The elephant in the room: when powers meet stereotypes

[crimsontt]

Current times are challenging writers beyond the obvious, but for decades comic books creators had no problem in exploring lazy stereotypes from the merely stupid to the most dangerous ones. Let’s make a list of characters whose powers have a not-so-imaginative connection to their origins?

Jubilee: a chinese mutant that throws fireworks
Dust: a muslin afghan that turns into sand
Sunfire: a japanese from the hiroshima area with radioactive fire powers
Slipstream: an australian blonde dude that surfes warp waves.

[jwatson]

Current times are challenging writers beyond the obvious, but for decades comic books creators had no problem in exploring stereotypes from the merely stupid to the most dangerous ones. Let’s make a list of characters whose powers have a not-so-imaginative connection to their origins?

Jubilee: a chinese mutant that throws fireworks
Dust: a muslin afghan that turns into sand
Sunfire: a japanese from the hiroshima area with radioactive fire powers

The crazy part of this is i can't think of any of these being sterotypes. i mean i have heard of the insult of dust people but never thought of dust a female mutant that actually controls the land in which she comes from itself as a character created on stereotype.

Jubliee as california valley as you could get with the gum chewing it never once crossed my mind thinking about chinese and fireworks. i mean i know of fireworks for chinese new years but americans are obsessed with fireworks for fourth of july and by my neighbors at random points throught the summer.

and i never thought fire powers as a sterotype of hiroshima maybe if he had radioactive powers but none of these thoughts ever crossed my mind.

[crimsontt]

The crazy part of this is i can't think of any of these being sterotypes. i mean i have heard of the insult of dust people but never thought of dust a female mutant that actually controls the land in which she comes from itself as a character created on stereotype.

Jubliee as california valley as you could get with the gum chewing it never once crossed my mind thinking about chinese and fireworks. i mean i know of fireworks for chinese new years but americans are obsessed with fireworks for fourth of july and by my neighbors at random points throught the summer.

and i never thought fire powers as a sterotype of hiroshima maybe if he had radioactive powers but none of these thoughts ever crossed my mind.

Stereotypes don’t necessarily insult someone. Sometimes it’s just a lazy cliche to be accounted, sometimes it’s even an artistic criticism. Tarantino plays well with stereotypes. The point of this thread was not to point fingers but to contemplate the obvious for the sake of my boredom. Laughs*

[charliehustle415]

Jubilee is a straight up California Valley girl, how is that a stereotype or cliché? It's the first time I ever saw a Asian character that wasn't some math whiz or some jingoistic trope.

Dust was one of the first Muslim superhero characters that actually wore a burka even Kamala can't claim that.

Hell even Thunderbird was first depicted as a fiercely strong, independent, and heroic hero. He only joined the X-men because Xavier called him a coward and to show his bravery he gave his life.

[Kitty&Piotr<3]

Bishop's power is just being a black guy with a gun 99.9% of the time.

[davetvs]

The way Jubilee's powers are framed/narrated is more stereotypical than her actual powerset. There is no actual need to call them fireworks since that isn't what they are, which is on Marvel.

Off topic I hate that Logan's real name is Howlett. It's so on the nose and lame.

[Cyclone_Ablaze]

Current times are challenging writers beyond the obvious, but for decades comic books creators had no problem in exploring lazy stereotypes from the merely stupid to the most dangerous ones. Let’s make a list of characters whose powers have a not-so-imaginative connection to their origins?

Jubilee: a chinese mutant that throws fireworks
Dust: a muslin afghan that turns into sand
Sunfire: a japanese from the hiroshima area with radioactive fire powers
Slipstream: an australian blonde dude that surfes warp waves.

None of this has ever crossed my Mind until today.

[Psy-lock]

Banshee has like one of the most stereotypically Irish powers and names you could possibly think of.

[Uncanny X-Man]

Banshee has like one of the most stereotypically Irish powers and names you could possibly think of.

This 100%. And how could we forget Julio Richter with seismic powers LOL

[Alan2099]

Xavier is an old white guy that gets to control what other people think.

[jwatson]

Xavier is an old white guy that gets to control what other people think.

It's not a stereotype if your the only one to believe it. lol. I don't think anyone get's to control what others think but i do think people think they should get to. lol

[crimsontt]

Ouch I hope you don’t get traumatized

[Psy-lock]

Also, Meggan and Pixie have this whole fairy thing going. Very British. And Betsy is a literal knight with a sword now. Is that more stereotypical than appropriating Asian culture?

[Zelena]

Comics are full of stereotypes: Xavier, who is bald and paraplegic has psychic powers… Angel who is beautiful like an angel has wings and so on…

Writers play with stereotypes to bring us quicker into the story… Today is less the case but in the past most blonde women were good and brunette women were evil.

It’s just author’s privilege to play with ideas to create something: Nightcrawler who looked like a devil was a perfect gentleman, Wolverine who looked like a… not a refined man was actually a learned man.

Anyway it’s not obvious to know if it is conscious or not…

[Frobisher]

Also, Meggan and Pixie have this whole fairy thing going. Very British. And Betsy is a literal knight with a sword now. Is that more stereotypical than appropriating Asian culture?

Only if their powers were getting drunk and fighting outside football matches.