a DIACHRONIC study of the IMAGE of the POWERFUL FEMALE in POPULAR (and maybe other) CULTURES
Thursday, November 18, 2010
TOP 50 FEMALE/MALE FIGHTS IN COMICS: 47
GHOST, a flawed but inventive 1990s series from Dark Horse Comics, featured a heroine with the perfect power for a woman who hates men's baser natures. Ghost could become a phantom no physical body could touch, and yet, because in early adventures she had no memory of her life before becoming a "ghost," she had to carry on interacting with the "real world" in order to find out how she became that way.
During her investigations she butted heads with a black-clad vigilante known only as "X," perhaps best described as Batman on a really bad day. Whether for reasons relating to sublimated sexuality or to simple dislike of a rival alpha-type, Ghost and X experienced true hate on sight.
GHOST #21 (Luke/Reis) has the two heroes overwhelmed by a mutual enemy and stuck together in a confining room, where they will either kill each other or come to terms. The two end up doing both, and it's a good fight, in which Ghost compensates for X's greater strength by turning phantom when he tries to hit her-- though any attempt she makes to hit him exposes her to danger.
By story's end the heroes make common cause and team up to defeat the villain, but still don't like each other. Just like they were married.
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