For a final post, I want to include a personal favorite hero of mine: Captain Marvel.

In a similar vein to the web singing Spider-man, Captain Marvel (or Carol Danvers) got her powers by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. A former air force piolet, Danvers was caught in the explosion from an alien device. The release of energy transformed Danvers genetic structure, making her an alien-human hybrid. The alien species in question, the Kree, are a highly advanced race known for wielding super human abilities. With her new powers, Danvers became Captain Marvel!

One of the reasons that Danvers has become so popular as of late is due to her unique characterization. She embodies several feminist values and ideals. Historians and critics alike often comment that comics mirror the culture of the time. As a female Character, Captain Marvel mirrors the roles and ideas of women in society at certain times. Still, Ms. Marvel wasn’t exactly breaking molds. Her powers fell into traditional superhero lore, and were similar to those initially borne by Superman. Ms. Marvel wasn’t so much presenting an alternative to the patriarchy as she was embodying its ideals

Initially, Danvers was just a love interest for the former (male) Captain Marvel. After gaining her powers, however she became symbol of women’s liberation. Although Danvers had no memory of her victories as Marvel (she would black out, the Marvel persona would emerge, then Danvers would come to unaware of what she had done) Danvers was still a career oriented women who fought for equal rights in the work place. In the first issue of Ms. Marvel, Danvers demands equal pay and speaks for women in journalism. The comics also touch on keeping a social/love life along with a career.

Danvers has gone on a number of journeys, has lost her powers several times, and has lost her memories on more than one occasion. When she first entered comics, Danvers was called “Ms. Marvel.” She was the first hero to use “Ms.” In her name, in a way representing the feminist movement of the time who advocated to using the acronym. This is interesting, given that at one point She is sent to another dimension and raped by a villain. This particular storyline has been widely criticized, specifically by comic historian Carol Strickland in the essay “The Rape of Ms. Marvel.” In the essay, Strickland states “The artwork goes to great lengths — two close-up panels — to show Ms. Marvel’s ecstasy during the pseudo-mating,” Strickland wrote. “Another lesson to be learned from comics. It’s okay to rape. Women enjoy rape.”

Not only that, but Marvel’s fellow Avengers were not upset by the fact that their friend was kidnapped and raped. They were happy for her. Critics point out that this is a symptom of a patriarchal ruled comic industry.

The creator of Ms. Marvel, Chris Claremont took back to writing the character after the above mentioned rape happened. Returning to the roots of the character, he made her a strong force to be reckoned with rather than an object. In order to rectify the aforementioned events, Claremont created a scene where Danvers approaches the Avengers and rips into them for not being there for her and sending her off into another dimension with her rapist:

Today, Carol Danvers is just as she was before: a strong independent character who takes adversity and challenges head on. No longer objectified by her writers, Danvers has become a fan favorite even having a upcoming Marvel movie that will tie into Disney’s MCU.

Clad in red, white and blue, whip in hand, Wonder Woman has become the regular for modern female superhero. Wonder woman has a very interesting back story, and an even more interesting publishing history.

Wonder woman first appeared in All Star Comics #8 in December of 1941. Like many heroes of the time, she wore the colors red, white and blue, obviously based on the American flag. Her whip forces those caught in it to tell the truth, and her gauntlets can reflect bullets. Its a pretty great combo.

the reason for the whip is actually a very interesting one. During WW1, William Marston (the creator of the character) worked on the systolic blood-pressure test while a graduate student in psychology at Harvard University where he earned a Ph.D. in 1921. Blood pressure was one of the elements used in polygraphs, and the research done by Marston was used help with polygraph tests. This is all rather coincidental, since according to Marston, this actually had nothing to do with the Lasso of Truth. turns out, he made it as an allegory to feminine charm.

What Wonder Woman represents, is much more interesting though. Like any Amazon, Wonder Woman is a strong, independent woman who don’t need no man. Wonder Woman symbolizes many of the values of the women’s culture that feminists are trying to introduce into the mainstream: strength and self-reliance for women; sisterhood and mutual support among women; peacefulness and esteem for human life; a diminishment both of “masculine” aggression and of the belief that violence is the only way of solving conflicts.

Wonder Woman’s history in terms of feminism is certainly interesting. When She was fist being written, Wonder woman was a strong individual that certainly embodied feminist attitudes. When writers changed, so did the attitude to what Wonder Woman represented. Before going on hiatus in 1986, wonder Woman became a joke. One of her enemies was basically an Egg with a mustache. I wish I was kidding, but trust me, it exists. Because of the terrible writing of this period, Wonder woman was taken out of print.

So why is Wonder Woman part of the Hero’s Journey blog? Like all the others here, she has her own journey like any other hero. Born on the fictional Paradise Island, She would meet Captain Steve Trevor after his plane crashed on the hidden isle of women. Against the Amazon code, she would fall in love with a man. To decide who will return Trevor home, the queen of the Amazons holds a completion to decide who is most fit for the task. Naturally, wonder Woman is the victor and goes the States to fulfill her mission. She ends up trading places with a woman called Diana Prince to work closely with Trevor. One thing leads to another, and Diana and Trevor go on a bunch of adventures including defeating Nazi forces and much more.

Diana Prince is once again back, and bigger than ever. With Gal Gadot taking up the mantle of Wonder Woman in Batman v Superman, the princess of power is back and better than ever.

I’m going to take a break from heroes today and move to something a bit darker. The once and future king, and would be ruler of the multiverse, Doctor Doom.

Victor von Doom has an interesting past, one unlike most other villains. He was raised in the fictional European country of Latveria, where he was raised by gypsies. Dooms mother was a witch, and was hunted for being so. Young Doom never really knew his mother, since she died protecting herself from soldiers of the king. His father, a doctor, was sent to cure the queen of cancer. He failed, and was executed by the king.

After losing his family, doom descended into mastering the dark arts to resurrect his mother. He lwearned the dark arts, and became a master of science by the time he was a teenager. Using magic and science, he waged war on the Latverian monarchy, winning on several fronts. He was brought to the United States by the government, along with promises of technology and access to information. Doom would meet Reed Richards, and the two became rivals instantly.

So why write about Doom and how is he relevant to the hero’s journey? Doom, although a villain, follows the course for the journey pretty well. Although his intentions may not be good, he certainly is a hero in his own right. Doom was able to unite Latveria (albeit under and iron fist) and once again make them a force to be reckoned with.

Here are a few highlights to Doom’s journey: When Doom is scarred in an accident, out of self-loathing he leaves the states to find enlightenment (this could be the call to action, or the refusal). When Doom decides that he shall rule Latveria, he is essentially taking heed to the call, and descending into the shadow. Finally, facing Reed Richards is very obviously facing the Shadow, since the two are stark opposites, but still incredibly similar.

Doom is also a very important shift in the way people see the “mad scientist” of old. Unlike predecessors, Doom takes the mad scientist from lackey of antagonist to the position of full-fledged villain. The fact that Doom is a villain is also very interesting, given the fact that he very well could have been a villain. He displays the traits of a leader, and on at least one occasion has literally saved the multiverse from total destruction.

Doom ascends beyond other villains, in that he has no petty plans to destroy the world or simply destroy a foe. No, Doom wants the world to be a better place, because under the rule of Doom, none would want nor need. And should they disagree with lord Doom, they would face the consequences. Doom also respects his enemies, even if they are far beneath them. He will not simply kill them like some petty villain, he would ruin them.

Doom has become a favorite among writers and fans alike. He has been described as more than a supervillain, rather a “mega-villain.” He transcends the normal villain whose plans rely on destruction or victory over an adversary. No, he is much more than that, he is DOOM!