Females and Feminism Reclaim the Mainstream: New Superheroines in Marvel Comics

Abstract

FEMALES AND FEMINISM RECLAIM THE MAINSTREAM:

NEW SUPERHEROINES IN MARVEL COMICS

Representations of females in visual media continue to be problematic. As media studies increasingly reveals the influence of visual representation upon our internalized ideologies, the significance of positive female representation only increases. This is especially true for mainstream superhero comics, which have been often criticized for representing females as heavily sexualized and passive characters, and which also wield great social influence by their connection to Hollywood cinema. Since academic scholarship of superhero comics rarely analyzes the increasingly positive representations of females, this study contributes to that work by closely examining three comic series featuring female protagonists and released by Marvel between 2014 and 2015. Viewed in relation to the portrayal of heroines historically, these comics are deconstructed using techniques borrowed from textual analysis, genre studies, and film, feminist, and comic theory. Close study of Thor, Ms. Marvel, and Storm reveals the underappreciated intentionality with which Marvel Comics has reformed their heroines into active icons capable of revolutionizing the genre.