100 Kick-Ass Female Characters: #76
76. Sally “Silk Spectre” Jupiter, as seen in the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons and the film Watchmen, portrayed by Carla Gugino
I'm not a particularly visual person. I rarely imagine how characters look, I generally skim over descriptions of clothing and surroundings, and, 9 times out of 10, if I have to describe how someone looks, I have to look it up. Thus, my love of comic books/graphic novels/whatever they're being called this week is a bit of a mystery to me. But I do love them because I think it requires more talent to write a good, emotionally complex graphic novel than it does a regular novel, simply because it means less space for storytelling. You have to hit the points hard and hit them fast. It is something Alan Moore does well, and his skill is perfectly on display in Watchmen.
For those who are not familiar with it, Watchmen exists in an alternate historical reality. In this timeline, regular people dress up as superheroes to fight crime; none of them possess extraordinary abilities. They are just simply regular people in costumes. In this reality, Richard Nixon is still president thanks to an act of Congress changing presidential term limits and "costumed vigilantes" are outlawed. The story features two "groups" of Watchmen: the first generation and the second generation. In the present, the 2nd generation is attempting to figure out who is murdering masks; there are flashbacks to the 1st generation and glimpses of the original Night Owl. But Sally Jupiter steals the show and is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting characters in the story.
In the 40s, Sally Juspeczyk changes her name to the more "American" name of Sally Jupiter. Dubbing herself "Silk Spectre," she is the sex bomb of the group: all flash with very little substance. And Sally is not bothered by this; it is the image she seeks to cultivate. This is a woman who, when elderly, is delighted by finding a Tijuana Bible (essentially comic book porn) based on her persona. It is only later we start to see the layers to Sally. In a flashback, we discover that the Comedian once tried physically and sexually assaulted Sally, something which is somewhat graphically depicted in the book. It is interrupted by another member of the Watchmen, but we see Sally, bleeding and obviously traumatized. It is not until the end of the story we discover the Comedian is the father of Sally's daughter Laurie, the result of a consensual sexual encounter. We are never given the back story as to why Sally would do this, but we do glimpse her seeming almost regretful for the Comedian's death.
What I love about Sally is her brashness. Her daughter Laurie is a bit uptight with a tendency to whine about life without taking action. Sally, on the other hand, even as an elderly woman, is blunt, over-the-top, and hilarious. She embraces her sexuality, she clearly misses her glory days, and she genuinely loves her daughter if her advice is misguided. Sally isn't necessarily the greatest mother on earth, but she doesn't define herself as such; Laurie is a part of Sally's life and story, but she is not the point of it. Sally's story belongs only to Sally, and she does not give a fuck what you think about that.
And that's fabulously kick-ass.
I'm not a particularly visual person. I rarely imagine how characters look, I generally skim over descriptions of clothing and surroundings, and, 9 times out of 10, if I have to describe how someone looks, I have to look it up. Thus, my love of comic books/graphic novels/whatever they're being called this week is a bit of a mystery to me. But I do love them because I think it requires more talent to write a good, emotionally complex graphic novel than it does a regular novel, simply because it means less space for storytelling. You have to hit the points hard and hit them fast. It is something Alan Moore does well, and his skill is perfectly on display in Watchmen.
For those who are not familiar with it, Watchmen exists in an alternate historical reality. In this timeline, regular people dress up as superheroes to fight crime; none of them possess extraordinary abilities. They are just simply regular people in costumes. In this reality, Richard Nixon is still president thanks to an act of Congress changing presidential term limits and "costumed vigilantes" are outlawed. The story features two "groups" of Watchmen: the first generation and the second generation. In the present, the 2nd generation is attempting to figure out who is murdering masks; there are flashbacks to the 1st generation and glimpses of the original Night Owl. But Sally Jupiter steals the show and is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting characters in the story.
In the 40s, Sally Juspeczyk changes her name to the more "American" name of Sally Jupiter. Dubbing herself "Silk Spectre," she is the sex bomb of the group: all flash with very little substance. And Sally is not bothered by this; it is the image she seeks to cultivate. This is a woman who, when elderly, is delighted by finding a Tijuana Bible (essentially comic book porn) based on her persona. It is only later we start to see the layers to Sally. In a flashback, we discover that the Comedian once tried physically and sexually assaulted Sally, something which is somewhat graphically depicted in the book. It is interrupted by another member of the Watchmen, but we see Sally, bleeding and obviously traumatized. It is not until the end of the story we discover the Comedian is the father of Sally's daughter Laurie, the result of a consensual sexual encounter. We are never given the back story as to why Sally would do this, but we do glimpse her seeming almost regretful for the Comedian's death.
What I love about Sally is her brashness. Her daughter Laurie is a bit uptight with a tendency to whine about life without taking action. Sally, on the other hand, even as an elderly woman, is blunt, over-the-top, and hilarious. She embraces her sexuality, she clearly misses her glory days, and she genuinely loves her daughter if her advice is misguided. Sally isn't necessarily the greatest mother on earth, but she doesn't define herself as such; Laurie is a part of Sally's life and story, but she is not the point of it. Sally's story belongs only to Sally, and she does not give a fuck what you think about that.
And that's fabulously kick-ass.