Wednesday, November 6, 2013

On Kamala Khan

Marvel Comics is introducing a new Ms. Marvel.

She's Muslim.

Because I've already gotten into one dust-up that shocked me with how much casual racism is still acceptable (person who doesn't even read comics says that a Muslim hero anywhere, ever is unrealistic), I'm going to keep this short and sweet.

Buffy Summers, Rachel Berensen, and Xena were seminal (ironic, considering where I'm going) to me as an adolescent.  Do you know why?  Because they re-welcomed the era in which girls could be heroes.  Prior to that, I had to identify with the boys.  And I did, as the advertising agencies knew I would, but I still remember the incredible, exultant feeling of seeing a female hero and thinking, "Hey, maybe that could be me!"

So to everyone who wants to shit on Kamala before she even makes her debut: what if you never got to see yourself as the hero before?  What if she was the first time you got to identify with someone who looks like you and, rather than being a dirty terrorist, got to be remarkable?

I'm just sayin'.

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