"τὰ ὄντα ἰέναι τε πάντα καὶ μένειν οὐδέν" --Heraclitus
As a rule, I never blog about anything until the issue is cold, but perhaps I can get this post out during the initial buzz. Marvel has announced an upcoming arc in which Thor will be a woman. The move has created a minor sensation and generated what is sure to be brief controversy.
The move follows a number of changes in recent years
to prominent superheroes’ basic descriptions. I’m not as in touch as I wish, but
some examples that spring to mind are Batwoman as a lesbian, a Muslim Ms. Marvel,
and a black boy as Spider-Man. Nick Fury is a great example. White for decades,
he became black in Marvel’s Ultimate imprint when Samuel L. Jackson gave
permission for the character to take on his likeness. Given Jackson’s actual portrayal of Fury in
the insanely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe, this latest incarnation of Fury
may very well be the most widely known.
I would guess there are many more examples touching on race,
ethnicity, religion, gender and sexuality, but I don’t want to focus solely on
diversity because comics are given to other big changes as well. Superheroes quit,
they get married, their costumes change, their groups disband, they switch
allegiances, their identities are revealed, they die, they come back to life, and
they do much of this with alarming regularity.
When I was a kid, Robin died in Batman: A Death in the Family. Jason Todd wasn’t the first Robin and
there have been others since--including a girl. When I was in high school, the villain
Doomsday killed Superman, an assassin named Azrael filled in as Batman, and
Magneto stripped Wolverine’s claws of their adamantium. In 2007, Captain America
died, and in 2010 artist Jim Lee redesigned Wonder Woman’s iconic outfit. Soon
after, the Human Torch died and the Fantastic Four itself ended as a group and
a comic.
Those are merely a few examples that spring to mind. A more
avid fan could produce a much lengthier list. And each time these changes
occurred, they were played up by DC or Marvel as a major event. Now that we
have the Internet, major media outlets sensationalize these changes and fans
and the general public get worked up. But not one of the changes mentioned
above stuck for very long or, in the case of recent changes, shows any indication of being irreversible. Bruce
Wayne is Batman again, Wolvie has his adamantium claws, the Fantastic Four has
been relaunched.
Superman isn’t dead.
The protean nature of comics is something I love. Without a
single version of each character, creators can explore them from fresh angles
and present them anew to younger generations. I’ve often thought superheroes
were like ancient gods for their boundless natures. It makes no sense to ask
for the definitive Pan or Zeus. Their attributes and behavior change from
place to place and across time. They have many guises and superheroes are
similar shapeshifters.
I’ve been disappointed to see fans reacting negatively to many recent
changes. Sometimes, the discomfort results from political dogma, for in today's climate, political
affiliation drives many people’s views on race, religion, art, sex, you
name it. Casting a black man as the Human Torch for a Fantastic Four reboot
suddenly becomes an affront to all that is holy. Already, I have seen online
rants proclaiming the upcoming female Thor as another in a long series of feminist
attacks on men.
Discomfort also simply stems
from a psychological need for orthodoxy, for something solid that can't be fucked with
dammit. But that's where the fun is. Frank Miller’s portrayal of Batman in All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder (2005-2008) was too
gritty for some, and there were complaints about Superman killing
General Zod in the film Man of Steel
(2013). Apparently, these two heroes are so saintly they never take life. Please.
Comics and movies had more edge than that in pre-Leave It to Beaver days.
The point is this: Heroes change. Superheroes change. That’s
the nature of story, of myth. It’s a good thing, so no need to fret over it. But if Thor as a
woman bothers you, don’t worry. The way things change in comics, she won’t be
a woman for long.
*thumbs up*
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