KARMA – Mạnh Cao Xuân Appreciation 2023

[rcaguy]

I have a fondness of Dustin Weaver's pink variant for X'ian's costume. She seems to have an affinity for the color given the hir dye experimentation.

Bleh,Bleh,Bleh.......

[rcaguy]

It's way past time for one. Maybe the mini coming up will touch on it, or the Love Unlimited story. Someone suggested that Tran might be manipulating Elle.

Ummm...Why can't the woman simply be going through a rough patch in her relationship like most people do?

[Rift]

Ummm...Why can't the woman simply be going through a rough patch in her relationship like most people do?

She can, no one says she can't. But a psychic being getting in the way of a relationship par for the course when it xomes to X-Men romances.

[norj]

Ummm...Why can't the woman simply be going through a rough patch in her relationship like most people do?

Because she has an evil twin who has a history of turning women into sex slaves.

[Thirteen]

[Arachne]

Just checked and Marvel Team Up #100, Karma's first appearance, is available on Marvel Unlimited if anyone wants to read it. I downloaded it, but I haven't got time to read it tonight.

[EldonMaguan]

Because she has an evil twin who has a history of turning women into sex slaves.

For other men (their crimelord maternal uncle at least), not for himself, he may be LGBT as well for all we know

While I understand Cable having a prosthetic body parts. I'm not sure why Xi'an and Forge* still do, especially with the rebirth process.

I don't understand at all how that even is supposed to work! Do they resurrect them minus their limbs , or do they amputate them again after they hatch from the Five's Eggs? Why couldn't they just both have TRANSMODE-VIRUS TECHNO-ORGANIC limbs like Cable?! And Forge's own right leg right now does look like it could be , but Karma's does not , which does not make any sense whatsoever.

*Notice the cosmic serendipity of accidental symmetry, the two X-mutants with the most connection to Vietnam and the Vietnam War (though in Karma's case, it may now be retconned to be the SinCong War) , both have cyborg legs gained through battle injuries, but on opposite sides, though they are also of opposite genders / orientations LOL

** And Forge's right hand cannot stay constant , it appeared to be fully organic again already a decade ago* as of Dennis Hopeless Cable & X-Force series , but has since often been depicted as still being cyborg again here and there every now and then

*** my fanon headcanon is that Forge regrew it using Deadpool's healing factor during the 00's Warren Ellis-era of Astonishing X-Men , when he went crazy-evil mad-scientist from a combination of the a) the physical injuries he sustained from Bishop [who had become crazy-evil himself during that period] during Messiah Complex , and b) the emotional injuries he sustained from jealousy when Storm married Black Panther (they were still married during that period)

[davetvs]

While I understand Cable having a prosthetic body parts. I'm not sure why Xi'an and Forge still do, especially with the rebirth process.

Because everyone decided Karma is the most important representation for disabled characters in all of comics, even though she is perpetually C-List and lost her leg like 40 years into her publication history. Vita Ayala literally wrote Karma going through the resurrection process and choosing to be resurrected as an amputee, because apparently, she's extremely emotionally attached to her own maiming. I find it ridiculous, a transparently nonsensical attempt at inclusion, and largely insulting since this is the same era where Professor X is walking around in a skintight bodysuit and nobody has a problem with it. If you point out the...suspension of disbelief one must have to think Karma would have the chance to come back in a new body and say "maim it first," someone will call you ableist with no perception of your own disability status. lol

[Krakoa]

New Love Unlimited just dropped! It’s so good.

[Thirteen]

Does "Manh Cao" phonetically become "Man Cow"? Yikes. Or is "Coy" still acceptable?

Wish for Karma in 2023: New hair. The severe blunt banged bob with headband has worn out it's welcome, especially since we've seen Karma sport other, more daring, looks over the years. Something asymetrical? An undercut perhaps? Thown in some color? Buzzcut returns?
I know she's a librarian but...


Her most interesting look in recent years came during, no surprise, AGE OF X

[Will Evans]

Because everyone decided Karma is the most important representation for disabled characters in all of comics, even though she is perpetually C-List and lost her leg like 40 years into her publication history. Vita Ayala literally wrote Karma going through the resurrection process and choosing to be resurrected as an amputee, because apparently, she's extremely emotionally attached to her own maiming. I find it ridiculous, a transparently nonsensical attempt at inclusion, and largely insulting since this is the same era where Professor X is walking around in a skintight bodysuit and nobody has a problem with it. If you point out the...suspension of disbelief one must have to think Karma would have the chance to come back in a new body and say "maim it first," someone will call you ableist with no perception of your own disability status. lol

That happened to me in the Academy X: New X-Men appreciation thread when talking about Hellion’s arms.

[Fokken]

Because everyone decided Karma is the most important representation for disabled characters in all of comics, even though she is perpetually C-List and lost her leg like 40 years into her publication history. Vita Ayala literally wrote Karma going through the resurrection process and choosing to be resurrected as an amputee, because apparently, she's extremely emotionally attached to her own maiming. I find it ridiculous, a transparently nonsensical attempt at inclusion, and largely insulting since this is the same era where Professor X is walking around in a skintight bodysuit and nobody has a problem with it. If you point out the...suspension of disbelief one must have to think Karma would have the chance to come back in a new body and say "maim it first," someone will call you ableist with no perception of your own disability status. lol

I mean, there are lots of mutants who have physical aspects that some would interpret as "not ideal", but continue to "own" despite the potential "editing" that resurrection affords.
Off the top of my head we have:
Forge maintains HIS cybernetic leg, in place of the leg he was born with & lost in the Vietnam war.
Cyclops hasn't had his visor-dependent-vision adjusted.
Surge seems to continue relying on the regulatory gauntlets created for her by Forge.
Hellion may or may not still have prosthetic hands (I'm sincerely uncertain on this one)
Wolverine, arguably had his skeleton altered without consent right? And yet it remains.

We, as readers and unofficial/informal-bastions of this particular brand of fiction (as fans) recognize that an AESTHETIC or VISUAL BRAND can overrule logic, in some of these cases, but a savvy writer can noodle an appropriate narrative around just about anything. Will that narrative make sense to everyone? No. But that's the tricky thing about identity politics. They're very delicate and personal, and we don't always understand them. Like, WHY did Cerebella (Martha) decide to keep her brain exposed when she acquired a new body? I don't understand it but, sure -- you do you, Bella.

Karma's history is fraught with trauma and "body horror" experiences. I've yet to lose any of my limbs or have any of my motor or sensory functions impeded or discontinued, but I don't reject Karma's decision simply because I believe I would make a different one. I don't know that. I haven't been through what she's been through, or processed her level of grief, pain, loss, etc.

Now, Hellion on the other hand (too soon?) -- his emotional journey with HIS prosthetics feels very different, and I could absolutely understand if HE were to request biological-hand restoration upon resurrecting, but again, we come back to the AESTHETIC / BRANDING conundrum and the arguments of "But he stands out now!"

[Rift]

That happened to me in the Academy X: New X-Men appreciation thread when talking about Hellion’s arms.

No one called you ableist in the 2023 thread, if that's what you mean. I'm sorry if you felt like you were judged so harshly though.

Regarding Karma's hair, she looks cool with short hair. But I love her bob cut and head thingy. (Forgot what they're called.) It's just too cute and iconic a look for me.

[rcaguy]

Because she has an evil twin who has a history of turning women into sex slaves.

Actually,the evil twin would do nothing but sit back and enjoy the show featuring her wallowing in her own misery.

[rcaguy]

Because everyone decided Karma is the most important representation for disabled characters in all of comics, even though she is perpetually C-List and lost her leg like 40 years into her publication history. Vita Ayala literally wrote Karma going through the resurrection process and choosing to be resurrected as an amputee, because apparently, she's extremely emotionally attached to her own maiming. I find it ridiculous, a transparently nonsensical attempt at inclusion, and largely insulting since this is the same era where Professor X is walking around in a skintight bodysuit and nobody has a problem with it. If you point out the...suspension of disbelief one must have to think Karma would have the chance to come back in a new body and say "maim it first," someone will call you ableist with no perception of your own disability status. lol

It's simple. It says all the characters experienced in their lives matters. That doing what you and others want is to basically say that it really doesn't matter and it simply can and should be erased like it never happened at all.