This document analyzes how the character Mystique from the X-Men franchise has been portrayed differently over time, especially in response to 9/11 and changing American identity. In earlier X-Men films, Mystique is portrayed as a villainous sidekick to Magneto. However, in more recent prequel films, she is shown as a complex antihero undergoing a journey of self-discovery. This reflects how American society has moved from seeking clear divisions between "good" and "evil" post-9/11 to embracing more fluid concepts of identity. The document examines Mystique's changing roles and appearances in the films in the context of Marvel storytelling formulas and shifting American social values.
Horror films capture humanity's collective fears and provide communal catharsis by reflecting the ideas and fears of the society in which they were created. While the formula of horror films remains largely the same, the specific monsters and threats change over time to symbolize a culture's dominant anxieties, such as conformity during the McCarthy era as seen in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Horror has its roots in ancient myths and provides a safe way to confront real fears through symbolic fantasy threats. The genre comments on issues like racism, war, and technology by addressing what troubles a whole society's unconscious.
This document discusses how horror films reflect societal anxieties and taboos. It argues that slasher films in particular depict the punishment of youth, sexuality, and vice to satisfy audiences' desires and alleviate guilt. While B-movies focus more on gore and spectacle, psychological horror films like Black Swan depict more personal anxieties like mental illness in a way that audiences can relate to on a deeper level. The relationship between horror audiences and what they watch is complex, with audiences deriving satisfaction from witnessing the punishment of characters who indulge in taboos.
The document provides summaries for several graphic novels that would be suitable for an adult library collection. The summaries describe the plots and themes of the graphic novels Watchmen, Daredevil: Born Again, Pride of Baghdad, All-Star Superman, Love and Rockets, One Hundred Demons, Safe Area Gorazde, DMZ, Criminal, Jack of Fables, Rex Libris, Wonder Woman collections by Jodi Picoult and Gail Simone, Shooting War, Black Hole, Abandon the Old in Tokyo, Spawn, and The Walking Dead. The graphic novels cover mature subjects and genres like war, crime, and horror and are recommended for their literary and artistic merits.
The document discusses how horror films can act as a reflection of societal fears and issues. It addresses several topics including how the threats portrayed in horror films have evolved over time to better represent the fears of the era. For example, films after World War 2 featured more werewolf movies likely reflecting the violence of Nazis. The document also examines how horror films have addressed topics like racism, treatment of women, immigration fears and more. Many examples of specific films are provided that illustrate how the films incorporated themes relating to the societal issues of their time period and location.
The document discusses how horror films reflect and are shaped by societal fears and culture over time. It explores how different countries portray horror differently and how the themes in horror films have changed from reflecting fears of "the other" to more personal fears closer to home. Some key points made include:
- Early horror films featured threats from vampires and monsters but now focus more on real-life threats like serial killers.
- Films from different decades mirrored the societal fears of that time period, like nuclear threat films in the 1950s.
- Tropes like home invasions may reflect a country's fear of immigrants or foreigners.
- Horror films have also been used to discuss issues like racism, trauma,
This document discusses the changing portrayals of women in video games and comic books over time. It provides examples of recent video games like Mass Effect, The Walking Dead, and Alien: Isolation that feature strong, competent female protagonists rather than the stereotypical "damsel in distress" roles of the past. However, it also acknowledges that some games and comics still objectify or sexualize women. Overall, the document argues that while progress has been made, there is still work to be done to achieve balanced and non-objectifying portrayals of women across both mediums.
Wonder Woman is a feminist icon whose origins, characteristics, and actions represent feminist values. She was created during World War II to show that women can be heroic and do things traditionally done by men. Wonder Woman fights for truth, justice, and equality using compassion and reason over violence. Her close relationships with other female superheroes promote solidarity among women. Though some critics claim she is not feminist, Wonder Woman inspires girls and women to see their full potential and that gender should not limit what they can achieve.
[Hi 366] Smoke Signals: Counternarratives of Indigenous IdentityIbironkeTychus
Smoke Signals counters mainstream American ideas about indigenous identity in several ways:
1) It adopts stereotypes commonly portrayed in media like mysticism, alcoholism, and stoicism but then refutes them, showing their inaccuracy.
2) It utilizes conventions from indigenous oral traditions like emerging twins, sacred clowns, and circular time in the storytelling.
3) By not including a mediating white narrator, it presents an indigenous perspective without filtering it for non-indigenous audiences.
Horror films capture humanity's collective fears and provide communal catharsis by reflecting the ideas and fears of the society in which they were created. While the formula of horror films remains largely the same, the specific monsters and threats change over time to symbolize a culture's dominant anxieties, such as conformity during the McCarthy era as seen in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Horror has its roots in ancient myths and provides a safe way to confront real fears through symbolic fantasy threats. The genre comments on issues like racism, war, and technology by addressing what troubles a whole society's unconscious.
This document discusses how horror films reflect societal anxieties and taboos. It argues that slasher films in particular depict the punishment of youth, sexuality, and vice to satisfy audiences' desires and alleviate guilt. While B-movies focus more on gore and spectacle, psychological horror films like Black Swan depict more personal anxieties like mental illness in a way that audiences can relate to on a deeper level. The relationship between horror audiences and what they watch is complex, with audiences deriving satisfaction from witnessing the punishment of characters who indulge in taboos.
The document provides summaries for several graphic novels that would be suitable for an adult library collection. The summaries describe the plots and themes of the graphic novels Watchmen, Daredevil: Born Again, Pride of Baghdad, All-Star Superman, Love and Rockets, One Hundred Demons, Safe Area Gorazde, DMZ, Criminal, Jack of Fables, Rex Libris, Wonder Woman collections by Jodi Picoult and Gail Simone, Shooting War, Black Hole, Abandon the Old in Tokyo, Spawn, and The Walking Dead. The graphic novels cover mature subjects and genres like war, crime, and horror and are recommended for their literary and artistic merits.
The document discusses how horror films can act as a reflection of societal fears and issues. It addresses several topics including how the threats portrayed in horror films have evolved over time to better represent the fears of the era. For example, films after World War 2 featured more werewolf movies likely reflecting the violence of Nazis. The document also examines how horror films have addressed topics like racism, treatment of women, immigration fears and more. Many examples of specific films are provided that illustrate how the films incorporated themes relating to the societal issues of their time period and location.
The document discusses how horror films reflect and are shaped by societal fears and culture over time. It explores how different countries portray horror differently and how the themes in horror films have changed from reflecting fears of "the other" to more personal fears closer to home. Some key points made include:
- Early horror films featured threats from vampires and monsters but now focus more on real-life threats like serial killers.
- Films from different decades mirrored the societal fears of that time period, like nuclear threat films in the 1950s.
- Tropes like home invasions may reflect a country's fear of immigrants or foreigners.
- Horror films have also been used to discuss issues like racism, trauma,
This document discusses the changing portrayals of women in video games and comic books over time. It provides examples of recent video games like Mass Effect, The Walking Dead, and Alien: Isolation that feature strong, competent female protagonists rather than the stereotypical "damsel in distress" roles of the past. However, it also acknowledges that some games and comics still objectify or sexualize women. Overall, the document argues that while progress has been made, there is still work to be done to achieve balanced and non-objectifying portrayals of women across both mediums.
Wonder Woman is a feminist icon whose origins, characteristics, and actions represent feminist values. She was created during World War II to show that women can be heroic and do things traditionally done by men. Wonder Woman fights for truth, justice, and equality using compassion and reason over violence. Her close relationships with other female superheroes promote solidarity among women. Though some critics claim she is not feminist, Wonder Woman inspires girls and women to see their full potential and that gender should not limit what they can achieve.
[Hi 366] Smoke Signals: Counternarratives of Indigenous IdentityIbironkeTychus
Smoke Signals counters mainstream American ideas about indigenous identity in several ways:
1) It adopts stereotypes commonly portrayed in media like mysticism, alcoholism, and stoicism but then refutes them, showing their inaccuracy.
2) It utilizes conventions from indigenous oral traditions like emerging twins, sacred clowns, and circular time in the storytelling.
3) By not including a mediating white narrator, it presents an indigenous perspective without filtering it for non-indigenous audiences.
The document discusses avoiding plagiarism by properly citing direct quotes and paraphrasing others' work instead of copying word-for-word. It provides examples to distinguish between plagiarism and acceptable paraphrasing by changing around a few words or summarizing the key ideas in your own words with citation. Sources should only be used for information not considered common knowledge or widely available from multiple sources.
The document discusses avoiding plagiarism by properly citing direct quotes and paraphrasing others' work instead of copying verbatim. It provides examples to distinguish between plagiarism and acceptable paraphrasing, noting that paraphrasing involves putting ideas in your own words without copying sentence structure while changing more than a few words constitutes plagiarism. The examples demonstrate how to properly paraphrase others' work while avoiding plagiarism.
Negotiated Masculinities in Contemporary American Fictioninventionjournals
This paper is an exploration of the representation of revised masculinity in texts that represent progressive and conservative ideologies within the United States. John Irving’s representation of masculinity in his 1970s The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules marks a continuation of progressive postwar politics that resists the backlash to feminism in the 1980s. His representation of the male doctor who stands for both the power producedthrough knowledge and science and his masculinity is revised in both novelsrevealing a progressive approach to masculinity. Brian J. Gail’s, more recent, dystopian novel, however, reflects a more heteronormative approach to representing masculinity.Therepresentation of masculinity inChildless (2011) suggests the shift towards conservative politics in the United States in the twenty first century. This conservative representation, however, is disrupted though discursive ironies within structuring the image of the superhuman. Theutilization of modernist revision of technology becomes the source of the revised masculine sovereign in Childless. What is structured to be a threat through dystopiabecomes the revised version of post-modern superhuman who threatens conservativeperceptions of traditional masculinity.
Green Arrow has become a social justice warrior character under recent Rebirth comics, reflecting contemporary political issues and questioning how a billionaire can fight against inequality. The character struggles with his wealth conflicting with his Robin Hood inspiration of fighting against the wealthy elite. Previous 1980s comics portrayed Green Arrow as a more lighthearted vigilante who still promoted fair notions of justice without being as angsty as other vigilantes. Vigilante justice in comic books helped normalize violence operating outside the law but still aiming to submit criminals to the justice system without killing opponents.
English assignment 1: compare and comtrast essayJy Chong
This document compares and contrasts the popular science fiction films The Hunger Games and Divergent. Both films are set in dystopian future societies in North America divided into isolated factions or districts. They feature strong female protagonists Katniss and Tris who play major roles in resisting their oppressive governments. Both stories include romantic subplots and feature autocratic villains seeking to control the populace. While the films share many similarities, they each have their own distinguishing features that have gained them popularity.
The document discusses how the film Sin City, like the comic it is adapted from, employs the "male gaze" by objectifying and sexualizing women for the gratification of male audiences. It provides several examples of how women in the film are portrayed as objects of male fantasies through their idealized and scantily clad appearances and stereotypical roles as strippers, prostitutes, and victims in need of male rescue. While some female characters display strength and independence, they are still often defined in relation to the male characters.
The influence of horror/thriller films on emotionsJonahW93
The document discusses how horror films can influence audiences' emotions and perceptions of fear. It provides examples of how different genres of horror films, from traditional to psychological to slasher, portray emotions or lack thereof. Certain films like The Exorcist had big impacts on societies by influencing viewers' emotions and fears. While fear is innate, horror films can socially construct what we are afraid of through their creative storytelling and portrayal of emotions.
The Blind Side tells the true story of Michael Oher, an homeless and impoverished young man who was taken in and adopted by the Tuohy family. Through the love and support of his new family, Oher was able to realize his potential and go on to become a star football player, first at Briarcrest Christian School and later at the University of Mississippi. The film highlights Oher's journey from poverty to becoming a first round NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens.
THE DESCENT by James Rose (For Splice)Belinda Raji
This document provides an in-depth analysis of the 2005 horror film The Descent, directed by Neil Marshall. It summarizes the film's plot and compares it to the 1972 film Deliverance, noting similarities in narrative structure, characters, and themes of confronting primitive forces in the wilderness. It argues that The Descent fits within the horror sub-genre of "Urbanoia" films, where modern protagonists encounter threats from primitive cultures in isolated natural settings.
Your film would be well suited for distribution by Artificial Eye or Verve Pictures based on their focus on independent and social realist films. Both distributors target audiences interested in films that portray working class life, relationships, and issues like violence or substance abuse, themes that are prominent in your film. The production style of using unknown actors and real locations also aligns with films previously distributed by Artificial Eye and Verve Pictures.
Your film would be well suited for distribution by Artificial Eye or Verve Pictures based on their focus on independent and social realist films. Both distributors target audiences interested in films that portray working class life, relationships, and issues like violence or substance abuse. The production styles of filming on location with less experienced actors would also align with the films previously distributed by Artificial Eye and Verve Pictures.
This document discusses the subtexts and inferred meanings in four classic horror films: The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead, and Poltergeist. The Exorcist explores themes of women's rights and the pressures on single mothers. Texas Chainsaw Massacre references the Vietnam War and class divisions in America. Dawn of the Dead comments on rampant consumerism. Poltergeist warns about conformity and suburban life. Battle Royale and 28 Days Later also include subtexts around today's youth and environmental issues, respectively.
This document discusses different types of audiences and methods for profiling audiences. It describes mainstream, alternative, and niche audiences. It then lists various ways film producers target audiences, such as by gender, age, socioeconomic status, psychographics, geodemographics, sexual orientation, regional identity, and ethnicity. The rest of the document provides information about film trailers, posters, and modes of visual communication. Overall, the document provides an overview of audience analysis techniques used in the film industry to segment and profile target audiences.
This document lists and describes famous horror movie villains such as Jason, Ghostface, Hannibal, The Joker, Freddy Kruger, Chucky, Michael Myers, LeatherFace, and Billy. It notes that these villains each have some physical deformity and an intriguing back story, and are known for their brutal murders in their films. They are also heavily referenced in pop culture.
This document provides a summary of some of the best movies of 2018 so far according to the author. It lists 25 movies, providing 1-2 sentences about each film, highlighting elements like the plot, performances, and directing style. The movies highlighted come from a variety of genres and range widely in tone from comedies to dramas to action films. The summary aims to give readers a sense of some of the highest quality films released in the first half of 2018.
The document discusses how modern horror films often reflect contemporary societal fears and anxieties related to surveillance and privacy. In the late 1970s and 1980s, zombie and body snatcher films captured the fear of communist infiltration during the Cold War. Following 9/11, films featured "spectatorial voyeurism" where the villain watches victims through technology. This reflected fears over government surveillance programs. Ultimately, people may fear most that surveillance could reveal private desires or lead to misinterpretation of activities and intentions. Horror films serve as an outlet to process collective anxieties over issues like privacy, control, and the potential for abuse of power through invasive watching.
Villains are fictional characters that work against the hero's plans in drama and fiction. They provide crucial plot elements for stories to develop. Common villain stereotypes from early films include wearing black clothing and facial hair to appear visually sinister. Some villains are portrayed as having an "evil laughter" or explaining their plans unnecessarily. While villains oppose righteousness, they have more freedom in their actions and choices than heroes, making them potentially more interesting characters. An effective villain needs a convincing motivation beyond just causing mischief.
The document summarizes DC Comics' upcoming relaunch of 52 #1 issues across multiple comic book titles. It provides details on new storylines and creative teams for popular characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and others. The relaunch aims to give the comics a modernized look with updated costumes and storylines to attract new and younger readers. While some fans criticize the move as unnecessary, DC Comics editors insist it is not a full reboot but rather a streamlining of continuity and a new starting point for new readers.
This report compares two comic book stores - Comics Mart in Kuala Lumpur and Lao Mao Comic Bookstore in Banting, Selangor. Comics Mart has more competitors due to its location in a populated urban area, while Lao Mao used to have more competitors but now only has 1-2 as technology has reduced demand. The report analyzes the businesses' histories, products, strategies, competitors and challenges to provide a comparative analysis.
This document discusses several theories of narrative and genre. It outlines Vladimir Propp's idea that there are a limited number of character types in narratives, including villains, heroes, donors, helpers, and princesses. It also describes Tzvetan Todorov's theory that narratives can be broken into codes like action, reference, semantics, enigma, and symbolism. Finally, it discusses genre theory and how genres are recognizable through codes and conventions, but also change over time through hybridization and reflecting social values.
The group learned several technologies through creating their film project. They used Celtx to write a script for their preliminary task, finding it easy to use. Microsoft Word was also heavily used, particularly for organizing shot lists and other information in a grid. The group's preliminary filming taught them how to properly use the camera and fix any issues, making the actual filming for their film go more smoothly. For editing, they used Final Cut Pro, which allowed them to easily assemble the scenes and add title sequences. Finally, they uploaded their finished film to YouTube to gather feedback and share their work.
The document defines and provides example sentences for several vocabulary words:
1) It defines "abstract" as not showing objects in a realistic way and provides an example sentence about an abstract painting.
2) It defines "acquiesce" as to accept something without protest and provides an example sentence about acquiescing to a request.
3) It defines "admonish" as to tell somebody they have done something wrong and provides an example sentence about being admonished.
The document discusses avoiding plagiarism by properly citing direct quotes and paraphrasing others' work instead of copying word-for-word. It provides examples to distinguish between plagiarism and acceptable paraphrasing by changing around a few words or summarizing the key ideas in your own words with citation. Sources should only be used for information not considered common knowledge or widely available from multiple sources.
The document discusses avoiding plagiarism by properly citing direct quotes and paraphrasing others' work instead of copying verbatim. It provides examples to distinguish between plagiarism and acceptable paraphrasing, noting that paraphrasing involves putting ideas in your own words without copying sentence structure while changing more than a few words constitutes plagiarism. The examples demonstrate how to properly paraphrase others' work while avoiding plagiarism.
Negotiated Masculinities in Contemporary American Fictioninventionjournals
This paper is an exploration of the representation of revised masculinity in texts that represent progressive and conservative ideologies within the United States. John Irving’s representation of masculinity in his 1970s The World According to Garp and The Cider House Rules marks a continuation of progressive postwar politics that resists the backlash to feminism in the 1980s. His representation of the male doctor who stands for both the power producedthrough knowledge and science and his masculinity is revised in both novelsrevealing a progressive approach to masculinity. Brian J. Gail’s, more recent, dystopian novel, however, reflects a more heteronormative approach to representing masculinity.Therepresentation of masculinity inChildless (2011) suggests the shift towards conservative politics in the United States in the twenty first century. This conservative representation, however, is disrupted though discursive ironies within structuring the image of the superhuman. Theutilization of modernist revision of technology becomes the source of the revised masculine sovereign in Childless. What is structured to be a threat through dystopiabecomes the revised version of post-modern superhuman who threatens conservativeperceptions of traditional masculinity.
Green Arrow has become a social justice warrior character under recent Rebirth comics, reflecting contemporary political issues and questioning how a billionaire can fight against inequality. The character struggles with his wealth conflicting with his Robin Hood inspiration of fighting against the wealthy elite. Previous 1980s comics portrayed Green Arrow as a more lighthearted vigilante who still promoted fair notions of justice without being as angsty as other vigilantes. Vigilante justice in comic books helped normalize violence operating outside the law but still aiming to submit criminals to the justice system without killing opponents.
English assignment 1: compare and comtrast essayJy Chong
This document compares and contrasts the popular science fiction films The Hunger Games and Divergent. Both films are set in dystopian future societies in North America divided into isolated factions or districts. They feature strong female protagonists Katniss and Tris who play major roles in resisting their oppressive governments. Both stories include romantic subplots and feature autocratic villains seeking to control the populace. While the films share many similarities, they each have their own distinguishing features that have gained them popularity.
The document discusses how the film Sin City, like the comic it is adapted from, employs the "male gaze" by objectifying and sexualizing women for the gratification of male audiences. It provides several examples of how women in the film are portrayed as objects of male fantasies through their idealized and scantily clad appearances and stereotypical roles as strippers, prostitutes, and victims in need of male rescue. While some female characters display strength and independence, they are still often defined in relation to the male characters.
The influence of horror/thriller films on emotionsJonahW93
The document discusses how horror films can influence audiences' emotions and perceptions of fear. It provides examples of how different genres of horror films, from traditional to psychological to slasher, portray emotions or lack thereof. Certain films like The Exorcist had big impacts on societies by influencing viewers' emotions and fears. While fear is innate, horror films can socially construct what we are afraid of through their creative storytelling and portrayal of emotions.
The Blind Side tells the true story of Michael Oher, an homeless and impoverished young man who was taken in and adopted by the Tuohy family. Through the love and support of his new family, Oher was able to realize his potential and go on to become a star football player, first at Briarcrest Christian School and later at the University of Mississippi. The film highlights Oher's journey from poverty to becoming a first round NFL draft pick for the Baltimore Ravens.
THE DESCENT by James Rose (For Splice)Belinda Raji
This document provides an in-depth analysis of the 2005 horror film The Descent, directed by Neil Marshall. It summarizes the film's plot and compares it to the 1972 film Deliverance, noting similarities in narrative structure, characters, and themes of confronting primitive forces in the wilderness. It argues that The Descent fits within the horror sub-genre of "Urbanoia" films, where modern protagonists encounter threats from primitive cultures in isolated natural settings.
Your film would be well suited for distribution by Artificial Eye or Verve Pictures based on their focus on independent and social realist films. Both distributors target audiences interested in films that portray working class life, relationships, and issues like violence or substance abuse, themes that are prominent in your film. The production style of using unknown actors and real locations also aligns with films previously distributed by Artificial Eye and Verve Pictures.
Your film would be well suited for distribution by Artificial Eye or Verve Pictures based on their focus on independent and social realist films. Both distributors target audiences interested in films that portray working class life, relationships, and issues like violence or substance abuse. The production styles of filming on location with less experienced actors would also align with the films previously distributed by Artificial Eye and Verve Pictures.
This document discusses the subtexts and inferred meanings in four classic horror films: The Exorcist, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead, and Poltergeist. The Exorcist explores themes of women's rights and the pressures on single mothers. Texas Chainsaw Massacre references the Vietnam War and class divisions in America. Dawn of the Dead comments on rampant consumerism. Poltergeist warns about conformity and suburban life. Battle Royale and 28 Days Later also include subtexts around today's youth and environmental issues, respectively.
This document discusses different types of audiences and methods for profiling audiences. It describes mainstream, alternative, and niche audiences. It then lists various ways film producers target audiences, such as by gender, age, socioeconomic status, psychographics, geodemographics, sexual orientation, regional identity, and ethnicity. The rest of the document provides information about film trailers, posters, and modes of visual communication. Overall, the document provides an overview of audience analysis techniques used in the film industry to segment and profile target audiences.
This document lists and describes famous horror movie villains such as Jason, Ghostface, Hannibal, The Joker, Freddy Kruger, Chucky, Michael Myers, LeatherFace, and Billy. It notes that these villains each have some physical deformity and an intriguing back story, and are known for their brutal murders in their films. They are also heavily referenced in pop culture.
This document provides a summary of some of the best movies of 2018 so far according to the author. It lists 25 movies, providing 1-2 sentences about each film, highlighting elements like the plot, performances, and directing style. The movies highlighted come from a variety of genres and range widely in tone from comedies to dramas to action films. The summary aims to give readers a sense of some of the highest quality films released in the first half of 2018.
The document discusses how modern horror films often reflect contemporary societal fears and anxieties related to surveillance and privacy. In the late 1970s and 1980s, zombie and body snatcher films captured the fear of communist infiltration during the Cold War. Following 9/11, films featured "spectatorial voyeurism" where the villain watches victims through technology. This reflected fears over government surveillance programs. Ultimately, people may fear most that surveillance could reveal private desires or lead to misinterpretation of activities and intentions. Horror films serve as an outlet to process collective anxieties over issues like privacy, control, and the potential for abuse of power through invasive watching.
Villains are fictional characters that work against the hero's plans in drama and fiction. They provide crucial plot elements for stories to develop. Common villain stereotypes from early films include wearing black clothing and facial hair to appear visually sinister. Some villains are portrayed as having an "evil laughter" or explaining their plans unnecessarily. While villains oppose righteousness, they have more freedom in their actions and choices than heroes, making them potentially more interesting characters. An effective villain needs a convincing motivation beyond just causing mischief.
The document summarizes DC Comics' upcoming relaunch of 52 #1 issues across multiple comic book titles. It provides details on new storylines and creative teams for popular characters like Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and others. The relaunch aims to give the comics a modernized look with updated costumes and storylines to attract new and younger readers. While some fans criticize the move as unnecessary, DC Comics editors insist it is not a full reboot but rather a streamlining of continuity and a new starting point for new readers.
This report compares two comic book stores - Comics Mart in Kuala Lumpur and Lao Mao Comic Bookstore in Banting, Selangor. Comics Mart has more competitors due to its location in a populated urban area, while Lao Mao used to have more competitors but now only has 1-2 as technology has reduced demand. The report analyzes the businesses' histories, products, strategies, competitors and challenges to provide a comparative analysis.
This document discusses several theories of narrative and genre. It outlines Vladimir Propp's idea that there are a limited number of character types in narratives, including villains, heroes, donors, helpers, and princesses. It also describes Tzvetan Todorov's theory that narratives can be broken into codes like action, reference, semantics, enigma, and symbolism. Finally, it discusses genre theory and how genres are recognizable through codes and conventions, but also change over time through hybridization and reflecting social values.
The group learned several technologies through creating their film project. They used Celtx to write a script for their preliminary task, finding it easy to use. Microsoft Word was also heavily used, particularly for organizing shot lists and other information in a grid. The group's preliminary filming taught them how to properly use the camera and fix any issues, making the actual filming for their film go more smoothly. For editing, they used Final Cut Pro, which allowed them to easily assemble the scenes and add title sequences. Finally, they uploaded their finished film to YouTube to gather feedback and share their work.
The document defines and provides example sentences for several vocabulary words:
1) It defines "abstract" as not showing objects in a realistic way and provides an example sentence about an abstract painting.
2) It defines "acquiesce" as to accept something without protest and provides an example sentence about acquiescing to a request.
3) It defines "admonish" as to tell somebody they have done something wrong and provides an example sentence about being admonished.
El documento presenta una introducción a la ciencia hermética del Tantra. Explica que el Tantra trata sobre la unión de los cuerpos y que la energía sexual, cuando es utilizada correctamente a través del amor verdadero, puede conducir a la iluminación. Sin embargo, advierte que esta sabiduría es sólo para aquellos sinceros que buscan el cambio interior a través del esfuerzo personal.
Este documento presenta tres sistemas sexo-mágicos principales. El primero es de Paschal Beverly Randolph y la Hermandad Hermética de Luxor, que enseñan el desarrollo de cuatro habilidades y una práctica sexual simple basada en mantener intenciones mágicas. El segundo es de Aleister Crowley y la OTO, cuyas enseñanzas sexuales se centran en rituales y posiciones. El tercero no se describe. El documento también menciona otros pensadores que influyeron en ideas esotéricas sobre la sexualidad.
This document provides natural methods for increasing breast size without surgery. It recommends building pectoral muscles through exercises like chest presses, pushups, and Y raises. These exercises can help improve size, firmness, and perkiness by strengthening the muscles underneath the breasts. The document reassures that strength training is unlikely to make women bulky and can provide overall health benefits in addition to potentially increasing breast size.
A person must restrain themselves from falling into impermissible actions. If a man lusts after the wife of another man, he should say to himself that this is the wife of another man, so how can I lust after her? If it was another man, he should say that this is the relationship because of which, Allaah cursed the people of Loote, may Allaah exalt his mention, destroyed them, punished them severely with punishments that were not used on anyone before them.
How to get bigger buttocks & thighs naturally fast in a weekRahul Singh
This document provides instructions for three exercises to enlarge the buttocks: heel raises, jump squats, and single leg bridges. Heel raises are done standing and lifting one heel at a time to work the glutes and hamstrings. Jump squats involve lowering into a squat and jumping to work strength and burn fat. Single leg bridges are done lying down, lifting one leg and the hips to further target the glutes. Doing these exercises consistently over time can lead to a rounder, larger butt.
Gemma Atkinson is an English actress and model born on November 16, 1984 in Hartlepool, England. She is best known for playing Lisa Hunter on the ITV soap opera Hollyoaks between 2001 and 2005, and Tamzin Bayle in the BBC medical drama Casualty between 2006 and 2010.
Scralett Johnson is an American actress and singer Here You get more informations of her and biography,its pictures,latest news, Hair Styles, Wallpaper,Awards,Filmography and updates.
Guan Zeju nació en 1941 en China y se graduó en la Academia de Bellas Artes de Guangzhou en 1966. Es un pintor hiperrealista reconocido internacionalmente por sus pinturas femeninas que fusionan el arte tradicional chino con una perspectiva hiperrealista, creando ambientes apacibles con cierta carga erótica. Ha tenido una larga y exitosa carrera artística, exponiendo sus obras en galerías de todo el mundo.
This document discusses how society has become increasingly sexualized and how this impacts young girls. It provides examples of sexualized imagery in advertising, music videos, clothing and products targeted at children. The author argues that constant exposure to these sexualized images leads young girls to feel pressure to portray older, sexualized versions of themselves. This can have negative physical and mental health effects. The document analyzes this issue through the sociological perspectives of Gramsci and Marcuse, exploring how dominant cultural ideals of sexuality are promoted and internalized.
The document contains questions about representing key characters, gender, and narrative devices in horror and comedy films. It discusses how characters like Jim, Selena, and Major Henry West are represented in the films and undergo various transformations. Gender is often represented through portraying women as victims of male killers or as sexual objects. Narrative devices common in horror genres are used to increase horror's impact and communicate the story in recognizable ways to audiences.
This document discusses how masculinity and men are represented in action genre films. It argues that action heroes are typically portrayed as hyper-masculine, physically fit, and able to command women, contrasting with research suggesting men also experience vulnerability. It analyzes how such portrayals reinforce dominant societal ideologies around gender, sexuality, race and nationalism.
Are the X-Men Marvel or DC An In-Depth Exploration.pdfXtreame HDTV
The world of comic books is vast and filled with iconic characters, gripping storylines, and legendary rivalries. Among the most famous groups of superheroes are the X-Men. Created in the early 1960s, the X-Men have become a cultural phenomenon, featuring in comics, animated series, and blockbuster movies. A common question among newcomers to the comic book world is: Are the X-Men Marvel or DC? This article delves into the history, creators, and significant moments of the X-Men to provide a comprehensive answer.
The Person I Admire The Most Essay | Essay on The Person I Admire The .... The Person I Admire Free Essay Example. Someone I admire | Teaching english grammar, English writing, Learn english. Essay on Someone I Admire (500 Words) - PHDessay.com. PPT - The Person I Admire PowerPoint Presentation, free download - ID .... A Person Who I Admire Essay Example - PHDessa
People I Admire Essay. Essay about the person whom i admire - larepairinnyc.w...Lisa Cartagena
The Spanish settlement in Hispaniola in the 16th century had devastating effects on the native Taino population, drastically reducing their numbers through forced labor and exposure to diseases. The establishment of plantations and mines focused on extracting gold and other resources for profit. This made Hispaniola an important hub for the expanding Spanish colonial empire in the Caribbean and launched the colonization of other islands.
This document provides background information on the history of comic books and the character of Wonder Woman. It discusses how Wonder Woman was created during a time when most female characters were damsels in distress. The document examines whether Wonder Woman represents a male power fantasy or a feminist ideal. It outlines the popularity of comic books in the 1940s and provides context on other early female superhero characters. The document also compares Wonder Woman's non-violent approach to solving problems compared to other male superheroes of the time who often used violence and caused accidental deaths.
The Problem of Evil 59www.jrfm.eu 2017, 31, 59–74Toufic.docxarnoldmeredith47041
The Problem of Evil | 59www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 59–74
Toufic El-Khoury
The Problem of Evil in
DC Universe Animated Movies, 2007–2016
DC Multiverse, an Ironic Illustration of Leibniz’s Theodicy?
ABstrACt
this article explores the question of evil and its metaphysical and moral implications
in a series of animated movie adaptations of the DC Universe produced since 2006.
the contemporary evolution of the medium, called the “iron Age of comics”, has
seen the auto-reflexive nature of comics produce problems and themes related to the
main question discussed in Christian theodicy: how can we perceive and define the
possibility of evil in a world where God’s omnipotence should have eliminated such
a possibility? Moreover, why does evil seem to spread indefinitely in spite of all the
efforts deployed by superheroes to stop evil? We will discuss the problem of evil as a
natural narrative topic in light of comics’ mythological and religious roots and with a
particular study case: DC Comics Multiverse as an illustration of Leibniz’s “best of all
possible worlds” argument.
KeyWOrDs
DC comics, animated movies, cinema, theodicy, problem of evil, Leibniz.
BiOGrAPhy
Toufic El-Khoury is a lecturer and coordinator at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux-
Arts and at the Université saint-Joseph, Beirut. he holds an MA in Philosophy (Uni-
versité saint-Joseph) and a PhD in film studies (Université Paris Diderot – Paris 7). he
is the director of the collection “Cinématographies” (Orizons, Paris) and the author
of La comédie hollywoodienne classique (1929–1945): Structure triadique et médiations
du désir (2016).
As the result of external or intra-generic influences, every movie genre organ-
izes and matures in its aesthetics, its codes, and its thematic, triggering the cu-
riosity of philosophy.1 In the field of Film Studies, philosophers have recently
1 We follow the definition of a movie genre suggested by Rick Altman and Raphaëlle Moine: the se-
mantic-syntactic-pragmatic definition. The semantic elements are the narrative and visuals codes, the
chapl
Pencil
chapl
Pencil
60 | Toufic El-Khoury www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 59–74
become interested in movies, intrigued not only by selected authors or film
aesthetics, but also by movie genres. following the interest of stanley Cavell
in hollywood comedy and melodrama, other philosophers have explored the
codes and themes of established genres: Robert Pippin with film noir and the
Western2 and, in France, Eric Dufour with horror movies and science fiction.3
Movies and TV series adapted from comics and, more specifically, from the
superhero genre are starting to attract interest beyond the circle of critics and
film historians.4 the superhero movie is still at its beginning, whereas superhero
comics have a longer and richer history, but with the release and success of
Spider-Man (sam raimi, Us 2002) and the steady production of superhero mov-
ies since 2002, the superhero genre has take.
The Problem of Evil 59www.jrfm.eu 2017, 31, 59–74Toufic.docx
Mystique Paper 3
1. Banks1
“Self-Preservation: The Most Human of Reasons”
How 9/11 Changed the Nature of American Identity Representations in the X-Men Franchise
By: Samm Banks
2. Banks2
Over a comic book character story arc, there may be multiple re-imaginings of them
before they reach their full potential as an indispensable character. A reinvention of a character
allows writers to adapt their thoughts, feelings, actions, and morality to those consuming the
comics.1 Though comic books as a medium are fading from view, marvel storylines are
frequently portrayed on the silver screen as of late, making their stories more accessible to
modern mass audiences. This leads to a need to make these characters even more empathetic and
current in order to appeal to a wider population of consumers. These reinventions of characters
and storylines often echo current events in subtle yet telling ways, giving viewers and character a
common background.
This paper will examine one of these characters, The X-Men’s Mystique, and will explain
why she has risen to such prominence in the most recent films as a sympathetic antihero rather
than a common villain. I will argue that the reason for this sudden spike in popularity and
visibility is due to many American's changing ideas about flexible identities in an increasingly
atomically-anxious world that lacks a universal moral code as the result of the absence of victory
culture. Whereas Mystique's power of transformation was once a source of fear, and thus
villainy, amongst the last dregs of Cold War anxieties, now she can be read as an empathetic
anti-hero in a social context in which the concepts of fluid identity and morality, and the
struggles that this flexibility entails, become more apparent in everyday life.2 I will also explain
how this rise of such a character is a way of the American public negotiating the lack of a
definitive victory culture in post-9/11 America.
1 Phillips,NickieD., and Staci Strobl. Comic Book Crime: Truth, Justice, and the American Way. New York: New York
University Press,2013.16-17.
2 Costello,Matthew J. Secret Identity Crisis: Comic Books and the Unmasking of Cold War America. New York:
Continuum, 2009.1-30.
3. Banks3
Fig. 1: Mystique in X-Men Comics is often masculine, defying American gender norms
This analysis will examine the X-Men film trilogy in opposition to the more recent
prequels that have thus far been released. Ironically, Mystique is fairly flat as an adult character
in the film trilogy, but is complicated and more complex in the prequels. In the film trilogy,
Mystique appears most often as a type of evil, hyper-sexualized sidekick to Magneto in his
various attempts to bring the mutant race to its "rightful" place as the successors to the
evolutionary throne. In comparison to this, her role as an antihero in the prequels complicates the
narrative of villainy by investigating her journey of defining her personal moral code. I will
argue that these two very different characterizations of Mystique symbolize two stages in
American society of negotiating a tragedy like 9/11. The first version stresses community
building and allegiance, while the second phase emphasizes individualism and independence of
thought and action when the familiar power structures fail to meet the expectations of its citizens.
This echoes the evolution of post-9/11 reactions to trauma and tragedy, which abruptly shifted
from reactionary nationalism to moral confusion and abandonment with the uncertainty of a
faceless and ongoing "War on Terror."
4. Banks4
Rather than chronologically within the Marvel Universe, here I will discuss the films in
the order to make clear how Mystique has been complicated in the mass audience’s eye over the
past decade and a half, and brought to a general understanding as an antihero rather than a villain
under current social climates surrounding a post-9/11 world. Mystique as a comic book villain is
usually represented as overly masculine, while the films present her as a feminine sexual being
overall. Masculinity is often projected onto female comic book villains in order to display their
defiance of female norms, thus their threat to the American way of life. In the 1980’s, alongside
developments of new forms of femininity expression, this changed, introducing busty and
scantily clad “bad girls” as villains meant to intrigue readers’ morality and sexuality.3 In the film
trilogy, Mystique falls under this category, often appearing in the nude as an expression of
difference, pride, sexuality, and exoticism. Her imagery in the prequels, however, takes a step
back from this into a “girl next door” place, as her character in these films is less of a seductress,
and more of a youth in transition. The reasons for these transformations will be evaluated in
stages of film releases.
The Marvel Formula
The X-Men franchise, as a product of Marvel Industries, is subject to certain formulas in
character creation. First, it is important to consider the traditional means of character creation, in
which super-villains and heroes alike are often generated, based on their power, and personality
and physicality are usually built around this concept. At the time of Mystique’s first appearance
in comic books, being able to shape shift into any form would have been a truly evil skill that
threatened the home, often mentioned in the films as a severe threat. Through today’s lens,
however, Mystique’s talent might be viewed as an adaptation for survival. By taking the form of
3 Robbins,Trina. The Great Women Superheroes. Nothampton, Mass.:Kitchen Sink Press,1996. 169.
5. Banks5
men in power, she poses a serious threat to society, but this also gives her a sense of control and
power that she would never have as a marginalized woman. In taking this characterizing ability
and transforming it from a reason to fear her into a reason to admire her, Mystique’s shape-
shifting becomes a defining characteristic of heroism, rather than villainy.
For Marvel Industries, a very common trend is to make the reader or viewer reevaluate
constantly how they interpret the actions of both heroes and villains. Nickie D. Philips and Staci
Strobl’s Comic Book Crime describes this strategy, saying “Many of the Marvel characters were
considered revolutionary in that they introduced moral complexities, insecurities, and flaws,
prompting introspection by the heroes themselves…Stan Lee and Jack Kirby4 ‘wanted their new
heroes to be real people who argued among themselves, made mistakes, and had feet of clay.’
With such a unique focus on character development, the series helped reinvigorate the popularity
of superheroes.”5 In this way, the X-men film franchise as a whole follows the Marvel Formula,
which generally paints both heroes and villains in a light that makes them more empathetic as
humans, thus more relatable and intriguing in regards to their fluid morality.
While the Marvel Formula encourages viewers to be open-minded about the motivations
of villains, it also exposes the need to be more critical of heroes. Creating human and relatable
characters also requires them to fallible; flawed in some way that is inherent to their very persona
that they must daily battle in order to do good. In this way, flat characters engage their fans and
intricately entangle them in their struggles. As Marvel characters are often teens or young adults,
their character flaws are personable and read as a more dramatic version of the struggles that
most young people go through at some point as a part of coming of age. By exposing the
4 Creators of Marvel Comics
5Phillips,NickieD., and Staci Strobl. Comic Book Crime: Truth, Justice, and the American Way. New York: New York
University Press,2013.29.
6. Banks6
complicated nature of Marvel characters, they can no longer easily be placed into distinct “good”
and “bad” categories. Instead, Marvel storylines encourage viewers to consider the motivations
behind a character’s action. When a villain kills or exhibits their powers in a way that harms
others, it is at surface unacceptable. Antiheroes may do the same things for the “greater good” or
self-preservation and be forgiven. The less justification there is for an unforgivable action, the
further a character may drift into villainy.
"We must know who they are, and above all, what they can do.": X-men (2000)
The first installment of the X-Men trilogy takes place in an unspecified near future. Since
the film debuted in 2000, that future might very well be the world we live in today. In the Marvel
Universe, Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants have kidnapped Senator Kelly, a
forerunner in the movement to pass legislation requiring all mutants to be registered in order to
enter or continue their status as United States citizens. Mystique herself is responsible for
kidnapping Kelly, saying "People like you are the reason I was afraid to go to school as a child."
Aside from this, Mystique has few lines, and little to no character development. In this section, I
will discuss why this is so, and why this film is so very different from the rest of the X-Men film
franchise.
X-1, as I mentioned above, debuted in 2000, just before the paranoia of the War on Terror
set in America. United States citizens were aware that foreign powers had weapons of mass
destruction, but at that point we had no idea that we were to be targeted later that year. Despite
this inactivity on the home front, the entertainment industry still played an important role in
citizen morale. There is a very distinct mood to the original trilogy of the X-Men trilogy of
community building and triumphalist "good vs. evil" dichotomies. This is often seen in
7. Banks7
American films that precede and immediately follow national tragedies in order to re-invigorate
patriotism and civic pride. While the first installment off the trilogy preceded 9/11, it follows the
pattern of many films geared toward instilling confidence in American audiences and
encouraging their own "goodness" because of their association with the United States. In a social
climate that has been steadily losing sight of victory culture since the indecisive end of Vietnam,
films that strive to convince viewers that they should have pride and confidence in our nation's
abilities to triumph are extremely crucial for American audiences. Such films allow American
audience who has not lived through a victorious war to find affirmation in entertainment that the
"good guys," read Americans, will always win.
Throughout X-1, there are themes of acceptance, tolerance, and peaceful incorporation of
difference in the United States. The main plot revolves around Magneto's efforts to forcibly
mutate the United Nations Assembly in order to force them to sympathize with mutants. This
climactic ending takes place at the Statue of Liberty, a re-appropriated symbol of freedom and
tolerance to all who come to our country. The symbolism is clear, as the distress surrounding
"the mutant problem" may be easily compared to issues of incorporation and solidarity in our
world. “The mutant problem” and the resulting issues of threat containment could be considered
foreshadowing for the containment policies that began to be set into action soon after 9/11.
In truth, viewers did not need a complex and morally ambiguous character like Mystique
to be a major player in this stage of the X-men franchise. Though the film precedes the social
divisiveness that occurred in the wake of 9/11, other social issues required a boosting of public
morale. X-1 encourages positive action and hopeful cooperation between humans and mutants,
which may be read as various incorporations of difference. A morally ambiguous henchwoman
8. Banks8
like Mystique needed to be kept in the background, as viewers are meant to understand that she
is a "bad guy" attempting to further challenge the status quo and peaceful negotiations.
The "good guys" and the "bad" can often be differentiated by their appearances, as
discussed by Rachel Zuckert in “Boring Beauty and Universal Morality: Kant on the Ideal of
Beauty.” Zuckert analyzes in this article the concept that often, it is human nature to judge others
based upon their appearance, and associate their moral code with the quality and serenity of their
appearance. In short, those who are beautiful are immediately understood to be good persons,
while those who are ugly or disfigured are thought to be evil or bad as reflected in their
appearance. Often, writers create villains and heroes alike based on their powers.6 So, Mystique
is meant to be understood as a villain at this stage in the franchise because a secret identity and
mysterious actions can be read as evil. In contrast, Professor Charles Xavier7 is a telepath, thus
he understands the minds of others and attempts to empathize with them, making him a hero.
Also, those who are beautiful are generally understood to be inherently good, while those less
physically appealing are villains, sometimes even incorporating their rejection from society
based on their physicality into their back story. Compare Jean Grey, also a telepath and always
rendered physically beautiful, with Mystique, who is often rejected and feared due to her scaly
and blue skin.8
6 Morrell,Jessica Page. Bullies, Bastards & Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction. Cincinnati,Ohio:Writer’s
Digest Books, 2008.124.
7 Leader of the X-men
8 Zuckert, Rachel.“Boring Beauty and Universal Morality:Kanton the Ideal of Beauty.” Inquiry, 2004, 107-30.
Accessed September 20,2014. Print.
9. Banks9
Fig. 2: Mystique in the first X-Men film is seen, not heard.
Mystique's presence is often announced by eerie violin music and a flash of her yellow
eyes, as she is frequently in disguise as a white man of political power. In many ways,
Mystique's silence and mystery is reminiscent of pop culture representations of undercover
Communists in Cold War era films. The War on Terror, like the Cold War, proved to be fought
against faceless and constantly changing enemies, but the fear of infiltration by those threatening
the American way of life is similar. As a shape shifter, Mystique too is a faceless enemy, who
can effortlessly infiltrate whatever American institution she desires. Taking the form of male
political figures offers Mystique social mobility, control, and a form of power that she would not
otherwise have as a woman, much less as a marginalized mutant. By mimicking these sources of
10. Banks10
power, Mystique has a power all her own through her ability, which paradoxically denies her
power in her true form by marking her as a mutant "other."9
"Even Their Voice": X2 (2003)
X-2 Brings Mystique into more focus as the mutant forces come together to defeat a
common enemy, but the "good vs evil" dichotomy is still made clear throughout the film.
Mystique has been posing as Senator Kelly since his demise in X-1, adjusting mutant policies
where she can and collecting inside information when she cannot. Meanwhile, General Stryker,
another staunch anti-mutant political figure, has been pushing for experimentation and
registration for mutants. He infiltrates Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters10 with a SWAT
team, kidnapping the children who live there while they sleep. Stryker's ultimate goal is to
recreate Cerebro, a machine Xavier uses to locate mutants, and repurpose the duplicate to target
and destroy all mutants in one fell swoop. X-2 clearly carries sentiments of an untrustworthy
government, but the unity of the opposing mutant forces for a common goal closely parallels the
social climate of 2003, when the film went public and Americans struggled to support one
another when we doubted those in power. This section will analyze one particular mutant
relationship, and use it as an example of the tense circumstances that social cohesion in 2003
involved to rebuild a national community. Like Americans in the wake of 9/11, the mutant forces
in X-2 were required to set aside their differences in order to ensure their survival.
Without cooperation, there would be no chance of survival for the mutants under fire
from the United States government. In order to cooperate in the situation given in X-2, the clear-
cut and unshakeable moral codes given to discriminate between the "good" and the "bad" must
9 X-Men. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation,2000.Film.
10 Living,training,and education facility for Xavier’s students and team
11. Banks11
be temporarily set aside for the greater good. The situational co-dependency involved in X-2
places mutants with tense histories into direct contact and requires them to work together. Some
character arcs must be left out of the films in order to make more room for plot, but the comic
books released simultaneously are available to those wanting for character development. In 2003,
Uncanny X-Men #428 hit the shelves, telling the tale of Mystique's brief moment in life as a
mother to Nightcrawler, and the ultimate abandonment of this child.11 Throughout the comic
books and various television series, it is often referenced that Mystique is Nightcrawler's
mother,12 but in the film, this relationship is completely neglected, despite ample opportunities. It
is my belief that this important element is left out in order to broadcast to viewers that tense
histories must be set aside in order to cooperate and ultimately ensure survival for the mutant
race.
Fig. 3: Mystique and Nightcrawler discuss visibility, but not their relationship.
Mystique and Nightcrawler share an important scene in X-2, where they discuss public
visibility. Nightcrawler asks Mystique why, if she can mimic and impersonate anyone, she does
11 Phillips,Austen. “”How Did I Get Here?”” Uncanny X-Men, October 1, 2003.
12 Hitch, Bryan. “Growing Pains.” Uncanny X-Men ’95, November 1, 1995.
12. Banks12
not choose to camouflage her mutant nature at all times in order to belong, to which she
responds, "Because we shouldn't have to."13 The irony here is that though Mystique feels that
public visibility as a mutant is her human inalienable right, she does not reveal her maternal
relationship to her son. Though this may be a way of softly transitioning Mystique into a more
sympathetic character, it does leave the non-comic reading viewer in the dark. At various
moments in the X-Men franchise, this relationship is used as both a way of signaling Mystique's
villainy as a negligent mother, and of her humanity in the struggle she endures and often
succumbs to in her guilt over abandoning her son. However, none of this makes it into the film.
Why?
Avoiding the delicate nature of motherhood may simply be a way of making things
simple for the sake of the storyline, which is commonly done in comic books in order to allow
supers and other characters to have lives without those lives negating their abilities. The concept
of motherhood simply does not fit into a storyline that demands physical activity and life-
threatening danger that a mother with super abilities would inevitably entail.14 Though many
supers, and most of the X-Men characters, are related to one another or are known to have
children, the reality of child-rearing would require a retirement from the Marvel Universe, as the
super-parent could no longer perform their duties with a child. This applies to X-Men characters
just as it would to most other fictional characters, as the family trees complicate the storyline
desirably, but the reality of child development is often necessarily ignored.
In times of national distress, such as the Great Depression or World War II, it is common
for Americans to reach back toward more traditional familial structures in order to instill
13 X2. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2003.Film.
14 D’Amore, Laura Mattoon. “The Accidental Supermom: Superheroines and Maternal Performativity,1963-1980.”
The Journal of Popular Culture, 2012, 1226-1248.Accessed October 14, 2014. Academic Search Premier.
13. Banks13
confidence in the "American way of life" and to promote solidarity. I would argue that
neglecting to tie in the relationship between Mystique and Nightcrawler in film, yet expanding
upon it in print, is a method of communicating such messages of solidarity in modern-day
situations to mass audiences, while discretely recognizing the complex reality of contemporary
existence. X-2 promoted solidarity in the aftermath of tragedy in a time when many Americans
still deeply felt the loss of the 9/11 attacks. Despite our family units becoming increasingly more
fractured, in the wake of terrorist attacks, Americans were encouraged to set aside such issues
and come together to deal with national tragedy. Omitting the familial relationship in X-2 while
expanding upon it in print forms can be read as a way of allowing the characters to express the
desired solidarity, rather than allowing personal conflict to dominate, which was strongly
encouraged for Americans as the War on Terror raged on.
"You're Not One of Us Anymore": X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
In X-Men: The Last Stand, Mystique is eliminated early in the film, realizing most
Americans' greatest fears in post-9/11 aftershock: isolation and abandonment. In this installment,
the U.S. government has developed a "cure" for mutants from DNA retrieved from a mutant,
whose ability is to deactivate the powers of anyone around him. Here, as in so many other cases,
the Marvel Universe uses a familiar situation to help its readers make sense of the troubling
world around them. In this instance, the final stage of assimilation into being an American
acceptable to the rest of society is to remove your last marker of difference, which in this case is
a very intrinsic component of identity, and offers marginalized mutants, like Mystique, power
and control that is evidently unacceptable if one wishes to be a part of the desired group.
The beginning of the film finds Mystique in custody, after an attempt to derail the
experiments leading to the mutant "cure." She remains calm and confident, as her close
14. Banks14
allegiance with Magneto assures her that her capture will be temporary. In transport, Magneto
does indeed rescue his beloved pet, along with other captured mutants, but is interrupted by
soldiers armed with a weaponized version of the cure. Mystique takes the bullet for Magneto as a
sign of her unshakeable devotion, but is left behind once the effects of the cure have set in. No
longer is Mystique the strong, confident, and capable image of commanding and prideful nudity,
but a weakened, naked, and powerless woman left cold upon the floor. Her humanity is exposed
her in every possible meaning of the word, as there is not a single marker of strength left to her
human form.15 "I'm sorry, my dear," Magneto laments, "You're not one of us anymore." As he
turns his back on her, Mystique is expelled from the mutant community for what seems to be the
last time.
Fig. 4: “Being naked” is not as powerful or commanding as a classical “nude.”
Isolation and abandonment are familiar concepts to most dwellers of a post-9/11 world in
the political sense rather than the personal that Mystique undergoes. Furthermore, an unexpected
attack from those meant to protect citizens from danger that rapes us of our independence and
distinctive markers might be compared to our world as well. The film, released in 2006, can be a
perfect metaphor for the sentiments of Americans who felt betrayed and deceived by the War on
15 Robbins,Trina. The Great Women Superheroes. Northampton, Mass.:Kitchen Sink Press,1996.34.
15. Banks15
Terror. Despite constant promises of imminent victory and the returning of troops, there were
143,800 troops in the Middle East fighting the War on Terror in 2006,16 which had a constantly
changing face. Contrary to continued promises of safety from terrorism, new suspicions of
WMD holders developed nearly every week. We saw on the news daily assurances that we were
the good guys, but very little as to what the nearly 144 thousand troops might be doing after they
were taken from our homes. When those troops finally did come home, they suffered from Post-
Traumatic Stress Disorder and refused to speak of their actions overseas. Some of them still,
after years of service, did not even know who the enemy was.
The sentiments of community building in the wake of tragedy from X2 are absent in X3.
Again, the plot revolves around simple "good vs. evil" concepts, similar to those in X1. The
American public may not have needed Mystique to be a main character for more than twenty
minutes or so in this film, but with the shaky political and social environments we encountered
each time we turned on the television, another film encouraging the certain victory of "the good
guys" was certainly needed. However, Mystique's abandonment and exclusion from the
community is not the end of the losses incurred in this film. Professor Xavier, Jean Grey, and
Scott Summers (aka Cyclops), the commanders-in-chief of the X-Men, are memorialized and
buried by the end of the film. The government's weaponized and often forceful use of the cure
rips many talented and well-meaning mutants of their gifts in a battle to free the mutant with
curing abilities.17 Though this is a film that returns to simple moral dichotomies, the human
sacrifices that are made to possibly promise a better future are still not a guarantee that relations
16 Belasco,Amy. "Troop Levels in the Afghan and Iraq Wars,FY2001-FY2012:Cost and Other Potential Issues."
Federation of American Scientists.July 2, 2009.Accessed April 16,2015.
17 X-Men: The Last Stand. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2006.Film.
16. Banks16
or security will improve. As in our universe, the Marvel Universe questions what good sacrifices
of life may do.
“Pets Are Always Cuter When They’re Little”: X-Men: First Class (2011)
The driving force of the plot of X-Men: First Class is the young adult development of
three staple characters: Charles Xavier, Erik Lensherr (Magneto), and Raven Darkholme
(Mystique).18 As a child, Xavier found Raven stealing food from his mansion of a home and took
her under his wing, establishing a lifelong bond. Having previously discussed the trilogy, this is
probably shocking, as we know Mystique to be a villain cohort of Magneto. This leads me back
to the central argument: the mood of the prequels echoes that of post-9/11 America, where we
abandoned the attempt of victory culture in the immediate wake of the disaster, and faced the
reality of what our "heroic" government was doing at home and abroad for the sake of global
dominance. We were left thinking, "But, I thought we were the good guys?"19 Like many
Americans in 2011, Mystique discovers that despite her strict code of loyalty, no one can truly
have her best interests at heart but herself. By investigating Mystique's origin story, we will see
that the moral code that the adult mutant has (or doesn't have) is a product of her experiences in
warfare, similar to our own sentiments of moral ambiguity in a post-9/11 world.
18 “Comic Vine- Comic Reviews, Videos, Forums, and Wiki.”Accessed January 20,2015.
http://www.comicvine.com/.
19 Phillips,NickieD., and Staci Strobl. Comic Book Culture: Truth, Justice, and the American Way. New York: New
York University Press,2013.107.
17. Banks17
Fig. 5: Charles Xavier offers the young Raven Darkholme a home and friendship.
As mentioned above, First Class finds Charles a child of privilege, and Raven as his
protégé from an early age. Erik, however, has a much more troubling origin story. Erik's powers,
like that of many mutants, come to fruition in a period of extreme emotion and distress in
adolescent years. In this case, it is during his time in the death camps of World War II when he is
taken from his mother and forced to watch her die at the hand of Nazis. Unfortunately, Erik's
powers do not free him, but expose him before the Nazis as a possible tool, resulting in his
continued imprisonment. This extended state of abuse leads Erik to become the human-hating
Darwinist we know him to be in the trilogy, but it also establishes a relationship him and the
audience. While few would condone his systematic hunting and destroying of his Nazi
persecutors, his actions are read as retribution, rather than senseless killing for the sake of
mayhem. This Marvel Industries tactic is meant to cause viewers to think about how far they
would go themselves, and reevaluate and complicate how they feel about traditional villains.
In contrast to this, viewers are also encouraged to revisit their judgements of standard
issue heroes, such as Charles Xavier. His powers of telepathy allow him to empathize with the
18. Banks18
humans around him, but the interior nature of his ability also allows him to blend into society.
Charles is realistically depicted as a young adult with abilities and adolescent impulses, as when
he casually uses his telepathy in school or when he abuses his talent to pick up women in bars.
By viewing Charles as a flawed human, audiences can understand that in this world, as in ours,
there is no indelible "good" or "bad." Instead, there is a scale of gray that is influenced on both
sides by human impulse and situational contexts.
While Charles Xavier and Raven Darkholme develop a close bond into young adulthood,
they develop very different feelings toward the human race due to their very different mutations.
This might be compared to the different attitudes in the wake of 9/11, with polar opinions
ranging from hopeful optimism to bitter resentment regarding the War on Terror that just never
seemed to end. While Charles is an empathetic telepath with an easily disguised interior ability,
Raven must live most of her life in disguise in order to achieve a normal life. Charles
experiences the best of life, using his place of privilege to attend Oxford, while Raven humbly
works in the food service industry to sustain herself. Here we can see the differing goals of the
two extremes of the socioeconomic scale: Raven’s goals are of survival, Charles’ position in life
allows him to focus instead on personal development and growth. Though Charles is sympathetic
and even celebratory at times of mutants and their abilities and limitations, his understanding of
incorporation into the rest of the world is slightly skewed by the imperceptibility of his mutation.
Incorporation for a mutant with an easily hidden ability is much more attainable than for Raven,
whose natural form is blue and reptilian-skinned with animal-like yellow eyes prove to prevent
her from assimilation even in the mutant world.
One might compare the contrasting optimism and experienced pessimism of Charles and
Raven to those directly impacted by the terrorist attacks and those who were spared the trauma,
19. Banks19
or even soldiers who had experience with the war compared to those at home. At heart, in both
our universe and the Marvel mirror universe, the issue became one of trauma-contact. Charles,
like citizens at home in the “reaction stage” of the war, feels that diplomacy and democracy are
the answers, and that there is a bright future ahead, however, being one step removed from the
actual conflict of mutant aggression due to the nature of his ability, this optimism may be
misplaced. In a similar fashion, Raven experiences the worst of humanity, such as their quick
judgement and rejection, placing her in the trenches, so to speak, of human-mutant aggression.
This might be considered the “resentment stage” that many Americans directly touched by the
war were experiencing around the time of First Class’s release. By 2011, we had been engaged
in conflict overseas for nearly ten years. Though the details of the conflict were fading from
media presence, Americans who had fought in the war, or knew someone who had, were still
daily affected from a war that the remainder of the population had put out of sight and out of
mind since it did not affect them. Charles Xavier might be hopeful, but Raven knew what
humans were capable of and saw little benefit in coexisting with them.
While Xavier and Raven life at Oxford, Erik Lensherr spends his young adulthood
tracking down and assassinating Nazis from his time in the death camps. Though most of us
would never dream of acting out such aggression, the intro to the film allowed us a window into
Erik’s mind and experiences that permit us to understand him to an extent. In many cases in
comic books and films dealing with extra-normal persons, the communities are self-regulating
because the “human world” marginalizes the extra-normal into isolation, offering little assistance
when it comes to inter-community justice. Though Erik’s aggressors are human, popular culture
generally depicts Nazis responsible for Jewish extermination as supervillains due to their lack of
empathy. So, how far can Erik go before we consider him worthy of punishment for his mortal
20. Banks20
crimes? Is his retribution within means, or has he become just as evil as his aggressors? Marvel
Industries often encourages viewers to decipher these codes for themselves, offering a more
realistic depiction of justice and providing relatable and struggling characters that must grapple,
just as we do, with building an individualized morality.20
Fig. 6: Young Erik Lensherr being separated from his mother in the Nazi death camps
Charles and Raven, and later Erik, are enlisted by the U.S. government to form a special
team of mutants in order to combat a mutant bent on destroying the human race with his nuclear-
energy derivative ability. In this mission, there is a considerable amount of character
development with all of the mutants in this initial version of “the X-Men,” mainly regarding this
group of young adults with special abilities learning how to use their powers rather than continue
to hide them from the world. These personal journeys are complicated by Erik and Charles’
contrasting ideas about how powers should be used. Erik tells Raven “Your whole life the world
has tried to tame you. It’s time for you to be free,” encouraging her to embrace her true form
20 Phillips,NickieD., and Staci Strobl. Comic Book Culture: Truth, Justice, and the American Way. New York: New
York University Press,2013.107-139
21. Banks21
rather than the faces of normality she often assumes, even in private. The evident appeal in this
encouragement drives a wedge between Raven and Charles, culminating when she says to him
“It used to be me and you against the world. No matter how bad the world gets, you don’t want
to be against it, you want to be a part of it.” From Raven’s perspective, Erik is driving towards
change, though at times it is admittedly extreme, while Charles desires to be a part of the status
quo that rejects him time and time again. These confrontations lead Raven to decide that she will
no longer fight for a race of humans that seeks to destroy her, and will instead place her efforts
towards change and self-preservation.
First Class comes to a climax when a final battle between Xavier’s X-Men and the human
nuclear weapon’s forces meet on the beach of Cuba, alluding directly to the Cuban Missile
Crisis.21 Erik deems this mutant to be death worthy, as he was associated with Erik’s mother’s
death in the concentration camps of his childhood. While the mutants fight their war, the human
forces fight theirs, with both U.S. and Soviet warships targeting the beach filled with mutants in
hopes of preventing future threats. Charles diverts this threat, but the conflict results in defining
the “sides” that most mutants in the X-Men franchise ultimately fall on. Erik assumes his role as
Magneto, whom we already know has an agenda that is pro-mutant at the cost of human
extinction if necessary. Raven, in a heart-wrenching moment, decides to abandon Charles for the
cause of mutant freedom and liberation.22
21 May, ElaineTyler. “Echoes of the Cold War: The Aftermath of September 11 atHome.” In September 11 in
History: A Watershed Moment?. 35-54. 2003.
22 X-Men: First Class. Twentieth Century Fox FilmCorporation,2011.Film.
22. Banks22
Fig. 7: Raven decides to join Erik in the interest of taking action for mutant issues.
The allusion to the Cold War is not a flippant coincidence. As this study has argued, there
are various stages to dealing with tragedy and fluid wartime that respects no boundaries. By the
time First Class was released in 2011, the immediate reaction of offensive patriotism had phased
out of mainstream American cultural contexts. Instead, the War on Terror raged on in the Middle
East with strict controls on press release and media access to current events. In many ways, the
American public allowed the dust of 9/11 to settle and attempted to carry on with normalcy while
bombs dropped far outside of the periphery. First Class is set in a similar era, albeit fifty years
prior. The attacks on Pearl Harbor and the resulting use of nuclear weapons in Japan, though still
intense memory objects, were not a part of the daily Cold War discourse. Instead, constantly
shifting “threats” and “enemies” of the Cold War led many Americans to lose interest in a war
that rarely had definitive information to offer. In 2011, we experienced something similar. It
seemed there was always a new threat, a new leader of Al-Qaeda, a new country that our military
needed to supervise for our safety across the world. In this context, Raven, like Americans in the
1960s and those of the 2010s, finds herself constantly re-evaluating her alliances, and how far
she is willing to go to fight a faceless and ever-shifting enemy. Like Americans of both periods,
23. Banks23
Raven finds that the larger politics are not in her control or her realm of influence. Instead, she
must align herself with whoever has the closest objective to her own and use this connection to
her own advantage and agenda.23
“What’s the matter, baby?” X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
The most recent installment of the trilogy completes the cycle of post-war identity crisis
for Americans, and hits the closest to home in Mystique’s character development. In Days of
Future Past, the mutant race of the distant future is in danger of extinction by Sentinels.24 Kitty
Pryde and Wolverine25 must use their abilities in tandem to send Wolverine’s consciousness
back to 1973, when Mystique assassinated Trask, the scientist who developed the mutant-
destroying robots. The Sentinel Project became government-sanctioned after Mystique
assassinated Trask, as this action proved mutants to truly be a threat to the human race. The
United States government had not, until this point, been behind the Sentinel Project in the
interest of protecting American citizens. In order to prevent this bleak future from coming about,
Wolverine must stop Mystique from assassinating Trask, thus leaving the government in doubts
as to the threat posed by mutants.
Why, you may ask, is Mystique so bent on murdering a human being when in the last
film her goal was simply freedom? Trask uses ruthless experimentation on mutants to create the
Sentinels, committing genocide on many mutants close to Mystique’s heart. This brings us again
to death worthiness: how justified is Mystique in her desire to murder such a human? From
23 May, ElaineTyler. “Echoes of the Cold War: The Aftermath of September 11 atHome.” In September 11 in
History:A Watershed Moment?. 35-54.2003.
24 Sentinels are largeautomatons developed by Trask in the 1960s in the interests of targeting and destroying
mutants. Trask used Mystique’s DNA in the Sentinel Projectto give the robots the ability to shapeshiftbased on
environment.
25 Kitty Pryde’s ability allows her to project people’s consciousness into their pastselves;Wolverineis chosen to go
back to reunite Xavier,Erik, and Raven becauseof his healingabilities.
24. Banks24
Trask’s perspective as a citizen of 1973, an unseen enemy (communism) and its vehicles of
underestimated destruction: the tragedy of Vietnam. “When you sent our soldiers to Vietnam
without the proper weapons to win the war,” Trask addresses Congress, “you underestimated
your enemy. Do it with this enemy, and it won’t be some skirmish halfway across the globe. This
time, it will be for our homes, our streets, and by the time you see the need for my program, it’ll
be too late and you’ll have lost two wars in one lifetime.”
Fig. 8: Trask addresses Congress about “the mutant problem.”
Vietnam is called upon here in order to make clear the sentiments of Americans today in
the post-9/11 fallout regarding our government officials and their response to the attacks in 2001.
While the villains of the mutant world flippantly change sides, a recurring theme in the Marvel
Universe is the corrupted agenda of the United States governing bodies. Connecting Vietnam,
perhaps the greatest military failure in American history, with the War on Terror makes the
25. Banks25
argument that now, as then, the “war” will continue to drag on, claiming countless American
lives, yet no decisive victory.26
For Mystique, the connection between Vietnam also means she cannot afford to commit
to supporting anyone else’s agenda but her own. She must personally craft her own code of
morality and ethics tailored to her individual experiences and needs, since she can no longer
align herself with the convoluted agendas of “good” or “evil.” Mystiques embodies here the
distrustful sentiments of aftermath-era Americans of the 2010s, the main audience of the
prequels. The foe in the War on Terror continually evolved and changed faces, thus ultimately
undefeatable. The immediate actions of the United States government were covert, secretive, and
often delayed to ensure public support. Mystique, like many Americans who have grown up
surrounded by the echoes of 9/11, is now a character forced to trust only herself and to interpret
her environment based upon her own moral code.
In many ways, returning to this turbulent period pays homage to the original threat of a
“bad” mutant like Mystique, capable of impersonating anyone and wreaking havoc due to her
ability to remain undetected as long as it suits her purposes. Dealing with unseen enemies, as
Trask’s speech above references, proved to be one of the greatest struggles of Vietnam, as
guerilla warfare tactics caught American soldiers unprepared.27 The danger of a mutant like
Mystique brings this back to the home front, where she not only stands as a threat to American
society, but also to the most basic of American fears: infiltrating the family unit. However, Days
of Future Past complicates these ideas by reminding viewers of Mystique’s own humanity and
26Engelhardt, Tom. The End of Victory Culture: Cold War America and the Disillusioningof a Generation. New York,
NY: Basic Books,1995.306-333.
27 Wright, Bradford W. Comic Book Nation: The Transformation of Youth Culture in America. Baltimore: Johns
Hopkins University Press,2001.191-199.
26. Banks26
vulnerability. Though her murderous intent marks her as a “bad guy,” her actions are fueled by
the violation of her own family unit: the many mutants who were sacrificed on Trask’s operating
table. Though audiences may not have been entirely empathetic to Mystique’s part in kidnapping
and ultimately killing Senator Kelly in the first X-Men film,28 when she is shown shedding tears
at the losses incurred from her battle with humanity, she may be redeemed and interpreted in
another light.
Fig. 9: Mystique sheds tears over her fallen comrades, in a brief exhibition of humanity
behind closed doors.
While considering redemption in film, it is crucial to understand why writers may be
motivated to allow such characters grace for harsh actions. Writers may complicate plots and
ideas about concrete morality by salvaging a “bad guy,” demonstrating their humanity and pure
motivations in violence. Jessica Page Morrell’s Bullies, Bastards, & Bitches says that “As in real
life, fictional characters can often be most known and defined when the curtains are drawn and
they think no one is looking.”29 Mystique appears in many such “closed-curtain” moments, as
when she mourns the loss of her fallen mutant family when she infiltrates Trask’s office. Though
28 X-men. Twentieth Century Fox FilmCorporation,2000. Film.
29 Morrell,Jessica Page. Bullies, Bastards & Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction. Cincinnati,Ohio:Writer’s
Digest Books, 2008.19.
27. Banks27
viewers know from the trilogy that Raven Darkholme is destined to become Mystique, they are
not allowed to forget her origins or her humanity in character while watching her grow as a
young adult in the prequel films.
Sympathy for Mystique is cemented when Erik shoots her to prevent the government
from capturing her and using her to develop the Sentinels. Though many villains beg for their
lives in the final pages of countless comic books, this does not communicate the same message.
Erik may know the consequences of her actions in the future, but she has yet to commit these
crimes. How then, is this punishment just? Later, Xavier reaches into the minds of others to find
Raven and bring her back into the fold, yet her estrangement and violent experiences have
prevented such a reunion from being possible. Mystique is clearly no villain, but an anti-hero
attempting to do what she feels is right. Ultimately, Mystique does not complete her
assassination mission, instead blending into obscurity after saving former President Nixon from
Erik. Rather than the sealed fate of a world dominated by Sentinels, the future for mutants might
be one of acceptance and coexistence thanks to Mystique’s demonstration of humanity.30
30 X-Men: Days of Future Past. Twentieth Century Fox filmCorporation,2014.Film.
28. Banks28
Fig. 10: Mystique begs for her life as Magneto prepares to destroy her for the good of mutant-
kind.
How, then, do we connect Mystique in Days of Future Past to our own experiences? Her
growth in morality and decision-making might be compared to the way in which American
citizens have drifted out of their lull in recent years. Mystique’s actions are for the advancement
and security of mutant persons; in our world we see many progressive changes happening in
Marriage Equality Acts, police brutality cases, and developments in laborer’s rights. While
violence is often frowned upon, in our world and the Marvel Universe alike, it does prove to
have results. However, the message we are meant to come home with from Days is that
diplomacy won, and the real villain was stopped in his tracks. Might we not apply this to the
social changes Americans have been aggressively pursuing since the “War on Terror” began?
Conclusion
Why is it that we sometimes find ourselves rooting on the bad guys? Of course we still
admire the overall goodness of traditional heroes, but it becomes more difficult in an unjust
reality of tragedy where purity has become a rarity in human character. Ideally, we would all
sacrifice ourselves to enable others to survive, but realistically, we are rarely placed into a
29. Banks29
situation where we have that option. Instead, we are often faced with circumstances where we
must preserve our own safety and find our own agendas, defining as we go along our personal
moral code. Mutations are, by Jeffrey J. Kripal’s definition, adaptations to one’s environment
produced by several occurrences of reproduction in circumstances that necessitate change.31
Mystique’s mutation, then, is due to an increasing need in society to camouflage oneself, or play
multiple roles, in order to survive. Having one, stable, unchanging identity simply does not allow
for self-preservation in a world that is constantly evolving around us, much less in an era of
constantly changing threats overseas.
Villains’ personalities are often created based on their form of threat or superpower.32 If
Mystique’s shape-shifting was an embodiment of her evil at the time of her creation during the
Cold War, and again in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, why does this aspect of her character
become a symbol of her empathetic liminality in the prequel films? Comic books often use
familiar situations of the past in order to communicate to their adolescent fans the current events
which may be difficult to grasp.33 In other words, by harkening back to cultural memory
benchmarks, viewers of the X-Men franchise can use the Cold War and Vietnam as models of
our current moment in American culture. For Mystique’s originations as a villain, her
inconsistent identity posed a threat similar to that of Communist infiltration and thus destruction
of American ways of life. In 2000, this was revisited in her film representations as infiltration
once again became a fear of Americans in the “War on Terror.” In 2011, this all changed; now,
Americans could view Mystique’s adaptation as a way of evolving along with stressful and
31 Kripal,Jeffrey J. Mutants and Mystics: Science Fiction, Superhero Comics, and the Paranormal. Chicago:
University of Chicago Press,2011.175-178.
32 Morrell,Jessica Page. Bullies, Bastards & Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction. Cincinnati,Ohio:Writer’s
Digest Books, 2008.138-140.
33 May, ElaineTyler. “Echoes of the Cold War: The Aftermath of September 11 atHome.” In September 11 in
History: A Watershed Moment?, 35-54. 2003.
30. Banks30
confusing moments in history. Shape-shifting into various roles, experiencing moral ambiguity
and confusion, and living our daily lives without a clear definition of where our allegiances
might lie are now concepts we can empathize with as Americans caught in a world that requires
us to play many roles without outside direction or instruction we feel we can place confidence in.
Rather, we are thrown into a world that makes very little sense, and expected to make do, much
as Mystique must in a chronological viewing of the X-men franchise.
When read chronologically, as Mystique matures into adulthood, the X-Men films tell a
familiar narrative of a marginalized individual gone bad after being soured on authority.
However, we can also see the two distinct characterizations of Mystique as methods of reading
American identity in different stages of acceptance of national identity disruption. The
immediate reaction after a tragedy of such severity as 9/11 is to find a community for support
and acceptance. After the dust settles, it is commonly found that, in order to cope with trauma
rather than suppress it under illusions of victorious grandeur, citizens affected by such events
must find their own path and interpret their surroundings for themselves. Similarly, the decisive
and concrete “good vs. evil” narrative also fades with each X-Men film release. The trilogy has a
clear moral dichotomy, where society must unite in the face of crisis. The prequels, in
comparison, encourage viewers to consider a moral gray-scale, along with cause-and-effect of
international crisis and response.