Portrayal of women in American comics

A particular publisher, Fiction House, featured several progressive heroines such as the jungle queen Sheena, whose sex appeal helped launched the comic series.

[5] As Trina Robbins, in The Great Women Superheroes wrote:[6] [M]ost of [Fiction House's] pulp-style action stories either starred or featured strong, beautiful, competent heroines.

[8] This article caught the attention of comics publisher Max Gaines, who hired Marston as an educational consultant for National Periodicals and All-American Publications.

Some of Marston's early stories portrayed Wonder Woman in some non-traditional roles such as President of the United States[a] and a modern-day Incan Sun God[b].

[13] He insisted it was important that she could be seen freeing herself, both literally and symbolically, from man-made bondage,[14] but he also upheld some ideals of submission to "peace, restraint and good judgement".

Although it was published concurrently with Marston's run in Sensation Comics, the writer of Justice Society kept Wonder Woman in the limited position as Secretary of the League, rarely involving her in action.

The same was reflected in comic books, as heroes such as Hawkman turned to their wives or girlfriends for help, creating a new category of heroines: the partners.

[5] Many women, after World War II, refused to give up their newfound freedom, creating a massive crisis in formerly assumed definitions of masculinity and femininity.

[19][20][18] The femme fatale (prevalent in The Spirit comic book) exemplified this crisis: a strong, sexually aggressive woman who refused to stay in her traditional "proper" place.

[21] This post-war tension affected the comic book industry directly when a Senate Subcommittee was created to address a perceived rise of juvenile delinquency.

The code explicitly censors violence, sexuality and "abnormal" romance for the implicit purpose of "emphasiz[ing] the value of the home and the sanctity of marriage" and a re-enforcement of traditional gender roles.

These included three career women: journalist Lois Lane, who worked at The Daily Planet with Superman's alter ego, Clark Kent; Jean Loring, lawyer and girlfriend of Ray Palmer a.k.a.

Batman's supporting cast, beginning in the 1950s, occasionally included journalist Vicki Vale and heiress Kathy Kane, whose alter ego was the motorcycle-riding masked crimefighter Batwoman.

With a tip of her cowl to the Harvey Comics character the Black Cat, who preceded her by 15 years as a superheroine on a motorcycle, Batwoman used weapons as well, although hers included powder puffs, charm bracelets, perfume, a hair net, a compact mirror, and a shoulder bag utility case with matching bolo strap.

If they wanted fast action mixed with the emotional angst reflecting a world where social unrest was slowly coming to a boil, they were more likely to read the Marvel offerings.

[30] Chris Claremont, a writer most famous for the Uncanny X-Men series, shared in the disgust in the misogynistic treatment of Danvers in that story and wrote a follow-up in response.

Previously existing female characters were given huge increases in power-levels, new code-names, flashier costumes, and strong, confident, assertive personalities: Jean Grey went from being Marvel Girl to the nigh-omnipotent Phoenix, and Lorna Dane became Polaris.

New creation Storm (Ororo Munroe) was unique in many ways: not only was she (at the time) the most famous black superhero in history, she was portrayed as incredibly powerful, confident and capable from her very first appearance.

[5] Much credit for the "turnaround" of portrayals of female super-heroes that happened in the 1970s could be given to X-Men writer Chris Claremont: his portrayals of Storm, Jean Grey, Emma Frost, Kitty Pryde, Rogue and Psylocke in The Uncanny X-Men (as well as his work on Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, Misty Knight and Coleen Wing) became known in the industry and amongst fandom as "Claremont Women": smart, powerful, capable, multi-faceted women super heroes.

[citation needed] Due to the fan–based nature of the comic book industry, many of the readers feel, either directly or indirectly, that they are involved in a social practice.

Roles and choices such as single parenting, same-sex relationships, and positions of power in the workplace have come to define many women in modern society.

In 2006, DC Comics could still draw widespread media attention by announcing a new, lesbian incarnation of the well-known character Batwoman,[33][34][35] even though openly lesbian minor characters such as Gotham City police officer Renee Montoya already existed in the franchise (Renee would become the new Question in the same story arch revealing the new Batwoman, and in fact the two were past lovers).

[26] Portrayals of women characters as sex objects continues to attract comment and controversy: in 2007, Sideshow Collectibles produced a 14.25-inch "comiquette" statuette designed by Adam Hughes that appeared to depict Mary Jane hand-washing Peter Parker's Spider-Man costume.

Female characters developed larger breasts and rears, very thin waists, longer legs, large lips, and more revealing costumes.

[49] For example, when Black Widow was first introduced in the 1964 comic, Tales of Suspense #52, she wears a green dress, tight-fitting but with minimal cleavage and accentuation of her rear.

In the 2019 comic series, The Web of Black Widow,[50] she also wears a form-fitting green dress; however, this one is very low cut both at the front and at the back, with substantial cleavage.

[65] Latina women did not have many appearances in comics until 1981, when Latino brothers Jaime, Mario, and Gilbert Hernandez published the first issue of Love and Rockets.

What is most notable about Chavez' character is that although she is illustrated as the conventional beautiful and young female superhero, she is also given masculine characteristics, including super strength and marksmanship.

Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez produced and wrote some of the stories in the comics, and included his original character La Borinqueña fighting along well-known superheroes.

[75] One of the panelists, Laura Hudson, said this in regards to gender roles in comics and the criticism that they are facing: The panel spoke about how ingrained a lot of these false gender-based ideas have become thanks to decades of unchallenged existence.