A-FORCE... To Be Reckoned With... Appreciation/Celebration!!

[Kelly Thompson]

How? When ‎Nico Minoru found Singularity she was unconscious and already in a female form..[/FONT]

[/QUOTE]


And who's to say how long she had been observing them (arcadia/a-force/nico/humans/whatever) before crashing to earth? Or perhaps she just took on the form of the closest shape to her, even as an unconscious/built-in safety reflex? There's lots of ways to explain this...it's a sci-fi/fantasy world we live in after all.

There's still very little known about Singularity - where she came from, HOW she came from, how her powers work, the extent of/limits to those powers, etc.

One of the only things we know is that she's obviously not a flesh and blood "human being" and therefore being "male" or "female" as defined by narrow human perception is rather silly.

Or at least that's how I see it. Not that I'm the final authority on this. I obviously didn't create the character. But I did write her for more issues than anyone else so far...so I hope that gives me SOME authority? Maybe not. *shrug*

[ZNOP]

And who's to say how long she had been observing them (arcadia/a-force/nico/humans/whatever) before crashing to earth? Or perhaps she just took on the form of the closest shape to her, even as an unconscious/built-in safety reflex? There's lots of ways to explain this...it's a sci-fi/fantasy world we live in after all.

Sorry, but "shoulda, woulda, coulda" doesn't count -- besides, I am in the camp that believes if it wasn't printed it didn't happened.

There's still very little known about Singularity - where she came from, HOW she came from, how her powers work, the limits to those powers, etc.

Singularity, was/is a pocket universe that gained self-consciousness during "Secret Wars"... What more did we need to know?

One of the only things we know is that she's obviously not a flesh and blood "human being" and therefore being "male" or "female" as defined by narrow human perception is rather silly.

The same thing can be said about Kosmos/Maker and Kobik. Still, all throughout A-Force she was consistently referred to in all ways feminine --


A-Force #5

-- and in the end when Singularity sacrificed herself she returned to the universe still manifesting itself as a girl, but you know that already

Or at least that's how I see it. Not that I'm the final authority on this. I obviously didn't create the character. But I did write her for more issues than anyone else so far...so I hope that gives me SOME authority. Maybe not. *shrug*

Hey, then you'll understand that I'm merely interpreting what I've read nothing more nothing less.

[Tiamatty]

Kelly, this does raise a question: Is Singularity's genderfluidity something you might explore at some point? Like, any chance she'll take on a male form for a little while? And start switching back and forth between female and male forms?

More important question: Is there any chance that Singularity might hug Elsa?

[Kelly Thompson]

Not sure on whether her genderfluidity will come up in-story. But since I don't own the character and didn't create her, I wouldn't be surprised if it did eventually.

Unfortunately I can report definitively that an Elsa/Singularity hug in A-Force is a no. I wanted more of an Elsa/Singularity moment but we just ran out of room and the Elsa/Nico stuff ended up being more important to get on the page. I don't know that Elsa would have appreciated said hug anyway.

[Kelly Thompson]

Sorry, but "shoulda, woulda, coulda" doesn't count -- besides, I am in the camp that believes if it wasn't printed it didn't happened.

Singularity, was/is a pocket universe that gained self-consciousness during "Secret Wars"... What more did we need to know?

The same thing can be said about Kosmos/Maker and Kobik. Still, all throughout A-Force she was consistently referred to in all ways feminine --


A-Force #5

-- and in the end when Singularity sacrificed herself she returned to the universe still manifesting itself as a girl, but you know that already

Hey, then you'll understand that I'm merely interpreting what I've read nothing more nothing less.

"If it wasn't printed it didn't happen"
is a very convenient way to dismiss a whole lot of how comics actually work (i.e. giving readers the information and clues and then asking them to reasonably fill in the blanks between issues, scenes, panels, and even gutters).

I agree. You don't NEED to know anything else about Singularity to know she's genderfluid. It's all there for you on the page. She's literally and clearly not a human being but a sentient pocket universe, therefore there's no reason she should be assumed to fall within such limiting human definitions as "boy" and "girl." This just seems like a given...but you're not giving it. So. Yeah. IDK?

And she's referred to as girl/heroine/feminine within the story because everyone respects the way she chooses to present herself...which so far has been feminine. But which she has a right to change at any time.

"Hey, then you'll understand that I'm merely interpreting what I've read nothing more nothing less."

Yeah, exactly. And the information you've been given is that she's a non-human entity that is choosing to take on a form that resembles a human girl. Should be case closed AFAIC. But you ARE welcome to interpret that however you see fit. That is definitely your right.

[ZNOP]

"If it wasn't printed it didn't happen"
is a very convenient way to dismiss a whole lot of how comics actually work (i.e. giving readers the information and clues and then asking them to reasonably fill in the blanks between issues, scenes, panels, and even gutters).

I say that because A LOT of poster (excluding you of course ) around here ignore what's printed in the pages and swear their head canon is the absolute conclusion to any situation... Or in other words -- they make $#!t up whole cloth and get mad when you disagree or prove them wrong.

I agree. You don't NEED to know anything else about Singularity to know she's genderfluid. It's all there for you on the page. She's literally and clearly not a human being but a sentient pocket universe, therefore there's no reason she should be assumed to fall within such limiting human definitions as "boy" and "girl." This just seems like a given...but you're not giving it. So. Yeah. IDK?

And she's referred to as girl/heroine/feminine within the story because everyone respects the way she chooses to present herself...which so far has been feminine. But which she has a right to change at any time.

"Hey, then you'll understand that I'm merely interpreting what I've read nothing more nothing less."

Yeah, exactly. And the information you've been given is that she's a non-human entity that is choosing to take on a form that resembles a human girl. Should be case closed AFAIC. But you ARE welcome to interpret that however you see fit. That is definitely your right.

With this I can agree... I guess I just don't like how the term "genderfluid" seems to purposely exclude asexuals.

[Kelly Thompson]

I also hate how asexuality is ignored in media/life/everything...but I guess I don't understand what that has to do with genderfluid. One is about sexuality and one is about gender...very different things and even though they both tend come up in these types of (and related) discussions I don't think it's very reasonable to be mad at the term "genderfluid" on behalf of asexuality. Right?

For what's it's worth, I try my best to use: LGBTQA.

[Tiamatty]

Not sure on whether her genderfluidity will come up in-story. But since I don't own the character and didn't create her, I wouldn't be surprised if it did eventually.

Unfortunately I can report definitively that an Elsa/Singularity hug in A-Force is a no. I wanted more of an Elsa/Singularity moment but we just ran out of room and the Elsa/Nico stuff ended up being more important to get on the page. I don't know that Elsa would have appreciated said hug anyway.

I'm certain Elsa wouldn't appreciate the hug, which is why I was kinda hoping for one. Didn't expect one, though - this arc didn't really seem conducive to a Singularity/Elsa moment. Ah well. I will look forward to further hugs in future issues.

(On another note: Meredith McClaren taking over art on Jem this week! Eeeeee! And Victoria Robado on colours! I'm excited. I'll miss Sophie on Jem, but Meredith is one of my favourite artists, so it's all good.)

[Wiccan]

Singularity is gender fluid because she's not a human and not a specific gender. She chooses to take a female shape (at this time) because it's what makes sense to her and is how she feels. It is also largely what she has been exposed to as she has mostly surrounded herself with women at this point in her life and it makes sense and is only natural that she identifies with women as a result.

Kelly... Genderfluidity is about identification. If you don't care what gender you're treated, if you actually switch and see yourself as both genders, that's what makes you genderfluid. Singularity has the ability to choose another form, but if she actually doesn't and always just stay on her female form identifiying herself as a girl... Than she's not really genderfluid.

[Kelly Thompson]

I think I understand your meaning - that if she identifies as female then she's female regardless of being human or a sentient pocket universe, etc. And that we have to take that on face value as her identifying choice. Right? And you know what, I think that's a valid take.

From my perspective, when I think about writing her as a character, I guess why I consider her genderfluid is that what's missing from that equation is the TIME factor.

By definition genderfluidity means that you can identify as one gender and then move to another at a later date. The definition I'm familiar with (via research and my admittedly limited personal experience) is a gender which "varies over time" and I guess that's the issue I see for Singularity. She has not had much time.

Singularity is VERY young. The events of A-Force vol. 1 take place over...what, I dunno, maybe a week? (I didn't write it so I can't say for sure, but it seems like a week at most to me). All of the Prime Earth A-Force stories stack right on top of one another and have taken place over a handful of DAYS, literally (and here we have to say "sigh. comics." a little bit because timelines really never line up, as we all know, but that's outside the point I think). Anyway. So my take on her when writing is that she is extremely young, she's not of this earth, highly impressionable, and she's mostly been exposed to women (and responds positively to them and seems to actively seek them out). It makes absolute sense that this is the form she takes...but it doesn't mean it is/will be/has to be the gender (or form) she continues to take forever as she learns more about the world and herself. She is only beginning to learn who she is I think. And I think that reasonably puts her in the category of genderfluid.

However, I absolutely get your point. She identifies as a girl and every panel we've seen her in so far she acts and presents as...even CHOOSES to present as a girl. And that's huge. I get that, I respect that, and I hear what you're saying. And I don't think we really disagree...or at least we disagree very very little. Fair?

[Ravin' Ray]

If I may inject a inject a little levity into this, Kelly, having Singularity assume a feminine form makes me want to see her and Eternity together in one panel—once he's free of his chains in The Ultimates. Can't have that Kismet entity from JLA/Avengers be the only universe to have been, er, chummy with Eternity (and c'mon, she's from the Distinguished Competition).

[Wiccan]

I think I understand your meaning - that if she identifies as female then she's female regardless of being human or a sentient pocket universe, etc. And that we have to take that on face value as her identifying choice. Right? And you know what, I think that's a valid take.

From my perspective, when I think about writing her as a character, I guess why I consider her genderfluid is that what's missing from that equation is the TIME factor.

By definition genderfluidity means that you can identify as one gender and then move to another at a later date. The definition I'm familiar with (via research and my admittedly limited personal experience) is a gender which "varies over time" and I guess that's the issue I see for Singularity. She has not had much time.

Singularity is VERY young. The events of A-Force vol. 1 take place over...what, I dunno, maybe a week? (I didn't write it so I can't say for sure, but it seems like a week at most to me). All of the Prime Earth A-Force stories stack right on top of one another and have taken place over a handful of DAYS, literally (and here we have to say "sigh. comics." a little bit because timelines really never line up, as we all know, but that's outside the point I think). Anyway. So my take on her when writing is that she is extremely young, she's not of this earth, highly impressionable, and she's mostly been exposed to women (and responds positively to them and seems to actively seek them out). It makes absolute sense that this is the form she takes...but it doesn't mean it is/will be/has to be the gender (or form) she continues to take forever as she learns more about the world and herself. She is only beginning to learn who she is I think. And I think that reasonably puts her in the category of genderfluid.

However, I absolutely get your point. She identifies as a girl and every panel we've seen her in so far she acts and presents as...even CHOOSES to present as a girl. And that's huge. I get that, I respect that, and I hear what you're saying. And I don't think we really disagree...or at least we disagree very very little. Fair?

Yeah, that was what I meant. I can see your point about how she can be on the future and how she's right now may be based on her experiences til now, and I admit I didn't really thought about it. I still think that would have to actually happen instead of being on the possibility side to count, but I can understand you, and you're the one writing her after all.

[StaticShock99]

Still enjoying this book a lot, hope it continues in Marvel Now.

[Ironmonk]

This is one of my top 3 favorite Marvel books. I love Singularity and the groups interactions. Really happing seeing Dazzler and Medusa talk. What I hate is the thought that if this gets cancelled, what will happen to Singularity and Nico.

[Wiccan]

This is one of my top 3 favorite Marvel books. I love Singularity and the groups interactions. Really happing seeing Dazzler and Medusa talk. What I hate is the thought that if this gets cancelled, what will happen to Singularity and Nico.

Not like Dazzler has a place on current X-books either.