Graphic Mythology: Comparing Feminist Superheroes

It occurred to me that it might be interesting to compare feminist superheroes who also have some kind of connection to mythology. In saying this, I would like to emphasize that qualitative comparison need not equate to a ranking system. We are free to choose different favorites, and I think I have betrayed some of my preferences already. This post , then, is a kind of summary.

I made a lot of negative noise about Wonder Woman, and I really did little to nuance my statements. This was a deliberate attempt to stimulate discussion. What I must say now is that the validity of promoting or denouncing Wonder Woman as a feminist icon depends on which Wonder Woman you are talking about. My complaints centered mostly on certain aspects of her Golden Age portrayal by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter.

Others have criticized her apparent domestication (i.e. adherence to more traditional female roles) in the Silver Age.

More recent portrayals have often shown her as angrier and darker and have given her a more unreasonable body image.

It should be noted that most of these representations are neither purely good nor purely bad. Critics can’t even reach a consensus on what good and bad actually are. Certain aspects of overall emphasis are what have drawn fire from different camps in different periods. In terms of her feminist record, this is a character with a checkered past. She even did a stint for a few years under the influence of Gloria Steinem. Like her or not, she is one of the most iconic images in comics.

Then, of course, there is her portrayal by Alex Ross and Mark Waid in Kingdom Come. I found nothing personally objectionable in this version, and I will write more about this next week. Of course, what satisfies me, might not satisfy someone else.

I have already intimated that Winged Victory and Cleopatra from the Astro City series by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson strike me as more reasonable feminist characters, and I appreciate the balance and maturity of their portrayals.

Two weeks ago, I cited Nausicaa from Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind by Hayao Miyazaki as another good example. Although she has her weaknesses, she is compassionate and gentle, and she has a spiritual connection to nature and the supernatural. She is also a capable warrior as well as an expert pilot.

So now that you’ve seen four of them side by side, so to speak, do you have a favorite?

Graphic Mythology: Cleopatra

Last week, I alluded to a superhero named Cleopatra.

She is evidently a supernatural entity derived from the original Cleopatra. Her identity is transferred from one individual to another by means of something called the Gem of Thebis. This is independent of race. Her former incarnation was white, her present incarnation black. In the story arc of The Dark Age from the Astro City series, we see the passing of the mantle. In order to get the Gem of Thebis away from a villain named Hellsignor, a hero called the Point Man throws it around the neck of Sarah Brandeis, one of many innocent bystanders who have been taken captive. She becomes Cleopatra, confirming that her superhero identity resides in the artifact which she is wearing.

This character appears in several Astro City stories. She is somewhat similar to Winged Victory in that she transforms between her superhero and ordinary identities by means of what she wears around her neck. Also like Vic, she can fly and is abnormally strong. Her age and beauty are preserved, and she controls the weather (with, guess what, bursts of lightning) by means of an implement she wields which is known as the Sun-Staff of Ra. So writer Kurt Busiek has drawn loosely from Egyptian mythology in the creation of Cleopatra.

As I have already said, there are a number of stories in which she appears, and I am still faithfully working my way through this excellent series. I still have a lot to learn about her, but she is another feminine superhero who is written and drawn from a more mature and dignified perspective.

Cleopatra and Winged Victory appear together, sometimes as members of a superhero team dubbed the Honor Guard, so read up on their exploits.

Graphic Mythology: A Goddess Of Sorts

Last week was the bait. I made mention of two characters (Wonder Woman and Thor) from the DC and Marvel comic book universes. Now for the switch. I decided not to look any further into those pantheons since I have already posted about some characters from the Disney Marvel cinematic universe. I have opted instead to enter the realm of Astro City by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross, and Brent Anderson. My thanks to tomk74 at Gabbing Geek for his post about this series. The first character I will visit is Winged Victory. SPOILER ALERT for those who have not read the graphic novel titled Victory. You might want to do that before reading this.

She is an interesting, feminist superhero with a good backstory. Her treatment by Busiek  is mature and nuanced. It can be seen from the above picture that the artwork is wonderful. Prior to her transformation, “Vic” is a weakened, subservient woman whose boyfriend cheats on her and turns her out.  After seeing the statue of Nike in the Louvre, she travels to  Samothrace and is visited by the Council of Nike, a collective of high-achieving women whose communal psyche empowers her to become a champion for other women. She wears a pendant that is associated with her ability to transform herself from an ordinary woman into a goddess-like superhero.

Her power is derived from the feminist collective, and she must maintain their confidence in order to be connected to her source of power.

In the course of telling a pretty good story, this series examines some of the problems faced by women in a manner that is inherent to the plot and that in no way detracts from it. It also utilizes some good dialectic as the heroine’s perspective develops. I found this character to be subtle and compelling. Check her out.