Marvel Comics' 'A-Force:' Female Comic Book Writers Defy 'Damsel in Distress' Scenario
Brace yourself for this spring, Marvel Comics fans, for there will be a new, strong, all-female force in town!
A-Force, "a new group of earth's mightiest heroes," will come together as "Marvel's Avengers during Secret Wars" and take over an all-new era!
On Feb. 6, Marvel Comics made the announcement that a brand new team will lead the way in May with "A-Force," co-written by Marvel's female comic book writers G. Willow Wilson ("Ms. Marvel") and Marguerite K. Bennett ("Angela: Asgard's Assassin," "Max Ride: First Flight") with artwork by Jorge Molina ("X-Men").
"Wilson, a Seattle comic book writer who helped break ground in 2013 with her 'Ms. Marvel,' the story of a Muslim female superhero, said women were rarely the focus of comic book superhero teams, usually in the role of a girlfriend or damsel in distress. ... This book will challenge that script, Wilson said," according to The Associated Press.
"I think that we're kind of asking some implicit questions with this lineup and one of them is: Do we respond to female superhero teams in the same way that we respond to superhero teams composed primarily or entirely of men?" Wilson said. "So it is a bit of a risk, but it's a risk that's been shown to work."
"Within the Warzones! of Secret Wars, a brand new team will lead the way," Marvel Comics explained. "A-Force Assemble! Marvel Comics reimagines the Marvel Universe in one of the largest shake-ups to the Avengers mythos."
Who are the female Marvel powerhouses who will rock the Marvel Universe and blast female stereotypes?
"She-Hulk, Dazzler, Medusa, Nico Minoru and other fan favorites, will take charge," Wilson added. "We've purposefully assembled a team composed of different characters from disparate parts of the Marvel U, with very different power sets, identities and ideologies."
With a powerful line-up like this, there's no telling what they are capable of accomplishing!
"And there came a day, a day unlike any other, when Earth's mightiest heroines found themselves united against a common threat," Marvel Comics added. "On that day, A-Force was born -- to fight the foes no single Super Hero could withstand! Their glory will never been denied! Heed the call, A-Force Assemble!"
According to The Associated Press:
"'A-Force' won't be Marvel's first all-female team, with successful runs of an all-female mutant team in 'X-Men.' When it debuts in May, it will join Marvel's 14 other female-led books, like Ms. Marvel and 'Captain Marvel,' which is scheduled to become a Marvel movie. DC Comics also has several female leads, including Batgirl, Catwoman, Batwoman and Wonder Woman, the longest-running comic book with a female hero."
"There's a big push ... to have that same kind of recognizable, really enduring storytelling that appeals - not just to women readers but to men as well -- and that reflects that same journey, that same coming of age, that same struggle that we all identify with through the eyes of female characters," Wilson added.
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