens next?</h2>
<p>I propose three points of consideration, especially for those working in higher education. </p>
<p>First, lecturers should be aware of the context in which they teach, including the material conditions around the students in their classroom. </p>
<p>Second, lecturers need to look for “superheroes” their students can relate to. Such examples are everywhere and their experiences are potentially rich learning fodder for the classroom.</p>
<p>Third, lecturers should be deliberate about making content more relatable. The process could be to train students in case-based writing or investigation skills. Students, through partnering with their lecturers, can help get local cases into the classroom.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223984/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Willie Tafadzwa Chinyamurindi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Students want more relatable examples, both of business leaders and of industry case studies.
Willie Tafadzwa Chinyamurindi, Professor, University of Fort Hare
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/219232
2023-12-28T06:02:31Z
2023-12-28T06:02:31Z
Black Panther, Wakanda Forever and the problem with Hollywood – an African perspective
<p><em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/">Black Panther</a> and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9114286/">Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</a> were global hits that played out in an imaginary African kingdom and feature a universe of black creative talent. What’s not to love about the franchise? <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17533171.2023.2256514?casa_token=_9fDNeT6IQMAAAAA%3AJeGd5d6nr3wYao8GUbCBWBr-O3mg6KdYOjxOpPqSMABFfKkZpfJWI4oPpI-Q9_W-1lUSoFPBL7KKI7w">Quite a lot</a>, <a href="https://find.library.unisa.edu.au/discovery/fulldisplay/alma9916619232601831/61USOUTHAUS_INST:ROR">reckons</a> cultural and literary studies <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Jeanne-Marie+Viljoen&btnG=">scholar</a> Jeanne-Marie Viljoen. We asked her to explain.</em></p>
<h2>What are Black Panther’s limitations when it comes to diversity?</h2>
<p>Even though the Black Panther films didn’t represent Africans on their own complex terms, they’re still a major cultural phenomenon. They bring issues of racial representation into the spotlight for Hollywood’s still largely white audiences. They do so through the use of Black talent, both in front of and behind the camera. </p>
<p>In the first film, the black superhero, T'Challa, is crowned king of Wakanda, a mythical African kingdom with advanced technological prowess. Drama ensues when he is challenged by Killmonger, who plans to use the kingdom’s power to begin a global revolution. In the sequel, the leaders of Wakanda fight to protect their nation and its valuable resources in the wake of King T'Challa’s death as his sister Shuri becomes the new Black Panther. </p>
<p>The first film was a phenomenal box office success, with over half of its sales coming from the US market. The sequel, although not quite as successful, was most successful in global markets. It’s my view that Hollywood’s investment in these films is driven by a narrow western definition of spectacle. US audiences marvel at the visual spectacle that entertains and sells. This has the effect of distancing them from the actual content of what they are viewing (Africa and diversity).</p>
<p>It is not so much because of the films themselves, but because of how they have been received by Hollywood audiences who understand spectacle in a very particular way. So films like Black Panther have in some ways been counterproductive. They’ve made Hollywood audiences believe that enough has been done about diversity. The 2019 Hollywood Diversity <a href="https://socialsciences.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/UCLA-Hollywood-Diversity-Report-2019-2-21-2019.pdf">report</a> singles out Black Panther as a good example of how the power of diverse images has convinced a significant number of American film spectators (42%) that <a href="https://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_abstract&pid=S1021-14972022000100002">enough has been done</a> about diversity in Hollywood. So it’s making matters worse, instead of helping to increase diversity and ultimately decolonise the US mainstream imagination. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Z3QKkl1WyM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>This suggests that Hollywood spectators are lulled by such films and their spectacle. They don’t feel there’s further reason to find out any more about Africa and African film-making or audiences. This means Hollywood audiences are not invested in a more nuanced understanding of the kind of spectacle we see from Nollywood audiences in Nigeria, for example. This not only limits the understanding of diversity but also limits the way that films about such topics are made.</p>
<h2>What can Hollywood learn from how the films have been received in Africa?</h2>
<p>While the <a href="https://qz.com/africa/1210704/black-panthers-african-cultures-and-influences">costumes</a> of Black Panther draw from various authentic African cultures, this is just an appropriation of some of the most popular visual aspects of some African cultures (such as lip plates and neck rings). In the sequel, critics <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-panther-wakanda-forever-reclaims-the-myth-of-an-african-utopia-195157">point out</a> that the average (presumably American) viewer won’t know that the language being spoken in the film is isiXhosa, a South African language, or that some of the garments are made with Ghanaian Kente cloth and designs. Since Africa is a continent of over 50 countries that are diverse culturally and geographically, this “borrowing” could suggest that their cultural markers are shared and interchangeable. Real empowerment only <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341195304_Black_Panther_and_Blaxploitation_Intersections">comes about</a> with more “direct engagement with African political and social issues” and less emphasis on profit. </p>
<p>Yet, despite these inaccurate and inauthentic displays of Africa, in Nigeria, Wakanda Forever performed better than it did in the Hollywood domestic market, relatively speaking. It became the biggest grossing film ever at the Nigerian box office, the <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/04/black-panther-wakanda-forever-box-office-profits-1235320190/">first film</a> to earn one billion naira. This is because Nollywood audiences have a more nuanced reading of spectacle and how politics and entertainment come together than Hollywood audiences do. </p>
<p>Nollywood has developed its own conventions around cinematic spectacle which Hollywood largely neglects. According to these conventions the audience engages with socio-cultural and socio-economic issues in a way that exceeds merely visual displays. So, a Nollywood blockbuster includes both visual spectacle and a reflection of the lived conditions and social issues that Nigerian people face. Some academics <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17533171.2019.1551739">argue</a> that for African audiences, Afro-superheroes are not just visual spectacles but are also embedded in political and social issues. They offer ways of understanding the world today. This explains why, in African criticism, Wakanda has become a potential resource for imaginative transformation, rather than merely escapism. </p>
<p>This may explain why, despite its unrealistic portrayal of Africans, in Nigeria the film has been popular. It has been interpreted through the sophisticated lens of Nollywood spectacle. Wakanda Forever tackles political issues, even though it does so in a limited way. For Hollywood audiences the spectacle stops deeper engagement with politics. In Nollywood this engagement with politics is something people are comfortable with and want to make more of. They use this to build knowledge about African futurism and engage in political knowledge building.</p>
<h2>Why should Hollywood look to Africa for a better future?</h2>
<p>Hollywood should <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17533171.2023.2256514">look to Africa</a> in order to expand and decolonise what Hollywood envisions cinema can do in relation to building knowledge about diversity and film-making. In focusing mainly on a Hollywood audience and largely ignoring African audiences, Hollywood not only makes its audience believe that the limited headway that this film makes with inclusion and diversity is enough. It also fails to exploit African audiences both for their appetite for films but also for what can be learnt about inclusion and film-making from their more complex understanding of diversity politics and cinematic spectacle. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/black-people-beware-dont-let-black-panther-joy-mask-hollywoods-racism-93095">Black people beware: don't let Black Panther joy mask Hollywood's racism</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>This limits the kinds of social problems Hollywood audiences can solve and also the films that Hollywood can make. This is unfortunate when one <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43821507">considers</a> Africa’s global authority in the arts and when one observes that Africa boasts several robust cinema industries of its own. If African audiences were taken into account by Hollywood then Hollywood could do more for diversity and inclusion instead of repeating the same old, tired spectacle we are used to seeing in Hollywood superhero films.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219232/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jeanne-Marie Viljoen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
There’s a big difference between how Hollywood audiences view Black Panther and how African audiences do.
Jeanne-Marie Viljoen, Lecturer, Creative Unit, UniSA, University of South Australia
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/211934
2023-08-30T15:27:34Z
2023-08-30T15:27:34Z
Jewish creators are a fundamental part of comic book history, from Superman to Maus – expert explains
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544021/original/file-20230822-25-qglktb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C8%2C5422%2C3628&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/8SeJUmfahu0">Erik Mclean/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Jewish writers and artists have been <a href="https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/comic-books-are-jewish-literature">a fundamental part of</a> comic book creation since the early days of the industry. </p>
<p>Comic books used to be formatted like books or newspapers, but in 1934 Max Gaines, a Jewish New Yorker, and his colleague Harry Wildenberg, created the first half tabloid-sized comic book – the format that became the standard.</p>
<p>Their Famous Funnies comic book sold 90% of the 200,000 printed copies. This led to numerous imitators, including New Fun Comics from National Allied Publications (<a href="https://culturefly.com/blogs/culture-blog/dc-comics-history">later renamed DC Comics</a>), which published its first issue in 1935.</p>
<p>Gaines was a former schoolteacher and channelled this into his work. He <a href="https://www.jewage.org/wiki/en/Article:Max_Gaines_-_Biography">named his company Educational Comics</a>, with such titles as Picture Stories from the Bible. However, when his son <a href="https://eccomics.fandom.com/wiki/Bill_Gaines">William took over E.C. Comics</a> in the 1940s it became notorious as a publisher of horror comics and <a href="https://library.missouri.edu/news/special-collections/banned-books-week-comics-and-controversy">these were banned</a> in the following decade. </p>
<p>In the 1930s, comic books reprinted comic strips that had previously appeared in newspaper humour sections. Famous Funnies, for example, <a href="https://majorspoilers.com/2020/11/08/retro-review-famous-funnies-1-july-1934/">included the popular serial Mutt and Jeff</a>. But by the end of the decade, they featured entirely new content in a variety of genres, including <a href="https://comicalopinions.com/birth-of-superheroes-golden-age-of-comics/">superheroes</a>. </p>
<p>The first, and most famous, of these was <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/superman-jewish-origins-film-adaptations-curse-jerry-siegel-christopher-reeve-henry-cavill-a8344461.html">Superman</a>. The character was created by <a href="https://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2012/06/1933s-reign-of-superman-first-superman.html">Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1933</a> in a self-published comic. They tried to find a professional publisher to take on their character and – <a href="https://www.comicconnect.com/item/1009847?tzf=1">after Gaines took too long to reply to them</a> – found a home for <a href="https://nerdist.com/article/history-legacy-characters-dc-comics-action-comics-first-superman-comic-introduces-zatara-national-comics/">Superman at National in 1938</a>. </p>
<p>Siegel and Shuster were sons of Jewish European immigrants, leading some modern comic book writers to compare Superman’s alien immigrant identity to <a href="https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/09/21/superman-ultimate-immigrant-may-have-been-eligible-daca/688590001/">other émigrés in America</a>. The <a href="https://www.rescue.org/article/superman-refugees-success-story">International Rescue Committee noted</a> the importance of the character for the antisemitic era of the 1930s: “Superman’s story is the ultimate example of an immigrant who makes his new home better.”</p>
<p>Some researchers believe that Siegel and Shuster were specifically inspired by a famous Polish bodybuilder called <a href="https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/the-jewish-muscleman-who-likely-inspired-the-creators-of-superman/">“the Jewish Superman”</a>, who toured America in the 1920s. Writer Roy Schwartz also sees elements of Jewish mythology in the character, as noted in his 2021 book <a href="https://forward.com/culture/470859/its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-a-book-about-superman-jewish-history/">Is Superman Circumcised?</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A superman comic and badge." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545524/original/file-20230830-15-et4sy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545524/original/file-20230830-15-et4sy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545524/original/file-20230830-15-et4sy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545524/original/file-20230830-15-et4sy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545524/original/file-20230830-15-et4sy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545524/original/file-20230830-15-et4sy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545524/original/file-20230830-15-et4sy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Superman was created by Jewish comic book writers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/QJlg2KSl0fU">Daniel Álvasd/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A year later, another iconic DC character, Batman, was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. They were also children of immigrants and were half of a quartet of famous <a href="https://forward.com/culture/483808/batman-jewish-bob-kane-bill-finger-dc-comics-robin-superman/">Jewish comic creators</a> who went to the same school in the south Bronx, including <a href="https://www.comic-con.org/awards/will-eisner">Will Eisner</a> and Marvel’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/100-years-of-stan-lee-how-the-comic-book-king-challenged-prejudice-196761">Stan Lee</a>. </p>
<p>While Batman doesn’t have any obvious Jewish characteristics, Bruce Wayne’s cousin, Kate Kane (aka Batwoman) was later depicted as <a href="https://www.jpost.com/j-spot/dc-comics-batwoman-receives-jewish-funeral-in-latest-episode-663697">a Jewish woman</a>.</p>
<p>Known for working with Stan Lee, another Jewish creator is considered the <a href="https://www.denofgeek.com/comics/jack-kirby-comics-greatest-storyteller/">“greatest storyteller”</a> of superhero comics. Artist Jack Kirby was responsible for co-creating not only some of the most memorable Marvel characters – including The Avengers and The X-Men – but also had an acclaimed run as a solo creator in the 1970s, first on <a href="https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/10-most-kirby-pages-in-jack-kirby-eternals">Marvel’s Eternals</a> and then on DC Comics’ <a href="https://www.cbr.com/jack-kirby-fourth-world-new-gods-movie-new-chance-dcu/">Fourth World titles</a>.</p>
<h2>Other genres</h2>
<p>Alongside superheroes, Kirby was renowned for his work on comics written by Sandman’s Joe Simon. Together, they brought <a href="https://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/simonandkirby/archives/41">romance to the medium in 1947</a> and made <a href="https://www.cbr.com/monsters-unleashed-jack-kirbys-15-craziest-marvel-monsters/#x-the-thing-that-lived">memorable monster comics in the 1960s</a>. Another popular genre was mystery comics. Will Eisner’s <a href="https://comicvine.gamespot.com/the-spirit/4005-33297">The Spirit</a> (1940) included elements of superheroes and horror. The <a href="https://www.cosmicteams.com/quality/profiles/spirit.html">main character</a> was an undead private detective who wore a mask.</p>
<p>Eisner was also the <a href="https://jmof.fiu.edu/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/will-eisner-comic-creator,-illustrator-and-innovator/">child of Jewish immigrants</a> and towards the end of his career, turned his upbringing into <a href="https://blogs.loc.gov/picturethis/2020/03/cartoonists-comment-on-the-lasting-impact-of-will-eisner-1917-2005/">semi-autobiographical comics</a> that depicted the downtrodden existence of people in poor Hassidic communities in New York. </p>
<p>Eisner’s works, including <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/AContractWithGod">A Contract with God</a> (1978) and several <a href="https://libraryguides.mdc.edu/GraphicNovels/WillEisner">follow-ups in the 1980s</a>, not only popularised the term <a href="https://theportalist.com/history-of-graphic-novels">“graphic novel”</a>, but also added to the increasing trend of turning Jewish lives in comics.</p>
<p>In the 1970s, a number of notable female Jewish creators first had their work published in <a href="https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/comics-and-graphic-narratives">Underground Comix</a>, including <a href="https://womenincomics.fandom.com/wiki/Trina_Robbins">Trina Robbins</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/11/arts/diane-noomin-dead.html">Diane Noomin</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/03/arts/aline-kominsky-crumb-dead.html">Aline Kominsky-Crumb</a>.</p>
<p>The only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer prize – <a href="https://okcomics.co.uk/products/maus-complete-collection-by-art-spiegelman">Maus</a> – tells the story of author <a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/150books/2011/05/12/1986/">Art Spiegelman’s</a> father’s experience in a concentration camp, and started to be serialised in 1980.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="The cover of Maus" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545528/original/file-20230830-23-e4sj79.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/545528/original/file-20230830-23-e4sj79.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545528/original/file-20230830-23-e4sj79.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545528/original/file-20230830-23-e4sj79.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545528/original/file-20230830-23-e4sj79.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545528/original/file-20230830-23-e4sj79.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/545528/original/file-20230830-23-e4sj79.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Maus is the only graphic novel to have won a Pulitzer Prize.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/lviv-ukraine-april-11-2023-art-2289174103">marhus/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Modern Jewish comics</h2>
<p>Today, many Jewish creators are making graphic novels and cartoons. Comics editor Corinne Pearlman drew a popular strip <a href="https://jwa.org/blog/graphic-details-opens-in-toronto">Playing the Jewish Card</a> in the 1990s and now <a href="https://www.brokenfrontier.com/corinne-pearlman-myriad-editions-gareth-brookes-jade-sarson-ottilie-hainsworth/">edits graphic novels</a>. She and other creators were featured in the 2011 exhibition and book <a href="https://www.thejc.com/culture/features/is-it-a-bird-is-it-a-plane-no-it-s-the-real-life-superheroine-1.30661">Graphic Details: Confessional Comics by Jewish Women</a>, curated by graphic novelist <a href="https://www.royaldrawingschool.org/artists/faculty/sarah-lightman/">Sarah Lightman</a>. </p>
<p>Lightman is one of the editors of a new follow-up anthology, <a href="https://press.syr.edu/supressbooks/5160/jewish-women-in-comics/">Jewish Women in Comics: Borders and Bodies</a>. Other British female creators include <a href="https://positivenegatives.org/artist/karrie-fransman/">Karrie Fransman</a>, who makes comics about refugees and victims of gender-based violence, and musician and cartoonist <a href="https://dannyskagal.wixsite.com/mysite">Danny Noble</a> who has illustrated children’s books by Adrian Edmondson.</p>
<p>Until September 3, <a href="https://www.jw3.org.uk/zoom">The Jewish Community Centre London</a> in Hampstead has a solo exhibition of caricatures of Jewish celebrities such as Nigella Lawson and Daniel Radcliffe by <a href="https://www.islingtontribune.co.uk/article/zoom-meeting">Zoom Rockman</a>. Rockman started his career as one of the youngest published cartoonists in the UK, with his own self-published comic, before going on to draw strips for The Beano and Private Eye.</p>
<p>Other creators have had their autobiographical comics animated, such as cartoonist and musician Carol Isaacs’ <a href="https://www.jpost.com/must/article-713390">The Wolf of Baghdad</a> and the life of Charlotte Saloman, author of proto-graphic novel <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/dec/07/charlotte-review-salomon-keira-knightley-german-jewish-painter-grandfather">Life? or Theatre?</a>.</p>
<p>With attention being brought to the work of numerous Jewish comic creators through film adaptations, books and exhibitions like these, it seems that their contribution to the medium is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/aug/17/art-spiegelman-golden-age-superheroes-were-shaped-by-the-rise-of-fascism">finally being recognised</a>.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211934/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Fitch receives funding from UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training, Design Star. </span></em></p>
The history of comics is closely tied to the involvement of Jewish creators, who have had an enormous impact on the medium over the last 90 years.
Alex Fitch, Lecturer and PhD Candidate in Comics and Architecture, University of Brighton
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/212230
2023-08-29T10:53:44Z
2023-08-29T10:53:44Z
Blue Beetle is a solid first outing for the Latino superhero
<p><em>Warning: this review contains spoilers for Blue Beetle.</em></p>
<p>Recent university graduate Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) is coming home with big dreams, ready for what’s next. But he soon realises his family has been putting on a brave face in his absence and that their fortunes have taken a turn for the worse. </p>
<p>A chance meeting with young heiress Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine) brings him into contact with an extraterrestrial artefact at the heart of Kord Industries’ covert plan to develop a military weapons system using alien biotechnology. But before that can happen, the object – a scarab that turns out to be a sentient being – latches itself onto his body, endowing him with superpowers he can’t control. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4wxyy8Rcz4k?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Blue Beetle trailer.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>All Jaime wants is to find a way to get it out, but unfortunately, he is running out of time as he and his family are now a target for the people who owned it – they want it back. </p>
<p>Blue Beetle is DC Comics’ newest release and the first live-action feature to have a Latino superhero lead. But it is the emphasis placed on the power of family and of charting a future rooted in one’s past that are being <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id1lmNr4oVk">touted by its creators</a> as the film’s true standout features. </p>
<h2>Meet the family</h2>
<p>For fans of the filmmakers’ earlier works, like writer Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3184516/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Contrapelo</a> (2014), or director Ángel Manuel Soto’s <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2231349/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">La Granja</a> (2015) and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9048840/">Charm City Kings</a> (2020), some of the film’s creative choices may feel like a bit of a compromise.</p>
<p>Recognisable Latino stock characters are there to reassure moviegoers that these are not the “bad hombres” they’ve been warned about. There’s the hardworking but struggling dad, Alberto (Damián Alcázar), the single, offbeat uncle Rudy (George Lopez) and Nana, the live-in grandmother always in a house dress regardless of setting or occasion (Adriana Barraza).</p>
<p>However, some familiar types turn out to be fronts for audiences to ask themselves if they have underestimated them. Rudy’s invention, for example, a signal-jamming device that disrupts surveillance camera footage with episodes of <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-roberto-gomez-bolanos-85-20141128-story.html">El Chapulín Colorado</a> (The Red Grasshopper, a 1970s Mexican superhero parody show), might need a good kick to turn on, but works very well against the security systems of multi-billion tech giant Kord Industries. </p>
<p>When Jaime, as the hero in the making, needs saving it’s his family who come to the rescue. Everyone has a role to play. Nana’s combat skills get some of the biggest laughs, but they double as a reminder of <a href="https://www.history.com/news/women-mexican-revolution-soldaderas">older generations of Latin American women</a> who knew a thing or two about armed resistance and revolution. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/otNa9BpNIvs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A scene from Blue Beetle.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In its showcasing of Latino culture, Blue Beetle reaches out to a community that goes <a href="https://ohiostatepress.org/books/titles/9780814255599.html">“to the movies more than any other ethnic group in the US”</a> despite being “staggeringly underrepresented”.</p>
<p>While the film is keen to connect with global audiences of all backgrounds, it makes its Latino viewers feel seen and heard with references to pop culture and to music. From the opening sequence set to Calle 13’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-laefcpo2EI">Atrévete-Te-Te</a>, to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/17/soda-stereo-argentina-biggest-band-rediscovery">Soda Stereo</a>, <a href="https://nmaahc.si.edu/latinx/cypress-hill">Cypress Hill</a> and <a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/selena-quintanilla-legacy-timeline/">Selena</a>, the soundtrack of the Reyes family’s life plays in the background as an optional history lesson on pioneering Latin artists and musical groups.</p>
<h2>Blue Beetle’s real history</h2>
<p>Nowhere is Blue Beetle’s interest in connecting the fictional world of DC Comics to Latin American history more apparent than in the backstory of the hero’s nemesis. </p>
<p>Carapax (Raoul Max Trujillo) is Kord Industries CEO Victoria’s (Susan Sarandon) cyborg henchman. A victim turned victimiser, the character is written as a former child soldier of Mayan ancestry whose ties to his community were severed by US military interventions in Central America, leaving him vulnerable to exploitation and turning him into a mercenary. </p>
<p>Blue Beetle joins a growing number of sci-fi films that explore – and critique – US foreign policy toward Latin America and the US-Mexico border like <a href="https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2021/alex-rivera#searchresults">Alex Rivera</a>’s Sleep Dealer (2008) – an influence that echoes strongly throughout – and Alejandro Damiani’s <a href="https://www.aledamiani.com/work/mamon">M.A.M.Ó.N.</a> (2016). </p>
<p>As in those films, it has moments that almost step outside of its fantasy Palmera City setting – a futuristic composite of El Paso, Miami and San Juan – and into the real world. A scene where Rudy reflects on how the challenges he faced in the years after leaving his home country were, for him, greater than those endured during his migration journey, could just as easily belong in a documentary or a news feature. </p>
<p>Empathy is a key theme, developed most fully in the symbiotic link between Jaime and the Scarab. In contrast to the repeated misnaming experienced by Hispanic characters – a recurring joke and a scene-stealing opportunity for “Dr Sanchez” (Harvey Guillén) – once Jaime and his family learn the Scarab is called Khaji-Da (voiced by Latina singer Becky G), they make it a point to call them by their name. </p>
<p>And as the connection between the two becomes more fluid, so will the way they communicate with each other, with Khaji-Da proving a quick study in Spanish. </p>
<p>Due to the ongoing WGA strike the film’s actors are skipping the media blitz that usually accompanies the release of large action movies, making it clear they want to “stand on the right side of history”, as Maridueña recently told his Instagram followers, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuqhphGN58N/">choking back tears</a>. </p>
<p>One would hope word of mouth is enough for audiences to still turn up given that Blue Beetle is great fun to watch and a solid foundation for future films in the franchise – even if it plays it a little safe in its first time out. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536131/original/file-20230706-17-460x2d.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/something-good-156">Sign up here</a>.</em></p>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212230/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yarí Pérez Marín does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Blue Beetle’s emphasis on the power of family is being touted by its creators as the film’s standout feature.
Yarí Pérez Marín, Associate Professor in Hispanic Studies and in Visual Arts and Film, Durham University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/207765
2023-06-16T10:11:20Z
2023-06-16T10:11:20Z
The Flash review: Michael Keaton’s Batman is the real star of this DC multiverse mashup
<p><em>Warning: the following article contains spoilers.</em></p>
<p>The Flash is one of DC’s most versatile superheroes. First popularised in the 1940s, the speedster’s mantle has been worn by multiple characters in the comics – most famously Barry Allen and Wally West, but also the female Flash, Chinese American <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Avery_Ho_(Prime_Earth)">Avery Ho</a>. These Flashes have appeared not just in their own comics, but across the DC comics universe from <a href="https://teentitans.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page">Teen Titans</a> to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cxixDgHUYw">Justice League</a>.</p>
<p>Director Andy Muschietti’s new film, The Flash, is Warner-DC’s attempt to wrap up DC Extended Universe of films (DCEU) directed by Zac Snyder, which started with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6DJcgm3wNY">Man of Steel</a> in 2013. At the same time, it is launching James Gunn and Peter Safran’s <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/31/james-gunn-dcu-announcement-batman-superman-new-dc-slate#:%7E:text=%22Superman%3A%20Legacy%22%20will%20bring,released%20on%20July%2011%2C%202025.">new DC Universe</a> of film and TV as they take over as the heads of DC Studios. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jprhe-cWKGs?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Trailer for The Flash (2023).</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Muschietti’s plan is to smash together – quite literally – previously unconnected film worlds from Warner-DC’s long history of superhero film and television adaptations, creating something new from everything old.</p>
<p>Some may see these colliding worlds as necessary to distract from the <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/ezra-miller-allegations.html">slowly amassing flow of accusations</a> laid at the feet of The Flash’s central star, Ezra Miller. Indeed, Warner-DC has largely used another actor to promote The Flash: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzb7Q7HAIi8">Michael Keaton</a>.</p>
<p>Clever uses of stunt teams allow Keaton, the now 71-year-old star of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgC9Q0uhX70">Tim Burton’s Batman</a> (1989) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Too3qgNaYBE">Batman Returns</a> (1992), to return to active duty as the dark knight in The Flash after a 30-year absence. </p>
<h2>Serving the fans</h2>
<p>Time travel is central in The Flash. Deft storytelling uses spaghetti metaphors to explain the complexities of messing with timelines. Slipping through the flow of time using the “<a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Speed_Force#:%7E:text=The%20Flash%20Vol%202%20%2391&text=The%20Speed%20Force%20is%20a,grants%20all%20speedsters%20their%20power.">Speed Force</a>” (which grants him access to extradimensional energy), Miller’s Flash goes back in time. </p>
<p>He saves his mother’s life, but causes a rippling impact along a multiverse of timelines that takes the Flash out of the DCEU and drops him into the world of Keaton’s Batman.</p>
<p>The result is by turns a bombastically nostalgic and watered-down variant on Burton’s earlier blockbuster films. The Flash relishes in nostalgically recreating Burton’s Batcave, augmenting its gothic-industrial aesthetic with CGI bats which are more reminiscent of director Christopher Nolan’s cycle of Batman films. But, The Flash also tamps down the gothic flourishes that have made Burton a world-renowned director.</p>
<p>The Batcave is explored by two versions of Barry Allen/Flash, after an accident in the time stream deposits the original Allen into an alternate world. After meeting himself, the two travel to find Batman at his home in Wayne Manor. </p>
<p>Discovering the Batcave, the younger version of Allen gleefully pulls a dustsheet off the Batmobile prop from Burton’s 1989 film. As he does so, he wistfully remembers seeing the Batmobile on television. Fan-serving moments like these abound as The Flash reaches out to audiences who grew up watching Burton’s Batman.</p>
<p>Muschietti makes great use of these nostalgic cameos. Fans of comics are also rewarded with new twists on old favourites, such as an aside to the Superman-as-Soviet-superhero comic <a href="https://www.dc.com/graphic-novels/superman-red-son">Red Son</a> (2003), when Batman and the Flashes go to rescue a Kryptonian held in captivity by the Soviets.</p>
<p>Likewise, the film’s plot borrows elements from the <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Flash:_Flashpoint">Flashpoint comics saga</a> from the early 2010s. Among other scenes, these comics inspire one of the film’s more gruesome sequences, which shows the “original” Allen performing Frankenstein-like experiments on himself in an attempt to regain his powers.</p>
<p>These allusions, twists and borrowings culminate in a sequence of superhero cameos. As the original Allen confronts his limitations as a superhero, Muschietti places the Flash’s personal revelations against a backdrop of colliding worlds that contain what look like digitally scrolling film reels. </p>
<p>These filmstrips contain past DC superhero adaptations, reminding audiences of every incarnation of the DC universe’s favourite characters, from George Reeves’s 1950s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxL46STIZB0">television Superman</a> to Christopher Reeve’s 1970s and 80s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nprJvYKz3QQ">Superman blockbusters</a>.</p>
<p>Standing out among these myriad superheroes – the true star of The Flash, despite its title – is Keaton’s Batman. It is Keaton’s narrative arc and catchphrases (“You wanna get nuts? Let’s get nuts.”) that echo down the timelines of Warner-DC history and leave a lasting impact. </p>
<p>The film is even structured to give Keaton’s performance greater resonance. Early portions of sometimes silly superhero humour give way in the film’s second half, where Keaton’s razor-edged, comedic yet gothic darkness allows the film to gather emotional depth.</p>
<p>In mining Warner-DC’s iconic film and television history, The Flash is able to smash together a pantheon of screen superheroes. As it works to reset the core Warner-DC universe, The Flash’s colliding worlds remind audiences of why they love superheroes such as Batman and Superman in the first place. In doing so, it shifts away from the grim tone of the old DC Extended Universe, injecting hope (and humour) into the new one.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207765/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rayna Denison is affiliated with University of Bristol. </span></em></p>
It’s Keaton’s razor-edged, comedic darkness that allows the film to gather emotional depth.
Rayna Denison, Professor of Film and Digital Arts, University of Bristol
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/198997
2023-02-20T19:01:51Z
2023-02-20T19:01:51Z
‘Special thanks’: how comic book writers and artists are forgotten during the superhero film boom
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511041/original/file-20230220-24-nilbvx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C0%2C1194%2C799&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When the new creative head of DC Studios, James Gunn, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-gunn-unveils-dc-slate-batman-superman-1235314176/">announced</a> their upcoming slate of films and TV, it included many names you might expect: Superman, Batman, maybe even Swamp Thing.</p>
<p>It also included some lesser-known and leftfield picks, such as the take-no-prisoners superhero team The Authority. The team’s co-creator, artist Bryan Hitch, found that out when everyone else did. “The Authority…?” he <a href="https://twitter.com/THEBRYANHITCH/status/1620472981473615872">tweeted</a>. “I’m glad someone told me…”</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1620472981473615872"}"></div></p>
<h2>Comic book creators forgotten</h2>
<p>This kind of disrespect to comic book creators is nothing new. As recounted in Tom De Haven’s book <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300171242/our-hero/">Our Hero: Superman On Earth</a>, Superman’s co-creator wrote a furious press release about the upcoming Superman movie in 1975: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I, Jerry Siegel, the co-originator of Superman, put a curse on the Superman movie! I hope it super-bombs. I hope loyal Superman fans stay away from it in droves. I hope the whole world, becoming aware of the stench that surrounds Superman, will avoid the movie like a plague. Why am I putting this curse on a movie based on my creation of Superman? Because cartoonist Joe Shuster and I, who co-originated Superman together, will not get one cent from the Superman super-movie deal.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For most comic creators, not much has changed. Ed Brubaker, who co-created the Winter Soldier for Marvel’s Captain America comics, also saw his character burst onto the big screen. He <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/aug/09/marvel-and-dc-face-backlash-over-pay-they-sent-a-thank-you-note-and-5000-the-movie-made-1bn">wrote</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>For the most part, all Steve [Epting, co-creator] and I have got for creating the Winter Soldier and his storyline is a thanks here or there, and over the years that’s become harder and harder to live with.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Brubaker is referring to the “special thanks” that appear in the credits of blockbuster movies, briefly listing the names of comic writers and artists whose work influenced the films. Sometimes that’s all they get, according to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/aug/09/marvel-and-dc-face-backlash-over-pay-they-sent-a-thank-you-note-and-5000-the-movie-made-1bn">The Guardian</a>, sometimes they will receive a flat fee if they lawyer up – like Jim Starlin did, creator of the supervillain Thanos – they can sometimes manage more. Compared to the global box office for superhero movies, though, these payments are pittances.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=701&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=701&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=701&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=881&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=881&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511055/original/file-20230220-22-b746kx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=881&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of the Superman character, spent much of their life battling DC Comics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wikimedia Commons</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Work for hire</h2>
<p>There are multiple reasons for these tactics from Marvel and DC Comics. First is that the writers and artists create characters under strict “work-for-hire” contracts, granting the publishers full ownership. But it’s also that superhero movies usually aren’t straight adaptations of particular comic book storylines. They pluck what they want to use from a decades-long continuum of stories by a wide variety of writers and artists, making credits more complicated.</p>
<p>That’s why movies and TV have settled on “characters created by”. This, too, is problematic. Take the recently cancelled Doom Patrol TV series. Its credits list Arnold Drake, Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, who created the original version of the team in 1963. But the show is undeniably based on the cult run of Doom Patrol comics by Grant Morrison and Richard Case that began in 1989. They are not credited – even though Morrison was name-checked by the fourth-wall-breaking villain Mister Nobody.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=889&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/511057/original/file-20230220-24-b11a86.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1117&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The now-cancelled Doom Patrol TV series.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">IMDB</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Comic fans were heartened by Gunn’s <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-gunn-unveils-dc-slate-batman-superman-1235314176/">announcements</a>, as he pointed to comics by beloved creators for adaptation such as Grant Morrison and Frank Quietly’s All-Star Superman, and Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow. These aren’t just a matter of ladling out characters, stories and themes from the expansive sea of superhero comics, they’re specific comics by specific authors. “Characters created by” just won’t do.</p>
<p>Gunn took pains to say he wasn’t creating a “Gunnverse” of films and TV filtered only through his auteurist vision. “The stories are completely different,” he said, “and each has the individual expression of the writers and the director that are making those projects.” But comic book authors have that same kind of individual expression, and that is usually ignored in favour of treating their work as raw content, ready to be reshaped and repackaged.</p>
<p>Gunn announced that comics writer Tom King has been acting in an advisory role for DC Studios, and hopefully this means he’ll be receiving more than a token payment and a “special thanks”. Most comic creators won’t be so lucky.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1622663925195218944"}"></div></p>
<h2>Open hearts and open purse strings</h2>
<p>A few years ago, the co-creator of Marvel’s gun-toting Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy, Bill Mantlo, was in a nursing home with a traumatic brain injury. His brother set up a GoFundMe, asking fans to chip in for his care. As the New York Daily News <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-brother-of-rocket-raccoon-creator-bill-manto-asks-for-money-20190430-6r7ivslg4bdqxnnsmbknzpapbq-story.html">reported</a>, “the $100,000 Mantlo is asking for is .0083% of the reported $1.2 billion Avengers: Endgame made worldwide during its opening weekend”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/any-means-necessary-the-police-who-adopt-the-skull-symbol-of-the-ultra-violent-comic-book-vigilante-the-punisher-195922">'Any means necessary': the police who adopt the skull symbol of the ultra-violent comic book vigilante the Punisher</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Marvel, under growing public pressure, eventually did come to a financial agreement with Mantlo – although, as his brother <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/07/movies/comic-character-creators-fight-for-cash-and-credit.html">said</a>, “My attorney is very good. I’m not going to say Marvel came to me and opened up their hearts and their purse strings.”</p>
<p>Some say that comic creators willingly signed these contracts, so they don’t deserve any further compensation if their characters earn billions for movie studios. Superheroes, however, don’t care about what’s legal. They care about what’s right.</p>
<p>Marvel and DC should embrace the ethics of their own characters and do the right thing – without needing to be blackmailed or bullied first.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/198997/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martyn Pedler does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
If the directors of superhero movies are considered auteurs, why aren’t the writers and artists who created the comics they’re based on?
Martyn Pedler, PhD Candidate, Swinburne University of Technology
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/196761
2022-12-27T09:02:59Z
2022-12-27T09:02:59Z
100 years of Stan Lee: how the comic book king challenged prejudice
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501587/original/file-20221216-21-nry0ra.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4824%2C3172&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Stan Lee poses on the red carpet for Doctor Strange (2016). </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/los-angeles-ca-october-20-2016-532339153">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>December 28 2022 marks 100 years since the birth of the world’s most famous comic book writer: the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/12/stan-lee-obituary">late Stan Lee</a>.</p>
<p>The 1960s were Stan Lee’s most astonishing decade, during which he came up with <a href="https://www.insider.com/characters-created-by-stan-lee-2018-11">ideas and scripts</a> for the first appearances of such heroes as the original <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-an-x-men-writer-inspired-binge-worthy-character-driven-tv-from-buffy-to-game-of-thrones-110764">X-Men</a>, Iron Man, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj50cygzoX8AhVLZcAKHUW_BH4QFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Ffor-the-love-of-thor-why-its-so-hard-for-marvel-to-get-its-female-superheroes-right-186639&usg=AOvVaw0hIK_JDhSCrlzMjlzeZERc">Thor</a>, the Hulk, <a href="https://theconversation.com/black-panther-2-why-the-death-of-someone-young-can-be-harder-to-handle-195307">Black Panther</a>, Daredevil and <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjwzPKCzoX8AhVREsAKHZ25BJsQFnoECBQQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fthe-witch-treatment-what-dr-stranges-wanda-tells-us-about-representations-of-female-anger-184509&usg=AOvVaw3HAx8D5RDXB5ZUMGpysA6w">Doctor Strange</a>. </p>
<p>This extraordinary purple patch elevates Lee as one of the architects of modern pop culture. The <a href="https://www.cbr.com/marvel-comics-marvel-method-depictions/">Marvel method</a> of writing comics (where artists plot the story of a comic and the layout of the pages based on a collaborative approach between artist and scriptwriter) enabled him to <a href="https://www.comics.org/searchNew/?q=stan+lee&selected_facets=facet_model_name_exact:story&selected_facets=country_exact:United%20States">script several hundred comics in the 1960s</a>. </p>
<p>He wrote the dialogue for the first decade of titles featuring Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men and many others.</p>
<p>Stanley Martin Lieber (who later changed his name to Stan Lee) was born to Jewish-Romanian immigrants in Manhattan. His father was a dress cutter and Lee had <a href="https://www.looper.com/53983/stan-lee-went-delivering-sandwiches-face-marvel">teenage jobs</a> delivering sandwiches, as a theatre usher and an office boy, before his first writing jobs. These included advance obituaries for a news service and publicity material for the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/72b52a2c-e80e-11e8-8a85-04b8afea6ea3">National Tuberculosis Centre</a>.</p>
<p>In 1939, he found work at <a href="https://screenrant.com/why-marvel-change-name-timely-comics/">Timely</a> – later renamed Atlas Comics, and eventually Marvel – as an editorial assistant, with <a href="https://money.com/stan-lee-net-worth-marvel-universe/">his first writing credit</a> on an early issue of Captain America in 1941. <a href="https://stanmarvellee.weebly.com/early-career.html">This issue</a> saw the writer adopt his pen name and saw Cap throw his shield as a weapon for the first time – now a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uULSTvYcwa0">signature move</a> for the hero.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Spider-Man perched atop a street light in Spider-Man: No Way Home" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=680&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=680&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=680&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501863/original/file-20221219-16-n9w9cz.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=854&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">One of Marvel’s most popular characters, Spider-Man, was a Stan Lee invention.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://sonypicturespublicity.com/dom/secured/mediaassets/viewMediaAssetsLevel2.jsf#">Matt Kennedy / Marvel</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Superheroes had been around <a href="https://kleinletters.com/Blog/the-dc-comics-offices-1930s-1950s-part-2/">since the 1930s</a>, with DC Comics finding an early lead publishing Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. But <a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/superhero/Silver-Age-1956-69">by the early 1960s</a> the genre had stagnated.</p>
<p><a href="https://comicbookhistorians.com/from-atlas-monsters-to-marvel-superheroes/">At this time</a>, sci-fi and horror anthologies were Marvel’s staples. For the final issue of one floundering Marvel anthology, <a href="http://www.marvelmasterworks.com/marvel/hcs/omniboo/omni_amfan01.html">Amazing (Adult) Fantasy</a>, Lee and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/7/17543924/steve-ditko-spider-man-doctor-strange-marvel-comics-artist-obituary">artist Steve Ditko</a> invented a new character – <a href="https://www.cbr.com/amazing-fantasy-trivia-facts-spiderman-first-comic/">Spider-Man</a>. The character was <a href="https://www.historynet.com/spider-man-history/">“an instant success”</a>, helping revive the superhero genre.</p>
<h2>Superheroes in the 1960s</h2>
<p>In 1960, DC hit on the idea of gathering their most popular heroes together to create the <a href="https://ew.com/books/brief-history-of-the-justice-league-in-all-its-incarnations/">Justice League of America</a>, following their earlier Justice Society. At Marvel, Lee had only just co-created such characters as the Hulk, Iron Man and Ant Man but within a year of their first appearances brought them together to form <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/TheAvengers">The Avengers</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Stan Lee wears large tinted glasses, wears a green shirt and holds a microphone. His hair is grey." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501586/original/file-20221216-26-ynh8ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Stan Lee speaking at a convention in the 1980s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stan_lee_circa_80.jpg">Larry D. Moore</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These initiatives show that Lee was not only good at creating concepts that others could build on. He also had a savvy nose for marvellous ideas, copying what rival companies were doing and looking to new readerships.</p>
<p>He also remembered <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sub-Mariner">the company’s back catalogue</a>. First he brought back <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/comics/how-namor-complicated-relationship-fantastic-four-possible-mcu-theories-explored">Namor in 1962</a>, then revived <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/CaptainAmerica">Captain America in 1964</a>. He also reimagined 1930s characters Angel and Human Torch as members of the X-Men and Fantastic Four respectively.</p>
<p>Lee rose quickly from fill-in writer to <a href="https://www.gamesradar.com/from-stan-lee-on-down-a-brief-history-of-marvel-comics-editors-in-chief/">editor-in-chief</a> at Marvel, partially due to <a href="https://www.looper.com/31532/untold-truth-stan-lee/">the exodus</a> of Captain America creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby to DC due to lack of profit sharing and, <a href="https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/stan-lee-silver-age-history-of-marvel-comics">perhaps, being a cousin of the owner’s wife</a>. </p>
<p>Lee enjoyed being the public face of Marvel, conducting <a href="https://therealstanlee.com/life-of-an-icon/stan-lee-speaker-man/">Q&As about comics</a> at colleges in the 1960s. He also added “Stan’s Soapbox” to hundreds of titles, a column which allowed to not only respond to reader letters, but also pursue <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/35553-marvel-comics-stan-lee-racism-bigotry-soapbox">an anti-racist agenda</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PFzDEySeYdY?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Fans associated Stan Lee with his Marvel movie cameos.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The public associated him with many of the characters he co-created because he also narrated Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends and The Incredible Hulk cartoons in the 1980s, as well as the Spider-Man video games in the 2000s.</p>
<p>More recently, <a href="https://movieweb.com/stan-lee-mcu-movie-cameo/">cameos</a> in nearly every Marvel adaptation between 2000 and 2018 made Lee the face of the film franchises.</p>
<h2>Lee’s faith and multiculturalism</h2>
<p>Despite being of Jewish descent, Lee showed <a href="https://www.heyalma.com/the-complicated-jewishness-of-stan-lee/">little interest</a> in faith <a href="https://eu.independentmail.com/story/news/2018/11/15/stan-lee-and-fortuitous-faith-his-fantasy-family/1981350002/">but saw</a> “world religion as a way into the storytelling process”.</p>
<p>While the <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/FantasticFourNumberOne">Fantastic Four’s Thing</a> was eventually revealed to be Jewish, it took four decades for this to be <a href="https://screenrant.com/fantastic-four-thing-jewish-identity-marvel-deepest-hero/">worked into storylines</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A pair of trainers/sneakers standing on an array of Marvel comics." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501858/original/file-20221219-26-bf4ic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Many Marvel fan favourites were Stan Lee’s creation.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/RlQhqhfH1DE">Erik Mclean</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Lee’s fellow Jewish collaborator <a href="https://jewishcurrents.org/jack-kirbys-golem">Jack Kirby</a>, however, may have included <a href="https://theculturetrip.com/czech-republic/articles/the-legend-of-the-golem-of-prague/">iconography of the Golem</a> (a mythical <a href="https://www.jmberlin.de/en/topic-golem">humanoid made of earth</a> brought to life in Jewish folklore) into the character’s design and gave him a fictional <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Yancy_Street">Jewish neighbourhood</a> as a home.</p>
<p>Although Lee didn’t bring his own background to his comics, he and <a href="https://kirbymuseum.org/blogs/dynamics/2012/04/24/9165/">Kirby wished to create</a> the “<a href="https://www.thegeektwins.com/2018/02/the-secret-history-of-black-panther-by.html">first black superhero</a>”, leading to the <a href="https://www.history.com/news/the-real-history-behind-the-black-panther">co-creation of Black Panther</a> in 1966. </p>
<p>Interested in minority representation in the genre, Lee was also working on a TV adaptation of an LGBTQ+ superhero novel <a href="https://www.mtv.com/news/ayikws/perry-moore-hero-tv-adaptation">Hero</a> in the 2000s, before that project was stymied by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/19/books/19moore.html">its gay writer’s passing in 2011</a>.</p>
<p>One comic he co-created – X-Men – has resonated with LGBTQ+ readers. In an article for Syfy, author Sara Century wrote that with its 1980s run X-Men “implied queerness … and <a href="https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/x-men-as-a-queer-metaphor">an analog to AIDS</a>”.</p>
<p>Pop culture expert <a href="https://www.academia.edu/38163857/Reading_the_Superhuman_Embodiments_of_Multiplicity_in_Marvel_Comics">Anna Peppard notes</a> Marvel comics in the 1960s and beyond took in themes from “the Civil Rights movement, second-wave feminism … and liberal multiculturalism”.</p>
<p>One of the last characters Lee created for Marvel was <a href="https://www.cracked.com/article_33968_she-hulk-was-created-because-of-stan-lees-paranoia.html">She-Hulk</a>, whose 2022 TV series challenged <a href="https://www.cbr.com/she-hulk-toxic-masculinity-captain-marvel-disney-plus/">toxic masculinity in superhero fandom</a>. Stan Lee died, aged 96, in 2018.</p>
<p>By accident or design, Lee’s comics and the characters he helped create have not only had a huge influence on pop culture but also <a href="https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/movies/comic-writer-stan-lee-left-indelible-mark-on-modern-pop-culture-37520972.html">reflect an increasingly liberal world</a>.</p>
<p>For these reasons and many more, his impact on the world is well worth celebrating.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196761/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Fitch receives funding from Design Star Centre for Doctoral Training, on behalf of the UKRI Arts and Humanitites Reseach Council. </span></em></p>
Stan Lee deserves his place in the pantheon of great pop culture architects, but his Marvel characters did more than just entertain – they actively fought against prejudice.
Alex Fitch, Lecturer and PhD Candidate in Comics and Architecture, University of Brighton
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/194506
2022-12-01T13:39:12Z
2022-12-01T13:39:12Z
Resounding success of ‘Black Panther’ franchise says little about the dubious state of Black film
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498066/original/file-20221129-20-p656p4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=13%2C8%2C2982%2C2029&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' is one of only three Black films since 2018 to have a production budget exceeding $100 million.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/in-this-handout-image-provided-by-disneyland-resort-in-news-photo/1244803203?phrase=black panther wakanda&adppopup=true">Christian Thompson/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Marvel Studios released “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683">Black Panther</a>” in February 2018, it marked the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film to feature a Black superhero and star a predominantly Black cast. </p>
<p>Its estimated production budget was <a href="https://bamsmackpow.com/2018/02/14/black-panther-movie-budget/">US$200 million</a>, making it the first <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/entertainment-weekly-a-celebration-of-black-film/id1552725693">Black film</a> – conventionally defined as a film that is directed by a Black director, features a Black cast, and focuses on some aspect of the Black experience – ever to receive that level of financial support.</p>
<p>As a scholar of media and Black popular culture, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS5U4ax6Cu4">I was often asked</a> to respond to the resounding success of that first “Black Panther” film, which had shattered expectations of its box office performance. </p>
<p>Would it lead to more big-budget Black films? Was its popularity an indication that the global marketplace – the real <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/robcain/2018/01/17/can-disney-possibly-succeed-with-black-panther-in-china/#3c8ad4727e8e">source of trepidation</a> about the film’s potential – was finally ready to embrace Black-cast films?</p>
<p>With the release of the <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/e2-80-98black-panther-wakanda-forever-e2-80-99-box-office-leaps-past-24400m-globally/ar-AA14fas6">massively successful</a> “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9114286">Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</a>” in November 2022, I expect those questions to reemerge. </p>
<p>Yet as I review the cinematic landscape between the original and its sequel, I am inclined to restate the answer I gave back in 2018: Assumptions should not be made about the state of Black film based on the success of the “Black Panther” franchise.</p>
<h2>Reason for optimism</h2>
<p>Prior to its release, the producers of <a href="https://deadline.com/2018/02/black-panther-african-american-films-foreign-box-office-1202286475/">“Black Panther” faced questions</a> about whether there was a market for a Black blockbuster film, even one ensconced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.</p>
<p>After all, since the Wesley Snipes-led “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120611/">Blade</a>” trilogy, which came out in the late-1990s and early 2000s, Black superhero films had experienced diminishing returns. There was one notable exception: the commercially successful, though heavily panned “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448157/">Hancock</a>” (2008), starring Will Smith. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Man with red sunglasses pumps his first in front of a movie poster." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=879&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=879&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=879&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/498285/original/file-20221130-18-nzih42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Wesley Snipes attends the premiere of ‘Blade 2’ in March 2002.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/actor-wesley-snipes-attends-the-premiere-of-the-film-blade-news-photo/705528?phrase=blade%20wesley%20snipes&adppopup=true">Vince Bucci/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Otherwise, Black superhero films such as “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0327554/">Catwoman</a>” (2004) and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4573516/">Sleight</a>” (2016) either flopped or had a limited release.</p>
<p>Furthermore, until “Black Panther,” no Black film exceeded a $100 million budget, <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0611/why-movies-cost-so-much-to-make.aspx">the average benchmark</a> for modern Hollywood blockbusters. </p>
<p>Nonetheless, despite these early concerns, “Black Panther” earned the highest domestic gross, <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2992866817/">$700 million</a>, of all films released in 2018, while earning $1.3 billion in worldwide gross, second only to “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4154756">Avengers: Infinity War</a>.”</p>
<p>“Black Panther” emerged at the tail end of what many industry experts considered to be a surprisingly <a href="https://www.glamour.com/story/girls-trip-is-killing-it-right-now-why-that-matters">successful</a> run of Black films, which included the biopic “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4846340">Hidden Figures</a>” (2016) and the raunchy comedy “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3564472">Girls Trip</a>” (2017). Despite their modest budgets, they earned over $100 million apiece at the box office – <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt4846340">$235 million</a> and <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt3564472">$140 million</a>, respectively. </p>
<p>However, both films were mostly reliant on the domestic box office, especially the R-rated “Girls Trip,” which was only released in a handful of foreign markets. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-black-movies-global-audience-myth-20170324-story.html">Conventional wisdom</a> has long held that Black films will fail abroad. International distributors and studios typically ignore them during the presale process or at film festivals and markets, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/are-black-movies-being-shut-by-global-buyers-1138916/">reasoning</a> that Black films are too culturally specific – not only in terms of their Blackness, but also their Americanness. </p>
<p>Films like “Black Panther” and the Oscar winning “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4975722">Moonlight</a>” (2016), <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt4975722">which earned more on the international market</a> than the domestic market, certainly challenged those assumptions. It has yet to upend them. </p>
<h2>Black films after ‘Black Panther’</h2>
<p>What do those Black films released in theaters in the nearly five years between “Black Panther” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” tell us about the former’s impact? </p>
<p>The simple answer is that the original “Black Panther” has had no discernible influence on industry practices whatsoever.</p>
<p>Since 2018, no other Black blockbuster has emerged, save for the sequel itself. Granted, Black filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s remake of “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1620680">A Wrinkle in Time</a>” (2018) reportedly cost an estimated $100 million; however, while Black actors portrayed the protagonist and a few other characters, the film features a multicultural ensemble cast – which, as scholars such as <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3661094">Mary Beltran</a> have pointed out, has become the primary strategy for achieving diversity in film. </p>
<p>Even if one were to include “A Wrinkle in Time,” the grand total of Black films with budgets exceeding $100 million is three, with the two “Black Panther” films being the others – all during an era in which there <a href="https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/budgets/all">have been hundreds</a> of mainstream films with budgets exceeding $100 million.</p>
<p>Otherwise, most of the Black films released in theaters between 2018 and 2022 typically were low budget by Hollywood standards – $3 million to $20 million in most cases – with only a handful, such as the 2021 Aretha Franklin biopic “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2452150/">Respect</a>,” costing $50 million to 60 million.</p>
<p>Perhaps the most notable change has been the medium. Many Black films now appear on either cable networks that cater to a Black audience – namely Black Entertainment Television and, more recently, Lifetime – or on streaming services such as Netflix. Tyler Perry, the most popular and prolific Black filmmaker of the modern era, has released his latest films – “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14307536">A Jazzman’s Blues</a>” (2022), “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14813966">A Madea Homecoming</a>” (2022) and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11390036">A Fall from Grace</a>” (2020) – directly to Netflix.</p>
<p>Furthermore, no other Black film has approached the financial success of “Black Panther.” Granted, several Black films have fared well at the box office, especially relative to their production costs. Foremost among them is Jordan Peele’s “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6857112/">Us</a>” (2019), which cost an estimated $20 million, yet earned approximately $256 million worldwide despite its R rating and the fact that it was never released in China.</p>
<h2>Whither Black film</h2>
<p>Without question, large budgets and commercial success are not the only measures of a film’s value and significance. </p>
<p>As has historically been the case, Black film has managed to do more with less. The critical acclaim afforded to films such as “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7349662">BlackKlansman</a>” (2018), “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7125860">If Beale Street Could Talk</a>” (2019) and “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9620288">King Richard</a>” (2021) reflect this fact. All reflect trends in contemporary Black filmmaking – comedies, historical dramas and biopics abound, for instance – and were made for a fraction of the cost of both “Black Panther” films.</p>
<p>In truth, the zeal with which some cast “Black Panther” as a bellwether for Black films is part of continued haranguing over their viability, particularly after the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/movies/oscarssowhite-history.html">#OscarsSoWhite</a> movement that drew attention to the lack of diversity at the 2016 Academy Awards. </p>
<p>However, its positioning as a Disney property within Marvel’s transmedia storytelling effort makes it so atypical that its success — and that of its sequel — portends little about Black film.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194506/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phillip Lamarr Cunningham does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
After the first ‘Black Panther’ shattered box office expectations, some critics wondered if it marked the dawn of a new era of big-budget Black films.
Phillip Lamarr Cunningham, Assistant Professor, Media Studies, Wake Forest University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/195157
2022-11-25T12:33:37Z
2022-11-25T12:33:37Z
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever reclaims the myth of an African utopia
<p>Black Panther is set in the fictional country of Wakanda. The creation of the Wakandan African identity has been a contentious issue. Borrowing aspects of cultures from around Africa, it presents the world with a confusing sense of “Africaness”. </p>
<p>Wakanda is an amalgamation of African ethnic groups, with its “indigenous” outfits and symbols: cowry shells adornments, grass skirts, decorative scarring and lip plates. The average viewer won’t know that the language being spoken is <a href="https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/xhosa">Xhosa</a>, a South African language, or that some of the garments are made with <a href="https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a33670853/what-is-kente-cloth/">Ghanaian Kente cloth</a> and designs. </p>
<p>Africa is a continent of 54 countries that are diverse culturally and geographically. But this “borrowing” could suggest that they were one and the same, their cultural markers shared and interchangeable. </p>
<p>So I was ready to be critical of Wakanda Forever and how it returns to stereotypes of Africa, collapsing different civilisations (many of which have fought each other) into digestible but erroneous “myths” of a homogenous Africa. </p>
<p>And yet, I was mesmerised.</p>
<h2>An African ‘homeland’</h2>
<p>Wakanda Forever is a powerful meditation on grief and power. King T'Challa is dead and his family must pick up where he left off. Wakanda, previously believed to be a small weak nation, has made the true extent of its power known to the world, which also opens it up to foreign aggression. </p>
<p>It made me reconsider the importance of the myth of Africa as a place of <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/41819054">harmony and welcome</a> – an idealised Black space – for people across the African diaspora, especially for <a href="http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/freedom/1917beyond/essays/harlem.htm">Black people in the US</a>. The dream of returning to Africa for many colonised Black people in the Americas, even in death, was pervasive and could be heard in the rhetoric of Black leaders such as <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/garvey_marcus.shtml">Marcus Garvey</a>.</p>
<p>My own grandfather, born on a plantation in colonial Martinique, took his family to live in Senegal as he felt a calling from his “homeland”. He wanted to be embraced by his “African brothers and sisters”. The reality was very different and it took time for him to be accepted.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Z3QKkl1WyM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The US has historically been less connected to African cultures than many Caribbean nations. The lifespan of enslaved people in the Caribbean during the plantation period, due to horrific conditions, was very short. This meant there were <a href="https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/teacher-resources/historical-context-facts-about-slave-trade-and-slavery">low birth rates among the enslaved population</a>.</p>
<p>New African captives were brought to keep the workforce stable, renewing African cultural connections. Wakanda is then, perhaps, a reflection of Black America’s lost connections, their dreams of a Black African utopia.</p>
<p>Wakanda evokes an Africa free of western colonial destruction. It’s resources and traditions have not been eroded. Its sense of culture is strong. And, left to develop at its own speed without foreign intervention, it’s a technologically advanced and superior nation. </p>
<p>In the film, the Wakandans are positioned a people who avoided colonisation by turning inwards. They become the smallest but most powerful kingdom in existence, refusing to share their precious materials with the rest of the world or take part in global affairs. In the first Black Panther, after seeing what life was like for the formerly enslaved Africans in the US, T'Challa decides to open up and let people know about his country’s powerful metal resource, vibrainium. </p>
<p>Elements of a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/black-nationalism">Black nationalist philosophy</a>, based on the idea of empowering and uniting Black people who share a history of oppression and exploitation drive the kingdom of Wakanda as a Black utopia. This is symbolised by the “African” marketplace scenes in which food is in abundance and people dressed in traditional “African” clothing (with a futuristic twist) smile and shop in intergenerational harmony. </p>
<p>Some Black nationalists also advocated the establishment of a Black society separate from white people, a Black nation which flourishes in economical and cultural independence. Where Wakanda moves away from this ideology is in its lack of real interest in supporting Black people outside of Wakanda and reaching out to unite the disenfranchised Black diaspora. </p>
<h2>Reclaiming ritual</h2>
<p>The film celebrates the reclamation of an African identity through references to creation myths and diasporic storytelling traditions where ancestral wisdom is passed down through the generations. </p>
<p>Actor Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther star who died of colon cancer aged 43, looms large in Wakanda Forever. The narrative itself centres around Princess Shuri coming to terms with her the death of her brother T'Challa, her feelings of inadequacy and her need for revenge.</p>
<p>If you don’t connect with your ancestors, we are told, you will remain in a state of spiritual stasis. Wakandan funerals draw from <a href="https://www.instyle.com/black-panther-wakanda-forever-mourning-6828920">Yoruba Orisha ceremonies</a> with mourners dressed in white and pouring of libations for the ancestors.</p>
<p>The queen mother processes her grief in “the bush”, sitting with her pain and performing ancestral rituals. She tells her daughter she has found her son “on the breeze, pushing her like a hand on her shoulder”. Shuri rejects this and the rituals, and her lack of faith is the main barrier to her success in leadership.</p>
<p>A popular counter-narrative to discrimination for people of African descent is the insistence that all our African ancestors were the “<a href="https://www.theroot.com/maybe-my-ancestors-were-kings-and-queens-but-more-than-1822038353">kings and queens</a>” of great <a href="https://africasacountry.com/2020/09/beyond-african-royalty">kingdoms and empires</a>. </p>
<p>Yet at the heart of any kingdom is an uneven distribution of power and wealth and successful empires often rely on exploitation, theft and slavery. Thankfully, Wakanda Forever avoids the complete romanticisation of powerful monarchies, revealing the corrosive nature of the desire for control, the problem with unchallenged hierarchies and the stupidity of war.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195157/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Zobel Marshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The film sees myths created by the Black diaspora come alive as Wakanda is presented as a Black utopia.
Emily Zobel Marshall, Reader in Postcolonial Literature, Leeds Beckett University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/186450
2022-07-21T17:56:39Z
2022-07-21T17:56:39Z
Getting hammered by cancer: ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ re-examines the hero’s journey
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475399/original/file-20220721-22-swp7hy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=27%2C4%2C2992%2C1521&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Meaning is found in love and risk, not in superpowers.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marvel Studios)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/getting-hammered-by-cancer---thor--love-and-thunder--re-examines-the-hero-s-journey" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p><em>This story contains spoilers about ‘Thor: Love and Thunder.’</em></p>
<p>In the new movie <em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em>, based on recent comic books about the superhero, cancer complicates what it means to be Thor.</p>
<p>The superhero Thor <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Journey_into_Mystery_Vol_1_83">first appeared in 1962</a>, quickly joining the super-team The Avengers. Thor was the epitome of the male superhero: morally upstanding and astonishingly physically powerful.</p>
<p>But recent comic book stories have seen different characters — the original, a male Thor Odinson and, lately, a female Mighty Thor, also known as Jane Foster — team up to command the power of Thor.</p>
<p><em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em>, the newly released film by director <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/29/movies/taika-waititi-thor-love-and-thunder.html">Taika Waititi,</a> adapts some of these stories. Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) is surprised when, after an eight-year separation, his ex-girlfriend Foster (Natalie Portman) transforms into The Mighty Thor. </p>
<p>Foster as The Mighty Thor has cancer in both the movie and in recent comics. </p>
<p>The character raises questions about the impact cancer has on ideas of worthiness, responsibility and power — and what it means to be a superhero. These are themes we examine in our forthcoming book, <em>The Cancer Plot: Terminal Immortality in Marvel’s Moral Universe</em>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Go8nTmfrQd8?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ official trailer.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Bewildered, angry fans</h2>
<p>In both the recent comic books and film, Foster controls the enchanted hammer <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Mjolnir">Mjolnir</a>, the weapon that grants superheroic powers to the person who can to lift it. </p>
<p>Some comic book <a href="https://www.cbr.com/fans-calm-down-jane-foster-mighty-thor/">readers reacted</a> negatively to Foster’s time as The Mighty Thor, arguing that Marvel was stripping away or confusing the history of a male Thor superhero in order to introduce gender diversity in its characters.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-ms-marvel-matters-so-much-to-muslim-south-asian-fans-184613">Why Ms. Marvel matters so much to Muslim, South Asian fans</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Some movie viewers have expressed similar disappointment about seeing a <a href="https://www.insider.com/fans-react-to-natalie-portman-playing-female-thor-2019-7">female Thor</a>.</p>
<p>The film’s focus, however, is not on the gender of Thor, but on Odinson’s moral journey. Foster’s spreading cancer is the catalyst for Thor Odinson’s moral growth.</p>
<h2>Facing enemies</h2>
<p>In both comic books and the Thor film franchise, which began with the 2011 movie <em>Thor</em>, Thor Odinson is a deity: <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Thor/">the Norse God of Thunder</a>. A moral exemplar, Odinson could only lift the enchanted hammer <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Mjolnir">Mjolnir</a> if he was worthy. </p>
<p>In both earlier comic books and films, Foster’s typical role was as a minor character. Writers used her as the love interest in danger, giving the male hero someone to rescue.</p>
<p>That is, until she became The Mighty Thor herself. </p>
<p>In <em>Love and Thunder</em>, Foster takes on new enemies: cancer and the <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Gorr_the_God_Butcher">cosmic villain Gorr</a> (Christian Bale). While Foster and Odinson vanquish Gorr, they are not able to defeat her cancer.</p>
<p>By taking on Gorr, and risking death from cancer, Foster shows Odinson that a meaningful life is one of emotional and physical risk that may result in loss.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Black and white image of a vampirish-looking pale villain's grimacing face." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475404/original/file-20220721-9523-13bqsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475404/original/file-20220721-9523-13bqsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475404/original/file-20220721-9523-13bqsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475404/original/file-20220721-9523-13bqsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475404/original/file-20220721-9523-13bqsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475404/original/file-20220721-9523-13bqsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475404/original/file-20220721-9523-13bqsb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The cosmic villain Gorr (Christian Bale) is one of the enemies The Mighty Thor faces.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marvel Studios)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Complicating the superhero</h2>
<p>Foster transforms when she holds Mjolnir in both the comic book and movie.</p>
<p>Emaciated from chemotherapy, Foster becomes muscled (and blonde) as The Mighty Thor. The film and comic books link these different bodies through the ethical decisions she must make.</p>
<p>The movie runs up against idealizing narratives of cancer. Cultural critic Barbara Ehrenreich has criticized depictions of cancer as “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/02/cancer-positive-thinking-barbara-ehrenreich">the source of [one’s] happiness</a>.”</p>
<p>Such narratives <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/detailing-the-problems-of-breast-cancer-culture/2012/02/09/gIQA3DiT2Q_story.html">minimize the painful process of cancer care to promote</a> a lifestyle brand.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cancer-and-loneliness-how-inclusion-could-save-lives-140516">Cancer and loneliness: How inclusion could save lives</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>The film mostly avoids this. Cancer becomes the occasion for determining what’s important in life through struggle on behalf of others while facing death.</p>
<p>Foster’s continual decision-making — to have chemotherapy or engage in battle — vividly characterizes the struggle of cancer patients highlighted <a href="https://www.bcaction.org/from-the-executive-director-pink-ribbon-culture-gaslighting-and-the-breast-cancer-epidemic/">in critical</a> works <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6303890">and memoirs</a>. </p>
<p>Thus, The Mighty Thor’s cosmic work cannot be separated from her mortal life as a cancer patient.</p>
<h2>The cost of superheroism</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A smiling man seen against a Marvel backdrop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475412/original/file-20220721-10055-c3xwd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475412/original/file-20220721-10055-c3xwd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475412/original/file-20220721-10055-c3xwd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475412/original/file-20220721-10055-c3xwd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=693&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475412/original/file-20220721-10055-c3xwd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=870&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475412/original/file-20220721-10055-c3xwd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=870&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475412/original/file-20220721-10055-c3xwd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=870&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chris Hemsworth in role as Thor Odinson does not have to consider the same complicated ethical decisions as his girlfriend, Jane Foster.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Mark Baker)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The same superheroic action has different effects on Odinson and Foster.</p>
<p>For Odinson, the cost of battle does not jeopardize his superhero identity or practice. He can <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Thor%27s_Prosthetic_Eye">lose a body</a> <a href="https://screenrant.com/thor-metal-arm-origin-marvel-comics/">part, or</a> use a cane when in <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Donald_Blake_(Earth-616)">a temporary human form</a>, but neither puts him at risk of dying. </p>
<p>The costs for Foster, however, are much higher. Foster’s superhuman power, ironically, prevents her cancer treatments from working. Being The Mighty Thor risks killing her. </p>
<p>She must consider death and disease when choosing to battle. Cancer forces The Mighty Thor to make complicated ethical decisions that Odinson doesn’t have to consider.</p>
<h2>Renewed life</h2>
<p>In both the comic books and the film, cancer kills Foster.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/the-full-reading-order-of-jason-aaron-s-thor">the years-long comic book story</a>, <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Mighty_Thor_Vol_2_706">Foster dies</a> after throwing Mjolnir into the sun. </p>
<p>Odinson rewards Foster with renewed life and the consolation prize of new <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Valkyrie:_Jane_Foster_Vol_1">superhero identity</a> as a Valkyrie, an elite warrior of Asgard.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two women in fancy dresses seen against a blue backdrop smiling at each other." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475410/original/file-20220721-22-gu6xud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/475410/original/file-20220721-22-gu6xud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475410/original/file-20220721-22-gu6xud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475410/original/file-20220721-22-gu6xud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475410/original/file-20220721-22-gu6xud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475410/original/file-20220721-22-gu6xud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/475410/original/file-20220721-22-gu6xud.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Foster (Natalie Portman) finds new life as a Valkyrie in New Asgard, ruled by King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Scott Garfitt)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Love and loss</h2>
<p>In <em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em>, Foster’s cancer journey enables Odinson learn a lesson on meaning and risk. While she is in hospital, Odinson begs her to give up Mjolnir so that he won’t lose her. </p>
<p>Despite the likelihood of her death, Foster chooses to live, and die, on her own terms. She joins Odinson in the final battle against Gorr, dying as a result of the wounds she sustains and her cancer. </p>
<p>Early in the movie, fellow superhero Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) talks to Odinson about the loss of own his love. He advises: “<a href="https://gamerant.com/best-quotes-from-thor-love-and-thunder/">I hope one day you can feel this shitty</a>,” a variation on the adage that it is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all. </p>
<h2>How meaning is found</h2>
<p>By choosing to make hard moral decisions and take risks, even that of losing him, Foster gives Odinson things to feel shitty about. In this state, Odinson now empathizes with Gorr to the point of taking on the care of his enemy’s orphaned daughter.</p>
<p>Though Foster dies, she is rewarded as The Mighty Thor with entry into <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valhalla-Norse-mythology">Valhalla</a>. However, she enters the place of the gods in her mortal form. Her heroism is not tied to her powers but to her moral decision-making and risk-taking.</p>
<p><em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em> offers a new way to read Foster’s cancer. It shows how meaning is found in love and risk, not in superpowers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186450/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
In the latest ‘Thor’ movie, the character Jane Foster raises questions about the impact of cancer on ideas of worthiness, responsibility and power — and what it means to be a superhero.
Reginald Wiebe, Associate professor, Department of Language and Literature, Concordia University of Edmonton
Dorothy Jean Woodman, Associate Lecturer, Department of English and Film Studies, University of Alberta
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/184613
2022-06-30T18:46:26Z
2022-06-30T18:46:26Z
Why Ms. Marvel matters so much to Muslim, South Asian fans
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470859/original/file-20220624-7096-f4dosk.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=55%2C42%2C4034%2C2017&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Muslim participants of different backgrounds who participated in an audience study said they identify with Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel, because she's connected both to her ancestral culture and her American one. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Daniel McFadden/Marvel Studios 2022)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Disney+ TV show featuring Ms. Marvel, also known as Kamala Khan — the first Muslim superheroine of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/how-to-watch-ms-marvel">launched June 8</a> — and the internet has been alight with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/new-disney-mcu-series-ms-marvel-rotten-tomatoes-imdb-reviews-rcna32889">discussions</a> about the lovable titular character.</p>
<p>The comic book series, <em>Ms. Marvel</em> <a href="https://www.diamondcomics.com/Article/156090-Top-100-Graphic-Novels-October-2014">shot to No. 1 on the comic book charts after its 2014 debut</a>. </p>
<p>The Pakistani American teen Kamala has been <a href="https://www.vox.com/2020/1/7/21038179/ms-marvel-kamala-khan-disney-plus">one of the most successful characters Marvel</a> unveiled in the past decade, with a large audience reach. </p>
<p>The show has <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/ms_marvel">received strong reviews</a>, and Kamala’s representation is a breakthrough — particularly to her South Asian, Muslim and racialized fans.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the show has also <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/ms-marvel-mcu-disneyplus-review-bombing-racist-white-nonsense-1714538">received some racist and sexist backlash</a> in the form of internet “review bombers,” people who spam a show with negative reviews, who are upset with the new identity of Ms. Marvel.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m9EX0f6V11Y?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Trailer for ‘Ms. Marvel.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Regular Pakistani American teen</h2>
<p>Kamala, played by Iman Vellani, is a regular Pakistani American Muslim teen who transforms into a superhero. In the comics, this happens after she comes into contact with a <a href="https://supernatural-powers.fandom.com/wiki/Terrigenesis">mist that induces genetic mutation</a>. In the show, her powers are unlocked after she puts on her grandmother’s bangle. </p>
<p>Viewers can partly credit <em>Ms. Marvel</em>’s success to the comic series’ <a href="https://elle.in/article/sana-amanat-marvel-first-muslim-superhero">co-creator and editor, Sana Amanat</a>, a Pakistani American Muslim, and its first writer, <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/g-willow-wilsons-american-heroes">G. Willow Wilson</a>, a white American convert to Islam.</p>
<p>Wilson wrote Kamala so beautifully that her struggles appealed to a large audience. As <em>The New Yorker</em> reports, Amanat and Wilson knew that as a breakthrough Muslim superhero, Ms. Marvel would face high expectations: “<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/g-willow-wilsons-american-heroes">traditional Muslims might want her to be more modest, and secular Muslims might want her to be less so</a>.” </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-stakes-are-so-high-for-the-black-panther-57612">Why the stakes are so high for the Black Panther</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Their work was also unfolding in the charged <a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814707326/arabs-and-muslims-in-the-media">post-9/11 climate when representations of Muslims</a>, while gaining some nuance, have also reiterated long-standing orientalist stereotypes — and Islamophobes framed <a href="https://theconversation.com/ukraine-war-shows-its-time-to-do-away-with-the-racist-clash-of-civilizations-theory-178297">debates that questioned the compatibility of Islam with the West</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="People dressed up and dancing." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471681/original/file-20220629-26-ofloxm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471681/original/file-20220629-26-ofloxm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471681/original/file-20220629-26-ofloxm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471681/original/file-20220629-26-ofloxm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471681/original/file-20220629-26-ofloxm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471681/original/file-20220629-26-ofloxm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471681/original/file-20220629-26-ofloxm.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kamala’s friends Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher) and Bruno (Matt Lintz) are seen dancing with her and her Auntie Ruby (Anjali Bhimani) at her brother’s wedding.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>South Asian Muslim culture</h2>
<p>In both the comic and TV series, Kamala’s representation of Islam is primarily a South Asian one. For instance, Kamala wears a South Asian <em>dupatta</em>, when praying in the mosque. And the inter-generational trauma <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/29/the-great-divide-books-dalrymple">created by Partition</a>, which led to the creation of the South Asian Muslim state, Pakistan, is a driving force in the plot. </p>
<p>Characters speckle their conversations with phrases and words in Urdu. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2022/06/09/ms-marvel-episode-1-recap-and-review-a-charming-imaginative-new-disney-plus-gem/?sh=451423b270d7">Episode 1</a> shows Kamala and her mother shopping for a ceremony that is among the most important events
in South Asian backgrounds: a wedding. The event is later shown in Episode 3.</p>
<p>The audience is treated to a fitting of Kamala’s go-to-South Asian wear in this episode, the <em>shawlaar kameeze</em>. In this scene, another major fixture in South Asian culture debuts: <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/society/whats-life-without-the-omnipresent-aunties-their-inappropriate-questions-and-spicy-gossip/article6383319.ece">The gossiping aunty</a>. South Asian music is also a regular feature on the show, and Marvel has <a href="https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/ms-marvel-every-song-featured-in-episode-1">posted links</a> to the soundtracks which include a mix of pop and desi tracks.</p>
<h2>Supporting cast: Nani and Red Dagger</h2>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A young man smiling." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=697&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=697&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=697&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=876&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=876&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471235/original/file-20220627-14-wo7ckh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=876&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Aramis Knight is cast as the Red Dagger.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I’m looking forward to the plot lines with two South Asian characters — <a href="https://tribune.com.pk/story/2361843/samina-ahmed-enters-ms-marvel-as-kamala-khans-nani">Kamala’s <em>nani</em> (maternal grandmother), played by Samina Ahmed</a>, and the Pakistani male superhero, the <a href="https://comicbook.com/marvel/news/ms-marvel-trailer-red-dagger-first-look/">Red Dagger, played by Aramis Knight</a>.</p>
<p>Red Dagger currently stars in a <a href="https://www.marvel.com/comics/issue/105500/love_unlimited_ms_marvel_red_dagger_infinity_comic_2022_1">webcomic with Ms. Marvel</a> and is important mainly because western popular media has often depicted <a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814707326/arabs-and-muslims-in-the-media/">Muslim men as oppressors of women</a>, not superheroes.</p>
<h2>Breaking the tired tropes</h2>
<p>I’m excited about Kamala’s screen debut because of what she signifies to her South Asian, Muslim and racialized female fans after a lifetime of seeing <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/great-south-asian-characters-in-recent-movies-and-television">sparse</a> or <a href="https://www.statepress.com/article/2020/09/specho-insight-western-shows-still-misrepresent-south-asian-characters">orientalist</a> representations of ourselves. </p>
<p>After watching the first two episodes, journalist Unzela Khan said she feels like her “<a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/ms-marvel-episode-2-muslim-representation">day-to-day reality (minus the superpowers) was finally being shared accurately</a> and safely with the whole world.” </p>
<p>In an audience study I conducted on <a href="https://mpcaaca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hosein-Ms-Marvel-Final-1.pdf">the Muslim superhero archetype</a> as part of my doctoral research, participants of many different Muslim backgrounds indicated an eagerness to receive Ms. Marvel.</p>
<p>Respondents expressed relief at seeing Kamala as a unique three-dimensional Muslim superhero in American comics, because she is a break from the relentless <a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814707326/arabs-and-muslims-in-the-media/">terrorist and oppressed women tropes</a> entwined with representations of Islam that have dominated the western popular culture landscape.</p>
<p>They regard her as “relatable” because she connects both to her ancestral culture and American one. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A superhero is seen extending her hand." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470857/original/file-20220624-18-8dk62k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=195%2C0%2C3638%2C1603&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/470857/original/file-20220624-18-8dk62k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470857/original/file-20220624-18-8dk62k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470857/original/file-20220624-18-8dk62k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470857/original/file-20220624-18-8dk62k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470857/original/file-20220624-18-8dk62k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/470857/original/file-20220624-18-8dk62k.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Iman Vellani stars as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios’ ‘Ms. Marvel.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marvel Studios 2022)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The South Asian Muslim participants in particular were excited for her because she not only embodies much of their customs, but because she represents a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40338912">break from the “Muslim equals Middle Eastern”</a> portrayals. Black Muslim participants voiced this last point as well.</p>
<h2>Refuge from stereotypes?</h2>
<p>While most participants in my study welcomed Ms. Marvel as a refuge from Islamophobic stereotypes, one stressed that if a Muslim superhero appeared in a story showing something that didn’t reflect Islamic principles, there would be a risk this could negatively affect the Muslim community. </p>
<p>Since the show launched, some Muslim fans were outraged by Episode 3’s revelation <a href="https://in.mashable.com/entertainment/34050/ms-marvel-makers-twisting-kamala-khans-backstory-has-left-muslim-fans-furious-heres-why">that Kamala is a djinn</a>.
According to the <em>Encyclopedia of Islam</em>, a djinn is a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_ei2glos_SIM_gi_01011">Qurʾānic term applied to bodies composed of vapour and flame</a>. Djinns are <a href="https://theconversation.com/omar-sakrs-epic-stunningly-dirty-debut-novel-challenges-macho-heterosexual-myths-of-arab-australian-culture-175640">popularly understood as supernatural beings</a>. The djinn filtered through a western orientalist lens has been a staple <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-dream-of-jeannie-left-us-with-enduring-stereotypes-119279">of orientalist “genie” depictions</a>. </p>
<p>Many have said that it was a baffling choice to draw <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qSac_1Ls8&feature=youtu.be">on orientalist tropes while making the first Muslim superhero in the MCU a djinn — and that they can’t cosplay as her now</a>. The plot turn of Kamala-as-djinn isn’t in the comics.</p>
<h2>Turning point of representation?</h2>
<p>In my audience study, a young Indian Muslim woman was excited to see Kamala take over the Ms. Marvel mantle from her blonde and <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Carol_Danvers_(Earth-616)">blue-eyed predecessor, Carol Danvers</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-further-faster-marvels-first-female-cinematic-superhero-112678">Higher, further, faster: Marvel's first female cinematic superhero</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>She said Kamala would let young, brown and dark-skinned girls know that they too were special after a lifetime of not seeing themselves represented in western popular media.</p>
<p>The Pakistani American Muslim illustrator, Anoosha Syed, recently tweeted about this in response to questions on Kamala’s identity, writing: “Seeing a lot of people online … angrily commenting ‘who is this show even for??’ Hi! Hello! It’s for me!!! ME!!!! A Pakistani Muslim girl who has literally never seen herself represented in media like this before!!”</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1534566804206637057"}"></div></p>
<p>With the <em>Ms. Marvel</em> series currently clocking in at a <a href="https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/ms_marvel">96 per cent positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes</a>,
I question whether we are on the cusp of a turning point for Muslim representation in the West — especially for South Asian and Muslim girls. </p>
<p>In the past, some dressed up as <a href="https://browngirlmagazine.com/disney-aladdin-american-orientalism/">the orientalist Disney character</a>, Princess Jasmine, for Halloween. With Ms. Marvel and other superheroines, girls are gaining heroines to choose from.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184613/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Safiyya Hosein received funding from the RBC Immigrant, Diversity, and Inclusion Project Award at Toronto Metropolitan University to conduct her audience study. </span></em></p>
Ms. Marvel represents a break from the ‘Muslim equals Middle Eastern’ portrayals popular in western media.
Safiyya Hosein, Part-time lecturer, Communication and Culture, Toronto Metropolitan University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/180634
2022-04-07T14:10:52Z
2022-04-07T14:10:52Z
Five exciting additions to Marvel’s cinematic universes – according to a comics expert
<p>Two new Marvel heroes have been brought to the big and small screens that may be quite new to many people. The first is the titular character in the Disney+ series <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10234724/">Moon Knight, starring Oscar Isaac</a>, which is set in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. The other is <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5108870/">Morbius</a>, an unlucky vampiric doctor, played by Jared Leto, who is the newest villain-turned-good-ish guy in <a href="https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a39583017/sony-spider-man-universe-timeline-venom-morbius/">the Sony Spider-Man Universe</a> to get a film, after Venom. </p>
<p>These are stories featuring violent male anti-heroes – who are also characters fairly unknown to the general public. When the first Venom was released, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/why-venom-is-dividing-movie-audiences-1149713/">The Hollywood Reporter</a> noted: “The MCU makes it easy to be a Marvel fan without having ever read the source material”.</p>
<p>Morbius has not fared so well, bringing in the lowest box office numbers compared to its Spider-Man counterparts. Critics suggest that this might be due to the character’s “<a href="https://qz.com/2150556/morbius-logged-the-lowest-box-office-in-the-spider-man-universe/">relative obscurity</a>”. On the other hand, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/mar/30/moon-knight-review-oscar-isaac-is-a-crime-fighting-frank-spencer">Moon Knight has garnered good reviews</a>.</p>
<p>Like it or not, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding and there are a whole host of new heroes making their way from the more obscure corners of the comic universe onto the screen. Here are five such characters who will be headlining new films and TV series as part of numerous forthcoming Marvel projects, from <a href="https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a834277/marvel-phase-4-mcu-movies-tv-shows/">Disney’s Marvel Studios</a>, and <a href="https://spiderman-films.fandom.com/wiki/Sony%27s_Spider-Man_Universe">Sony</a>.</p>
<h2>1. Ms Marvel</h2>
<p>The world’s first female, teen, Muslim superhero, Ms Marvel received a lot of praise when she made her debut in 2013 in a <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Kamala_Khan_(Earth-616)">Captain marvel comic</a>. Critics praised the character as a <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2022/03/16/ms-marvel-trailer-muslim-women-crying-over-superhero-representation-16287152/">positive representation of a young Pakistani American woman who is also Muslim</a>. This outing was so successful, the teen got her own comic the following year. She will also officially be joining Marvel’s Cinematic Universe in June 2022 with her own series on Disney+. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/m9EX0f6V11Y?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The series revolves around a young woman called Kamala Khan, who is a huge fan of superheroes. When she mysteriously gets powers, Khan is inspired by Captain Marvel to become a hero herself. Ms Marvel will be appearing alongside Captain Marvel and <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Monica_Rambeau">Photon</a> in the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10676048">2023 film The Marvels</a>.</p>
<h2>2. She-Hulk</h2>
<p>In the comics, lawyer Jennifer Walters receives a blood transfusion from her cousin Bruce Banner after she’s shot by a mobster. Afterwards, <a href="https://www.marvel.com/characters/she-hulk-jennifer-walters/in-comics">she also turns green when angry</a>. First appearing in 1980, and <a href="https://therealstanlee.com/comics/stan-lee-trivia-the-savage-she-hulk/">one of the last characters created by Marvel impresario Stan Lee</a>, She-Hulk comics often lean towards <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/SensationalSheHulk">comedy, with characters breaking the fourth wall</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PFpT5ZkuLlo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>While the Guardians of the Galaxy films are <a href="https://screenrant.com/guardians-galaxy-most-hilarious-moments-mcu/">more comedic than their stablemates</a>, and the two Deadpool movies were <a href="https://www.cbr.com/deadpool-most-hilariously-raunchy-jokes-fans-missed/">black comedies</a>, this is the first Marvel Cinematic Universe project to overtly use this genre. So, like <a href="https://collider.com/wandavision-tv-tropes-sitcom-references-explained/">WandaVision which used the sitcom format</a> as a jumping off point, this is an interesting experiment for the Marvel brand. The She-Hulk show, set for release in late 2022, is expected to <a href="https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/1210891-she-hulk-director-comedy-mcu">have audiences laughing more than any hero before her</a>. </p>
<h2>3. Werewolf by Night</h2>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="Comic cover of a man standing in front of a werewolf." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456856/original/file-20220407-11-cuzh19.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456856/original/file-20220407-11-cuzh19.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456856/original/file-20220407-11-cuzh19.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456856/original/file-20220407-11-cuzh19.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=911&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456856/original/file-20220407-11-cuzh19.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1144&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456856/original/file-20220407-11-cuzh19.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1144&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456856/original/file-20220407-11-cuzh19.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1144&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Werewolf by Night will be MCU’s first horror outing.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Following the cinema release of <a href="https://www.distractify.com/p/is-doctor-strange-2-a-horror-movie">Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness</a>, this will be the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first horror themed TV show. Featuring the somewhat prosaically named <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Jack_Russell_(Earth-616)">Jack Russell</a>, Werewolf by Night ran for four years in the 1970s, following a relaxation on <a href="http://cbldf.org/comics-code-revision-of-1971/">censorship of horror comics</a>, which allowed for the creation of Marvel’s vampire characters <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Eric_Brooks_(Earth-616)">Blade</a> and <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Michael_Morbius_(Earth-616)">Morbius</a> in the first half of the decade. </p>
<p>A sometimes-friendly lycanthrope, Russell joined up with other Marvel horror characters to form <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Legion_of_Monsters_(Earth-616)">the Legion of Monsters</a> appearing in <a href="https://comicvine.gamespot.com/legion-of-monsters/4060-46227/">various comics on and off since 1976</a> to fight evil. The TV version, set for release in October 2022, will also feature this helpful werewolf, played by <a href="https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/gael-garcia-bernal-to-lead-marvels-halloween-special-werewolf-by-night/">Gael Garcia Bernal</a>. </p>
<h2>4. Kraven the Hunter</h2>
<p>Kraven is the orphaned son of Russian aristocrats with a penchant for hunting big game. While hunting in Africa, he ends up drinking a potion that gives him superhuman strength, speed and the instincts of a jungle cat. Bored of hunting animals he sets his sights on larger prey, Spider-Man.</p>
<p>Kraven first appeared in comics as <a href="https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/who-is-kraven-the-hunter">Spider-Man’s foe in 1964</a>. The maniacal hunter will be the <a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/aaron-taylor-johnson-kraven-the-hunter-1234982555/">third villain to lead a live-action Spider-Verse film</a>. However, unlike Venom and Morbius before him, Kraven is not known in the comics for performing good deeds, so it will be an interesting challenge for Marvel to make an anti-hero of the artistocrat. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Cartoon of a hunter." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456858/original/file-20220407-21-vtn8z2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456858/original/file-20220407-21-vtn8z2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456858/original/file-20220407-21-vtn8z2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456858/original/file-20220407-21-vtn8z2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456858/original/file-20220407-21-vtn8z2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456858/original/file-20220407-21-vtn8z2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456858/original/file-20220407-21-vtn8z2.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=474&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kraven The Hunter is not a nice guy in the comics but is set to be an anti-hero in his first outing in the Spider-Man Sony universe.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Kraven rarely appears without Spider-Man in the comics so Sony have set themselves a challenge to flesh out the hunter in a film where his nemesis doesn’t appear. Kraven will be played by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8790086/">Aaron-Taylor Johnson</a>, who is no stranger to a tight suit, having previously played the low-rent superhero <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1250777/">Kick Ass</a> in two films.</p>
<h2>5. Silk</h2>
<p>The first Spider-Man Sony universe TV show will feature Cindy Moon, a female student bitten by the same radioactive spider that gave Spider-Man his abilities. However, unlike Peter Parker who was left to swing around New York and discover his new powers, Moon was <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Cindy_Moon_(Earth-616)">kidnapped and held in a bunker for 13 years</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="A woman suspended in a spider's web." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456859/original/file-20220407-26-t014q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456859/original/file-20220407-26-t014q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456859/original/file-20220407-26-t014q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456859/original/file-20220407-26-t014q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456859/original/file-20220407-26-t014q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456859/original/file-20220407-26-t014q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456859/original/file-20220407-26-t014q3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Silk was turned by the same spider as Spider-Man.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_(comics)#/media/File:Silk-comic_cover.jpg">Marvel/Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With Sony’s films only apparently allowing for Spider-Man to be <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/venom-post-credit-scene-spiderman-marvel-b1939566.html">shown</a> or <a href="https://www.indiewire.com/2022/04/morbius-post-credits-scenes-what-they-are-1234712844">discussed</a> in their end credit scenes, it will be interesting to see how Silk deals with the heroine’s creation without any mention of Spidey – unless given permission by Disney to do so. There has been speculation that <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2022/01/11/how-sony-rehabilitated-their-spider-man-franchise-at-marvel-and-disney-expense">Sony may revive Andrew Garfield’s incarnation of the character</a> in the future, so time will tell how Silk proceeds.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180634/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alex Fitch receives funding from UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training, Design Star. </span></em></p>
The Marvel universe is expanding with new heroes in new films and shows that break new boundaries and tackle new genres.
Alex Fitch, Lecturer and PhD Candidate in Comics and Architecture, University of Brighton
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/161072
2021-09-06T12:04:37Z
2021-09-06T12:04:37Z
‘Habib’ spoof trailer uses pita bread weaponry in comedy arsenal to combat Arab stereotypes
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416635/original/file-20210817-18-1ee8od3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C14%2C732%2C401&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Toronto-based comedy duo 'Wishful Genies' is behind spoof superhero trailer 'Habib,' which has had over 80,000 YouTube views since its March upload. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Wishful Genies)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a researcher of Muslim superheroes, I’ve learned about the many ways Islamophobia manifests. Because Islam is racialized in the west, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/arab-christian-murdered-by-neighbor-saved-others-as-he-died-family-says">Arab Christians</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/world/asia/kansas-attack-possible-hate-crime-srinivas-kuchibhotla.html">Hindus</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/06/wisconsin-temple-shooting-sikh-scapegoats">Sikhs</a> have been implicated in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/18/us/politics/hate-crimes-american-muslims-rise.html">Islamophobic political discourses</a>, making them victims of Islamophobia. </p>
<p>Many of these issues can be traced back to a strange convergence of stereotypes that became heightened after 9/11. <a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/combating-post-911-discriminatory-backlash-6">Immediately following 9/11</a>, but also in the years since, there has been a <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2020/09/10020913/islamophobia-after-911-september-11-hate-crimes">backlash that has negatively and urgently affected</a> Muslim, Arab and brown communities.</p>
<p>This is especially concerning for many people in Canada amid recent hate crimes, such as the <a href="https://theconversation.com/london-terror-attack-canadians-have-become-desensitized-to-violence-against-muslims-162392">terror attack against a Muslim family in London, Ont.</a></p>
<p>The number of police-reported hate crimes in Canada increased by <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/statistics-canada-2017-hate-crime-numbers-1.4925399">47 per cent to 2,073 incidents in 2017, which included the attack on the Québec City mosque where six Muslim men were killed</a>. While the number of incidents remained comparable in 2018, there was a <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00002-eng.htm">10 per cent increase in police reported hate crimes motivated by hatred of a race or ethnicity from 2018 to 2019, most targeting Arab or West Asian and Black people</a>.</p>
<p>There continues to be an urgent need to combat Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism. In July 2021, the Canadian government convened <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2021/07/the-government-of-canada-concludes-national-summit-on-islamophobia.html">a national summit on Islamophobia</a>, and commissioned eight anti-racism projects. This included providing $184,000 in funding to the Canadian Arab Institute to combat anti-Arab racism with “<a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2021/07/backgrounder-government-of-canada-announces-funding-for-anti-racism-projects-tackling-islamophobia.html">myth-busting videos and shows</a>.”</p>
<h2>Popular culture and Arab talent</h2>
<p>When we consider the <a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814707326/arabs-and-muslims-in-the-media/">portrayal of Arabs and Muslims in popular culture</a>, it should be no surprise that members of these groups in post-9/11 North America have turned to creative approaches to help change the narrative. </p>
<p>One recent example is a mock trailer for a fictional superhero film project called <em>Habib</em>, by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/wishfulgenies">Wishful Genies</a>. The Toronto-based comedy duo consists of writer, actor and comedian <a href="https://robmichaels.ca/">Rob Michaels</a> and comedian and actor <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9377851/">Fady Ghali</a>. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AjhMy2UR55g?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Habib’ spoof trailer.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The <em>Habib</em> trailer playfully contests long-held stereotypes of Arabs, which in turn makes a powerful statement on anti-Arab racism. The trailer has had over 80,000 views on YouTube since its upload in March and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@wishfulgenies?lang=en">Wishful Genies also has a popular Tik Tok account</a>. </p>
<p>Michaels and Ghali grew tired of “<a href="https://www.cbc.ca/comedy/have-you-heard-of-marvel-s-newest-middle-eastern-superhero-1.5956592">orientalist</a>” <a href="https://www.interlinkbooks.com/product/reel-bad-arabs/">representations</a> of <a href="https://as.nyu.edu/content/nyu-as/as/research-centers/neareaststudies/special-initiatives/a-is-for-arab.html">Arabs in popular culture</a>. </p>
<p>Michaels, <a href="https://blcklst.com/profile/robert-michaels">who is Iraqi-Canadian</a>, admitted that when he wrote the script he based a lot of it on his life growing up, including random security checks he experienced.</p>
<p>Both Ghali and Michaels are Christian, and Michaels mentioned how people are often surprised by that fact. Non-Arabs in the west frequently assume that Arabs are Muslim and vice versa, when in fact <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/questions/types/index.html">fewer than 15 per cent of Muslims globally are Arabs</a> and <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST?locations=1A&view=chart">the Arab world</a> <a href="https://www.milligazette.com/news/6666-the-arab-world-an-arab-perspective">is diverse</a> with different dialects, religions, cultures and customs.</p>
<h2>Unsettling villainous depictions</h2>
<p>Arabs have long endured demeaning representations as Hollywood’s go-to villains as seen in films like <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0160797/">Rules of Engagement</a></em> (2000) and <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111503/">True Lies</a></em> (1994). Such depictions became more commonplace in <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qfv0k">post-9/11 cinematic representations</a> like the 2014-16 television show <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2568204/"><em>Tyrant</em></a> and films like <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/">The Hurt Locker</a></em> (2008) and <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2179136/">American Sniper</a></em> (2014). </p>
<p>The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee documented “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-30972690">hundreds of violent messages targeting Arab and Muslim Americans</a>” from people who had seen the film <em>American Sniper</em> on social media. </p>
<p>Ghali and Michaels may be seen alongside a wave of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/salma.hindy/">other Arab and</a> <a href="https://medium.com/muslim-women-speak/huda-fahmys-story-about-hijabis-in-comics-e13e8b5b3128">Muslim creators</a> in the west who use comedy and satire genres to engage stereotypes and expose social ills. In the tradition of stand-up comedy <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/satire-and-comedy-arab-world">or satire</a>, they use those <a href="https://www.lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-comedian-in-pain">apparently light-hearted</a> genres to comment on, destabilize and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1515/humor-2015-0125">challenge mainstream</a> views.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/COBAAibAQ_q","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<h2>Superhero needs back-up plan</h2>
<p>What makes <em>Habib</em> work is its use of satire to contest racist views of Arabs. Habib appears to be a mash-up of Arab stereotypes: his costume, for instance, includes a <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/palestine-keffiyeh-resistance-traditional-headdress">keffiyeh</a> <a href="http://www.historyofhats.net/hat-history/fez-hat/">and fez</a>, which have different cultural and geographical connotations. </p>
<p>The trailer starts off with Habib fighting off a bad guy with pita bread and a sword. What proceeds are comic scenes <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qlUH3hmvUc">with shisha</a>, clueless S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and overbearing immigrant parents. </p>
<p>When Habib reveals his superhero identity to his family, his father rebukes him by telling him that he still needs to get a real job, “in case this superhero thing doesn’t work out.”</p>
<p>Most tellingly, when the Arab supervillain Wahish arrives on the scene, people start screaming, “He’ll blow himself up!” Wahish retorts in frustration: “I’m a supervillain! Not a terrorist!”</p>
<p>When I asked Michaels about that line, he stated, “I felt that was appropriate commentary to have him immediately labelled a terrorist just because he’s Arab, regardless of what he does. White people get the luxury of being supervillains, but in the media, Arab equals terrorist.”</p>
<h2>Making fun of orientalist tropes</h2>
<p>Arab creators are also relying on comedic effect in their depiction of superheroes. After seeing the <em>Habib</em> trailer, I couldn’t help but draw a parallel to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/03/entertainment/marvel-amulet-lebanese-superhero-trnd/index.html">Marvel’s new Arab-American superhero, Amulet</a>, who was introduced last year in <em>The Magnificent Ms. Marvel</em> series. Comics produced in the west have historically generated Arab villains <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Ra%27s_al_Ghul">like Batman’s nemesis Ra’s Al-Ghul</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/marvels-first-on-screen-muslim-superhero-kamala-khan-ms-marvels-alter-ego-inspires-big-hopes-148200">Marvel’s first on-screen Muslim superhero — Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel's alter-ego — inspires big hopes</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In the issue that introduced Amulet (No. 13), the Arab-American writer Saladin Ahmed <a href="https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/meet-amulet-the-newest-super-hero-coming-to-ms-marvel-13-in-march-2020">chose to include a laugh-out-loud scene with an Arab fortune teller dressed like a bellydancer</a>.</p>
<p>In the case of Habib and Amulet, the focus is on Arab identity and not on the character’s religion. </p>
<p>Michael hopes <em>Habib</em> will further challenge generalizations about the Arab world and stereotypes propagated in popular culture if it ever makes it to film. When we consider how widespread those stereotypes are, and the urgent need to interrupt Islamophobic and anti-Arab racism and its harms, it feels like our world is due for a superhero-sized film like this.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161072/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Safiyya Hosein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Twenty years after 9/11, in a climate of anti-Arab and anti-Muslim racist backlash, two comedians use satire to help change the stories we tell.
Safiyya Hosein, PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture, Toronto Metropolitan University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/163629
2021-07-12T12:29:31Z
2021-07-12T12:29:31Z
How Latin America’s protest superheroes fight injustice and climate change – and sometimes crime, too
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410644/original/file-20210709-13-1a9nnzj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=110%2C0%2C820%2C390&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">An Argentine justice crusader who calls himself Menganno has been patrolling the streets of the city of Lanus since 2010. Netflix has now picked up his character.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS21WlJupSs">Netflix Latinoamérica (screenshot)</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Not all heroes wear capes. In Latin America, some real-life icons wear Mexican wrestling masks or arm themselves with shields and herbicide to lead demonstrations and strong-arm government officials into protecting the people. </p>
<p>These superheroes aren’t <a href="https://www.marvel.com/characters/iron-man-tony-stark">traumatized billionaires</a> like Ironman or <a href="https://www.dccomics.com/characters/superman">aliens with modest alter egos</a> like Superman. They are regular people from Mexico, Argentina and beyond who, with outlandish costumes – and, sometimes, social media accounts – galvanize their communities to defend themselves against everything from police brutality to corporate greed. </p>
<p>Mass demonstrations in the United States have yet to spawn this kind of real-life superhero. But as <a href="https://vt.academia.edu/VinodhVenkatesh/CurriculumVitae">my research on Latin American cultural studies and history</a> demonstrates, common citizens there regularly don outlandish outfits and adopt comic book-inspired personas to promote social change.</p>
<h2>Mexico’s Superbarrio</h2>
<p>Perhaps the best-known character of this sort is Mexico’s Superbarrio, who in the late 1980s <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/superbarrio-the-peoples-superhero/">advocated for housing reform</a> in Mexico City. The character was created by Marco Rascón, a social activist and <a href="https://www.infobae.com/america/mexico/2021/02/10/marco-rascon-sera-candidato-a-la-alcaldia-cuauhtemoc-por-movimiento-ciudadano/">occasional political candidate</a>, who never actually wore the mask but who coordinated the character’s public appearances. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man holding a soccer ball stands next to a man wearing a red full-face mask with a cape and an 'SB' emblem on his shirt." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409376/original/file-20210701-25-l6co8w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Superbarrio, seen here in 1998, was an early real-life Mexican superhero who became popular across Latin America.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/mexican-superbarrio-gomez-and-a-french-unemployed-pose-for-news-photo/1193446923">Eric Cabanis/AFP via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In addition to organizing rallies for affordable housing and tenant protection programs, <a href="https://elpais.com/internacional/2018/02/27/mexico/1519752156_150172.html">Superbarrio routinely met with politicians and housing officials</a> as an advocate for the needs of the city’s poor, many of whom were rural migrants who came to the capital during Mexico’s <a href="https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190699192.001.0001/oxfordhb-9780190699192-e-32">mid-20th-century boom years</a>. </p>
<p>In the 1990s, Superbarrio supported the Zapatistas – an Indigenous protest movement based in the southern state of Chiapas – in their grassroots challenge of the Mexican government and global capitalism. </p>
<p>The costume Rascón helped design for Superbarrio combined some elements of Mexican masked wrestlers like El Santo – a justice-seeking “luchador” who became a folk hero and movie character – with others recalling El Chapulín Colorado, perhaps the Spanish-speaking world’s best-known superhero. Superbarrio combined these influences with the stylized “S” chest <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Superbarrio.jpg">emblem of Superman</a>.</p>
<p>Superbarrio inspired <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/books/book/1333/The-World-of-Lucha-LibreSecrets-Revelations-and">other real-life superhero protesters in Mexico</a>, including the environmental activist Ecologista Universal and the LGBTQ rights advocate Super Gay.</p>
<h2>Newer figures join in</h2>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/113329391" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A video showcases Menganno.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>More citizen-superheroes have since emerged in other Latin American countries.</p>
<p>One is <a href="https://www.npr.org/transcripts/519414187">Menganno</a>, a middle-aged Argentine crime fighter who patrols the streets of the city of Lanús on a motorbike, dressed in a full costume with mask and shield. Menganno alerts authorities and city residents whenever he comes upon petty crime, from robberies to drug deals. He also helps aid agencies in identifying people who need food or shelter. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.clarin.com/zonales/superheroe-conurbano-llega-cine-filman-pelicula-capitan-menganno-puma-goity-protagonista_0_ry0sadL3z.html">2018 Menganno movie</a> has languished in post-production due to the COVID-19 crisis, but Netflix Latin America may be picking <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qS21WlJupSs">up his story</a>. </p>
<p>Like Menganno, the Honduran masked figure Súper H – born Elmer Ramos – informs his neighbors about such issues as <a href="https://www.radiohouse.hn/2016/07/11/super-h-el-superheroe-sampedrano-que-esta-cambiando-honduras/">homelessness, gang violence and corruption</a>. He has plenty of problems to identify: Súper H works in <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2013/03/27/world/americas/honduras-murder-capital/index.html">San Pedro Sula</a> – once infamously known as the murder capital of the world. </p>
<p>Active on social media and in the streets since 2016, Super H wears a Mexican-style luchador mask and the jersey of the Honduran national soccer team. </p>
<p>Increasing pesticide use is one of his targets. Another is Honduras’ semi-authoritarian president, Juan Orlando Hernández. Several Hernández administration officials have been convicted in U.S. courts for drug trafficking; in their trials Hernández himself was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/23/world/americas/honduras-juan-orlando-hernandez-drug-trial.html">accused of participating in those operations</a>.</p>
<h2>Chilean characters</h2>
<p>Back in South America, Chile has seen several iconic figures arise from <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50191746">recent national protests there</a> against a <a href="https://theconversation.com/chile-puts-its-constitution-on-the-ballot-after-year-of-civil-unrest-147832">public transit fare hike and a starkly unequal economy</a>.</p>
<p>Some of them are accidental heroes, like <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-chile-protests-heroes/looking-for-a-hero-shirtless-chilean-protester-police-hating-dog-rise-to-fame-idUKKBN1XH2S3">Pareman</a> or “Stopman” – a protester who was captured by journalists holding a stop sign while being hosed down by the police in October 2019.</p>
<p>Other notable homegrown Chilean protest heroes include the <a href="https://www.ecuadortimes.net/the-story-of-the-ecuadorian-spiderman-that-reached-the-heart-of-the-chilean-people/">Stupid and Sensual Spiderman</a>, a street performer in a Spiderman costume who twerks in front of police while chanting protest slogans, and a climate activist dressed as <a href="https://elcomercio.pe/mundo/latinoamerica/protestas-en-chile-la-primera-linea-heroes-o-vandalos-de-la-dura-batalla-urbana-en-chile-sebastian-pinera-noticia/">Mexico’s Chapulín Colorado</a> but armed with a gas mask and a sprayer of Round-Up herbicide.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/B5LgFj0h9uH","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Chile’s modern-day protest heroes follow in the footsteps of <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-chilean-dog-ended-up-as-a-face-of-the-new-york-city-subway-protests-129167">Negro Matapacos</a>, a street dog wearing a red bandanna who electrified protesters almost a decade ago. Though he died in 2017, Negro Matapacos is still depicted as a sort of super sidekick in Chilean graffiti and print.</p>
<h2>Capitán Colombia</h2>
<p>Dressed in black gym clothes, ski goggles and a gas mask, Capitán Colombia is a visible figure on the front lines of his country’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-colombians-are-taking-to-the-streets-to-protest-state-violence-161963">ongoing protests</a> against political corruption, economic difficulties and <a href="https://www.axios.com/colombia-lawmakers-health-care-protesters-a7b52d3c-01ce-4ad4-85f4-49331eca1b76.html">health care privatization</a>. </p>
<p>Capitán Colombia, who carries a tri-colored shield in the colors of the Colombian flag, adorned with a drawn heart, is a comic book-like muscular superhero. His toned arms and expansive chest are an exception to generally rounded physiques of Latin America’s other real-life icons.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A muscular man in a gas mask, ski goggles, and a tank top, holding a metal shield painted like the Colombian flag" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/409375/original/file-20210701-25-1f7foev.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Capitán Colombia has a comic book hero’s physique and an activist’s social critique.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://twitter.com/capitncolombia?lang=en">Capitan Colombia via Twitter</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Like his Latin American peers, though, Capitán Colombia has no actual superpower. Still, his participation in marches draws local and international attention to the demands of his fellow protesters. So does his <a href="https://www.instagram.com/capitancolombia.oficial/?hl=en">Instagram account</a>, which has 11,000 followers.</p>
<p>[<em>Understand new developments in science, health and technology, each week.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/science-editors-picks-71/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=science-understand">Subscribe to The Conversation’s science newsletter</a>.]</p>
<h2>An all-male cast</h2>
<p>While Latin America’s mass demonstrations draw all genders – and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/06/chile-womens-day-protest">some are women-led</a> – nearly all its citizen-superhero protesters are male. In Chile, <a href="https://elpais.com/sociedad/2020-03-07/cubrirse-el-rostro-para-ser-legion-el-icono-de-la-lucha-feminista-en-chile.html">women activists have donned creative masks and outfits</a>, sometimes going topless at protests against gender violence and police abuse. They have not, however, adopted a superhero persona.</p>
<p>The all-male street superhero cast may reflect Latin America’s broader issues with gender inequity, and it mirrors the sparsity of women superheroes in both Latin American and U.S. comic franchises. Only recently have Marvel and DC put out <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2020/12/13/box-office-how-hollywood-sets-female-led-superhero-movies-like-wonder-woman-supergirl-catwoman-and-elektra-up-to-fail/?sh=37ad5d617fac">female-led films</a>. </p>
<p>In Mexico – which has seen several recent <a href="https://theconversation.com/mexican-women-are-angry-about-rape-murder-and-government-neglect-and-they-want-the-world-to-know-122156">feminist uprisings against rape and other forms of gender violence</a> – the government recently created a coronavirus-fighting superheroine named <a href="https://coronavirus.gob.mx/susana-distancia/">Susana Distancia</a>. Perhaps officials consciously sought to add a female-identified character into the mix of national superheroes. But their choice may have to do more with the rhyme of “distancia” – distance, as in social distancing.</p>
<p>Latin America’s activist superheroes skip the big screen to fight not aliens or supervillains but real world injustices. Might gender equality be a future target?</p>
<p><em>This story has been updated to correct an error, introduced during editing, about the Mexican state in which the Zapatista movement originated.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/163629/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Vinodh Venkatesh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
In Latin America, common citizens have often donned outlandish outfits and comic book-inspired personas to lead demonstrations and promote social change.
Vinodh Venkatesh, Professor of Hispanic Studies, Virginia Tech
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/160917
2021-05-31T04:13:40Z
2021-05-31T04:13:40Z
‘I didn’t have a superhero that looked like me’: Marvel’s new female, culturally diverse and queer protagonists mirror our times
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402802/original/file-20210526-21-1nkmgmb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=19%2C4%2C1657%2C1319&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Simu Liu plays the title character in the upcoming film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel/Disney</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last week, the trailer dropped for what will be the 26th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise: Eternals, directed by Chloé Zhao. Opening with a dreamy, misty shoreline, we hear Skeeter Davis’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSTHOqO6A7Q">The End of the World</a>. An ominous spaceship appears over the ocean, and the Eternals begin to prepare for the impending battle. </p>
<p>This year, Zhao was only the second woman (and first woman of colour) to win <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a36221619/chloe-zhao-best-director-oscars-win-history-first-woman-of-color/">Best Director at the Academy Awards</a>: a reminder of Hollywood’s entrenched gender and race biases. The cinematic world of Marvel, which began with Iron Man in 2008, has been similarly male and white.</p>
<p>Of the 23 Marvel films released so far, just one has been directed by a woman (Anna Boden, who co-directed Captain Marvel with Ryan Fleck) and two by people of colour (Ryan Coogler for Black Panther, and Taika Waititi for Thor: Ragnarok).</p>
<p>But things are changing.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pWfjJ6bOy7w?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>In July, Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) — one of the original Avengers — will finally get her own film in Black Widow, directed by Australian Cate Shortland.</p>
<p>In September, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will showcase a predominantly Asian cast, where superhero Shang-Chi (Simu Liu in the character’s film debut) encounters the terrorist group Ten Rings.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/oscar-winners-how-the-pandemic-led-to-a-record-breaking-year-of-diversity-159102">Oscar winners: how the pandemic led to a record-breaking year of diversity</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Zhao’s Eternals, to be released in November, will see an immortal alien race forced out of hiding after thousands of years in a quest to save humanity. Starring a multicultural, ensemble cast including Gemma Chan, Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie, Eternals will feature Marvel’s first openly queer superhero — Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) — and deaf superhero — Makkari (Lauren Ridloff).</p>
<p>Asian American <a href="https://observer.com/2019/09/marvel-shang-chi-details-destin-daniel-cretton-tiff-interview/">Cretton has said</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Growing up, I didn’t have a superhero that looked like me and it’s really exciting to give a new generation something I did not have.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Owned by Disney, Marvel Studios is an entertainment giant, which has grossed over <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/31/the-13-highest-grossing-film-franchises-at-the-box-office.html">US$22.5 billion</a> (A$29 billion) at the global box office. Its investment in more diverse stories, characters and directors is clever marketing. But it is also an indication of the dynamic relationship between one of the world’s biggest film franchises and its fan base, and how they both sit within the broader culture.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QdpxoFcdORI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Marvel, like all film studios, has found itself creating popular culture during a period of great social and political upheaval. Global movements such as #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter and #StopAsianHate have been a clarion call for social justice. </p>
<p>These movements have exposed and challenged discrimination and violence against marginalised groups, including exclusion from representation on screen and behind the scenes. </p>
<p>Pressure from #MeToo activists has seen <a href="https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/has-metoo-changed-how-hollywood-hires">Hollywood hire more female filmmakers</a> since 2018. In the wake of #BlackLivesMatter’s growth in 2014 came #OscarsSoWhite in 2015, a movement which led to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/06/movies/oscarssowhite-history.html">remarkable change</a> in the diversity of filmmakers — and the recognition they received.</p>
<h2>Knowing their audience</h2>
<p>2018’s <a href="https://time.com/black-panther/">Black Panther</a> broke new ground with its all Black lead cast and Coogler as the franchise’s first African American director. Making US$1.34 billion (A$1.72 billion) at the box office, it is the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbean/2020/04/24/all-23-marvel-cinematic-universe-films-ranked-at-the-box-office-including-black-widow/?sh=23494e21494e">second highest grossing</a> Marvel film in the US.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-i-marvelled-at-black-panthers-reimagining-of-africa-91703">How I marvelled at Black Panther’s reimagining of Africa</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>2019’s <a href="https://www.antithesisjournal.com.au/blog/2019/4/18/feminism-as-a-super-power-why-captain-marvel-is-the-ultimate-female-superhero">Captain Marvel</a>, the franchise’s first standalone female superhero film, with its first female director, made US$1.13 billion (A$1.45 billion) at the box office.</p>
<p>This year we had a <a href="https://tv.avclub.com/what-does-it-mean-for-a-black-man-to-be-captain-america-1846744340">Black Captain America</a> for the first time in the Disney+ spin-off series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Directed by Kari Skogland, the series was the streaming service’s <a href="https://screenrant.com/falcon-winter-soldier-series-premiere-views-disney-plus/">most watched premiere ever</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IWBsDaFWyTE?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>This casting, and the story the series told about race, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-reckons-with-an-american-burden-4167996/">resonated with viewers</a> who were frustrated and angry at the criminalisation and disempowerment of Black men playing out time and again in the news media. </p>
<p>This is not to suggest Marvel is radically undoing the biases of society and the film industry, smashing stereotypes shored up by centuries of <a href="https://slate.com/culture/2019/04/avengers-endgame-female-representation-black-widow.html">patriarchal</a> or <a href="https://variety.com/2021/film/news/doctor-strange-whitewash-tilda-swinton-kevin-feige-1234977525/">colonial domination</a>. That would be an insurmountable challenge even for the Avengers. </p>
<p>Rather, Marvel’s increasingly liberal steps stem from an understanding of the power of the people. The franchise’s continued success depends on remaining culturally relevant and, crucially, not underestimating what its audiences want — and who its audiences are. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/giWIr7U1deA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>Familiar tropes of Asian-ness will appear in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Shang-Chi’s powers are, of course, martial arts skills). But by handing over the keys to Cretton and his culturally diverse creative team, we can expect Marvel’s first standalone Asian superhero film to be a nuanced, multifaceted depiction of Asian cultures and identities not seen before in the genre.</p>
<p>As an immigrant female director and Marvel enthusiast, Zhao perhaps epitomises the future — and logical endpoint — of Marvel’s quest for inclusion and diversity. </p>
<p>“I’m not just making [Eternals] as a director,” <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/director-chloe-zhao-arrives-with-hot-oscar-contender-nomadland-and-next-years-eternals-4053382/">she said</a>. “I’m making the film as a fan.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/160917/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christina Lee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is becoming increasingly diverse, on and off screen. The franchise’s continued success depends on remaining culturally relevant.
Christina Lee, Senior Lecturer in Literary and Cultural Studies, Curtin University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/161064
2021-05-27T12:06:08Z
2021-05-27T12:06:08Z
‘WandaVision’ echoes myths of Isis, Orpheus and Kisa Gotami to explain how grief and love persevere
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402879/original/file-20210526-15-v4yroz.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3834%2C2155&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">What is Marvel if not mythology persevering?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://dmedmedia.disney.com/disney-plus/wandavision/images">WandaVision Images/Disney Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>During a flashback scene in Marvel’s Disney Plus show “<a href="https://www.disneyplus.com/series/wandavision/4SrN28ZjDLwH">WandaVision</a>,” the <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Vision">superpowered android Vision</a> comforts his wife, Wanda Maximoff, after the death of her twin brother. “But what is grief,” he tells her, “if not love persevering?” </p>
<p>The line has become famous among Marvel fans and inspired <a href="https://junkee.com/wandavision-vision-grief-meme/289488">an internet meme</a>. But it also neatly summarizes the events of the show. Later, distraught over Vision’s death after battling the <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Thanos_(Earth-616)">villain Thanos</a>, Wanda uses her magic powers to bring a version of him back to life. He becomes her husband in a sitcom fantasy world of her own creation. In order to establish this dream world, Wanda pulls an entire town of people into her magic bubble to play roles of her choosing.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://variety.com/vip/wandavision-audience-bigger-than-netflixs-bridgerton-in-january-data-suggests-1234913691/">success of “WandaVision”</a> continues <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/31/the-13-highest-grossing-film-franchises-at-the-box-office.html">Marvel’s impressive record</a>. But besides extending the studio’s string of box office hits into television, “WandaVision” also continues another familiar pattern from Marvel: echoing much older stories from world mythologies.</p>
<h2>Marvel and mythology</h2>
<p>As I show in my recent book, “<a href="https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/religion-and-myth-in-the-marvel-cinematic-universe/">Religion and Myth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe</a>,” examples of that pattern are not hard to find. </p>
<p>The origin stories where Marvel heroes discover their powers often resemble initiation rituals found around the world. In those rituals, the hero often dies – literally or symbolically – and achieves a new status upon coming back to life.</p>
<p>For instance, it shows up frequently in stories of shamans from around the globe, where individuals grow very sick or even briefly die, then return with supernatural powers. Similarly, Iron Man, Thor, Captain America and Black Panther all gain their powers after near-death experiences.</p>
<p>In some cases, as when the Avengers battle one another – such as in 2016’s “<a href="https://www.marvel.com/movies/captain-america-civil-war">Captain America: Civil War</a>” – the tragic battle between heroes resembles the scale and savagery of Achilles fighting Hector in the Greek “<a href="https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-homers-iliad-80968">Iliad</a>” or Arjuna battling Karna in the Hindu “<a href="https://aeon.co/essays/the-indian-epic-mahabharata-imparts-a-dark-nuanced-moral-vision">Mahabharata</a>.” Among the Avengers, when it is revealed that Captain America hid knowledge of who killed Iron Man’s parents, it results in a similarly vicious battle between the two heroes. </p>
<p>And when the Avengers battle monsters and villains, those antagonists often mirror the giants, dragons and beasts of much older stories. Think, for instance, of the <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Emil_Blonsky_(Earth-616)">Abomination</a> and <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Red_Skull">Red Skull</a>, who resemble ogres found in stories like the <a href="http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Ar-Be/Beowulf.html">Norse myth “Beowulf”</a> or the Chinese folk tale “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-39728636">Journey to the West</a>.”</p>
<p>The primary villains also have mythic connections. <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Thanos_(Earth-616)">Thanos</a>, whose name means “death” in Greek, has similarities to mythic figures of death from around the world. Like the Greek god <a href="https://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Hades/hades.html">Hades</a>, at times he appears regal, surrounded by servants and followers, sitting in a throne while wearing armor and a crown. Other times he is like <a href="https://www.learnreligions.com/the-demon-mara-449981">Mara</a>, the god of death in Buddhism, who assumes monstrous forms and commands an army of frightening and misshapen creatures. </p>
<p>The Avengers’ final attempt to defeat Thanos also parallels quests to overcome death found in stories like the <a href="https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-the-epic-of-gilgamesh-73444">Mesopotamian epic “Gilgamesh</a>” or the <a href="https://1baikal.ru/en/istoriya/bezzhalostnye-dukhi-buryatskogo-shamanizma">tales of Siberian shamans</a>. Like those ancient heroes, the Avengers undertake a great journey to acquire magical objects – in their case, the Infinity Stones – to overcome death.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The android superhero Vision and Wanda Maximoff in the Marvel TV series 'WandaVision'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/402888/original/file-20210526-15-1vu5xn0.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The suburban newlyweds share similarities with Isis and Osiris from Egyptian mythology.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://dmedmedia.disney.com/disney-plus/wandavision/images">WandaVision Images/Disney Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Wanda’s grief</h2>
<p>In the case of “WandaVision,” its portrayal of grief and loss brings to mind many famous world myths. In Egyptian mythology, the goddess Isis searches for the dismembered body parts of <a href="https://www.laits.utexas.edu/cairo/teachers/osiris.pdf">her murdered husband Osiris</a>. After Isis reassembles Osiris, the couple have a son, Horus. Similarly, when Wanda cannot put Vision’s destroyed body back together, she recreates it out of magic and goes on to have twins with him.</p>
<p>Wanda’s actions also bring to mind <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/thig/thig.10.01.than.html">a famous tale</a> from the Buddhist tradition. In that story, a woman named Kisa Gotami is heartbroken when her only child dies. She begs the Buddha to bring the child back to life. The Buddha tells her to bring him a mustard seed from a house where no one has died. Going from house to house, Kisa Gotami discovers there is no family that has not experienced death, grief and loss. In the end, she comes to terms with her sorrow and joins the Buddhist path.</p>
<p>Interestingly, “WandaVision” arrives at a similar ending. For most of the series, Wanda clings to the idea that she can keep Vision alive and live happily ever after with him. But she eventually realizes it is wrong to keep her fantasy family alive at the cost of imprisoning an entire town. Like Kisa Gotami, she ultimately acknowledges the reality of death and lets Vision and their children go by ending the spell that animates them. </p>
<p>As Wanda watches Vision slowly vanish before her eyes, viewers may be reminded of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/orpheus-and-eurydice-review-a-bold-reimagining-through-circus-and-opera-124004">myth of Orpheus</a>, a Greek hero, and his wife, Eurydice. After Eurydice dies from a snakebite, Orpheus persuades Hades to release her from the underworld. Unfortunately, on the journey back, Orpheus breaks the one rule Hades gave him: Do not look at her before reaching the surface. When he does, he watches Eurydice disappear all over again.</p>
<h2>Timeless lessons</h2>
<p>It’s possible that these parallels between the Marvel stories and ancient myths are part of their ongoing popularity. Both genres tap into fundamental questions that people have been trying to answer for thousands of years. What is worth fighting for? How do I live my best life? Why do we have to die?</p>
<p>“WandaVision,” meanwhile, is all about grief, but – like many myths before it – there is a sprinkle of hope. As Vision begins to disappear, he tells Wanda, “I have been a voice with no body, a body but not human, and now, a memory made real. Who knows what I might be next? We have said goodbye before, so it stands to reason, we’ll say hello again.”</p>
<p>Those words capture the same ache felt by Isis, Orpheus, Kisa Gotami and any person – ancient or modern – who has ever lost a loved one. The mythological tales remain relevant across time and across cultures, reappearing in these Marvel stories. That fact makes me wonder if we can alter Vision’s famous words just a bit: “What is Marvel, if not mythology persevering?”</p>
<p>[<em>Explore the intersection of faith, politics, arts and culture.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/this-week-in-religion-76/?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=religion-explore">Sign up for This Week in Religion.</a>]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161064/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Nichols does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
‘WandaVision’ reimagines stories from Egyptian and Greek mythology, as well as Buddhist tradition.
Michael Nichols, Professor of Religious Studies, Martin University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/151392
2021-01-05T17:34:00Z
2021-01-05T17:34:00Z
Curious Kids: Could someone become a superhero in real life?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373988/original/file-20201209-15-195ccnj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=31%2C0%2C7036%2C3973&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/superheroes-kids-friends-playing-togetherness-fun-422791240">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><strong>Could someone become a superhero in real life? – Emma, aged six, Tonbridge, UK</strong></p>
<p>Do you know the difference between these two groups of superheroes? </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Dr Strange, Scarlet Witch, Superman. </p></li>
<li><p>Black Panther, Black Widow, Iron Man.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>The answer is that the superheroes in the first group all have personal superpowers that means they can do things that no ordinary human can: Dr Strange can teleport from one place to another, for example, and Scarlet Witch can move things with the power of her mind. </p>
<p>On the other hand, the people in the second group are all ordinary humans who use their skills to achieve what most of us would find impossible. In many cases, they also use advanced or secret technologies. </p>
<p>These technologies are made up, and in the main they were invented by comic writers like <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/12/obituaries/stan-lee-dead.html">Stan Lee</a> over 50 years ago. Now we are in the 21st century, the technologies that exist today are catching up with the inventions from the comics of the 1960s – so maybe someone could become a superhero like Black Panther or Iron Man in real life in the future. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=293&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/282267/original/file-20190702-126345-1np1y7m.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/curious-kids-36782">Curious Kids</a> is a series by <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk">The Conversation</a> that gives children the chance to have their questions about the world answered by experts. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to <a href="mailto:curiouskids@theconversation.com">curiouskids@theconversation.com</a>. We won’t be able to answer every question, but we’ll do our very best.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Let’s start with Iron Man. He is able to fly using a personal jet pack. The real-life problem is being able to carry enough fuel to go far enough for it to be worthwhile.</p>
<p>In October 2019, a <a href="https://nerdist.com/article/irl-iron-man-sets-jet-engine-powered-suit-speed-record/">new speed record</a> for flying with a jet pack was set by <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/real-life-iron-man-richard-browning">Richard Browning</a> in the UK. Browning was wearing a suit powered by six gas turbine engines. Like Iron Man, he used his hands to provide the steering, with two small motors on each hand, and then two larger turbines on the back to get him off the ground and keep him in the air. </p>
<p>He reached a speed of 85mph (135km/h), flying over the sea in Brighton, UK, (guaranteeing a soft landing if things went wrong). Browning also tested out using the jet pack to rescue people stranded on a mountain. In a <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/test-paramedic-jet-suit-lake-district-save-lives-b692442.html">practice rescue scenario</a> in the Lake District, Browning was able to reach a casualty in 90 seconds. A normal rescue team would expect to take 25 minutes. Tony Stark would approve.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1310949096199532548"}"></div></p>
<p>Superheroes often rely on fictional materials. Black Panther’s suit is made with the element “<a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Vibranium">vibranium</a>”, which absorbs energy and can release it later when desired. In reality, all the elements – the atoms that make up all the materials in the world around us – have been discovered: there aren’t any “super-elements” like vibranium waiting to be found. Scientists have been making new “heavy” elements in particle accelerators by smashing atoms together, but they are unstable and last seconds or less before splitting apart.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/four-new-elements-named-heres-how-the-periodic-table-evolved-60276">Four new elements named – here's how the periodic table evolved</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But that hasn’t stopped engineers from making innovations in materials using the elements that we already have. Paralympians use “blade” <a href="https://www.paralympicheritage.org.uk/running-blades-and-their-evolution">prosthetic legs</a> to ski, run and jump. These blades are made using the element carbon, which is found throughout nature and is amazingly versatile. In different forms it makes diamonds – the hardest substance on Earth – and graphite, which can be used in oils as a lubricant. </p>
<p>In the blades, the carbon is in the form of fibres, woven like cloth and then sealed with a resin that acts as a glue to bind them together. The blades store energy and then return the energy to the athlete. This allows the athletes to run at high speeds, to the extent that Paralympic runners are now faster than the Olympians of the last century.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man in sportswear at running track with prosthetic blade." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373994/original/file-20201209-24-10yxude.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/373994/original/file-20201209-24-10yxude.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373994/original/file-20201209-24-10yxude.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373994/original/file-20201209-24-10yxude.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373994/original/file-20201209-24-10yxude.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373994/original/file-20201209-24-10yxude.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/373994/original/file-20201209-24-10yxude.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Prosthetic running blades help Para-Olympians run at super speeds.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/full-length-portrait-young-amputee-sportsman-1007318179">SeventyFour/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other superheroes use technologies to help them manage their powers. In the Incredibles, Baby Jack-Jack can light up on fire, so he needs a suit made of material that won’t burn. We have developed materials like this in real life. </p>
<p>At the Bahrain Grand Prix in November 2020, driver <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/crash-science-romaine-grosjean/">Romain Grosjean crashed</a> into a barrier at 140 mph. His car broke into two pieces and caught fire so fiercely that it appeared to have exploded. Grosjean not only survived the crash but quite literally walked away. </p>
<p>This was because of the energy absorbing properties of the crash protection systems in his car, and because of his racing suit. The suit is made of a fireproof fibre called <a href="https://www.explainthatstuff.com/nomex.html">Nomex</a>. It is engineered so when it is exposed to flames it does not melt, combust, or conduct heat through to the wearer.</p>
<p>So year-on-year, the technologies that set apart the superheroes of the 1960s are becoming the tools of real heroes today. Teleportation, telekinesis, and telepathy remain in the realms of fantasy for now, but there are researchers working on linking our brains <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/oct/24/mind-reading-tech-private-companies-access-brains">directly with computers</a>, so who knows what the future holds?</p>
<hr>
<p><em>When sending in questions to Curious Kids, make sure you include the asker’s first name, age and town or city. You can:</em></p>
<ul>
<li><em>email <a href="mailto:curiouskids@theconversation.com">curiouskids@theconversation.com</a></em></li>
<li><em>tweet us <a href="https://twitter.com/ConversationUK">@ConversationUK</a> with #curiouskids</em></li>
<li><em>DM us on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/theconversationdotcom/">@theconversationdotcom</a></em></li>
</ul>
<hr><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151392/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Fitzpatrick receives funding from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a charitable foundation helping to protect life and property by supporting engineering-related education, public engagement and the application of research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Hainsworth does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Technology can give superhero abilities to people in real life.
Sarah Hainsworth, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean and Professor of Materials and Forensic Engineering, Aston University
Michael Fitzpatrick, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Lloyd's Register Foundation Chair in Structural Integrity and Systems Performance, Coventry University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/148200
2020-11-30T21:15:55Z
2020-11-30T21:15:55Z
Marvel’s first on-screen Muslim superhero — Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel’s alter-ego — inspires big hopes
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370941/original/file-20201124-21-zipg58.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C5%2C1189%2C729&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some Ms. Marvel comic storylines have revealed her as a well-rounded character while others have advanced Islamophobic themes.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marvel)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Amid the stress of a rising second wave of COVID-19, comic book fans found something to celebrate this September. Marvel Studios announced the casting of its first on-screen Muslim superhero, Kamala Khan, the alter-ego of Ms. Marvel.</p>
<p>Much like <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/ms-marvel-canadian-heroes-1.5746524">Canadian teen actress Iman Vellani who was plucked for this role</a>, Kamala has been a virtual unknown outside of comic fandom despite being a sensation since her series debut at the <a href="https://www.diamondcomics.com/Home/1/1/3/237?articleID=156090">top of comic book sales charts</a> in 2014. </p>
<p>It should be no surprise then that Marvel Studios decided to capitalize on this success and signed Kamala for her own TV series on Disney+ for an anticipated debut in <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2020-09-22/ms-marvel-release-date-disney-plus/">late 2021 or early 2022</a>. </p>
<p>As a researcher who has examined Muslim superheroes in American comics, I find Kamala to be the most intriguing of all American Muslim superheroes. She has an ability to <a href="https://mpcaaca.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Hosein-Ms-Marvel-Final-1.pdf">destabilize stereotypes of Muslims while reinforcing ideas about American exceptionalism</a>. In the hands of different writers in various comic iterations, she has appeared as multi-dimensional and stereotype-breaking, but also as a one-dimensional figure that advances Islamophobic themes.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370945/original/file-20201124-21-mxc65c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370945/original/file-20201124-21-mxc65c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370945/original/file-20201124-21-mxc65c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370945/original/file-20201124-21-mxc65c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=594&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370945/original/file-20201124-21-mxc65c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=746&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370945/original/file-20201124-21-mxc65c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=746&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370945/original/file-20201124-21-mxc65c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=746&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kamala Khan is a Pakistani American who speaks Urdu. Panel from Volume 1, digital edition.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marvel)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Muslim characters post 9/11</h2>
<p>It may seem that Marvel Studios is taking a big risk spotlighting a Muslim character when we are living in a time of rising <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-09/anti-muslim-incidents-are-increasing-across-america">anti-Muslim hatred</a> in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/sep/28/europe-social-pandemic-hatred-muslims-blm">the West</a>. But while there has been a resurgence of Muslim superheroes in American comics after 9/11, some of these representations reiterate stereotypes.</p>
<p>Muslim characters underwent a mini-makeover in popular culture after 9/11. Characters emerged from being buffoonish villains to figures who gave off the appearance of depth while simultaneously regurgitating stereotypes. American studies and ethnicity scholar Evelyn al Sultany coined the term “simplified complex representation” to describe this approach in her book, <em><a href="https://nyupress.org/9780814707326/arabs-and-muslims-in-the-media/">Arabs and Muslims in the Media: Race and Representation After 9/11</a></em>. </p>
<p>Certainly, Muslim superheroes were a <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Abdul_Qamar_(Earth-616)">thing before 9/11</a>. But after 9/11, a spate of Muslim superheroes emerged, including characters like the orientalized <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Sooraya_Qadir_(Earth-616)">Sooraya Qadir (Dust)</a>, who appeared in <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/New_X-Men_Vol_1?file=New_X-Men_Vol_1_133.jpg"><em>New X-Men</em> in 2002</a>, <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Simon_Baz_(Prime_Earth)">Simon Baz</a>, member of the Green Lantern Corps featured in <em>Green Lantern</em>, and <a href="https://www.marvel.com/characters/josiah-x">Josiah X</a> who first <a href="https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Crew_Vol_1_1">appeared in <em>The Crew</em></a>. This is fascinating to me since superheroes often function as patriotic symbols, and Muslims are regarded as the quintessential “other” because Islam is usually <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0033563042000270726">framed as incompatible with the West</a>. </p>
<p>After reading Sooraya Qadir’s debut, it became obvious to me that comics found a new way to sensationalize Muslim representation.</p>
<h2>Enter Kamala Khan</h2>
<p>To me, Kamala seemed to be the rare glimpse of hope that existed on the other side of the rainbow if we just characterized Muslims — who make up <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/09/muslims-and-islam-key-findings-in-the-u-s-and-around-the-world/">almost one-quarter of the world’s population</a> — as something more nuanced. And she delivered on that front, particularly in her early days. </p>
<p>Readers met her as a Pakistani American that spoke Urdu. This means we saw representation of Muslims in the West escape the frequent stereotypical assumption that all Muslims are Arabs and vice versa.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371563/original/file-20201126-13-1sl0pgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/371563/original/file-20201126-13-1sl0pgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371563/original/file-20201126-13-1sl0pgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371563/original/file-20201126-13-1sl0pgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=470&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371563/original/file-20201126-13-1sl0pgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371563/original/file-20201126-13-1sl0pgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/371563/original/file-20201126-13-1sl0pgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=591&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This panel from Ms. Marvel, Volume 1, digital edition, written by G. Willow Wilson and illustrated by Adrian Alphona, depicts Kamala Khan as a believable character in a possible real-world setting.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marvel)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Later <a href="https://www.marvel.com/articles/comics/meet-amulet-the-newest-super-hero-coming-to-ms-marvel-13-in-march-2020">in <em>Magnificent Ms. Marvel #13</em></a>, written by the Arab American writer, <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/244190/saladin-ahmed/">Saladin Ahmed</a>, the sole focus shifted away from Kamala Khan when an Arab American sidekick named Amulet was introduced.</p>
<h2>Successful sales, popularity</h2>
<p>In <em>Ms. Marvel’s</em> earlier volumes written by the Muslim writer, and white Muslim convert, G. Willow Wilson, we saw Kamala anointed with her superhero mantle to the tune of <a href="https://allpoetry.com/Amir-Khusro">Amir Khusro’s</a> poetry. We saw her juggle her schedule between battles and <em>mehendis</em>, and even got a glimpse of her great-great grandmother’s move from India to Pakistan during Partition. </p>
<p>Back then, I remember comic book store clerks telling me how popular <em>Ms. Marvel</em> was with customers. The print collection of the series sold <a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/ms-marvel-sold-half-million-trade-paperbacks/">half a million copies</a> alone. As Wilson notes, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piWo4200G0U&t=179s">the first issue had had eight separate printings and its digital edition became Marvel’s best-selling</a> digital comic of all time. Its first volume, released in 2014, was ranked again amongst the top five in sales rankings in <a href="https://icv2.com/articles/markets/view/46793/diamonds-top-500-graphic-novel-september-2020">September 2020</a>.</p>
<p>I remember thinking that this Urdu-speaking Muslim powerhouse could be the start of a new type of Muslim character. She was proof that creators didn’t need to recycle the tireless oppressed Muslim woman or terrorist Muslim male tropes for sales. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/piWo4200G0U?wmode=transparent&start=179" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">G. Willow Smith discusses Kamala Khan as ‘A Superhero for Generation Why.’</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Introducing Islamophobic themes</h2>
<p>But following the success of the <em>Ms. Marvel</em> series, Kamala appeared in Marvel’s <em>Champions</em> series about a team of teenage superheroes. Perhaps Marvel intended to further boost the popularity of the already-successful <em>Ms. Marvel</em> series by bringing in Mark Waid, a high-profile non-Muslim white writer, who authored the popular comic series <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/603561/kingdom-come-by-mark-waid/9781401290962">(and award-winning graphic novel) <em>Kingdom Come</em></a> and others.</p>
<p>In <em>Champions</em>, some tired stereotypes surfaced. In the third issue, the team flies to a fictional South Asian country. There, they rescue <a href="https://bleedingcool.com/comics/its-marvel-comics-vs-fundamentalist-islam-in-todays-champions-3">hijabi Muslim girls from violent men who conform to stock villain Muslim stereotypes</a> like the <a href="https://ascmag.com/articles/true-lies-tests-cinemas-limits">terrorists seen in Hollywood movies such as <em>True Lies</em></a>.</p>
<p>Here, Kamala is effectively used as a racist weapon against brown men and is depicted to suggest proof of western superiority. Sadly enough, I was concerned she could be used this way before she actually was.</p>
<p>I was reminded that such tropes may exist simply because of implicit bias as opposed to <a href="https://www.comicsbeat.com/ms-marvel-is-marvels-1-digital-seller/">profitability</a>. </p>
<h2>Celebrate and watch</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Ms. Marvel and Wolverine." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370947/original/file-20201124-23-lymh08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370947/original/file-20201124-23-lymh08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=644&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370947/original/file-20201124-23-lymh08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=644&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370947/original/file-20201124-23-lymh08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=644&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370947/original/file-20201124-23-lymh08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=810&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370947/original/file-20201124-23-lymh08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=810&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/370947/original/file-20201124-23-lymh08.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=810&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kamala’s selfie with Wolverine, from ‘Ms. Marvel’ Volume 2, digital edition.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Marvel)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For now, we should celebrate the debut of Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first Muslim superhero. I have hope that the Disney+ series will do her justice as its <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/ms-marvel-series-works-disney-1234216">showrunner</a> is the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/nov/16/i-feel-joy-bisha-k-ali-struggling-standup-ms-marvel-maestro-muslim-superhero">stand-up comedian and writer</a> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9946590/">Bisha K. Ali</a>, known for incisive commentary. </p>
<p>However, Marvel plans to move Kamala eventually to the <a href="https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/iman-vellani-ms-marvel-cast">silver screen</a> and there’s already talk of a <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/59205-marvel-phase-5-young-avengers-disney-series-champions-ms-marvel-hawkeye"><em>Champions</em> type of superhero team series</a> featuring Kamala. </p>
<p>If anything of the likes of Kamala as a racist weapon to prove western superiority is featured, I can’t say there will be much cause for celebration.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/148200/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Safiyya Hosein does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
The Urdu-speaking powerhouse, Ms. Marvel, has destabilized stereotypes of Muslims and reinforced ideas about American exceptionalism.
Safiyya Hosein, PhD Candidate in Communication and Culture, Toronto Metropolitan University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/130988
2020-02-13T14:14:08Z
2020-02-13T14:14:08Z
America’s postwar fling with romance comics
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315078/original/file-20200212-61912-op3vlq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=125%2C52%2C1067%2C711&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">With over 100 issues, 'Young Love' was one of the longest running romance comics series. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gary Lee Watson Comic Book Collection, Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina Libraries</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Last year, comic book enthusiast <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/582733/gary-watson-comic-collection-donated-university-south-carolina">Gary Watson</a> donated his massive personal collection to <a href="https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/browse/irvin_dept_special_collections/index.php">the Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections</a> at the University of South Carolina. </p>
<p>As the <a href="https://sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/university_libraries/about/contact/faculty-staff/weisenburg_michael.php">reference and instruction librarian</a>, I’m tasked with getting to know the collection so I can exhibit parts of it and use the materials for teaching. One of the great pleasures of assessing and cataloging Watson’s collection has been learning about how comic books have changed over time. Sifting through Watson’s vast collection of 140,000-plus comics, I’m able to see the genre’s entire trajectory.</p>
<p>Before World War II, superheroes were all the rage. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/aug/17/art-spiegelman-golden-age-superheroes-were-shaped-by-the-rise-of-fascism">Reflecting anxieties</a> over the Great Depression, the rise of fascism and the march to war, readers yearned for mythical figures who would defend the disenfranchised and uphold liberal democratic ideals.</p>
<p>Once the war ended, the content of comic books started to change. Superheroes gradually fell out of fashion and a proliferation of genres emerged. Some, such as <a href="http://www.powerhousebooks.com/books/golden-age-western-comics/">Westerns</a>, offered readers a nostalgic fantasy of a pre-industrial America. Others, like <a href="https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114164218">true crime</a> and <a href="https://www.outrightgeekery.com/2017/10/18/the-rise-fall-and-rebirth-of-horror-comics-a-history/">horror</a>, hooked readers with their lurid tales, while <a href="https://comicsalliance.com/best-silver-age-sci-fi-covers-gallery/">science fiction comics</a> appealed to the wonders of technological advancement and trepidation about where it might lead us.</p>
<p>But there was also a brief period when the medium was dominated by the romance genre. </p>
<p>Grounded in artistic and narrative realism, romance comics were remarkably different from their superhero and sci-fi peers. While the post-war popularity of romance comics only lasted a few years, these love stories ended up actually having a strong influence on other genres.</p>
<h2>Romance comics’ origin story</h2>
<p>Though today they are most famous for creating “Captain America,” the creative duo of Joe Simon and Jack Kirby <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=gUCgAwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA46#v=onepage&q&f=false">launched the romance comic book genre in 1947</a> with the publication of a series called “Young Romance.” </p>
<p>Teen comedy series like “<a href="https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/1/26/13149304/archie-comics-riverdale-evolution">Archie</a>” had been around for a few years and occasionally had romantic story lines and subplots. Romance pulps and true confession magazines had been around for decades. </p>
<p>But a comic dedicated to telling romantic stories hadn’t been done before. With the phrase “Designed for the More Adult Readers of Comics” <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Young_Romance_Issue_1.jpg">printed on the cover</a>, Simon and Kirby signaled a deliberate shift in expectations of what a comic could be. </p>
<p>While most scholars have argued that <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9pPgDE63U9oC&lpg=PP1&pg=PA127#v=onepage&q&f=false">romance comics tend to reinforce conservative values</a> – making marriage the ultimate goal for women and placing family and middle-class stability on a pedestal – the real pleasure of reading these books came from the mildly scandalous behavior of their characters and the untoward plots that the narratives were ostensibly warning against. With titles like “I Was a Pick-Up!,” “The Farmer’s Wife” and “The Plight of the Suspicious Bridegroom,” “Young Romance” and its sister titles <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=9pPgDE63U9oC&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&lpg=PP1&dq=Comic%20Book%20Nation%3A%20The%20Transformation%20of%20Youth%20Culture%20in%20America.&pg=PA128#v=onepage&q&f=false">quickly sold out of their original print runs</a> and began outselling other comics genres.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=497&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=625&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=625&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315088/original/file-20200212-61958-1y8dre8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=625&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Issue #1 of ‘Teen-Age Romances’ (St. John, 1949).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gary Lee Watson Comic Book Collection, Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina Libraries</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Other publishers noticed the popularity of the genre and followed suit with their own romance titles, most of which closely followed Simon and Kirby’s style and structure. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ndJ7BwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false">By 1950</a>, about 1 in 5 of all comic books were romance comics, with almost 150 romance titles being sold by over 20 publishers.</p>
<p>The rage for all things romance was so sudden that publishers eager to take advantage of the new market altered titles and even content in order to save on <a href="https://www.comichron.com/faq/postalsalesdata.html">second-class postage permits</a>. Second-class or periodical postage is a reduced rate that publishers can use to save on the cost of mailing to recipients. Rather than apply for new permits every time they tested a new title, comics publishers would simply alter a failing title while retaining the issue numbering in order to keep using the preexisting permit. To comics historians, this is a telltale sign that the industry is undergoing a sudden change. </p>
<p>One striking example of this is when comics publisher Fawcett ended its failing superhero comic “<a href="https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=72086">Captain Midnight</a>” in 1948 with issue #67 and launched its new title, “<a href="https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=63254">Sweethearts</a>,” in issue #68. In this case, the death of a superhero comic became the birth of a romance comic. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315086/original/file-20200212-61912-e6lwjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315086/original/file-20200212-61912-e6lwjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315086/original/file-20200212-61912-e6lwjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315086/original/file-20200212-61912-e6lwjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=518&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315086/original/file-20200212-61912-e6lwjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=651&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315086/original/file-20200212-61912-e6lwjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=651&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315086/original/file-20200212-61912-e6lwjk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=651&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Issue #3 of ‘Bride’s Romances’ (Quality Comics, 1953).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gary Lee Watson Comic Book Collection, Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina Libraries</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With so many new titles flooding newsstands and department stores, the bubble was bound to burst. In what comic book historian Michelle Nolan <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ndJ7BwAAQBAJ&lpg=PR4&ots=e23lp1L4DI&dq=Nolan%2C%20Michelle%20(2008).%20Love%20on%20the%20Racks%3A%20A%20History%20of%20American%20Romance%20Comics.%20McFarland%20%26%20Company%2C%20Inc.&pg=PA62#v=onepage&q&f=false">has dubbed</a> “the love glut,” 1950 and 1951 witnessed a rapid boom and bust of the romance genre. Many romance titles were canceled by the mid-1950s, even as stalwarts of the genre, such as “Young Romance,” remained in print into the mid-1970s. </p>
<p>There was the brief popularity of the sub-genre of gothic romance comics in the 1970s – series with names like “The Sinister House of Secret Love” and “The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love.” But romance comics would never approach their brief, postwar peak.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315111/original/file-20200212-61966-vvwu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315111/original/file-20200212-61966-vvwu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315111/original/file-20200212-61966-vvwu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315111/original/file-20200212-61966-vvwu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=554&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315111/original/file-20200212-61966-vvwu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315111/original/file-20200212-61966-vvwu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315111/original/file-20200212-61966-vvwu6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=696&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Gothic romances – like this issue of ‘The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love’ – had a brief run in the 1970s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gary Lee Watson Comic Book Collection, Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina Libraries</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A brief boom, an enduring influence</h2>
<p>Among collectors, issues of romance comics are less sought after than those of other genres. For this reason, they tend to go under the radar.</p>
<p>Romance comics, however, featured work by pioneering artists like <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/real-life-comic-book-superhero-74267">Lily Renée</a> and <a href="https://www.twomorrows.com/media/MattBakerPreview.pdf">Matt Baker</a>, both of whom worked on first issue of “Teen-Age Romances” in 1949. </p>
<p>Baker is the first-known black artist to work in the comic book industry and Renée was one of comics’ first female artists. Prior to working on “Teen-Age Romances,” they both drew “<a href="https://www.goodgirlcomics.com/good-girl-history/">good girl art</a>” – a set of artistic tropes borrowed from pinups and pulp magazines – for several titles. Their work in both genres exemplifies how earlier pulp magazine themes of desire and seduction could readily be applied to newer genres. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=895&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1125&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1125&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315090/original/file-20200212-61912-w4chvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1125&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘But He’s the Boy I Love’ was one of the few romance comic to feature black characters.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Gary Lee Watson Comic Book Collection, Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections, University of South Carolina Libraries</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>After the “love glut,” sub-genre mashups nonetheless emerged. For example, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ndJ7BwAAQBAJ&lpg=PP1&pg=PA86#v=onepage&q&f=false">cowboy romances</a> were briefly popular. Later, in response to the civil rights movement, Marvel published the 1970 story “<a href="https://truelovecomicstales.blogspot.com/2016/02/our-love-story-but-hes-boy-i-love.html">But He’s the Boy I Love</a>,” which was the first story in a romance comic to feature African-American characters since Fawcett’s three-issue run of “<a href="https://www.mycomicshop.com/search?TID=360151">Negro Romance</a>” in 1950. </p>
<p>Even after romance comics largely fell out of fashion, the genre’s visual tropes and narrative themes became more prevalent during what’s known as the “<a href="https://www.cosmiccomics.vegas/latest-news/the-history-of-silver-age-comic-books/">Silver Age</a>,” a superhero revival that lasted from 1956 to 1970. Titles such as “Superman’s Girl Friend Lois Lane” often borrowed heavily from romance for their plots to generate intrigue and tension in the hopes of driving up sales. </p>
<p>Issue 89, in which Lois marries Bruce Wayne, is a prime example of such marketing techniques. Issues such as these were often situated as “what if” narratives that offered readers speculative story lines, such as “What if Lois Lane married Bruce Wayne?” Though they’re generally thought of as separate from the superhero canon, these love stories show that comic book writers had internalized the main narrative techniques of romance comics even if the genre itself was in decline. </p>
<p>But other comics didn’t merely use romantic themes for the occasional gimmick issue. Instead, they made the love lives of their characters a central plot point and a fundamental aspect of their characters’ identities. Comics such as the “Fantastic Four” and the “X-Men” rely heavily on the heated emotions and jealousies found in group dynamics and love triangles.</p>
<p>Take Wolverine. Presumably tough and stoic, he’s so enamored of Jean Grey – and so envious of her love interest, Scott Summers – that you could argue that unrequited love is one of his primary motivations throughout the series.</p>
<p>Thanks to romance comics, even stoic superheroes got bitten by the love bug.</p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-459" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/459/e57b4cb3e8ec899f09d63ca48f7dac4021fbb5fc/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>[<em>You’re smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation’s authors and editors.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklysmart">You can get our highlights each weekend</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/130988/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael C. Weisenburg does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
During the ‘love glut,’ roughly 1 in 5 of all comic books were romance comics, as publishers scrambled to appease readers’ appetites for scandalous storylines.
Michael C. Weisenburg, Reference & Instruction Librarian at Irvin Department of Rare Books & Special Collections, University of South Carolina
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/123860
2019-09-29T21:19:52Z
2019-09-29T21:19:52Z
What fictional superheroes can tell us about devotion and why we believe in gods
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294550/original/file-20190927-185390-cmx0ig.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1569%2C103%2C4697%2C2968&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The fictional universe of superheroes can teach us about what motivates some of us to believe in gods.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The relentless supply of movies about superheroes and supervillains is difficult to ignore. Some people can’t get enough. Others hope to avoid them. But psychological researchers see a cultural phenomenon worthy of study.</p>
<p>Fictional characters with supernatural powers are often based on mythical gods and goddesses, fighting an ancient battle between good and evil with abilities that violate our intuitive expectations about the world. </p>
<p>In our recently published <a href="http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220886">research</a>, we asked 300 study participants to describe features of fictional supernatural beings and we compared them with features of the gods people worship. We found some striking differences that provide clues as to why some beings attract religious devotion, while others do not.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/avengers-endgame-how-the-marvel-universe-helps-children-and-adults-understand-the-world-around-them-116080">Avengers Endgame: how the Marvel Universe helps children (and adults) understand the world around them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>What makes religious beings special</h2>
<p>The question of why religious beings are special is more puzzling than it first appears. Initially, it seems obvious that an ancestral spirit that, for example, reads minds and walks through walls, could be an object of worship. We expect minds to be private, living things to die, and solid objects to be impermeable. Entities that defy such expectations – which researchers call “<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364661303003140">folk theories</a>” – are remarkable and memorable. </p>
<p>The problem is, many other entities violate our folk theories in the same way. Some superheroes can read minds and walk through walls as well, and yet these characters rarely elicit belief. Still other entities with superhuman powers, such as Bigfoot, vampires or werewolves, are occasionally believed in, but not prayed to. </p>
<p>Why don’t people worship such entities, which defy our expectations just as well as Jesus, Allah and Zeus do?</p>
<p>Our work points to an answer that has been <a href="https://brill.com/view/journals/jocc/4/2/article-p347_5.xml?lang=en">proposed by philosophers and psychologists for centuries</a>, from <a href="https://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/hume-the-natural-history-of-religion">David Hume</a> to <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/freud-religion-2795858">Sigmund Freud</a>. We believe in gods because it is comforting. </p>
<p>When we asked participants about the traits they ascribe to supernatural religious figures, we found that, on average, they rated them as more beneficent than fictional beings that people do not worship. In other words, religious beings are better equipped to improve people’s lives in significant ways than fictional characters with superhuman abilities.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294551/original/file-20190927-185379-irw3rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/294551/original/file-20190927-185379-irw3rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294551/original/file-20190927-185379-irw3rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294551/original/file-20190927-185379-irw3rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294551/original/file-20190927-185379-irw3rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294551/original/file-20190927-185379-irw3rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/294551/original/file-20190927-185379-irw3rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Gods are seen as beings that can improve our lives.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Supplied</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The comfort theory</h2>
<p>Religious beings were also found to routinely defy folk theories about psychology in particular – possessing abilities such as omniscience, mind-control, telepathy and precognition – rather than defying folk theories about biology (such as regeneration) or physics (flight). </p>
<p>In our current research, we found people believe that beings with such psychological abilities are better equipped to help us. This may be because <a href="https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/57178/SpecPub_001.pdf">threats to our species have become increasingly social</a> over evolutionary time. Detecting deception, maintaining one’s reputation and avoiding social exclusion have become more significant concerns than avoiding predators and finding shelter. Religious beings with the ability to mitigate these social threats should be particularly appealing.</p>
<p>Other features pointed to the comfort theory in less obvious ways. We found that abilities attributed to religious beings were more ambiguous than those attributed to fictional characters. For example, omnipotence and weather control certainly defy expectations, but which ones, and how many? Is god manipulating a storm with his mind, or physically pulling it into position? This ambiguity may best be described with the phrase “God works in mysterious ways.”</p>
<p><a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1990-12257-001?doi=1">Research</a> has shown that when we want to believe in something, such as personally possessing a positive trait, it helps if the trait is ambiguous (e.g. sophisticated) rather than precise (e.g. punctual). This gives us latitude to interpret a variety of evidence in its favour. </p>
<p>The same argument can apply to gods we want to believe in. One person may prefer the god that pulls storms into position. Another may prefer the telekinetic god. If both interpretations are allowed, the god can be made to fit what each person finds plausible. Ambiguous features therefore make it easier to believe in comforting gods.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-is-this-the-endgame-and-did-we-win-or-did-we-lose-117172">Friday essay: is this the Endgame - and did we win or did we lose?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Gods are neither heroes nor villains</h2>
<p>The final feature of religious beings we discovered is that they do not easily fit into the superhero or supervillain categories that often distinguish fictional beings. Gods are more beneficent, but they are also more ambivalent, than fictional characters. </p>
<p>They have the ability to reward, but also to threaten and punish. While a mix of carrots and sticks undoubtedly <a href="https://evolution-institute.org/god-is-watching-you-how-the-fear-of-god-makes-us-human/">helps gods enforce religious and moral rules</a>, we suggest that ambivalence is also crucial for eliciting religious rituals and prayers, which in turn reinforce belief. </p>
<p>Indeed, there is little point in beseeching a purely benevolent or malevolent god: the former will always grant your request, and the latter never will. Only an ambivalent god can be swayed by an act of faith or a faithfully performed ritual. </p>
<p>A similar account might help explain why polytheistic religions typically contain a mix of positive and negative gods, the latter of which provide little comfort on their own.</p>
<p>In summary, gods are more beneficent, ambivalent, ambiguous and psychologically astonishing than fictional characters and, notably, these are precisely the traits that encourage belief. So even if you shudder at the thought of yet another Marvel movie, the fictional universe has taught us quite a bit about what makes gods special and what motivates some of us to believe in them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/123860/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jamin Halberstadt receives funding from The Templeton Foundation and The New Zealand Royal Society's Marsden Fund</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Swan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Superheroes may be able to regenerate and fly through walls, but their supernatural qualities differ from those of spiritual beings that attract religious devotion.
Thomas Swan, Assistant Research Fellow, University of Otago
Jamin Halberstadt, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Otago
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/116080
2019-05-20T13:37:38Z
2019-05-20T13:37:38Z
Avengers Endgame: how the Marvel Universe helps children (and adults) understand the world around them
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273809/original/file-20190510-183109-17i7o1e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C1769%2C933&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Don Cheadle, Bradley Cooper, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Endgame.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">©Marvel Studios 2019</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>There have been more than 90 superhero films since the 1980s and they have become incredibly popular – Avengers Endgame broke <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/avengers-endgame-box-office-records-1-billion-opening-828389/">box office records</a> in its opening weekend, taking US$1.2 billion worldwide. All the predictions are that it will go on to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/apr/28/avengers-endgame-breaks-global-box-office-record-in-opening-weekend">surpass Avatar’s record</a> as the highest grossing movie of all time.</p>
<p>Superhero movies may be fantasy, but they reflect trends in our society and encourage us to reflect on societal problems such as prejudice and diversity.</p>
<p>The stories can also help shape our development. For example, starting in childhood, creative play is very common – and superheroes have long been staples for children leaning about the social world. Creative play helps us develop several skills – for example learning that other people do not necessarily think in the same way we do. We can then play out how they might respond to a situation and what the outcome of this might be. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273805/original/file-20190510-183106-hcry06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273805/original/file-20190510-183106-hcry06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273805/original/file-20190510-183106-hcry06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273805/original/file-20190510-183106-hcry06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=301&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273805/original/file-20190510-183106-hcry06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273805/original/file-20190510-183106-hcry06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273805/original/file-20190510-183106-hcry06.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=378&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Different approaches: Iron Man, left, and Captain America.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">©Marvel Studios</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We might play out a story where we pretend to be Captain America and follow all the rules, doing <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/04/captain-america-mccarthyite/360183/">what is right</a>. Later we might play a similar story but pretend to be Iron Man and break the rules, doing “what we want”. Regardless of what sort of person we are, we can put ourselves in the shoes of the characters and try out these different roles.</p>
<p>We can also see what happens in the two different stories and reflect on how the others playing with us respond to our actions. This can help us in real-life situations when we need to decide how to behave. </p>
<p>Creative play also teaches us about emotions. When we play creatively, we experience genuine and sometimes strong emotions. For example, we can feel fear when hiding from the villain Thanos – or joy when the crowds cheer as we save New York. </p>
<p>We learn what these emotions feel like, how to label them and how to express them so that others can recognise them. We also learn what verbal and non-verbal signals other people use when they feel angry, upset and excited. These skills help us to develop better relationships with our parents and friends and may even <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21291449">enhance our academic performance</a>.</p>
<h2>Goodies and baddies</h2>
<p>Even as we get older, role models in films can help us to think about what sort of person we want to be. When we are young, we typically enjoy stories where the “goodies and baddies” are very clear. Happily, the “goodies” usually triumph and the “baddies” get their comeuppance – or are transformed into “goodies”. But as we get older our thinking develops and we understand that the world is rarely black and white and, as a result, our tastes change and we begin to enjoy ambiguous – “grey” – characters who may be “baddies” but may have interesting motives that we can relate to. This links to our <a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/kohlbergs-theory-of-moral-developmet-2795071">stages of moral development</a>. As young children, our sense of morality is tied to avoiding punishment and gaining rewards for being a “good girl/boy”. As we get older we see morality as an agreement between people to maintain social order and everyone’s rights, but we also develop our own personal moral ideals.</p>
<p>Thanos in the Avengers Movies aims to wipe out half of the population of the galaxy. His reasoning is that the galaxy is overcrowded and civilisation will be wiped out if overpopulation continues. By removing half the population at random it means that everyone will have an equal chance of survival, rather than over time, the poorest people being less likely to survive. A key element in lots of superhero stories is “does the end justify the means?”. These situations give us space to reflect on this maxim and our own sense of morality.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/275425/original/file-20190520-69192-lf70wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/275425/original/file-20190520-69192-lf70wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/275425/original/file-20190520-69192-lf70wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/275425/original/file-20190520-69192-lf70wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/275425/original/file-20190520-69192-lf70wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/275425/original/file-20190520-69192-lf70wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/275425/original/file-20190520-69192-lf70wq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Destroyer of worlds: Josh Brolin as Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">©Marvel Studios 2018</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Superheroes also often face personal crises and we can look at how they respond, and the consequences of their actions, in order to guide our own behaviour. Many superheroes lose their parents at a young age – and, depending on who they are, they deal with this in healthy or unhealthy ways. They also often have challenging relationships with others. For example Iron Man is not wrong when he says that he is “volatile, self-obsessed, and doesn’t play well with others” and this makes his personal relationship with his partner Pepper, as well as his work relationships within the Avengers difficult. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H0TkbVM8sBM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>By following their stories we can learn more about our own ways of coping and those of our friends and family. A bit like creative play in childhood, this helps shape our behaviour. </p>
<h2>Power and the glory</h2>
<p>Superhero stories also encourage us to reflect on current issues in our society. The focus of these stories therefore changes over generations. For example, X-Men comics dealt with prejudice, becoming <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/aug/12/features">popular during the civil rights movement in America</a>. In these stories, mutants born with superpowers <a href="https://www.history.com/news/stan-lee-x-men-civil-rights-inspiration">encounter prejudice and discrimination</a>. </p>
<p>More recently, many films featuring the Avengers explore the impact of advanced weaponry, capable of destroying entire cities or worlds. In the films a key question is who should decide if, when and how they are used. This reflects issues in our society now. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273803/original/file-20190510-183083-457jx6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/273803/original/file-20190510-183083-457jx6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273803/original/file-20190510-183083-457jx6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273803/original/file-20190510-183083-457jx6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273803/original/file-20190510-183083-457jx6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273803/original/file-20190510-183083-457jx6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/273803/original/file-20190510-183083-457jx6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chris Hemsworth as Thor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">©Marvel Studios 2019</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The fictional worlds in superhero stories create a safe space for us to think about and discuss these issues. For example, reflecting on and discussing real-world prejudice may be challenging, we may like to think that it does not exist nowadays, but exploring this through the treatment of fictional mutant characters may make it easier for us to have an open conversation about it. We may also experience empathy with characters who we see on screen and this may encourage us to take action when we see discrimination in our lives. </p>
<p>Superhero stories have a powerful impact on our development and raise questions important to our society. It is therefore vital that those creating the stories remember that with great power comes great responsibility.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/116080/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yvonne Skipper does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Good versus evil, tolerance and discrimination: there’s a lot we can learn from the Marvel universe.
Yvonne Skipper, Lecturer in Psychology, University of Glasgow
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/115679
2019-04-24T10:47:31Z
2019-04-24T10:47:31Z
It’s 2019 – where’s my supersuit?
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270309/original/file-20190422-191664-1aazvz1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1517%2C379%2C4233%2C3449&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's every kid's dream to have her own supersuit.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/funny-little-girl-plays-super-hero-599187707">S.Borisov/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>I loved the “<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088631/">Thundercats</a>” cartoon as a child, watching cat-like humanoids fighting the forces of evil. Whenever their leader was in trouble, he’d unleash the Sword of Omens to gain “sight beyond sight,” the ability to see events happening at faraway places, or bellow “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7bhdwcAnH0">Thunder, Thunder, Thunder, Thundercats, Hooo!</a>” to instantaneously summon his allies to his location to join the fight. What kid didn’t want those superpowers? </p>
<p>I also wanted <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Green_Lantern_Ring">Green Lantern’s ring</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonder_Woman%27s_bracelets">Wonder Woman’s bracelets</a>, <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Captain_America%27s_Shield">Captain America’s shield</a> and of course <a href="https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Batsuit">Batman’s batsuit</a>. I never imagined then that 30 years later, as <a href="https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-superhero-day-april-28/">National Superhero Day</a> approaches, I’d be designing components of my own supersuits.</p>
<p>I didn’t really notice this until a few months ago. On that day, my childhood dreams were at once destroyed and fulfilled. Standing in a line, I noticed that everyone was focused on their smartphones’ screens. Suddenly it hit me: I already had Sword of Omens superpowers. With my smartphone, I can see video of faraway events and text my friends to meet up. <a href="https://www.pewglobal.org/2019/02/05/smartphone-ownership-is-growing-rapidly-around-the-world-but-not-always-equally/">Billions of people</a> now have what used to be considered superpowers.</p>
<p>But what about the physical superpowers? I wanted those, too – like superhuman endurance or strength. Those may not be too far behind: I’m working on them in Vanderbilt’s <a href="https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/create/">Center for Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology</a>. Humanity has begun to enter the age of wearable <a href="https://exoskeletonreport.com/">exoskeletons and exosuits</a> that <a href="https://theconversation.com/introducing-operator-4-0-a-tech-augmented-human-worker-74117">offer support and strength</a> to people’s bodies.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=326&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269821/original/file-20190417-139104-1emr7zo.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=410&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A spring-powered back-support exosuit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Joe Howell/Vanderbilt University</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Exoskeletons under development</h2>
<p>Over the past five years, wearable exoskeletons that assist and aid movement have begun to shift out of research labs and into public use. They’re still early versions, and the science is still emerging, but they include the first of <a href="https://newatlas.com/rewalk-fda-approval-personal-use/32732/">several</a> <a href="https://www.popsci.com/indego-exoskeleton-gets-fda-approval">FDA-approved</a> <a href="https://exoskeletonreport.com/2016/04/ekso-gt-cleared-fda/">exoskeletons</a> to assist individuals with spinal cord injury or after stroke, as well as <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/industrial-exoskeletons-give-workers-a-lift-11547730001">exoskeletons to help keep workers safe</a> and reduce the fatigue of physically demanding jobs. </p>
<p>Toyota even requires workers to wear exoskeletons as <a href="https://exoskeletonreport.com/2019/02/toyotas-woodstock-plant-makes-the-levitate-airframe-exoskeleton-mandatory-personal-protective-equipment/">mandatory personal protective equipment</a> when performing certain overhead work tasks, where fatigue and muscle stress could lead to injury.</p>
<p>However, most people who could potentially benefit don’t yet have access to exoskeletons, because they’re generally too bulky, too expensive, interfere too much with other tasks or are not yet comfortable enough to wear. I’ve become fascinated by the prospect of regular people turning themselves into everyday superheroes.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x2qRDMHbXaM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">No, really: Where is it?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Preventing injuries with supersuits</h2>
<p>From <a href="https://engineering.vanderbilt.edu/create/">my research lab</a>, I can walk across the street and within two minutes be at the Veterans Affairs Hospital or the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The nurses and other medical professionals who perform strenuous lifting, leaning and carrying tasks to care for patients are <a href="https://www.npr.org/2015/02/11/383564180/even-proper-technique-exposes-nurses-spines-to-dangerous-forces">likely to develop low back pain</a> – or may already be experiencing it. A supersuit could help prevent this pain.</p>
<p>Low back pain is a complex problem with many potential sources, but one common source is due to stress from repetitive forces on the muscles and discs. Most adults experience low back pain at some point in their lifetime, and it’s a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30480-X">leading cause of physical disability</a>. The prestigious medical journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/series/low-back-pain">The Lancet recently published a three-part series</a> calling on everyone – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30488-4">from national and international policymakers to funding agencies to researchers, engineers and clinicians</a> – to help improve the effectiveness of care and develop innovative new solutions to combat this global epidemic.</p>
<p>Over the last three years, the research team I lead has been developing a <a href="https://www.ivanhoe.com/medical-breakthroughs/smart-clothing-to-prevent-back-pain/">clothing-like exoskeleton</a>, which might be more aptly described as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2017.2761455">mechanized clothing</a>, a spring-powered exosuit or even just a supersuit. It consists of a vest and shorts made of common clothing materials, plus assistive fabric elastic bands and a switch that lets the wearer <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2019.1602288">turn the suit’s assistance on or off</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GzN6qKaBjTw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How a back-support system works to relieve pain.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When it’s switched off, the wearer can <a href="https://my.vanderbilt.edu/batlab/videos/">move freely and fully</a>, which <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2018.04.007">isn’t typically the case with exoskeletons</a>. Our suit doesn’t have any motors or batteries and weighs less than three pounds. No part of it protrudes out from the body, so it’s easily concealed under everyday clothes. </p>
<p>At any moment, though, it can be switched on, so the suit’s elastic bands bear some of the load that typically goes through the person’s back muscles. In an initial series of laboratory tests, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2017.2761455">the suit reduced loading on the low back muscles</a> by about 20% during lifting and up to 40% during leaning, and it <a href="https://cdn.vanderbilt.edu/vu-my/wp-content/uploads/sites/1409/2016/03/14121714/ISB_2019_EPL_01302019.pdf">reduced the rate at which back muscles fatigue</a> by 30% to 40%, on average.</p>
<p><iframe id="qQAMS" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qQAMS/4/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fNU6MDRYnXo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">An unobtrusive garment could help people lift heavy objects.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We recently formed a spinoff company from this research, aptly named HeroWear LLC, to make this supersuit available to individuals and organizations who might benefit. We expect the product to be on the market in 2020. We have also begun a <a href="https://my.vanderbilt.edu/batlab/2019/02/awarded-nih-r01-to-carry-out-research-combining-biomechanics-machine-learning-exoskeletons-smart-clothing/">multi-year study funded by the National Institutes of Health</a> to integrate wearable sensors and machine learning into our supersuits. With those additions, we may be able to develop future suits that monitor stress on the wearer’s back and automatically activate the assistance when it’s needed. </p>
<h2>Boundless possibilities for supersuits</h2>
<p>The goal for many exoskeletons is like that of a good cartoon supersuit – not to do the work for its wearer, but to enhance and support that person’s natural abilities. Assisting back muscles is just the beginning. We have also designed a similar <a href="https://doi.org/10.1109/TNSRE.2019.2904924">spring-powered exosuit to assist the ankle muscles</a> during walking and running. It may help increase endurance or reduce force on calf muscles and tendons as someone recovers from an injury. </p>
<p>Similar supersuits might also be designed to support the necks of nurses and surgeons who lean forward for long periods of time during procedures, or to reduce arm fatigue for a construction worker carrying heavy objects or for a parent carrying a child. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=208&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=261&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=261&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/269824/original/file-20190417-139110-1rsq8a2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=261&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An exosuit for the ankle that assists ankle muscles when walking or running.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://doi.org/10.1109/TNSRE.2019.2904924">Yandell et al., 2019</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Teams across the globe are exploring a <a href="https://exoskeletonreport.com/product-category/exoskeleton-catalog/">wide variety of wearable exoskeletons</a> as well. These include motorized exosuits to assist the <a href="http://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.aai9084">legs</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-019-0495-y">arms</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-018-0391-x">hands</a> of individuals recovering from stroke or other neurological injury, <a href="https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2018/11/28/exoskeleton-developed-at-vanderbilt-university-collects-rd-100-award/">rigid robotic exoskeletons to assist people after spinal cord injury</a> and passive <a href="https://exoskeletonreport.com/product-category/exoskeleton-catalog/industrial/shoulder-support-exoskeleton-for-work-and-industry/">spring-assist exoskeletons to support individuals’ arms and shoulders</a> with tool handling or overhead work in factories and shipyards.</p>
<p>Through the use of wearable sensors and biomechanical algorithms, supersuits might even be trained to teach proper lifting technique or to provide resistance training to help strengthen weak muscles and enhance fitness.</p>
<p>My hope is that 30 years from now – by the time my children are my age – performance-enhancing supersuits will be as common and mundane in society as smartphones are today. Perhaps people might even forget the amazing physical superpowers that they provide, and take for granted supersuits’ individual and societal benefits to health, fitness and well-being.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115679/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karl Zelik co-founded and owns shares in HeroWear, LLC, a spin-off company from his lab that is translating these exosuit prototypes into commercial products. He receives funding from the National Institutes of Health to integrate wearable sensors and machine learning into the next generation of supersuits.</span></em></p>
Billions of people already have ‘superhero powers’ like the ability to see things far away and summon their friends from far-flung locations. Next up? Enhanced physical abilities.
Karl Zelik, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Vanderbilt University
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/112268
2019-02-21T19:01:31Z
2019-02-21T19:01:31Z
‘Black Panther’ and its science role models inspire more than just movie awards
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260249/original/file-20190221-195873-1czfcxm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=122%2C77%2C1252%2C694&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">King of a technologically advanced country, Black Panther is a scientific genius.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/mediaviewer/rm2447322112">© 2017 – Disney/Marvel Studios</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It has been said many times that the Marvel movie “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1825683/">Black Panther</a>” is an important landmark. I’m not referring to its deserved critical and box office success worldwide, the many awards it has won, or the fact that it is the first film in the superhero genre to be <a href="https://oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2019">nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards</a>.</p>
<p>Instead, I’m focusing on a key aspect of its cultural impact that is less frequently discussed. Finally a feature film starring a black superhero character became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe – a successful run of intertwined movies that began with “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371746/">Iron Man</a>” in 2008. While there have been other superhero movies with a black lead character – “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0448157/">Hancock</a>” (2008), “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120611/">Blade</a>” (1998), “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120177/">Spawn</a>” (1997) or even “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107563/">The Meteor Man</a>” (1993) – this film is significant because of the <a href="https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/the-rise-of-superhero-films/">recent remarkable rise of the superhero film</a> from the nerdish fringe to part of mainstream culture.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=marvel2017b.htm">Huge audiences</a> saw a black lead character – not a sidekick or part of a team – in a superhero movie by a major studio, with a black director (Ryan Coogler), black writers and a majority black cast. This is a significant step toward diversifying our culture by improving the <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/sites/default/files/Dr_Stacy_L_Smith-Inequality_in_900_Popular_Films.pdf">lackluster representation</a> of minorities in our major media. It’s also a <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/research/aii/research/raceethnicity">filmmaking landmark because black creators</a> have been given access to the resources and platforms needed to bring different storytelling perspectives into our mainstream culture.</p>
<p>2017’s “<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451279/">Wonder Woman</a>” forged a similar path. In that case, a major studio finally decided to commit resources to a superhero film headlined by a female character and directed by a woman, Patty Jenkins. Female directors are <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/inclusion-directors-chair">a minority in the movie industry</a>. Jenkins brought a new perspective to this kind of action movie, and there was a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2017/05/31/why-women-are-crying-when-they-watch-wonder-woman-fight/102328772/">huge positive response from audiences</a> in theaters worldwide.</p>
<p>And beyond all this, “Black Panther” also broke additional ground in a way most people may not realize: In the comics, the character is actually a scientist and engineer. Moreover, in the inevitable (and somewhat ridiculous) ranking of scientific prowess that happens in the comic book world, he’s been portrayed as at least the equal of the two most famous “top scientists” in the Marvel universe: Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic). A black headlining superhero character written and directed by black artists is rare enough from a major studio. But making him – and his sister Shuri – successful scientists and engineers as well is another level of rarity.</p>
<h2>Scientists on screen</h2>
<p>I’m a scientist who cares about increased engagement with science by the general public. I’ve worked as <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/film/physicist-dr-clifford-v-johnson-is-a-consultant-on-superhero-movies-8232890">a science adviser on many film and TV projects</a> (though not “Black Panther”). When the opportunity arises, I’ve <a href="https://creativefuture.org/science-advisor-conversation-dr-clifford-johnson/">helped broaden the diversity of scientist characters</a> portrayed onscreen.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205377/original/file-20180207-74512-hw1u6u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jason Wilkes is a black scientist on ‘Agent Carter,’ whose character emerged from the author’s talks with the show’s writers.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">ABC Television</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205375/original/file-20180207-74512-zdpjdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=527&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Panels from ‘The Dialogues,’ including a black female scientist.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">'The Dialogues,' by Clifford V. Johnson (MIT Press 2017)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I’ve also recently published a <a href="http://thedialoguesbook.com/">nonfiction graphic book</a> for general audiences called “<a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/dialogues-0">The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe</a>.” Its characters include male and female black scientists, discussing aspects of my own field of theoretical physics – where black scientists are <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/2017/nsf17310/data.cfm">unfortunately very rare</a>. So the opportunity that the “Black Panther” movie presents to inform and inspire vast audiences is of great interest to me.</p>
<p>The history and evolution of the Black Panther character and his scientific back story is a fascinating example of turning a problematic past into a positive opportunity.</p>
<p>Created in 1966 by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, he’s the first black superhero character in mainstream comics, <a href="https://comicvine.gamespot.com/fantastic-four-52-introducing-the-sensational-blac/4000-8666/">originally appearing as a guest</a> in a “Fantastic Four” Marvel comic. As a black character created and initially written by nonblack authors, guest-starring in the pages of a book headlined by white characters, he had many of the classic attributes of what is now sometimes controversially known as the “<a href="https://www.salon.com/2010/09/14/magical_negro_trope/">magical negro</a>” in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0021934707307831">American cultural criticism</a>: He ranked extremely highly in every sphere that mattered, to the point of being almost too unreal even for the comics of the time.</p>
<p>Black Panther is T’Challa, king of the fictional African country Wakanda, which is fathomlessly wealthy and remarkably advanced, scientifically and technologically. Even Marvel’s legendary master scientist – Reed Richards of the superhero team Fantastic Four – is befuddled by and full of admiration for Wakanda’s scientific capabilities. T’Challa himself is portrayed as an extraordinary “genius” in physics and other scientific fields, a peerless tactician, a remarkable athlete and a master of numerous forms of martial arts. And he is noble to a fault. Of course, he grows to become a powerful ally of the Fantastic Four and other Marvel superheroes over many adventures.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=333&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205406/original/file-20180207-74473-hjn59z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=418&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While likening Black Panther to a ‘refugee from a Tarzan movie,’ the Fantastic Four marveled at his technological innovations in ‘Introducing the Sensational Black Panther.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966). [Marvel Comics]</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The key point here is that the superlative scientific ability of our hero, and that of his country, has its origins in the well-meaning, but problematic, practice of inventing near or beyond perfect black characters to support stories starring primarily white protagonists. But this is a lemons-to-lemonade story.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=280&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205407/original/file-20180207-74476-yuoi9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Fantastic Four were amazed by the scientific ingenuity of Wakanda in ‘Whosoever Finds The Evil Eye.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Fantastic Four #54 (September 1966). [Marvel Comics]</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Black Panther eventually got to star in his own series of comics. He was turned into a nuanced and complex character, moving well away from the tropes of his beginnings. Writer Don McGregor’s work started this development as early as 1973, but Black Panther’s journey to the multilayered character you see on screen was greatly advanced by the efforts of several writers with diverse perspectives. Perhaps most notably, in the context of the film, these include Christopher Priest (late 1990s) and Ta-Nehisi Coates (starting in 2016), along with Roxane Gay and Yona Harvey, writing in “World of Wakanda” (2016). Coates and Gay, already best-selling literary writers before coming to the character, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/23/books/black-panther-marvel-comics-roxane-gay-ta-nehisi-coates-wakanda.html?_r=0">helped bring him to wider attention</a> beyond normal comic book fandom, partly paving the way for the movie.</p>
<p>Through all of the improved writing of T'Challa and his world, his spectacular scientific ability has remained prominent. Wakanda continues to be a successful African nation with astonishing science and technology. Furthermore, and very importantly, T'Challa is not portrayed as an anomaly among his people in this regard. There are many great scientists and engineers in the Wakanda of the comics, including his sister Shuri. In some accounts, she (in the continued scientist-ranking business of comics) is an even greater intellect than he is. In the movie, T’Challa’s science and engineering abilities are referred to, but it is his sister Shuri who takes center stage in this role, having taken over to design the new tools and weapons he uses in the field. She also uses Wakandan science to heal wounds that would have been fatal elsewhere in the world.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/205385/original/file-20180207-74506-voxz8z.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black Panther isn’t an isolated genius – his half-sister Shuri is a technological wiz herself.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://collider.com/black-panther-things-to-know/">Marvel Studios</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>If they can do it, then why not me?</h2>
<p>As a scientist who cares about inspiring more people – including underrepresented minorities and women – <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-ways-scientists-can-help-put-science-back-into-popular-culture-84955">to engage with science</a>, I think that showing a little of this scientific landscape in “Black Panther” potentially amplifies the movie’s cultural impact.</p>
<p>Vast audiences see black heroes – both men and women – using their scientific ability to solve problems and make their way in the world, at an unrivaled level. <a href="https://dornsife.usc.edu/daphna-oyserman/identity/">Research has shown</a> that such representation can have a positive effect on the interests, outlook and career trajectories of viewers.</p>
<p>Improving science education for all is a core endeavor in a nation’s competitiveness and overall health, but outcomes are limited if people aren’t inspired to take an interest in science in the first place. There simply are <a href="http://annenberg.usc.edu/research/aii/research/raceethnicity">not enough images of black scientists</a> – male or female – in our media and entertainment to help inspire. Many people from underrepresented groups end up genuinely believing that scientific investigation is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2002.tb18217.x">not a career path open to them</a>.</p>
<p>Moreover, many people still see the dedication and study needed to excel in science as “nerdy.” A cultural injection of Black Panther heroics helps continue to erode the crumbling tropes that science is <a href="https://theconversation.com/most-people-think-man-when-they-think-scientist-how-can-we-kill-the-stereotype-42393">only for white men</a> or reserved for <a href="https://theconversation.com/beliefs-about-innate-talent-may-dissuade-students-from-stem-42967">people with a special “science gene.”</a></p>
<p>The huge widespread success of the “Black Panther” movie, showcasing T'Challa, Shuri and other Wakandans as highly accomplished scientists, remains one of the most significant boosts for science engagement in recent times.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>This is an updated version of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-superpower-of-black-panther-scientist-role-models-91042">an article originally published</a> on Feb. 8, 2018.</em></p>
<p>
<section class="inline-content">
<img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/248895/original/file-20181204-133100-t34yqm.png?w=128&h=128">
<div>
<header>Clifford V. Johnson is the author of:</header>
<p><a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/dialogues-1">The Dialogues: Conversations about the Nature of the Universe</a></p>
<footer>MIT Press provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.</footer>
</div>
</section>
</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112268/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>MIT Press provides funding as a member of The Conversation US.</span></em></p>
The film wowed critics and fans. But its hidden power may be black lead characters who are accomplished scientists – just the thing to help inspire future generations to follow in their footsteps.
Clifford Johnson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/110752
2019-02-06T23:40:04Z
2019-02-06T23:40:04Z
What ‘Into the Spider-Verse’ can teach us about resilience
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256657/original/file-20190131-75085-u1s194.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Peter Parker (Jake Johnson), and Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage) in 'Spider Man: Into the Spider-Verse.'</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sony Pictures Animation</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>What can the movie <em>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</em> teach us about child development?</p>
<p>All stories and fairy tales contain symbols and archetypes. These are what make <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/media-lab/cmns320_06/readings/bettelheim.pdf">stories universal and relatable to everyone</a>. Such symbols and archetypes can represent human conflicts, struggles or experiences we have or may encounter — such as trauma and loss. </p>
<p>Stories provide us with options for how to deal with the adversity we face. They provide a way of experiencing how things could be resolved and show us that we are not alone in how we feel or experience events. </p>
<p>The film <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4633694/"><em>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</em></a> helps us to learn the importance of relying on people and fighting through life’s adversity to save ourselves and the world. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256660/original/file-20190131-124043-cm9iw2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Miles Morales played by Shameik Moore in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sony Pictures Animation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Resilience is the process of adapting to adversity, the ability to bounce back after difficult experiences throughout life. It helps children manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty — <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/resilience-game/">think of it as a balancing scale</a>, with protective or positive experiences and coping skills on one side and adversity or negative experiences on the other. </p>
<p>Resilience is evident when the scale tips to the positive experiences even when there is a heavy load on adversity. </p>
<p><em>Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse</em> shares this message of resilience, frequently encouraging the main character, Miles Morales, to get up and keep fighting. In one scene, Peter Parker tells Miles:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“No matter how many hits I take, I always find a way to come back.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The theme of bouncing back and continuing the fight is consistent throughout the film. </p>
<p>As viewers watching the film, we find ourselves rooting for a teenage boy who has newly developed superhero abilities and is struggling to become a hero: Spiderman.</p>
<h2>Strong together</h2>
<p>The story is about the Spider-heroes throughout the multiverse who come together to help Miles Morales learn how to be a hero, to be himself, to fight through the pain, loss and tragedy. </p>
<p>It’s a reminder that we are not on our own and that we need each other; we are stronger together. It reminds us of the importance of connection, relationships and asking for help. </p>
<p>Relationships help children develop the ability to <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/">monitor, plan and regulate behaviour as well as adapt to changes which help children respond to adversity</a>.</p>
<p>Miles Morales searches for the support of loved ones. <a href="http://origin-flash.sonypictures.com/ist/awards_screenplays/SV_screenplay.pdf">His mom supports him, while reminding him</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“Our family doesn’t run from things.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Research indicates the <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/">most common factor for children who do well after experiencing a trauma or stressful time is to have the support of at least one loving and committed relationship</a>, such as with a parent. </p>
<p>Such relationships are the most important factor in building resilience. They protect children from negative outcomes by providing a loving, personalized response while helping the child understand and manage their feelings. </p>
<p>Important relationships help Miles cope and discover who he is and his capabilities. <a href="http://time.com/5468861/spider-man-into-the-spiderverse-is-characters/">Peter’s friend Gwen Stacy</a> tells Miles: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I know how hard it is to have to figure this stuff out on your own. It’s kind of nice not being the only Spider person around.” </p>
<p>“We are probably the only ones who… understand.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://marvel-movies.fandom.com/wiki/Aaron_Davis_(Into_the_Spider-Verse)">And Uncle Aaron says</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“You are the best of all of us, Miles.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Relationships help children develop the ability to <a href="https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/">monitor, plan and regulate behaviour as well as adapt to changes</a>.</p>
<p>This process is a critical aspect of learning to cope with manageable threats. The movie tells us we cannot do that all on our own. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=251&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256677/original/file-20190131-75085-1i94krr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Peter Parker serves as Miles Morales’s reluctant mentor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Sony Pictures Animation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miles’s dad speaks to him through a closed door and says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I see this…this spark in you. It’s amazing, it’s why I
push you.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>But Miles’s father also tells Miles the spark is his and whatever he chooses to do with it, he’ll be great. Then he tells him:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“I love you… You don’t have to say it back though.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>These are important lessons for children and parents. </p>
<p>When adversity or stress feels overwhelming to the child and the parent is not available, the stress can feel toxic and create an opportunity for more negative outcomes. </p>
<p>This movie is a great reminder that not all stress or adversity is harmful.</p>
<h2>Takeaway tips</h2>
<p><em>Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse</em> provides important tips for helping children develop resilience:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Make connections: Create a strong family network and teach your child how to be a friend and make friends. This will help deal with stress. </p></li>
<li><p>Help your child remember they are not alone and others may feel as they do at times. This is important for trusting others and developing empathy.</p></li>
<li><p>Teach children how to move towards goals: focus on accomplishments rather than failures. Break down the desired outcome into smaller achievable goals and support your child in seeing them through.</p></li>
<li><p>Nurture a positive self-view and keep things in perspective: in this way, a child learns to trust their ideas, solve problems and make appropriate decisions, to understand past challenges, to build strength to handle future challenges. </p></li>
<li><p>Look for opportunities for self-discovery: tough times are often when children learn the most about themselves. Help your child look at what they can learn from whatever they are facing.</p></li>
</ol>
<p><a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse-stan-lee-cameo-2018-12">The movie ends with a quote from Stan Lee</a>: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>“That person who helps others simply because it should or must be done, and because it is the right thing to do, is indeed, without a doubt, a real superhero.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>It’s a beautiful message reminding us the importance of resilience and connection with others. These are two key factors in childhood development that will help our future generations become healthy and productive citizens — and save the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110752/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nikki Martyn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Even superheroes can’t do it alone – relationships are the most important factor in protecting us from negative outcomes and teaching us adversity doesn’t have to be harmful.
Nikki Martyn, Program Head of Early Childhood Studies, University of Guelph-Humber
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.
tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/110179
2019-02-04T19:12:37Z
2019-02-04T19:12:37Z
Hidden women of history: Tarpe Mills, 1940s comic writer, and her feisty superhero Miss Fury
<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/257117/original/file-20190204-193209-9yt4ya.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">MIss Fury had cat claws, stiletto heels and a killer make-up compact.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In this <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/hidden-women-of-history-64072">series</a>, we look at under-acknowledged women through the ages.</em></p>
<p>In April 1941, just a few short years after Superman came swooping out of the Manhattan skies, Miss Fury – originally known as Black Fury – became the first major female superhero to go to print. She beat Charles Moulton Marsden’s Wonder Woman to the page by more than six months. More significantly, Miss Fury was the first female superhero to be written and drawn by a woman, <a href="http://www.tarpemills.com/welcome.html">Tarpé Mills</a>. </p>
<p>Miss Fury’s creator – whose real name was June – shared much of the gritty ingenuity of her superheroine. Like other female artists of the Golden Age, Mills was obliged to make her name in comics by disguising her gender. As she later told the New York Post, “It would have been a major let-down to the kids if they found out that the author of such virile and awesome characters was a gal.”</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256023/original/file-20190129-108358-nredpy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet, this trailblazing illustrator, squeezed out of the comic world amid a post-WW2 backlash against unconventional images of femininity and a 1950s climate of heightened censorship, has been largely excluded from the pantheon of comic greats – until now. </p>
<p>Comics then and now tend to feature weak-kneed female characters who seem to exist for the sole purpose of being saved by a male hero – or, worse still, are “fridged”, a contemporary comic book colloquialism that refers to the gruesome slaying of an undeveloped female character to deepen the hero’s motivation and propel him on his journey. </p>
<p>But Mills believed there was room in comics for a different kind of female character, one who was able, level-headed and capable, mingling tough-minded complexity with Mills’ own taste for risqué behaviour and haute couture gowns.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256211/original/file-20190129-108370-16drm9u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tarpe Mills was obliged to make her name in comics during the 1940s by disguising her gender.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Where Wonder Woman’s powers are “marvellous” – that is, not real or attainable – Miss Fury and her alter ego Marla Drake use their collective brains, resourcefulness and the odd stiletto heel in the face to bring the villains to justice.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256212/original/file-20190129-108355-q08ais.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A WW2 plane featuring an image of Miss Fury.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">http://www.tarpemills.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>And for a time they were wildly successful.</p>
<p>Miss Fury <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=M_YJnQEACAAJ&dq=Sensational+Sundays&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiszrvnhaHgAhXbfysKHbDOCYMQ6AEIKDAA">ran a full decade</a> from <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=LKrSYgEACAAJ&dq=Sensational+Sundays&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiszrvnhaHgAhXbfysKHbDOCYMQ6AEILDAB">April 1941 to December 1951</a>, was syndicated in 100 different newspapers at the height of her wartime fame, and sold a million copies an issue in reprints released by Timely (now Marvel) comics. </p>
<p>Pilots flew bomber planes with Miss Fury painted on the fuselage. Young girls played with paper doll cut outs featuring her extensive high fashion wardrobe.</p>
<h2>An anarchic, ‘gender flipped’ universe</h2>
<p>Miss Fury’s “origin story” offers its own coolly ironic commentary on the masculine conventions of the comic genre.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=847&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=847&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=847&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1064&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1064&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256032/original/file-20190129-108370-12f46ta.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1064&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One night a girl called Marla Drake finds out that her friend Carol is wearing an identical gown to a masquerade party. So, at the behest of her maid Francine, she dons a skin tight black cat suit that – in an imperial twist, typical of the period – was once worn as a ceremonial robe by a witch doctor in Africa. </p>
<p>On the way to the ball, Marla takes on a gun-toting killer, using her cat claws, stiletto heels, and – hilariously – a puff of powder blown from her makeup compact to disarm the villain. She leaves him trussed up with a hapless and unconscious police detective by the side of the road.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=707&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=707&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256206/original/file-20190129-108342-1qbyg3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=707&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tarpe Mills with her beloved Persian cat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Miss Fury could fly a fighter plane when she had to, jumping out in a parachute dressed in a red satin ball gown and matching shoes. She was also a crack shot.</p>
<p>This was an anarchic, gender flipped, comic book universe in which the protagonist and principle antagonists were women, and in which the supposed tools of patriarchy – high heels, makeup and mermaid bottom ball gowns – were turned against the system. Arch nemesis Erica Von Kampf – a sultry vamp who hides a swastika-branded forehead behind a v-shaped blond fringe – also displayed amazing enterprise in her criminal antics.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=923&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1160&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1160&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256217/original/file-20190129-108355-1804tzz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1160&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Invariably the male characters required saving from the crime gangs, the Nazis or merely from themselves. Among the most ingenious panels in the strip were the ones devoted to hapless lovelorn men, endowed with the kind of “thought bubbles” commonly found hovering above the heads of angsty heroines in romance comics.</p>
<p>By contrast, the female characters possessed a gritty ingenuity inspired by Noir as much as by the changed reality of women’s wartime lives. Half way through the series, Marla got a job, and – astonishingly, for a Sunday comic supplement – became a single mother, adopting the son of her arch nemesis, wrestling with snarling dogs and chains to save the toddler from a deadly experiment.</p>
<p>Mills claims to have modelled Miss Fury on herself. She even named Marla’s cat Peri-Purr after her own beloved Persian pet. Born in Brooklyn in 1918, Mills grew up in a house headed by a single widowed mother, who supported the family by working in a beauty parlour. Mills worked her way through New York’s Pratt Institute by working as a model and fashion illustrator.</p>
<h2>Censorship</h2>
<p>In the end, ironically, it was Miss Fury’s high fashion wardrobe that became a major source of controversy.</p>
<p>In 1947, no less than 37 newspapers declined to run a panel that featured one of Mills’ tough-minded heroines, Era – a South American Nazi-Fighter who became a post-war nightclub entertainer – dressed as Eve, replete with snake and apple, in a spangled, two-piece costume. </p>
<p>This was not the only time the comic strip was censored. Earlier in the decade, Timely comics had refused to run a picture of the villainess Erica resplendent in her bath – surrounded by pink flamingo wallpaper.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=290&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=290&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=290&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256213/original/file-20190129-108338-1wz1auh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Erica in the bath, surrounded by pink flamingo wallpaper.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But so many frilly negligées, cat fights, and shower scenes had escaped the censor’s eye. It’s not a leap to speculate that behind the ban lay the post-war backlash against powerful and unconventional women.</p>
<p>In wartime, nations had relied on women to fill the production jobs that men had left behind. Just as “Rosie the Riveter” encouraged women to get to work with the slogan “We Can Do It!”, so too the comparative absence of men opened up room for less conventional images of women in the comics.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=867&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=867&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=867&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1089&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1089&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/256554/original/file-20190131-110834-1llokeg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1089&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A Miss Fury paper doll cut out.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Once the war was over, women lost their jobs to returning servicemen. Comic creators were no longer encouraged to show women as independent or decisive. Politicians and psychologists attributed juvenile delinquency to the rise of unconventional comic book heroines and by 1954 the Comics Code Authority was policing the representation of women in comics, in line with increasingly conservative ideologies. In the 1950s, female action comics gave way to romance ones, featuring heroines who once again placed men at the centre of their existence.</p>
<p>Miss Fury was dropped from circulation in December 1951, and despite a handful of attempted comebacks, Mills and her anarchic creation slipped from public view. </p>
<p>Mills continued to work as a commercial illustrator on the fringes of a booming advertising industry. In 1971, she turned a hand to romance comics, penning a seven-page story that was published by Marvel, but it wasn’t her forte. In 1979, she began work on a graphic novel Albino Jo, which remains unfinished.</p>
<p>Despite her chronic asthma, Mills – like the reckless Noir heroine she so resembled – chain-smoked to the bitter end. She died of emphysema on December 12, 1988, and is buried in New Jersey under the simple inscription, “Creator of Miss Fury”.</p>
<p>This year Mills’ work will be belatedly recognised. As a recipient of the 2019 Eisner Award, she will finally take her place in the <a href="https://www.comic-con.org/awards/hall-of-fame-2019-nominees">Comics Hall of Fame</a>, alongside the male creators of the Golden Age who have too long dominated the history of the genre. Hopefully this will bring her comic creation the kind of notoriety, readership and big screen adventures she thoroughly deserves.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/110179/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Camilla Nelson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>
Miss Fury was the first female superhero written and drawn by a woman. The comic in which she featured was syndicated in 100 newspapers but her creator has largely been excluded from the pantheon of comic greats.
Camilla Nelson, Associate Professor in Media, University of Notre Dame Australia
Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.