Is The Hand an offensive stereotype?

[MichaelC]

I mean, a bunch of evil Japanese ninjas who worship a demon?

[Gordonstar]

Not really.

[electr1cgoblin]

No.

There are lots of heroic ninjas in comics, and lots of heroic Asians, as well. I can't think of a reason why there couldn't, or shouldn't, be evil ninjas and/or Asians as well. There's good and bad in all groups.

[t hedge coke]

If a comic made the case that all Japanese people were that, sure, but the Hand are very clearly their own thing. Some stories may veer a bit stereotypical or generic, but then you've got Miller and Hama and others who use them as a pretty effective tool with some interesting characters.

Now, whenever Iron Fist is a white savior type... a little bit more of a problem.

[Hypestyle]

So when was the Hand first introduced as a concept? Who were the writer(s) and artists?

[ZephyrSurf]

Usually a stereotype has to suggest that something is the norm for a particular group.

Basically to be a stereotype the foot have to suggest that a significant number or all asian people are evil and demon worshippers. Whereas they currently are evil demon worshippers who happen to be asian.

[tsaimelemoni]

Considering one of their more notable members and one time brief leader is a Greek woman, I don't think we can say that the Hand is 100% comprised of Japanese, to begin with.

But even if they were to a person, then the answer is still no.

[t hedge coke]

So when was the Hand first introduced as a concept? Who were the writer(s) and artists?

Pretty sure Frank Miller created them for his Daredevil run.

[Agent Z]

Would you say the fact they're used as canon fodder for white martial arts heroes is offensive?

[t hedge coke]

Would you say the fact they're used as canon fodder for white martial arts heroes is offensive?

I've seen black guys, Latinas, Asians, aliens, and robots whup on them. And they're not all Asian, either, they're just based out of Japan.

Their role as fodder is in no way rooted in their originating from Japan or many of them being presumably Japanese.

[ThiefHookUps]

Nope. Ninjas be kicking it through out the globe

[jphamlore]

The Hand is a horrible concept for another reason. They can raise the dead if they have a body. Think about that. And the negative side effects of their trying to turn the person evil can apparently be reversed.

But the rest of the heroes such as Cyclops would apparently prefer to have had Charles Xavier's body just rot away had not Red Skull taken his brain.

The irony is that Asian versions of superheroes such as the Monkey King written hundreds of years earlier had their first priority be immortality, let alone the Sumerian hero Gilgamesh written thousands of years earlier. This seems to be clear proof logical thinking in storytelling has not advanced at all, and perhaps has even regressed.

[Mr.Majestic]

As an Asian guy I say, please don't take them away from us! I mean they keep taking away roles for Asians because they're supposedly stereotypical or racist but then they don't give us any roles to replace them.

Mandarin can't be Chinese(!), that'd be racist! Okay so can we have an Asian hero in Avengers then? No. The tech guy can't be Asian that'd be racist, the Kung Fu guy can't be Asian that'd be stereotypical! So can the the Asian guy be the bad ass? No. Can he be the suave ladies man? No? So that means no Asian bad guys + no Asian good guys = No Asian guys at all.

[Iron Fist]

No?

Evil people exist in all ethnicities, the idea that there are evil asian people isn't offensive, it's realistic.

[ed2962]

As an Asian guy I say, please don't take them away from us! I mean they keep taking away roles for Asians because they're supposedly stereotypical or racist but then they don't give us any roles to replace them.

Mandarin can't be Chinese(!), that'd be racist! Okay so can we have an Asian hero in Avengers then? No. The tech guy can't be Asian that'd be racist, the Kung Fu guy can't be Asian that'd be stereotypical! So can the the Asian guy be the bad ass? No. Can he be the suave ladies man? No? So that means no Asian bad guys + no Asian good guys = No Asian guys at all.

Shang Chi and Sunfire are Avengers. Mantis was in the past.