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Apparently my angry cries of foul on Rogue’s bullshit new costume that is constantly unzipped to her navel have fallen on deaf ears. The evidence? The X-Men Legacy cover #232. SIGH. Oh comics. I don’t know why I continue to love you when you treat me so. I’m just glutton for punishment I suppose.
My friend Josh sent me this link to Marvel’s “Women of Marvel” Halloween Costumes and said he thought it would be good “fodder for my blog”. And he’s so right. But I must be tired of fighting this unwinable (not a word) fight because all I can come up with is REALLY MARVEL? REALLY!?!
Actually, I tried, but even exhausted, I can’t just say nothing. I know we (I’m speaking for all women everywhere here – so that should tell you how tired I am) do sometimes like to dress up like sluts for Halloween – it’s a nice opportunity to get our slutty selves out there with less public shaming, cause it’s Halloween and well, anything goes! And we can just pretend tomorrow that it didn’t happen! But c’mon Marvel, do you really have to stoop to the absolute lowest freaking common denominator?
First of all, a superheroine costume is pretty slutty to begin with – all skin tight and ridiculous – it’s not like you actually have to make it sluttier. I mean, until now I wasn’t even sure it was possible in some cases. The Spider-girl costume is perhaps the most disgusting, because, I don’t know, she’s SPIDERGIRL. I mean, I’ll give you the Emma Frost/White Queen costume, because frankly, compared to some of Emma’s outfits that costume is actually pretty tame (although SUPER tacky – Emma would never be caught dead in that shit). BUT WTF…AN AMERICAN DREAM COSTUME? That’s barely even a real character! And that’s not remotely HER COSTUME!
I’m sorry, AM I SHOUTING?! IT’S PROBABLY BECAUSE I AM INSANE WITH RAGE.
Ahem. Yeah, “American Dream” barely a real superhero…I mean, even comic nerds that see you in this costume are going to be all…”Really? American Dream? She’s uh…so…uh…minor. Where’s Storm, or Jean Grey, or She-Hulk, or Ms. Marvel, or…I mean the list is endless.” So those of you who don’t know about superheroes, you might want to stick with Hooker Spider-girl, or Working Girl Black Cat, which, though completely fucking ridiculous, are at least superheroes people will actually recognize…sort of.
Brian Cronin over at CBR has been doing a Top Five Most Iconic Covers for individual characters, and it’s a really great idea (read: I wish I’d thought of it first). Like most idiots with an opinion I have often been disagreeing with some of his picks, but having learned first hand how hard it is to pick a “top” anything, I’ve been keeping my mouth shut. But he featured my girl Rogue this week and I can no longer be silenced!
The list isn’t even that bad, I think in my own list (see below) I have to use three of the five he uses, however the use of that Paul Smith cover as number one is just criminal. That cover is completely a Wolvie cover, not a Rogue cover and while the actual issue marks pretty big developments for the character and her evolution, the cover does not relay that same message. Epic fail.
So here’s MY list:
5. Andy Kubert
As discussed on my Best 100 Covers post, as an adult and as an artist, I kind of hate this cover for a lot of reasons, but as a 16 year old girl, my heart literally went all ‘pitter pat’ in my chest and didn’t stop for, like, YEARS. And independent of my personal feelings, this relationship was a major part of Rogue’s 90’s storyline, and affected her character hugely both at this point in time and (for good or ill) pretty much the rest the character’s life thus far.
4. Walt Simonson
Cronin is right that this cover is iconic because of the “hope you survive the experience” homage that at this point had become classic and iconic on its own, but perhaps it’s even more iconic because in Rogue’s case it was a more accurate statement than ever before. Although, perhaps they should have changed up the meme to read, “Welcome To The X-Men Rogue…Hope The X-Men Survive The Experience” considering the fact that the entire team tries to quit on principle when Xavier lets her in.
3. John Romita Jr.
This is a great cover, and a great issue, that was a huge development in Rogue’s growth as a character. It foreshadowed great things for the character and managed to be a milestone issue for both Rogue and Storm. Neither of them would ever be the same after this issue – and that is the mark of a great comic – and this cover conveys that feeling – which is the mark of a great cover.
2. Marc Silvestri
This Genosha storyline was a big turning point for Rogue, both emotionally as she battled the unexpected side effects of losing her cursed powers; and perhaps even more importantly, it spotlighted the relationship with the Carol Danvers personality living inside of her. This was the first arc (if I recall correctly) that Rogue and Danvers agreed on an uneasy peace, if only for their combined survival. And it kicked off a fantastic ongoing storyline about their constant battle for control of Rogue’s body.
1. Jim Lee
And here’s where control of that body comes to a head, more than thirty issues later. This milestone issue featured the final and long awaited separation of Carol Danvers and Rogue with surprising results after Rogue was shot through the Siege Perilous by Dazzler (you bitch Dazzler). This issue is important both because it truly highlights how much our heroine has changed, and because as a result of this issue, there are new rules for Rogue and Danvers. They’ve been permanently separated, but Rogue has retained the powers. For good or ill this changed Rogue’s direction and is a critical arc in her evolution. It’s also gorgeous, but you guys know I’m a fan.
Ironically, I think that this cover to X-Men Classic #77…
…really proves my point about why Cronin’s pick of X-Men #173 is a real miss. The cover above, a re-imagining by Adam Hughes of the original Paul Smith X-Men #173 cover is a pretty great example of a Rogue cover…with the positions reversed like this (i.e. Rogue in front instead of back) it works as a Rogue cover, but would you ever in a million years put this on a list of most iconic Wolverine covers? No way. Now of course Wolvie has more iconic covers out there than just about any other Marvel character, but still, I’m sure you can see my point.
Just for fun here are a few of my other favorite covers featuring Rogue. I wouldn’t call them all iconic, but I would call them all awesome. It’s a little bit shocking actually, how few powerful and truly moving covers Rogue has, she’s been a fan favorite for a long time, and it’s really not evident in looking up her covers…
I’m not generally a big fan of musicals – which is good as a lot of them – especially the older ones of course – tend to be pretty anti-feminist and anti-progressive in general. However, a few musicals from my childhood have slipped through the cracks and remained good memories for me – Grease 2, A Chorus Line, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers, West Side Story – I know it’s an unusual group – but gimme a break. Anyway, The Sound of Music has always been one of those fairly pristine happy musical memories.
No longer.
And man do I wish I could go back in time and NOT catch it again on television this past weekend. Ignorance is bliss and all that.
I mean, we all know those ‘I Am Sixteen Going On Seventeen‘ lyrics are a feminist nightmare, but the choreography in that scene has always belied the true nature of Liesel and Rolfe’s relationship – a far more interesting and intelligent girl hoping to seduce a rather dense and shy boy. And so I was always able to pretty well rationalize away the ramifications of that song – in my own mind at least.
However, I had completely forgotten (or deliberately blocked out?) the fact that ‘How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria‘ – a somewhat lighthearted and silly song sung by the nuns early on, is also played while Maria walks down the aisle dressed in shockingly virginal white.
Really movie people? REALLY?!
So I mean, I’m not exactly making a big leap here when I say you’re suggesting that you solve a problem like Maria by marrying her off? Considering this movie was made in 1965…ugh. The insult is then further exasperated by including a shot of the nuns looking on almost hungrily from behind the gates (bars?) of the abbey as Maria gets married. SO, not ONLY do you solve a problem like Maria by marrying her off – but we want to make sure to further reinforce that women are nothing if not married – either to a man or to God (and by the wistful looks on the nuns faces – preferably a man) by showing seemingly desperate nuns looking longingly into the ceremony?
As if that was not enough, one of the only scenes with Maria (that isn’t singing) post wedding, is when she tentatively tries to advocate for the children singing in the Salzburg Music Festival – at which time she is immediately shut down by her husband. And unlike the brash outspoken ‘fight the good fight’ woman she was as a single governess – a woman who would never step down from what she believes in – as a “happily” married wife she literally steps back, puts her hands behind her back, and lightly bows her head in acquiescence to Captain VonTrapp’s orders. Shortly thereafter she sings a bit of ‘Sixteen Going On Seventeen‘ with Liesel in which they both longingly sing about ‘belonging to a man’ – good role modeling Maria, good role modeling.
All this to say DAMN YOU FEMINISM FOR RUINING THE SOUND OF MUSIC FOR ME! Damnit! I’m never going to be able to watch this shit with a clear conscience again.
And here’s the real question – if I have kids someday – do I put them in front of it? I mean, certainly once they’re old enough they can choose what they want to watch – but when they’re young enough that I’m choosing for them – do I want to corrupt their little minds with these antiquated ideas – that they may not even realize are ridiculous and antiquated until far too late? Damnit I say again.
Completely Unrelated Sidenote: I cannot believe how gorgeous Austria is and it has now shot up to the top of my travel wish list.
I’m thinking of moving over to this style, not because it’s easier and more fun (though it is) but simply because Adam and I both look nice and thin… 
I spend a lot of time thinking about this thing “getting hit on”. It’s an odd thing. Don’t get me wrong I don’t mind the obvious compliment that it is, in a way, but it also often makes me (and I’m sure other women) uncomfortable. And I also don’t really understand what the point is. Do men really think a woman is going to respond to “mmm. you are hotttt.” I mean, even if we wanted to respond, what on earth would we say? What are men hoping we’ll say? Are they just saying it for themselves? Is it a power play? Is it to make them feel like real men…to validate themselves in some way and it has nothing to do with us? Is it because they’re desperately hoping for a date and have no idea how to go about getting one (hint, gentlemen this is NOT the way). The whole thing confuses the hell out of me.
i’ve been debating all day whether to write about this article i read in the New York Times today or not. i guess i decided to write about it. but i still feel conflicted.
here’s the problem, i’m a smart girl, i’m no genius but smart enough most days and while i’m more informed about worldly events than the average American (and apparently more educated considering i can point to not only North America but several other continents – not to mention actual countries too – on a map) i have been doing a piss poor job of keeping involved in current events, politics, world issues, etc. i get my news mostly from the internet, clicking on stories that interest me. i don’t regularly read any newspapers and i refuse to watch American news reports which we all know are really entertaiment news programs anyway. as such i feel like my information is a bit limited and part of this is deliberate. like many educated people i suffer from a strong desire to know these things and be involved, but also like many people i feel overwhelmed quickly. i can only read about a war that i have no interest in (and if it were up to me we would not have ever gotten involved in) so many times before i give up in frustration.
i think it’s a combination of things, but mostly there are not enough hours in the day for me to work my job, submit (and write) short fiction, submit my novel, re-write my novel, re-draw and re-tool my graphic novel, work out (which always seems to get lost in the shuffle), engage in my relationship, and also both care about and do something about things like female genital mutilation in Egypt (or anywhere else for that matter). so all i end up feeling is frustration.
on one hand it is my choice to not do anything about it, to instead focus my energy on becoming a “successful” writer. on the other hand if people like me don’t care (there seem to be so few of us out there) then who will do anything? *sigh* it’s depressing. in my mind there is always going to be ample time to care about such things when i quit my full time job and become a “full time writer” because then i will have all this magical free time that used to be used up on writing…but we all know that is a myth. there will never be any extra time. maybe this is why i get mad when people tell me they are bored. please, give me your extra time that you have to be bored, because there are plenty of things i’d like to do with your “i’m bored” time.
okay, enough of the rant. please read the article below, and if you’re a better person than me (i hope you are) consider getting involved. there must be something that can be done.
these men are cowards. they are afraid of change and more importantly they are afraid of the power of women. they hide behind religion because it is hard to attack religion without being called all sorts of things, but what they are too cowardly to realize is that they are hiding behind man’s interpretation of God’s word and man gets things wrong all the time, this is no exception.
and speaking of getting things wrong…how is female genital mutilation the same as circumcision? it’s not female circumcision it is female castration.
it is female castration and it has to stop.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/20/world/africa/20girls.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin
this is a picture from the NY Times article of some of the men who defend the tradition of genital cutting with the words, “we support circumcision!” you are cowards. you are all cowards.
i’ve been reading girl-wonder.org off an on for the last month or so and generally enjoy what she has to say over there, but never have i agreed with her more than in her post of September 9th 2007. check it out if you find yourself interseted in comics, feminism, or better yet, both.
