So, latest Avengers continues the 'Dirtee Fighting' trope.
spoilers:end of spoilers
Black Panther and Wolverine are fighting to the death, effectively, over who gets to be host to the Phoenix. Logan is, yes, using claws. Has them in the classic 'claws on each side of Panther's face, middle claw not yet popped' setup. Panther groin-kicks him (how did Logan not see that coming and leave himself that open? Magical dirty fighting!). Then there's a short discussion in the fight with Logan commenting that Panther is 'low-down' for kicking him in the groin - Logan? Really? - and the Panther going on about 'that most dishonorable of blows'. And 'I only resort to such tactics because you entered this fight with murder in your heart.'
This entire thing has clearly been written by:
1. A man;
2. Who has never been in a real fight in their life.
Fight to the death, and not only is a groin-shot 'dirty' somehow, it's worse than, I don't know, shanking someone? Dishonorable? It's really kind of sad.
Thus endeth the rant.
This whole storyline has been bleah, no exception here.
Why are we here?
"Superboy Prime (the yelling guy if he needs clarification)..." - Postmania
"...dropping an orca whale made of fire on your enemies is a pretty strong opening move." - Nik
"Why throw punches when you can be making everyone around you sterile mutant corpses?" - Pendaran, regarding Dr. Fate
Yeah...That's pretty annoying. A good portion of writers seem to be on the assumption that heroes (sometimes despite having existed for years under other writers) fight like gentlemen or there's some kind of unwritten list of rules at play.
...Those two are grown men that fought in numerous battles by now. Not kids in a playground fight.
Nailed it. It's like...okay, speaking as a guy who knows guys who have never been in fights, there's this huge idea among a lot of men that kicking in the nuts is 'dirty fighting'. Why? Probably because they don't want to get kicked in the nuts, and view it with some worry. Why? They've never been in a real fight, don't understand that in real fights getting kicked in the nuts is the least of the worries as compared to, for example, getting one's teeth broken in, or skull cracked, or killed. Taking a shot in the nuts is probably the worst thing that has happened to them (because let's face it, EVERY guy has gone through this), and it shocked/ hurt/humiliated them.
So...'it's dirty, don't do that, it's WRONG.'
And this carries over into writing.
And this is the opposite, more realistic viewpoint. Exactly. Not to mention that the fate of the world is potentially at stake....Those two are grown men that fought in numerous battles by now. Not kids in a playground fight.
These guys have faced the worst the world has offered and come out on top. They've had to fight uphill battles. They've been kicked in the nuts. They've kicked people in the nuts. Lots (go back on their careers, you'll find it). They've also busted people's bones, which leave people injured and in pain far worse than a nutshot. They've toppled heavy objects on people. They've used weapons against unarmed people. They've gutted people with knives attached to their hands. They've deliberately inflicted pain on people to get information. Etc. Etc.
The entire idea that they might be a tad bent out of shape that one of them kicked the other in the nuts is beyond ludicrous, especially when they are actually fighting each other with the aforementioned knives on their hands. It's simply dumb. It's ignorant, and badly-considered.
On TOP of that, the idea that Logan wouldn't be protecting his nuts (this is something even untrained men do, automatically, and Logan being a guy who has been in a gazillion fights, been trained, has kicked people in the nuts, has suffered through the same) is dumb and ill-thought-out.
The idea that either of them even consider that certain things in fighting are 'dirty' or 'dishonorable'...really? Setting aside the fact that 'nobody made up rules' and 'these aren't kids', these guys have done things like 'attack from ambush', 'kill people who are at their mercy', and 'prep to ensure all aspects of the environment are in their favor in a fight against another person'.
But a nutshot is dishonorable and 'low-down'.
Really, it's crappy writing. No other way to look at it.
Why are we here?
"Superboy Prime (the yelling guy if he needs clarification)..." - Postmania
"...dropping an orca whale made of fire on your enemies is a pretty strong opening move." - Nik
"Why throw punches when you can be making everyone around you sterile mutant corpses?" - Pendaran, regarding Dr. Fate
My roommates recently got a 3D printer and they’ve been making some cool stuff.
Why are we here?
"Superboy Prime (the yelling guy if he needs clarification)..." - Postmania
"...dropping an orca whale made of fire on your enemies is a pretty strong opening move." - Nik
"Why throw punches when you can be making everyone around you sterile mutant corpses?" - Pendaran, regarding Dr. Fate
Beadle, PM full...
Why are we here?
"Superboy Prime (the yelling guy if he needs clarification)..." - Postmania
"...dropping an orca whale made of fire on your enemies is a pretty strong opening move." - Nik
"Why throw punches when you can be making everyone around you sterile mutant corpses?" - Pendaran, regarding Dr. Fate