Comments | etrangere: impressions after reading Inferno

etrangere

impressions after reading Inferno - a rant.

Dec 12, 2011 14:46

Like with other issues of sexism in comics, the problematic narratives revolving around female characters becoming dangerous and insane / evil (the insane=evil thing in itself would be very much worth the examination and could be easily seen as worse than gender issues, but I’m not sure I’m up to it) as a result of their power was something I’ ( Read more... )

series: marvel, essay, series: x-men, rant, medium: comics, gender and sexism

Comments 9

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etrangere December 13 2011, 18:38:07 UTC

wow, you do have feelings on the subject. Yeah, I don't mind Emma so much, and I love many aspects of her. There are a few ways in which she is problematic, certainly, but I love the snarkiness, the HBIC-ness, the sense of very deliberate showmanship, the abrasive personality with some softer feelings that she hides well. I agree the way they put her and Scott together was full of fail - especially the with blessing from Jean so the world doesn't go to hell aspect (so much facepalm); but otherwise I actually find the Scott & Emma couple to have good chemistry. It's very annoying that one of the reason Jean still hasn't been brought back is the fact they want to keep the two of them together, though; but I don't blame Emma for that. It's not her fault the editors are fucked up.

It annoyed me that he comes out okay, but all the women are a mess.
Yes! that's exactly what pisses me off here. Grrr.

Haha, my lattest post on S_D was Jubilee kicking ass. But yeah, between the depowering and the vamping, it has been some rough time for ( ... )

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etrangere December 14 2011, 00:26:51 UTC

wow I suck at linking, and at editing (my last sentence was meant to be about Jubilee, not Illyana).

I don't begrudge you your feelings about Emma.

When I was a kid in the 90s, reading X-Men, I'd listen to the older fans grump about how they hated the changes, the new line-up, and the shafting of Kitty Pryde, etc. Many refused to read. I never understood them, as I loved the X-Men as they were. Now, I AM the grumpy older fan who hates how her pet characters got the shaft and the new line-up and all the changes. The circle is complete. I am the irrelevant, angry former X-Men fan of the Good Old Days of Yore. Go ahead and laugh. It's funny. Even I laugh, despite my Strong Feelings. XDDD
Hehe. Well, I'd laugh but chances are I'll get to the same point in 10 or 20 years XD
Yeah, coming into it right now, I tend to accept things at face value so it is very different. I actually love a lot of stuff in the status quo (despite how much I loathe the whole Decimation storyline which has shaped the whole second half of the 00's to current).

Thread 10

q99 December 13 2011, 11:06:11 UTC

I wonder what the first time we had a "Male hero go mad with power" story.

The biggest one I can think of is Hal Jordan, though he's far from the only one.

etrangere December 13 2011, 18:39:45 UTC

It's a good question, are we limited to comics? Ancient mythologies has a few instances I believe ^^

sandoz_iscariot December 14 2011, 00:07:40 UTC

Now, I suppose once they decided to bring Jean back, there was no real helping having to make do with her as a character long term wise. How they did it, on the other hand, is hardly helpful. IIRC the "Scott leaves Madelyne and she turns evil" thing was an editorial mandate that Chris Claremont wasn't happy about (he thought Scott abandoning his wife and child ruined the character, which I agree with tbh). So even though Inferno kind of represents the worst aspects of Claremont's "woman possessed/turned into an evil dominatrix" trope and goes pretty over the top to make Madelyne into a "Bad Mommy from Hell," I find it interesting that she still comes across as really sympathetic? I wish she could have taken her revenge on Scott at least (god I hate Scott). Then she and Jean could go get coffee and talk shit out ( ... )

etrangere December 14 2011, 00:36:26 UTC

pertinent icon is pertinent! XD

IIRC the "Scott leaves Madelyne and she turns evil" thing was an editorial mandate that Chris Claremont wasn't happy about (he thought Scott abandoning his wife and child ruined the character, which I agree with tbh)
I'm not surprised.

I find it interesting that she still comes across as really sympathetic?
Yes, I agree. Overall her story is heartbreaking, her whole world crumbles around her, she has no past and no present that isn't a lie. And even then she starts trying to be helpful until the demons manage to get their hooks on her through good intentions. And even then, she seems more intent on telling them how much it all hurt her than actually hurting them. She has a lot of dignity (which is impressive, in that outfit XD)

Then she and Jean could go get coffee and talk shit out.
LOL, yes!!

Alex is also "corrupted" and becomes Madelyne's Goblin Prince, but of course he lives and gets more dead girlfriend angst.True. I didn't include him because I didn't see him so much as corrupted as... conned ( ... )