Susan Storm-Richards: The Invisible Woman Appreciation 2020

[Crimz]

Another question is.....do female writers WANT to write Sue?

Don't know. There are many female writers who are likely wanting to leave their mark in the comics industry. An Invisible Woman book could be a good foot in the door. The most well-known writers aren't the only option.

Plus all it takes is one writer to make a character really interesting and have other writers want to put their spin on them.

Also, being a fan of characters isn't necessary to have a great take on them. Hickman was unfamiliar with the FF when he first took over. But he ended producing one of the best runs on the team. I think a big part of that was because he wasn't beholden to certain prior runs like most writers on the FF are. A writer on Sue doesn't need to be a fan, their aim should be to create new ones which may include themselves.

And that's where Sue's Mom role hurts. We all know Mom wants to let loose, but rarely does in order to maintain her dignity with the family. And Sue needing to raise Johnny at a young age could easily reinforce that in her. Hence, Crimz, your desire for Sue to have more non-FF related adventures, activities, and interests is needed even more.

Pretty much. Her role in the FF means that writers tend to put her in the "Mom" box and don't let her go beyond that. Like she should have more in common with her brother than blonde hair and blue eyes. Similar sense of humour, maybe similar temper etc. But the mother role doesn't let us see those sides to her.

I'm hoping that she is a member of another team and one with an interesting combination of characters, so that we can see other sides to Sue. It's sad that the only time she's on another team is when Marvel is doing their all-women team. That shouldn't be the only time she's on a different team.

[CaptCleghorn]

I'm hoping that she is a member of another team and one with an interesting combination of characters, so that we can see other sides to Sue. It's sad that the only time she's on another team is when Marvel is doing their all-women team. That shouldn't be the only time she's on a different team.

I'm not crazy about Sue being on another team, but the idea was bounced around in the FF threads about Marvel Two-In-One being a teamup book featuring rotating members of the FF teaming up with other Marvel characters. When Sue is with the immature Johnny, the socially challenged Reed, as well as the occasionally fear inducing Ben, it's often left to Sue to be the person making the best public showing. Which, of course, is part of the Mom toolbox.

But seeing Sue interact without needing to worry about the other or her kids would be great for us as well as for Sue's characterization.

[Crimz]

I'm not crazy about Sue being on another team, but the idea was bounced around in the FF threads about Marvel Two-In-One being a teamup book featuring rotating members of the FF teaming up with other Marvel characters. When Sue is with the immature Johnny, the socially challenged Reed, as well as the occasionally fear inducing Ben, it's often left to Sue to be the person making the best public showing. Which, of course, is part of the Mom toolbox.

But seeing Sue interact without needing to worry about the other or her kids would be great for us as well as for Sue's characterization.

I think she could be on two teams at once. She wouldn't have to leave the FF to be on another team too many characters do it. I like the MTiO idea, I just prefer her on a different team because there's be more issues to explore the interactions and there would be multiple characters for her to interact with. It would be Sue a bit out of her element which could provide interesting facets of the character.

Plus it's not like Slott is doing anything with her that she needs to be on the FF and can't leave. You could replace her with a mop and nothing changes...

[CaptCleghorn]

I think she could be on two teams at once. She wouldn't have to leave the FF to be on another team too many characters do it. I like the MTiO idea, I just prefer her on a different team because there's be more issues to explore the interactions and there would be multiple characters for her to interact with. It would be Sue a bit out of her element which could provide interesting facets of the character.

Plus it's not like Slott is doing anything with her that she needs to be on the FF and can't leave. You could replace her with a mop and nothing changes...

Considering the bells and whistles Reed could put into a mop, I think this is a valid conjecture.

[Keyotheseasons]

I, honestly, think that Mark Waid has been really great for Sue. Even in his run he gave her a sense of humor over which she bonded with Johnny, which was mentioned above. I really think he enjoys Sue and it shows. I would give the F4 title back to him any day.

[Crimz]

I, honestly, think that Mark Waid has been really great for Sue. Even in his run he gave her a sense of humor over which she bonded with Johnny, which was mentioned above. I really think he enjoys Sue and it shows. I would give the F4 title back to him any day.

I personally don't need him back, I prefer giving new writers chances so that we could something unique. But I do think he handles Sue well, I hope he continues to write her well in the Antithesis book coming out next week.

[CaptCleghorn]

I, honestly, think that Mark Waid has been really great for Sue. Even in his run he gave her a sense of humor over which she bonded with Johnny, which was mentioned above. I really think he enjoys Sue and it shows. I would give the F4 title back to him any day.

The kidding with an adult Johnny is something that also fits in with her Mom motif. We relate differently with our adult children and Johnny was indeed her first child. I find it sometimes awkward in dealing with my adult child shifting between dad and peer, but beers with the kid is a fun experience. My head canon says that Ben and Johnny's pranking fist involved Sue, but her responses were far beyond them, that the boys realized she was out of their league.

As to Mark Waid, I'm not as big of a Waid fan as most, but a lot of his run was good. Still, he wasn't a big enough name on FF to get a second run (like Claremont on X-Men, David on Hulk, or Simonson on Thor).

[markhyperion]

I recently re-read the Marvel Knights 4 (2004) run, It's a bit grounded for the FF imo but it really makes one appreciate the FF and makes them feel human, It also has a lot of great moments for Sue, It still has Sue in the motherly position (most of the time) but in a good and enjoyable way and in a way that she actually feels like a character with her own thoughts and feelings, the run also shows how strong and enduring Sue can be as a character by looking past how powerful her powers are, something Hickman's run also showed.

I 100% agree with this. Marvel Knights made me love her character. And the FF again. Sad that it's been solong. She hasnt been written as well since.

I would say the first 15 issues were largely all about Sue. Drawn more beautifully than I've ever seen as well.

And honestly at this point that is how a Sue solo works. Not neglecting the team as the other solo did, but adding them as supplemental characters with her as focus.

Honestly the first like 10 issues were a Sue book.

[Crimz]

I 100% agree with this. Marvel Knights made me love her character. And the FF again. Sad that it's been solong. She hasnt been written as well since.

I would say the first 15 issues were largely all about Sue. Drawn more beautifully than I've ever seen as well.

And honestly at this point that is how a Sue solo works. Not neglecting the team as the other solo did, but adding them as supplemental characters with her as focus.

Honestly the first like 10 issues were a Sue book.

Yeah a Sue solo incorporates the family when necessary instead of completely leaving them out. Her dynamic with her family has never been done in depth outside of her relationship with Reed. My dream Invisible Woman book would explore her relationship with Johnny, Ben, and the kids as well as characters outside of the family. Reed would be the one to take a backseat in the book as her character centers around him too much already in the main FF title.

Plus I still believe she should be given a role/career outside of being a mother. Being an archaeologist or doctor are still the top of my list because they fit the character and bring tons of story-potential along with them. I'd love for an Invisible Woman book to give her a role like one of those and explore it.

[Crimz]

I wonder what Sue can do with other aspects of the EM Spectrum.

She can change the color of anything, so I wonder else she can do after seeing in Empyre that she can become invisible to radar too.

[Oberon]

I 100% agree with this. Marvel Knights made me love her character. And the FF again. Sad that it's been solong. She hasnt been written as well since.

I would say the first 15 issues were largely all about Sue. Drawn more beautifully than I've ever seen as well.

And honestly at this point that is how a Sue solo works. Not neglecting the team as the other solo did, but adding them as supplemental characters with her as focus.

Honestly the first like 10 issues were a Sue book.

I strongly agree. I didn't read all of the Marvel Knights FF issues, and yeah, that was so long ago, but they were better in some ways, more introspection, balanced with great art.

[Oberon]

I wonder what Sue can do with other aspects of the EM Spectrum.

She can change the color of anything, so I wonder else she can do after seeing in Empyre that she can become invisible to radar too.

I think there was a time where it may not have been so sure that she was radar-resistant. I know there were some instances of her being seen in infra red or other wavelengths (is that what you would call it?).

But I think that should always have been the idea, if you think about it. Her invisibility routines 'bend' light and other energies away and over time she's learned to allow only what she wants or to alter it - precisely !

So this 'bend' aspect of her power is also what must power her fields, since they bend energy away and or just dang strong.

[CaptCleghorn]

I think there was a time where it may not have been so sure that she was radar-resistant. I know there were some instances of her being seen in infra red or other wavelengths (is that what you would call it?).

But I think that should always have been the idea, if you think about it. Her invisibility routines 'bend' light and other energies away and over time she's learned to allow only what she wants or to alter it - precisely !

So this 'bend' aspect of her power is also what must power her fields, since they bend energy away and or just dang strong.

I'd also put it in the category of her getting more able to use her powers both with sheer intensity (reaching far outside the visible spectrum) and with subtle detail (controlling some colors).I'd imagine she could also make devices invisble to signals so phones, radios, and TVs would not be able to receive broadcast signals. Being able to become invisible to UV is also something that may be a desirable thing.

[Oberon]

Really why she is the most powerful. These are things that I guess Jean Grey or the like does, but with PK. How different or similar is this power? I guess Sue somehow conduits this energy and uses it at will, as opposed to a mental energy doing it.

[CaptCleghorn]

Really why she is the most powerful. These are things that I guess Jean Grey or the like does, but with PK. How different or similar is this power? I guess Sue somehow conduits this energy and uses it at will, as opposed to a mental energy doing it.

TK is something applicable to matter and moving it without touching it. It allows for more flexibility in how the matter in question is moved. Sue's power allows her to shift radiation in the EM to travel around her and/or others. Her power also allows her to generate fields to prevent forms of energy and matter from getting through. She's also capable of using those fields to move matter as well, but I think that's more difficult for her than it is for a telekinetic. Sue's focus is the field and not the object as is seemingly the method with TK. Now the amount of detail I used here is usually far more than is used in writing an instance in a comic story. But my usual schtick is too much detail.