21 Mar 2013

Subject 13 #11 - Commentary


Again, go read the issue.  It helps making sense of the commentary.

Nasty's still undergoing indoctrination.  It looks like extra programming is getting added, too.  Or, Nasty just didn't realize she liked her men hunky.  The Consortium wants to find out how Nasty got her abilities, though they know she was at the accident way back in issue 1.  I also manage to finally work in the term "altie" properly, along with the baggage it carries.  This is the S13-verse version of the anti-mutant hysteria in Marvel's X-books, but applied to everyone with superpowers.  I mentioned this before, but allow me to restate it: While I understand the reasoning behind the anti-mutant movement in the X-books, and it works well within just those titles, it doesn't hold up well across the rest of the Marvel-verse.  Why are mutants hated but not Thor, Captain America, or the Fantastic Four?  The Human Torch has the same potential to kill someone as Cyclops does, yet the Torch has better publicity.  So, in the S13-verse, it gets a little more nuanced.  Not everyone distrusts alties, but most people know better than to stay around when an altered human (generic term for the metahuman population) not in costume suddenly starts throwing eye beams or even I-beams.  Meanwhile, a costumed altie, especially one that is established, doesn't necessarily inspire the self-preservation fear, unless said altie is a known criminal.  (And the costuming reasoning is just something recent; I hadn't considered why heroes wore costumes, especially since Nasty has yet to don one.)

Maria's story continues.  It's slow, more of a side-bar at the moment, but key events will happen that will be called back upon later.  It's slow foreshadowing.  Also shows that the world keeps turning, even when Nasty isn't around.

Back to Nasty, and into the training room.  I needed Nasty to control her abilities, but she really doesn't have anyone to turn to.  In-story, the Consortium much prefers their agents to be in control of their abilities, and their agents under the control of the Consortium's board.  The training here sets up montages later and acts as a way to show that Nasty is improving on her abilities.

Finally, Subject 11's file.  Remember the agent who paralyzed Nasty a couple of issues ago?  Her.  Her concerns about Nasty's attitude towards Maria gets explained as Agent 11 also has two children, powers unknown.

Friday, Issue 12 will be up and go into more detail on Nasty's training.
Saturday, over at Fan To Pro, I take a look at the Mass Effect animated release.
Coming still, NaNoWriMo prep as I try to figure out what I'm going to work on this November.

2 comments:

  1. I think you've hit on something interesting there - the costumes. Maybe part of the issue with the "X-Men" is that they're either way too different (like the Beast) or way too SIMILAR, such that we can't distinguish them from us unless they're in costume.

    The costume adds a layer of professionalism, on top of making them "just different enough" from us. It also explains why there's a need for a secret identity - I don't want to think that the person who lives next door has the power to invade my privacy. That said, I think there are some in the Marvel universe who aren't secrets... again, could be a degree of professionalism, or that the mob mentality is that they're okay, so I'm not going to disagree with the crowd.

    By the way, clever trick, the nearly blacking out to shift things back to reality.

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    Replies
    1. The "too similar" part is part of the anti-mutant feelings in Marveldom. If your neighbour can shoot lightning from his fingertips and looks normal, then anyone you meet could be one of *them*. The obvious mutants, though, are too scary looking for normal society and are far easily shunned.

      The costume becomes a form of uniform, too. Captain America, with his red, white, and blue costume, is as much in uniform as a police officer or a soldier. He and his costume are well known enough that if he tells people to evacuate, there is authority behind his words. If Cap, who doesn't quite have a secret ID, but isn't well known to the public as Steve Rogers, tried that in civilian clothes, people might not take him as seriously. Plus, well, your point holds, too. Steve Rogers can get a loft apartment and his neighbours don't have to worry about his job following him home because he's not in costume all the time. Costumes have a purpose in a superhero comic beyond just looking good and hiding IDs. (And, yes, some of Marvel's heroes don't have secret IDs or don't bother maintaining one.)

      Thanks. I used another trick as well to shift things.

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