Offensive Marvel superheroines?

[edpower]

Can you think of any offensive/sexist Marvel superheroines?

The more obscure the better.

So far I can think of:

* Stacy X
* Pretty Persuasions
* Agent Cheescake
* Big Bertha

Now, you'll see 3 of these characters are very sexual. I don't consider female characters having a healthy libido offensive, i.e. She-Hulk, but there is a difference btwn that and "male-fanservice" characters.

Also, it need to be their concept/personality that's offensive/sexist, not the costume. This is comics. Sadly, even Sue Storm has had a "male fanservice" costume

cleavage-suestorm.jpg

Anyway, thanks!

[Star_Jammer]

I don't find any of those offensive.

You're welcome.

[Rosebunse]

I actually liked Big Bertha. When written well, she's pretty cool.And the concept of Agent Cheesecake does hold some merit.

Of course, none of these characters are offensive because of their overall concepts, but because of how writers use that as being all they are and then more or less dump them in exploitative and horrible ways. Really, even that isn't that unforgivable if it wasn't that it happens almost exclusively to women and non-straight men.

[Jokerz79]

Can you think of any offensive/sexist Marvel superheroines?

The more obscure the better.

So far I can think of:

* Stacy X
* Pretty Persuasions
* Agent Cheescake
* Big Bertha

Now, you'll see 3 of these characters are very sexual. I don't consider female characters having a healthy libido offensive, i.e. She-Hulk, but there is a difference btwn that and "male-fanservice" characters.

Also, it need to be their concept/personality that's offensive/sexist, not the costume. This is comics. Sadly, even Sue Storm has had a "male fanservice" costume

cleavage-suestorm.jpg

Anyway, thanks!

I always see this costume brought out as the 90's male fans service costume did you read this run by Tom DeFalco and Paul Ryan? That costume was a plot point to show something was wrong with Sue that Malice was taking her over again. Once it was done and she defeated Malice she got this costume mitigating-the-90s-120444.jpg

Also during that run Franklin was taken by Nathaniel Richards and raised for ten years in various timelines and periods coming back as a teen and also Reed was "killed"/MIA and having lost her family she came out strong and even became leader of the FF.

[Rosebunse]

Doesn't that whole explanation seem sort of half-assed, though? Like, why is it such a trope that a woman only becomes a "stronger" character when she wears way less clothing? Why couldn't Susan be the same character and wear more or at least something less weird.

I mean, most of these characters aren't just wearing little clothing or have sexy powers, it's that the stories that involve them are often not that good and these costume changes and exploitative and offensive characters are merely used as a cheap and easy way to try and get people to ignore them.

[Crimz]

I like to pretend that 90s costume never happened.

[Rosebunse]

I like to pretend that 90s costume never happened.

Yeah, most of them are really, really bad.

[The One and Only]

Pretty Persuasions was actually a villain when introduced in issue four of New Warriors Vol. 1 actually as part of a team called Psionex. She got out of the villain business ,and went back to her previous career of extorting money out of people. Stripping. In either issue four, or five Volume Two of THUNDERBOLTS.

[Rogue Star]

Can you think of any offensive/sexist Marvel superheroines?

The more obscure the better.

So far I can think of:

* Stacy X
* Pretty Persuasions
* Agent Cheescake
* Big Bertha

Now, you'll see 3 of these characters are very sexual. I don't consider female characters having a healthy libido offensive, i.e. She-Hulk, but there is a difference btwn that and "male-fanservice" characters.

Also, it need to be their concept/personality that's offensive/sexist, not the costume. This is comics. Sadly, even Sue Storm has had a "male fanservice" costume

cleavage-suestorm.jpg

Anyway, thanks!

Wowzer! I never knew that existed. How did anyone think that was a good idea for Sue?

I wouldn't say that costume design is offensive, especially on the right character. I mean, battle bikinis are perfectly fine when it fits a theme.

[Valamist]

I must admit, I am not that opposed to costumes that are revealing/obviously done for male-eyes. I do not find that inherently sexist and I would be lying if I said I never bought anything just because of an attractive guy/gal on the cover. What I have a problem with is when such female characters are actually written as sexist (I.E. cannot do anything, constantly need saving by male heroes etc)

[Rosebunse]

I'm just going to throw this grenade into it: I really love Psylocke, but she's basically become what she is today by pandering to a very certain fetish.

[DJ1107]

I'm just going to throw this grenade into it: I really love Psylocke, but she's basically become what she is today by pandering to a very certain fetish.

Well that & need we forget that she's a Brit in an Asian body so that's gotta be some level of weird racism.

[Rosebunse]

Well that & need we forget that she's a Brit in an Asian body so that's gotta be some level of weird racism.

The least racist thing about it is how it's stuck, really. I think that's why we forget about it as well. Wish it was brought up more, though.

[The One and Only]

The reason for Betsey was altered/mind swapped with an Asian assassin's body was explained in the course of UNCANNY X-MEN#256 where her current look, designed by Jim Lee, was unveiled. She was intended as a good will gesture to the Mandarin by the Hand. Who were offering their services to the villain in the Lady Mandarin story arc. Basically, through Psylocke was going to be running the Hong Kong underworld as the Mandarin's rep. And, the Chinese gangs, are actually not too fond of foreigners involved in their operations, especially heading them. So Betsey was altered with an Asian look, so to make the transition in leadership go more smoothly. The outfit she sported given to her by the Hand, is basically just a palate color swap of another former Hand femme fatale, Elektra. Who was mentioned to the Mandarin by Hand major domo, Matsuo Tsurayaba. The Hand had hoped with Psylocke, after their brainwashing was completed with her. That the order of assassins would be able to not follow the mistakes they made with Ms. Natchios.

[Dermie]

Can you think of any offensive/sexist Marvel superheroines?

The more obscure the better.

So far I can think of:

* Stacy X
* Pretty Persuasions
* Agent Cheescake
* Big Bertha

I don't really see any of those as being particularly sexist. I can see how some of them could be considered offensive, although that's subjective. Personally I don't think there's anything wrong with any of them.

Agent Cheesecake obviously sounds silly upfront, but the concept is something of a smart one--taking advantage of SHIELD's Life Model Decoy technology to create "sexpionage" agents for those missions where seduction is required, to protect live agents from having to undergo those risk and/or moral compromises. And the fact that they also have an Agent Beefcake which is the male counterpart totally undermines the notion of the character being sexist.

Big Bertha can certainly be offensive in terms of being a walking fat joke...but then, the same is true of the Blob, who is considered a classic X-Men villain. Its also worth remembering that Bertha is part of a team of characters--who were intentionally designed to be goofy and weird. When used well, Bertha is actually a good character.

As for Stacy-X and Pretty Persuasions, the notion that they should be considered offensive or sexist because they are sex workers is arguably sexist and offensive in itself. Super-beings come from all walks of life, so there's no reason that couldn't/shouldn't include prostitutes and strippers. I always thought the notion of the X-Ranch where Stacy debuted actually made perfect sense. Not every Mutant has powers that are combat-suitable, and even for the ones who do have powers with a tactical application not all of them are going to be inclined to become a crimefighter or try and take over the world, etc. It makes sense that they would find other ways to live with their mutations--and as they say, prostitution is "the oldest profession". For some Mutants and Inhumans, their physical appearance makes it almost impossible for them to find work in 'regular' society...but there will always be people with particular kinks and interests that can only be satisfied by the exotic and unusual.

At least Stacy had hand-to-hand fighting skills that justify her role within the team; she wasn't just there to use her pheromone sex powers to seduce all the villains all the time. And Pretty Persuasions' powers also weren't strictly sexual in nature either, with her generating energy weapons that she used to physically fight with.