Ok so I know I’ve said that Anarky is a vigilante, and that continues to be true. But the category he fits better is still Revolutionary. It’s not the language we usually use in dc comics, but that’s what Anarky is. They are not fighting against criminals the law doesn’t punish, they don’t participate in American democracy, they actively undermine the authorities. Lonnie Machin sees the fucked up system that controls us and tries not just to change it, but tear it down entirely. With little to no plan about how to replace it. Their faith in the goodness of humanity means that they identify anarchy as the goal, after which people will be free of the corrupting influences of money and power, and will then naturally find a better system.
And look, I love Lonnie. I love Anarky. But he became Anarky at age 12 and implemented one of his most radical plans at 15. His understanding of the world at both those points was naive and childish, completely denying the inherent corruption of being human. Lonnie believed that he could carry out the revolution by himself and that others more suited to the task would deal with the fallout, showing a startling sense of both hubris and awareness of his own shortfalls along with his misplaced faith in humanity.
Most of Anarky’s plans are ideologically compelling but lack full logically planning and often don’t take all the risks into account. They don’t see the worst case scenarios very well, they’re an optimist. Despite having enhanced intelligence, Anarky remains naive. Lacks insight into the bureaucratic machines they disrupt. The supply chain that is necessary to many people’s survival but would crumble without management, the infrastructure that would crumble without maintenance. Basically what we Americans have been experiencing with our president shutting down the government whenever he doesn’t get his way and cutting funding, but on an even larger scale. That’s what anarchy means in reality, despite the appealing notions of freedom from capitalism and oppression. The human cost would be astronomical.
The other issue with Anarky’s approach is their method of listening to the opinions of the average person and taking it as gospel. Which when phrased like that sounds absolutely ridiculous. People in the same situations will not necessarily agree on the solution, so there obviously comes a point where Lonnie will have to make a decision based on his own experience and agenda, which undermines the idea that Anarky is everyone who is oppressed by the current system. Which I think is why Lonnie had to create a new identity as Moneyspider. Beyond the identity issue, there’s also the problem of minorities. Genuine minorities, not just marginalized groups. Minorities are always the problem with both democracy and populism. What is popular with the majority is often directly harmful to minorities, there are numerous examples across history of majorities actively suppressing minorities. Hell there are numerous examples today!
My point in all this is to say that Lonnie is a very different type of character than what we’re used to. He’s relatable and intelligent and he makes many valid points. He was never intended to be a villain. We’re supposed to like him. But we’re not necessarily meant to agree with him. He represents the radicalism of youth, the misunderstanding of a person who hasn’t lived enough to truly grasp the scale of the world and its complexities. Lonnie Machin is a pure idealist. The reason why we only see him as an adolescent is because once he’s grown up he’s going to be very different from what we know and love. His goals and ideology will change drastically. Anarky is neither hero nor villain, they are a child with good intentions but disastrous consequences. At the same time, they are a sorely needed reminder that even here in the land of the free, true freedom is only an illusion. We’re all living under the thumb of late stage capitalism and an incredibly broken “democracy.”
