Starman / Woman's Superpower papers (WisCon 31)
Academic Papers•Conference Room 3• Monday, 10:00-11:15 a.m.
1) Starman is a story about generations of families, one that presents two ages of heroes—the simply-themed, brightly colored superstars of the Golden Age and their grittier, more morally complex modern counterparts—as a foil for the relationships between parents and children. In this capacity, writer James Robinson has—and takes—the opportunity to examine and split from not only Golden Age idealism, but also more modern superhero tropes. This paper is a feminist exploration of the roles of performativity and gender in the personal and public identities of three characters: Jack Knight (Starman), the protagonist of the series; Nash (Mist), Starman's primary antagonist and Starman's only major female character; and Mikaal, a minor character whose nature as an alien and relative tabula rasa makes his perspective a particularly interesting lens on constructed social norms. I will examine each character through the lenses of superhero archetypes and culture, Judith Butler's theories of performativity, and my own perspective as a reader; and ultimately address the question, "Is Starman a feminist comic?"
2) In the wealth of supernaturally-themed television currently airing, those programs centered on women protagonists display a curious emphasis on the ability to "sense" emotions or events and to communicate with a spirit world. Scripted dramas such as Medium, Ghost Whisperer, and the now-defunct Joan of Arcadia and Tru Calling are joined by reality-style programs including Life Among the Dead: Lisa Williams. By endowing female protagonists with supernatural abilities, these shows encourage an allegoric reading of women's power in contemporary America. The leads struggle with their gifts as both blessing and curse, as they negotiate their own experience of their powers, the professional demands they face, and the integration of these abilities with a white, middle-class, heterosexual domesticity. Notably, these women find greater overall satisfaction than powerful action heroines of the past. However, the feminist potential of these programs is truncated by the emphasis on traditionally feminine characteristics of communication, care, spirituality and service to others. This feminine supernatural genre is neither coincidental nor a simplistic reinforcement of gender ideology.
Rachel Sharon Edidin, Elizabeth Ellcessor