DC characters you think would be more interesting if they were gender swapped?

[Restingvoice]

Has it ever been established what ethnicity the Al Ghuls are? They have an Arabic name but some of their aesthetic seems Chinese.

Talia and her mother are Arab Chinese. Ra's a mystery nomad and Chinese. Ra's father The Sensei's Chinese.

[witchboy]

You read my mind. My thought first thought was Black Canary as well. I think in the Silver Age there was an alternate universe counterpart of hers who was male and was called Black Condor I think. He had bare legs.

I know there was an issue with mr mxyzptlk where he created a gender swap world and put Superman in it, which included a Black Condor in the JLA along with Wonder Warrior, Batwoman and a female Flash.

[witchboy]

Gender swapped Louis Lane, still the love interest of Superman.

[Stanlos]

I think if it was simply a current gender-swap like Starfire suddenly becoming male, it might make little difference. But if a talented writer was to take a male member of the Big Six (so not Diana) and write it out so the gender-swapped heroine was the start of their DC legacy it could be very interesting.

Picture an Elseworlds take on The Other History where Batwoman or Superwoman were the face of superheroes without male equals (at the time). Or just to make it even more impactful one of these two being the first hero of the DCU in the Golden Age.

What about a woman whose indominable will and courage make her the ideal candidate for GL of sector 2814 while the same qualities make people consider her civilian identity a "B*tch"

Or the obvious sexist jokes a woman called the "Flash" or the "fastest woman alive" would face- while trying to create a legend as a hero.

How does Diana take not being the sole major female founder of the Justice League. Not meaning his in a "two powerful women must be in competiton" sense. More that in the real world Diana has often been shown as being an A-class hero compared to many of her fellow female Leaguers who came off as B-class (or worse) . I'm talking in terms that seeing World Leaders consult with the Trinity or even the Big Seven felt natural but the same scene without the Big Guns but with Ollie, Dinah, the Hawks, Zatanna or Firestorm didn't feel as plausible. So in a reality where another of the Big Seven was female makes Wonder Woman less of the Female Icon Leaguer and more of her own person (in the sense each of the other is theor own icon and not the sole Male icon).

Hell, if it is only one hero gender-swapped imagine the original Teen Titans having a male character who is the sidekick to a female hero on team where all the others are sidekicks to people of the same gender.

Is it assumed Robin is more of an equal partner than a junior one if his mentor is BatWOMAN?

Even avoiding any actual impropriety what is the perception of female heroes with young male sideicks? Especially if Olivia Queen is as frisky as Oliver came off (again not implying Olivia and Roy are involved, just that her flirtatious nature might spark rumors)

Avengers has shown us definitively that the class ranking means nothing

[John Venus]

Gender swapped Louis Lane, still the love interest of Superman.

So....a more useful Steve Trevor? Or Alexander Knox from '89 Batman?

[Raz]

Starfire would be interesting to read as a male character, more specifically Kory as she was originally written to be very emotionally open and kind of naive about a lot of things while still being one of the Titans' best fighters - the only comparable guy character I can think of who has that feel is Longshot from his 80s X-Men days, it'd be cool seeing a male character who isn't stereotypically masculine but still written as desirable, brave and effective.

For the other way around I'd make Al Pratt a woman - a tough as nails but powerless woman who can brawl with the best of 'em in the 1940s would open up so many story possibilities!

[John Venus]

*cough* Ma Hunkel *cough*

[Raz]

*cough* Ma Hunkel *cough*

Haha I did think about Ma Hunkel while I was writing that - she was a super obscure character for decades though, I'm thinking someone who has the Atom's stature (no pun intended) in the JSA and generally as a recognised hero (and ideally is recognised as a woman immediately and doesn't wear a pot on her head lol)

[j9ac9k]

Hehehehe.... "pothead"...

But either way, there were female brawlers in the day, no? Black Canary, Wildfire... maybe others...

[Ishmael]

Swamp Thing. Maybe the Spectre.

[scary harpy]

Swamp Thing. Maybe the Spectre.

I think on the Swamp Thing show there was a 'Swamp Maiden'.

I think it's past time for a distaff Spectre.