Thor Is the Woman of the Day!

 

"τὰ ὄντα ἰέναι τε πάντα καὶ μένειν οὐδέν" --Heraclitus

As a rule, I never blog about anything until the issue is cold, but perhaps I can get this post out during the initial buzz. Marvel has announced an upcoming arc in which Thor will be a woman. The move has created a minor sensation and generated what is sure to be brief controversy.

 

The move follows a number of changes in recent years to prominent superheroes’ basic descriptions. I’m not as in touch as I wish, but some examples that spring to mind are Batwoman as a lesbian, a Muslim Ms. Marvel, and a black boy as Spider-Man. Nick Fury is a great example. White for decades, he became black in Marvel’s Ultimate imprint when Samuel L. Jackson gave permission for the character to take on his likeness.  Given Jackson’s actual portrayal of Fury in the insanely popular Marvel Cinematic Universe, this latest incarnation of Fury may very well be the most widely known.

I would guess there are many more examples touching on race, ethnicity, religion, gender and sexuality, but I don’t want to focus solely on diversity because comics are given to other big changes as well. Superheroes quit, they get married, their costumes change, their groups disband, they switch allegiances, their identities are revealed, they die, they come back to life, and they do much of this with alarming regularity.

When I was a kid, Robin died in Batman: A Death in the Family. Jason Todd wasn’t the first Robin and there have been others since--including a girl.  When I was in high school, the villain Doomsday killed Superman, an assassin named Azrael filled in as Batman, and Magneto stripped Wolverine’s claws of their adamantium. In 2007, Captain America died, and in 2010 artist Jim Lee redesigned Wonder Woman’s iconic outfit. Soon after, the Human Torch died and the Fantastic Four itself ended as a group and a comic.

 

Those are merely a few examples that spring to mind. A more avid fan could produce a much lengthier list. And each time these changes occurred, they were played up by DC or Marvel as a major event. Now that we have the Internet, major media outlets sensationalize these changes and fans and the general public get worked up. But not one of the changes mentioned above stuck for very long or, in the case of recent changes, shows any indication of being irreversible. Bruce Wayne is Batman again, Wolvie has his adamantium claws, the Fantastic Four has been relaunched.

Superman isn’t dead.

The protean nature of comics is something I love. Without a single version of each character, creators can explore them from fresh angles and present them anew to younger generations. I’ve often thought superheroes were like ancient gods for their boundless natures. It makes no sense to ask for the definitive Pan or Zeus. Their attributes and behavior change from place to place and across time. They have many guises and superheroes are similar shapeshifters.

 

I’ve been disappointed to see fans reacting negatively to many recent changes. Sometimes, the discomfort results from political dogma, for in today's climate, political affiliation drives many people’s views on race, religion, art, sex, you name it. Casting a black man as the Human Torch for a Fantastic Four reboot suddenly becomes an affront to all that is holy. Already, I have seen online rants proclaiming the upcoming female Thor as another in a long series of feminist attacks on men.

Discomfort also simply stems from a psychological need for orthodoxy, for something solid that can't be fucked with dammit. But that's where the fun is. Frank Miller’s portrayal of Batman in All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder (2005-2008) was too gritty for some, and there were complaints about Superman killing General Zod in the film Man of Steel (2013). Apparently, these two heroes are so saintly they never take life. Please. Comics and movies had more edge than that in pre-Leave It to Beaver days.

The point is this: Heroes change. Superheroes change. That’s the nature of story, of myth. It’s a good thing, so no need to fret over it. But if Thor as a woman bothers you, don’t worry. The way things change in comics, she won’t be a woman for long.