Much of the comic book, or “graphic novel,” world has established itself around addressing real-world issues in an entertaining fashion with the hope of instilling positive values on an impressionable audience.  The end-goal being to subtly persuade readers to recognize fundamental themes of ethics, humility and emotion—so that they may become more self-aware of these positive ideals in their everyday lives.  The text X-Men and Philosophy works to highlight the most basic themes and scenarios of human existence in an effort to draw relevant correlations between what is perceived as being obvious and that which is more subversive.

The purpose of this essay is to briefly discuss the evolution of the “female super-hero,” or “super-heroin,” within a fictional world of graphic novels; while also addressing the comparative development of notable female figures within the American political forum.

Reassessing Reality

For generations, there has been a gender gap between men and women in nearly ever society recorded.  Some progressive nations such as the U.S., Australia and Great Brittan have made great strides in recent history at embracing gender equality; while others like Afghanistan and Iran remain less evolved.  It was in these progressive nations that the first quarter of the 20^th century saw advances in women’s rights, along with the encouragement of free-thinkers and critics of the status-quo.

From a philosophical standpoint in 1991, Marvel introduced a new character known as Deadpool; whose humble beginnings would instantly appeal to the postmodernist thinker.¹  Postmodernism occurs when the author of a medium purposely includes aspects of realist culture into their work.  The photographer Edward Quinn developed a curious explanation for postmodernism for a less philosophical thinker to better understand—saying:

“Where modernist literature was characterized by its commitment to the value of a unified, coherent work of art employing symbol and myth, exhibiting alienation from ordinary life, postmodernism celebrates incoherence, discontinuity, parody, popular culture, and the principle of metafiction.”

In other words, it is from Quinn’s definition that fictional characters develop a self-understanding and awareness of their own non-existence.  How does this pertain to women’s rights you ask?  In sharp contrast—we can remember that by the 1950’s, a new generation of women were realizing their earning potential, looking beyond confined stereotypical roles; and proceeding to step out of the kitchen and into the workplace.  Whereas Deadpool is confined to a 2-dimential world and Wonder Woman primarily remains an object of affection; motivated women, and men as well, continue to diminish the former ideologies of gender inequality—both domestically and abroad.

Overcoming Popular Culture

In 1941, Wonder Woman was created by William Marston as a “distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to 'a world torn by the hatred of men.'” ²  It could be said that this mild attempt at appealing to a female audiences during World War II did little but entice male readers; while subtly dissuading feminine intellect.  However, despite the preconception of a fetching, busty, skimpy dressed superhero, Wonder Woman did possess awesome strength.  A strong notion of psychological strength did encourage many average women to assist in the war effort by becoming “Rosie-Riveters” or blue-collar factory workers—the female equivalents of their male counterparts.

Instances such as these in women’s history give way to an evolutionary snowballing or “Butterfly Effect” of feminine empowerment.  Simply put, the Butterfly Effect is a segment of complex chaos theory that assumes the slightest adjustment in atmospheric pressure, such as a butterfly flapping its wings in Brazil, could perpetuate a chain of events resulting in the development of a tornado in Texas.³  The unsuspecting demeanor (4’10” and ragamuffin apparel) of Layla Miller is a prime example of the Butterfly Effect.  Layla “knows stuff.”  That is to say, Layla can anticipate the future, and then act accordingly to alter its outcome.⁴  Consider your most basic daily routine and the profound impact slight variations in your actions can have on those whom you interact with.  Layla is proof, albeit fictional proof, that regardless of one’s physical stature and strength, even the smallest of beings are capable of changing the world if they are so inclined to do so.

Incidentally, knowledge in and of itself can also be a devastating sense.  Knowledge that acts as an indicator to one’s predefined role in life, or knowledge of ominous events to come.  The writer J. R. R. Tolkien refers to knowledge as “a form of despair.” ⁵  The case being that despair is knowing the future’s bleakest scenarios, beyond the shadow of a doubt, and being powerless to prevent them.  In a lighter sense, a contributing factor of women’s suffrage movements were to create a future for women that existed outside of the home; and to further the pursuit and attainment of non-stereotypical careers.  Throughout House of M, one of the most pivotal X-Men stories, Layla plays a vital role in foiling villainess Wanda Maximoff’s ambitions plot for devising a mutant dominated world. ⁴

Strength of Character

When devising the cast of X-Men #1 in 1963, Marvel creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby made a decisive shift to the series that would mesh with an ever-changing social atmosphere.  The conceptual deviation to introduce a prominent female character would mark the first such instance in over 20-years.⁶  The inclusion of Marvel Girl (Jean Grey) meant that a woman was just as capable of being a member of the team as a man was; and is just as well suited to handle various conflicts, free of gender predisposition.  This is indicative of Hattie Wyatt Caraway, the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate in 1932.  Her original appointment and victories that followed, would lead to the subsequent elections of 38 women in recent years.⁷

However, the downfall of Marvel Girl exists in that her character is frequently betrayed through spousal infidelity and exploited through self-sacrifice.⁸  These interpersonal tensions downplay her authority within the X-Men arena and portray an ever-present sense of victimhood.  Fortunately, the 1970s brought a renewed sense of female independence with the introduction of X characters Storm and Mystique.  Aside from the guise of being stunningly beautiful, both were highly independent thinkers, strong-willed, and tough as nails.⁹  Unlike Marvel Girl, who was more or less a secondary hero, comics depicting Storm and Mystique portrayed them in lead roles.  This, a sign of an evolving era that would see more women in corporate leadership roles, such as Chairman & CEO Anne Mulcahy (Xerox Corporation); and an ever growing presence in politics, such as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

The rise of Wanda Maximoff (aka the Scarlet Witch) underscored the notion that a woman could not only be a player within competitive situations, but could in fact be a formidable opponent.  Despite straying from wholesome intensions, Maximoff wields an ability to manipulate time and space to accommodate her intensions; asserting that women have developed the psychological tools necessary for rewriting their destiny.¹⁰  In comparison, America’s 2008 Presidential Election would know the ambitions of two legitimate, highly-influential, and well-supported campaigns; that of Senator Hillary Clinton for President, and Governor Sarah Palin for Vice-President.

Closure

It is through this evolution of fictional characters, coupled with the progression of real-life icons, that today’s generation of young women are able to associate themselves with positive role-models.  Marvel’s modern heroines, including Rogue and Sage, celebrate their mutant abilities and gifts, while in turn recognizing their flaws and weaknesses.  Today, these contrasts are not intended to dwell on weakness, but rather to extend aspects of humility; that all of humanity is susceptible to the harsh reality of adverse situations.  Remember that despair creates a vacuum of hopelessness that can impact both human and mutant behavior alike.  It is the act of overcoming one’s sense of hopelessness that has given women the ability to far exceed “man’s” earliest presumptions.  Through sustained reinforcement of modern ideals, it has become the predominant belief among civilized society that women do indeed possess an authority to challenge the status-quos—a concept that would have been quashed a mere century ago.

Reference

2: Crawford, Philip C. "The Legacy of Wonder Woman." School Library Journal. 3 Jan. 2007. Web. 20 Sept. 2009.

 3: 66. 4: 67. Dunn, George A. "Layla Miller Knows Stuff: How a Butterfly can Shoulder the World." X-Men and Philosophy. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009. Print.

 5: 124. Drout, Michael D. C. J.R.R. Tolkien Encyclopedia: Scholarship and critical Assessment. Florence: Routledge. 2006. Print.

 6: 86. 8: 87. 9: 92. 10: 90. Housel, Rebecca. "X-Women and X-istence." X-Men and Philosophy. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2009. Print.

 7: “Women in the Senate.” www.senate.gov. Web. 20 Sept. 2009.