People saying "Betsy didn't choose to end up in Kwannon's body!" is crazy to me because it's just such an obtuse way of looking at things. The actual narrative of the body swap ultimately is inconsequential, because objectively speaking Betsy profited off having a proximity to nonwhiteness and being a Sexy Asian Ninja Girl as a character. She became one of the most popular X-Men characters of all time based off that depiction, because she was read as being a Japanese woman rather than a white woman. It does not matter that in canon she did not technically maliciously steal Kwannon's body, when the fact that she did have Kwannon's body was what propelled her to being one of the most iconic X-Men of the 90s.
It's more that fans want people to stop saying she "stole Kwannon's body" because people who have not read the stories take that literally. There are a lot of people post-Krakoa who do think that she did it on purpose, especially because of how often she is called out or expresses guilt over it.
So fans just want to point out that she didn't literally do that. "She was a victim in the narrative, and she benefited from the situation in the meta," are two statements that are equally true. I don't see how it's obtuse to acknowledge both.
I think the problem is that ultimately it derails the real conversation.
Betsy, as a character, is an innocent victim of the situation. But Betsy isn't a real person, she's a product. And as attached as we get to these characters, and as emotional as we can get about them, the fact is that the things that "happen" to her are choices made by writers and artists, specifically to further her story.
We all get how frustrating when folks misrepresent or misunderstand our favorite characters.
But the conversation about the NARRATIVE CHOICE to take a pre-existing white British female character, and put her into the body of an Asian woman, while playing up the racist stereotypes and over-sexualization in the process - all of which happened in the 1990s, a decade when we damn well should have known better, and continued into the 21st century...
That's an important conversation. One that doesn't need to be derailed into a "defense" of a fictional character. There's a time and a place for that conversation, but it's not when folks talking about deliberate choices made by the real people who created the story in the first place.
In that context, yes I do agree that bringing up that it wasn't her choice would derail that conversation. If those conversations are what OP was referring to, it is certainly a good point to make!
I was more thinking in the context of someone beginning conversations about Betsy and Kwannon with misinformation about their story and how it plays out in the text. But the conversation about editorial and the people who made these decisions - from Claremont to Lee to Nicieza and beyond - doesn't need to involve defending her character, you're right.
People saying "Betsy didn't choose to end up in Kwannon's body!" is crazy to me because it's just such an obtuse way of looking at things. The actual narrative of the body swap ultimately is inconsequential, because objectively speaking Betsy profited off having a proximity to nonwhiteness and being a Sexy Asian Ninja Girl as a character. She became one of the most popular X-Men characters of all time based off that depiction, because she was read as being a Japanese woman rather than a white woman. It does not matter that in canon she did not technically maliciously steal Kwannon's body, when the fact that she did have Kwannon's body was what propelled her to being one of the most iconic X-Men of the 90s.
It's more that fans want people to stop saying she "stole Kwannon's body" because people who have not read the stories take that literally. There are a lot of people post-Krakoa who do think that she did it on purpose, especially because of how often she is called out or expresses guilt over it.
So fans just want to point out that she didn't literally do that. "She was a victim in the narrative, and she benefited from the situation in the meta," are two statements that are equally true. I don't see how it's obtuse to acknowledge both.
It's going to sound a little weird, but when I think about it, when Betsy Braddock possessed Kwannon and started dating Warren Worthington, I can't help but wonder if Kwannon may've been raped when this happened. Maybe not exactly but in the sense that Betsy kind of made her do things she wouldn't have enjoyed nor consented to in any way, especially when Kwannon was out of her mind at the time. It's even terrible to think that a white woman would possess the body of an East Asian woman, making her do things she wouldn't really do, even if this bodyswap didn't happen without each other's consent.
I don't think writers and fans alike are aware of the damning implications behind this, because that would mean Kwannon may've been violated. She was made to do things she wasn't conscious of, given she had been out of her body for a long time, one would only wonder how weird it is to be used by somebody to do things you'd never really do on your own volition. It doesn't look good when these have occurred, to the extent where misogyny and anti-Asian racism intersect here. Even if it sounds weird calling Kwannon a rape victim, if rape involves being made to have sex without one's consent (thus abuse), then she would've been abused this way really.
It's not nice and even worse considering that American soldiers have been known to have dalliances with Japanese prostitutes, that it could be said that Kwannon got violated this way. It's not something she would've liked doing, with a white woman making her get into a relationship with a man she would have no real romantic or cordial feelings for whatsoever, so inevitably she could've been raped either way anyways. It's not nice pointing this out, but it does feel this way really. And why we really need to call out problematic things like these, regarding if Kwannon really consented to this or not.
While it's definitely a thorny issue, and one I don't imagine will ever be properly addressed, Kwannon was dead before Betsy and Warren began dating, and her last act before dying was to remove any remaining piece of her from Betsy's psyche. So it wasn't really considered by writers (or characters) because at that point the body was only inhabited by Betsy.
Does that change the situation, since it still wasn't her body? I can't answer that and it's worth a discussion, certainly, but as far as anyone involved understood, Kwannon was gone and Betsy was trapped.
But there were a lot of "oh we should have thought of the implications of that and we definitely didn't" moments with both Claremont and Nicieza, and later writers too. It was even later implied by another writer that Betsy slept with Matus'o while believing she was Kwannon, an unnecessary addition that makes the entire situation worse for both of them.
Are we missing the part about standing in the middle of a giant prison freshly made to imprison children without trial?
I think that'd probably cut the outrage off a tad.
X Men Unlimited Infinity 126
It's a lot easier to prevent cramps from getting bad than to stop them once they already are. Take the medicine sooner and use the heating pad sooner rather than later.
This is true of pain medication for ANY condition. My mom drilled this into me back when she worked as an O.R. nurse: Do not wait until the pain is bad. If you know it’s going to be, get ahead of it. First cramp? Medicate now. Twinges of a headache? Medicate now. Pulled your back and you know you’ll feel it later? Medicate NOW.
Such a rich issue, centred around Rachel and Betsy. Which doesn't mean I won't be talking about Forge a bunch, hehe.
Spoilers!
If you love Rachel and Betsy, separately or together, pick up this issue right now. It explores Rachel's history and recent past in a fresh way, and brings about interesting developments for her. The same can be said of Betsy.
Fuck Prince Charming, I want Betsy Braddock as my knight in shining armour. We should all have a partner this devoted and protective. Green flags, Rachel, green flags!
"You have a throne in my heart." Everyone make note of this for future tattoos and wedding vows.
Oh I did not like the look of that kiss. What, Storm is out riding Wolverine in the open air and we don't even get tongue? Not fair.
The interplay of magic and science as a narrative theme is giving me life.
I'm not usually too fond of retcons, but I like what Thorne did with Rachel's resurrection. He didn't erase or change facts, he elaborated on them. He used what was visible on panel and expanded on it. It's very well done.
Thorne has a gift for making existing characters and narrative strands fit together to create something fresh. I see you, GT, bringing back the Keewazi and slotting them into Forge's existing story without breaking anything. Nice.
Even though this is a Rachel and Betsy issue, Thorne still uses it to explore Forge's story. There's expansion of his backstory, mention of his shamanic past and the return of his magic. This is the Forge-centric book of my dreams and I want to live in it.
So: Forge ran away from his tribe at some point (we knew this, although not on these terms) and was eventually taken in by the Keewazi (new information). When did this happen? Before or after the war? How does it all fit with what we know of his past? I NEED A TIMELINE.
I'm dying for more info in general. Does he still have blood relatives? Does he still have ties with the Keewazi? Are we going to get embarrassing flashbacks of 16-year-old Danny Boy being a little shit when an elder is trying to teach him something? I can't wait.
I turn into a ridiculous cheerleader every time Forge builds something in real time. His mutant process is challenging to make interesting on panel, so I appreciate efforts to show him in action. Seeing the finished tech is cool, but it's when he builds that he gets to be a superhero.
There's a very special place in my heart for Forge's leg as storage space. Also for his utility belt. I love the mystery of what and how much he could be carrying in those. I imagine you can hear him coming from a mile off, clang-clang-clang, here comes Forge.
EXCUSE ME, that bodysuit he wears in the mindscape? What, you thought that because it only appears in the background I wouldn't notice Forge in a suit that leaves nothing to the imagination? Paired up with the techno rattle it makes him look like A GOD. Pray Marcus To never draws this or I will be unbearable.
Are Betsy and Forge engaged in some sort of longest hair competition? Bit much.
This iteration of X-Force is getting closer as a team. I'm not just talking about Piotr Tank grabbing the girls for a hug, but also Forge calling them idiots for not asking for help. It's not quite a group-hug-in-Lousiana situation, but the mistrust between them is slowly melting. They're starting to feel more like a team and less like...3 women eyeing Forge suspiciously while Tank flies the jet.
I already loved La Diabla, but her low-key Forge obsession in this issue makes me very happy, because it means the story will continue to focus on him. (Also I support all kinds of Forge obsession.)
OK. The Spanish. It's not the worst I've ever seen, but how do such mistakes get through in an American comic in 2024? If writers use a foreign language, Marvel should hire someone to check grammar for them. It sounds like it's all the writers' responsibility and it's not cool - they can't be fluent in every language under the sun. Come on Marvel, you can afford it.
I miss Sage, but I guess not even her can be a fucking legend every month. Temporary headcanon: she's still at the Aerie, recuperating on the couch with her feet up on the coffee table. She might even have pilfered Forge's secret stash of salty snacks by now. Also upgraded his security system. Found a way to defeat La Diabla. Cracked the Analog. You know, Sage things.
Colossus is wearing a weird headband (and not just because it's what the cool kids are doing, I'm pretty sure). Mind control? Clone? Weirdo alt reality thingy? I'm not too invested in the Tank mystery, but it'd be fun if it'd turned out to be him. He's familiar to me, so he'd make the team feel extra homey.
Hasta la próxima, queridos mios.
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