Comic Book Crime by Phillips Nickie D.; Strobl Staci; & Staci Strobl

Author:Phillips, Nickie D.; Strobl, Staci; & Staci Strobl
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New York University Press
Published: 2013-03-03T16:00:00+00:00

Hypermasculine superhero Cable protects baby Hope, the messiah of the mutant race. (Cable #1, volume 2, Duane Swiercynski and Ariel Olivetti, Marvel, 2008)

In Red Robin, the criminal organization known as the League of Assassins is at war with a rival criminal organization, the Spider Council. Red Robin (a.k.a. Tim Drake) is traveling the world, working to take down both. While he is overseas, Lucius Fox sends his daughter Tam to bring Red Robin back to Gotham City. While Red Robin is battling the assassins, Tam finds herself in danger from the Spider Council. As Red Robin swoops in to save Tam, he thinks, “It feels good. No compromises. Take down the bad guys. Save the girl.” He’s rewarded with a kiss by Tam, who blushes with embarrassment. In Identity Crisis, Green Arrow attempts to shield his wife, Black Canary, from the aftermath of Sue Dibny’s murder, even though she is also a superhero in her own right. The story features numerous glosses on Sue’s death as symbolic of men’s failure to protect their wives and girlfriends from violence and injustice.7

Female superheroes are often given conflicted and emotional character flaws in order to create plot situations in which they need to be protected. In Runaways, Nico is one of the only Japanese American leaders of a superhero team, yet she is regularly shown experiencing emotional insecurity and the inability to identify what she is feeling in certain situations. She is depicted clinging to men in her life for emotional protection. Similarly, Daredevil describes Elektra as “an amazing woman. She feels things very deeply. But sometimes—if I can put it like this—that can make her reckless” (Ultimate Elektra: Devil’s Due). Accordingly, Daredevil must keep an eye out for Elektra, standing ready to come to her aid.

In addition to protecting women and children, male superheroes must also ward off potential threats to their masculinity that may result in devastating consequences. In one instance, a defeat at the hands of the Hulk propelled superhero Hank Pym to domestic violence. In The Ultimates: Super-Human, an argument ensues between Hank (a.k.a Giant-Man, Ant-Man) and Janet Pym (a.k.a. Wasp). As they prepare to celebrate with Tony Stark after a series of media interviews about the defeat of the Hulk by Thor and Captain America (a.k.a. Steve Rogers), Hank reveals his jealousy of Janet. Feeling “small,” Giant-Man derides Janet about her outfit: “You don’t want me to tell you what you look like. Are the push-up bra and high heels for Rogers’ benefit or for Tony Stark’s by the way? … You’ve turned me into a laughingstock.”

After exchanging insults, Hank hits Janet across the face, drawing blood. As he apologizes, Janet strikes back. The panels highlight each blow, giving the reader a closer sense of proximity to the violence. In the final panel, he expresses regret, but a wider perspective showing the physical disarray surrounding Hank indicates that it is far too late.

In one of our (all-male) focus groups, participants discussed their reactions to the domestic violence incident between Hank and Janet.

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