" I don't think it should be present in comics as much as it is. imo it's a go-to plot device to make a character seem more evil. "
Exactly!!! I have not a single issue with ANYTHING being presented in comics, it's the execution that matters to me. I personally feel it's an overused trope to make us sympathize with female characters and give them an edge and fire to fuel their crusade. I also feel it's used to make villains more "evil" and threatening, especially lamer villains *see Dr. Light in Identity Crisis*.
So...? I'm not going to rely on how other people interpret the text. You have to remember that in the days of the Comics Code Authority story telling was limited. Those were the times when Northstar wasn't gay or suffering from Aids, but it was okay to call him a 'fairy'. So Chris Claremont wrote something a little too scary for the CCA & was forced to throw in a 'Carol Danvers took over moment to say everything was okay'. If Carol Danvers was in control, then Rogue wouldn't have been aware of what physical interaction there'd been. It's a cheap 1980's style CCA cover up of something that might upset kids... The fact that people still desperately cling on to the possibility it didn't happen sadly proves that the CCA were right. It's also sad that in this day & age people need cold had fact delivered in full view to accept something. Subtlety in story-telling shouldn't be compromised just to make the masses happy. "
I agree with most of what you said. Back then more controversial things could only be implied at best, but nonetheless if something doesn't happen on panel or referenced as happing on panel I don't regard it as cannon. That's just me however. As a psychology major and man who's closest friend was a rape victim, I feel that personally that she was raped. Based on what I've studied about how people deal with the trauma it's consistent. Many victims report just blacking out, freezing up, something like an out of body experience. My friend said that once she stopped fighting, once she gave in, that she floated out of herself and she was watching it happen to herself. She said it was like she was watching it happen to her from across the room or watching a movie. The text describing what goes on in those panels makes me think that's what happened to Rogue. The trauma was too intense for her and her mind retreated...allowing "Carol", her psychological shield to narrate. If don't she wasn't explicitly raped on panel or it referenced there was no question that she was sexually assaulted by the guards.
I recently read Uncanny X-Men #236 where Rogue is supposed to be assaulted by the Genosian guards in her cell. A few pages after are the panels explaining that they touched her and the whole ruination of her first "beautiful moment". It was tragic and definitely sounded like rape. However, when I got to issue #244 where Jubilee makes her debut: Was it "Nothing serious" as Carol states, perhaps touching and not the full-on horror that I thought happened in ish #236, or is she protecting Rogue's image? Were the writers under pressure to reduce it to this? Either way, I can see why she would retreat into herself like that. :(
@Xenozoic Shaman: yeah, these are the exact panels I was talking about. Rogue was not raped in cannon. I think Claremont (?) may have wanted to touch on that topic but couldn't.
Random memory. Anybody else Remember when Big Brada and Superman were raped in action comics?
" @JonesDeini: someone raped Superman? I mean someone other than Darkseid "
They were mind controlled into having sex together on camera I believe. I think by Batman. (okay I made the Batman part up) "
man, i wish there was a non creepy way to ask for scans of it "
"I am utterly outraged at the audacity of these pervert writers and their over charged hormones. Comic book industry should be ashamed, I am going to speak to my local council member about this disgusting... disgusting... oh golly, the shock and horror... but uh, by the way, in order to fully express my disgust, I might need evidence good sir, so could you please direct me to some scans of this, very lewd act? For the purposes of making other people know how disgusting this is, and to show that we will not stand for this kind of thing. Yes so scans... so we can " etc lol
Oh my bad (or maybe the other guys) Superman snapped out of it at the last moment, but here
" @JonesDeini: someone raped Superman? I mean someone other than Darkseid "
They were mind controlled into having sex together on camera I believe. I think by Batman. (okay I made the Batman part up) "
LMAO yes, quite a slip @hydrabob: Yeah Brada was out right raped by Sleeze, a New God who was exiled from Apokalips by Darkseid. He later used his mind control powers on Superman and made the two make a porno...a very strange, and disturbing story indeed. http://www.cracked.com/article_17626_the-5-creepiest-sex-scenes-in-comics.html
I'm a huge fan of Barda, I am not sure whether to remember this for future 'WTF in Comics' threads, or just forget it happened and have bliss in ignorance.
" Yeah, they were. But it happens in real life tons of time. Rogue was raped when she was captured and depowered once as well. I have no problem with it being presented in comics, makes it seem more realistic. "
yeah i agree. i mean if we deny it happens we arent doing anyone a favor. its not like they portrayed these events as good.
" It's the laziest plot device on the planet and it's overused so much nearly every female character and a good percentage of male characters have been raped. "
i agree with you too. i think it shouldnt be ignored but you are right they just decide "oh they have character flaws because they were raped." some of these uses lack originality.
@Violet-Eyed Dragon: it has to be used it is the worst thing that can happen to a character other then murder but if the murder them then the charecters gone. but your right it should be used less.
" I recently read Uncanny X-Men #236 where Rogue is supposed to be assaulted by the Genosian guards in her cell. A few pages after are the panels explaining that they touched her and the whole ruination of her first "beautiful moment". It was tragic and definitely sounded like rape. However, when I got to issue #244 where Jubilee makes her debut: Was it "Nothing serious" as Carol states, perhaps touching and not the full-on horror that I thought happened in ish #236, or is she protecting Rogue's image? Were the writers under pressure to reduce it to this? Either way, I can see why she would retreat into herself like that. :( "
CCA was still in effect back then. It was probably that coming into play.
I just want to reinforce I'm no fan of any rape, man or woman, comic or otherwise. I also throughly despise retcon rape . Looking at you Kevin Smith and Brad Meltzer
I recently re-read the Starman series, where Ralph and Sue became regular characters towards the end of the run and what you really see a fun couple really in love. It really renewed my hate.
@Vance Astro: Jessica Jones was not raped; rather, Purple Man psychically compelled her to watch him rape various other women, as well as beg the villain for sex.
" I recently found out the other day that the Kingpin was once raped while he was in prison. "
No, he wasn't. I know the scene you're talking about. I believe a bunch of men follow him into the shower after paying off a guard, and it's assumed that Kingpin kicks the crap out of them. It all happens off panel.
" I recently found out the other day that the Kingpin was once raped while he was in prison. "
@PumpkinBomb said:
" @mr.obvious said:
" I recently found out the other day that the Kingpin was once raped while he was in prison. "
How is that even remotely possible without a team of dozens? Was he drugged? "
@JediXMan said:
" @mr.obvious said:
" I recently found out the other day that the Kingpin was once raped while he was in prison. "
No, he wasn't. I know the scene you're talking about. I believe a bunch of men follow him into the shower after paying off a guard, and it's assumed that Kingpin kicks the crap out of them. It all happens off panel. "
That was in the MAX universe, not the mainstream 616. It happened in PunisherMax series. During the first arc. He gets his bloody revenge.
I don't necessarily want to see rape in my comics, and it's probably been mentioned by someone already (don't want to read 10 pages about a topic I don't really care about) but it's strange that people find a huge problem with it, but are fine with murder (including genocide) or torture which are a lot more common in comics. I don't think comics should have different rules than films or books.
Maybe I'm just desensitized with all the exploitation films, schlock fiction and death metal.
@Nerx: why are you typing rape in the search bar for threads so you can post offensive comments?
hahahahaha
but anyway i think rape is nescisary. comic characters rarely die and if they do they always come back. honestly if my favorite character in a story not just a comic dies its not always a bad thing. sometimes they have a cool death. however putting the fear into the reader that their favorite character could get raped is HORRIFYING.
aside from that if one super villain raped another super villain I'm not sure how to look at that
@Nerx: why are you typing rape in the search bar for threads so you can post offensive comments?
hahahahaha but anyway i think rape is nescisary. comic characters rarely die and if they do they always come back. honestly if my favorite character in a story not just a comic dies its not always a bad thing. sometimes they have a cool death. however putting the fear into the reader that their favorite character could get raped is HORRIFYING. aside from that if one super villain raped another super villain I'm not sure how to look at that
Its a great concept to create sympathy, plus it has a great effect in universe as well (take the rape of sue dibny for instance) and some great writers don't shy away from using it (such as garth ennis and warren ellis) to add another layer of spice into their storytelling. Death is a non permanent thing, but tragedy (conflict) is a crucial part of a good story plus a traumatic event that can be referenced later on could serve as something to fil up loose ends. Villain on villain rape would be good karma (or humor depends on how you look at it, take her starr from preacher as an example of funny rape)
i find it odd that comic book characters can do some of the most heinous acts of murder and torture around, yet when rape comes up, people suddenly act like they broke some kind of unforgivable law, Rape is an act of violence just like everything else in comics, i don't know why people put it on a pedestal
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