Vertigo (X-Men): Brain Patty

[Abishai100]

Let us compare the symbolic significance of Vertigo (Marvel Comics) with the controversial real-life U.S. government Project MKUltra.

Vertigo is a native of the Savage Land who obtained superhuman powers at a young age by genetic engineering. Her powers enable her to render a person severely dizzy and even unconscious. It was as a member of the Savage Land Mutates that Vertigo first battled the team of mutant adventurers known as the X-Men. Vertigo came to join the Marauders, a band of mutants who worked as assassins in the employ of the enigmatic mastermind known as Mister Sinister (source of summary: Wikipedia/Marvel Wiki).

Project MKUltra — sometimes referred to as the CIA's mind control program — is the code name of a U.S. government human research operation experimenting in the behavioral engineering of humans. MKUltra used numerous methodologies to manipulate people's mental states and alter brain functions, including the surreptitious administration of drugs (especially LSD) and other chemicals, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, isolation, verbal and sexual abuse, as well as various forms of torture (source of summary: Wikipedia).

These days, we find various comic book stories of eco-terrorists contaminating human drinking water with dangerous levels of psychoactive drugs in a radical gesture meant to signify the omen of polluting Earth's waters. Such stories have been connected to the nefarious Ra's al Ghul (DC Comics), adversary of the caped crusader Batman, in comics and in the Hollywood (USA) movie "Batman Begins" (2005).

Mind alteration has therefore been considered in our age of genetics experimentation and chemistry manipulation.

Perhaps our modern world of consumerism conveniences (i.e., eTrade, Burger King, etc.) is conducive to fertile thoughts about comfort and labor strains, opening doors to ideas about automated labor, virtual reality, genetically assisted farming, and comfy transportation. Such ideas can lead humanity to ponder conditions of relaxation and daydreaming and perhaps over-indulge in such thoughts.

Well, the marketability of Vertigo (Marvel Comics), a woman who can hypnotize people and change their mental states, represents the sort of modern civilization intrigue associated with the mind condition experimentations of the MKUltra program.


"If you can't beat 'em, sweet 'em!"






Vertigo (Marvel Comics)


vertigo.jpg

[Abishai100]

Vertigo never fails to intrigue, and I think that's because her power with creating powerful mind turbulence waves makes her a serious threat for any one of the Uncanny X-Men daring enough to face her.

I'd like to see a Hollywood (USA) X-Men movie featuring an under-used actress such as Amy Adams portraying the eerie Vertigo.

Vertigo's powers symbolize our modern age fascination with perception alteration experience (i.e., virtual reality).







Vertigo (Marvel Comics)



vertigo.jpg

[Abishai100]

Let's imagine that Vertigo single-handedly takes on a group of the heroic X-Men: Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, and Gambit.


The heroes find out they are being quickly destabilized and imbalanced by Vertigo's powerful mental mind-hypnotic dizziness-creating energy waves.

There seems to be no way to stop her. Professor Xavier, who was on the ship that landed in Vertigo's land with the heroes on board ready to tackle her, notices that his dear X-Men are being devastated, so he wheels out of the ship where he was hiding and shouts to Vertigo a clever riddle:

Xavier: "Vertigo, if I pose you a riddle, would you concede that the intellectual defeat of the riddle could release my X-Men on such a wager?"
Vertigo: "Ah, a challenge. Very well, I will keep your dear X-Men at bay and relatively numbed but safe and take you up on your wager."
Xavier: "Agreed. If you can answer my riddle, you may do with us as you wish."
Vertigo: "Proceed."
Xavier: "Vertigo, your own confidence in your powers resides in the fact that your victims are rendered helpless in the wake of your mind-confusing waves. Your victims are completely incapable of sorting out their perceptions once they have succumbed to your mental waves. However, what if each of the X-Men you have held down right now had a [Polaroid] instant camera, ready to take real-time photos and have them printed out immediately. How would you then claim that your mental waves are interfering with their ability to 'store' perceptions?"
Vertigo: "Very clever, indeed. An instant photograph is a symbol of perception control and perception marketing convenience. I could cripple your X-Men, but I would not undo the photos they have already taken. I am at a stumbling block. What is your request?"
Xavier: "Release my X-Men and consider joining our team and harnessing your mind-warping powers to control criminality."
Vertigo: "I will not join your team, but I will release your X-Men, and you must let me escape. I will remember your clever riddle about the instant photographs."
Xavier: "Agreed. Thank you."



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What if this is true in our world of mass media distribution? Can a simple Polaroid camera outwit a true evil scheme?

[missingmarch]

Interesting reading.