Pestilence's gender

[Frostfire]

Is Pestilence male or female? In X of Swords issue 1, they are depicted as female (shooting Rictor with the plague arrow).


However, in the most recent issue of Wolverine Pestilence is depicted as male (when going with War to visit Solem). Looks like there's an art error somewhere?

[sallyblevins]

Pestilence was created by Pepe Larraz, and he draws her as a female so...

[Frostfire]

Pestilence was created by Pepe Larraz, and he draws her as a female so...

Yea I'd have to agree with that assessment.

[Dthirds3]

Thats because somone was on twitter complaining they can't follow x of swords instead of reading anything his colleagues were doing

[PrezValentine]

Bogdanovic admitted he doesn't read the books from his co-workers. Apparently he also never consulted with Larraz about the character's design.

[Alex.]

They are gender-fluid, becoming what they feel they are at the moment. Just like Mystique.

[salarta]

A situation like this would provide an opening for Marvel to say Pestilence can change as desired, but realistically Marvel's likely going to go with just one and say the other was a mistake.

[CGAR]

Female. Yeah Vic was lazy AF. And its also dumb that editorial didnt make sure all the artist had references and didnt call him out through their own channels.

[Livort]

Yeah, I'd say it's editorial's fault if it is a mistake. Though it's such an obvious error that I wonder if Alex is right and the change is intentional.

[MentalManipulator]

Female. Apocalypse addresses them as my sons and daughters...plural...plus, on most arts she's clearly female. But it did confused me seeing her topless and boobles in that issue.

[Glio]

Pestilence and War are his daughters, Death and Famine his sons.

[Askani's Flame]

Yeah, I'd say it's editorial's fault if it is a mistake. Though it's such an obvious error that I wonder if Alex is right and the change is intentional.

You mean they need to ... gulp ... edit the books they put out???

[gonnagiveittoya]

My guess: artistic mistake that will be retroactively (ie not in book) explained as being able to change gender

[Frostfire]

A situation like this would provide an opening for Marvel to say Pestilence can change as desired, but realistically Marvel's likely going to go with just one and say the other was a mistake.

yup. I think in one of the recent issues where they list each prominent character in the issue with a picture of them so that you know who is who if you couldn't tell from the art work - they put some dude in as Hope.

[salarta]

yup. I think in one of the recent issues where they list each prominent character in the issue with a picture of them so that you know who is who if you couldn't tell from the art work - they put some dude in as Hope.

Marvel seems to have a lot of things they miss, whether it's obvious mishaps like wrong face to a name, or miscommunication among people, or missing how a certain plot point or line of dialogue is likely to be interpreted by people. I wonder how much is oversight and how much is intentional pot-stirring under the idea that getting people to talk about mistakes is somehow good for business.

Regardless, it does raise the question of why have an editor or what Marvel considers the role of an editor to be. So far, to me, it seems like editors are mainly there to enforce biases they have about various characters and what can be done with them.