Violence to Women in Superhero Comics
Sarah Faulkner
Faculty Mentor(s): Katherine Kelp-Stebbins
Oral Session 1 M
Since the first issue of Action Comics, violence has been a staple in superhero comics. The violence in these comics is normalized and often forgettable, especially when the violence is done to women, with a few exceptions designed to highlight behavior. This project explores male violence toward women within the superhero narrative using feminist theory and female- authored responses to the content and comic book culture, as well as a comparison to the circumstances when a woman in superhero comics resorts to violence. In order to understand cultural female representation within graphic narratives, this project analyzes visual and verbal cues that identify the intended audience, what constitutes as violence in comics, the targets of violence, and under what circumstances violence against women is acceptable. The violence comes through language, predatory behavior, sexual assault, rape, and murder. These actions put into media desensitizes viewers of the material, either with frequency or the setting up of the character. The violence towards women in superhero comics serves as an excuse to have an action sequence to move along the hero’s development, plot, or to critique a the medium, which normalizes the violence and ignores the woman. This reflects ingrained views of how women are treated.