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I’m surprised that there’s no fan-art combining Disney and Pixar’s two blond strongmen and their headstrong love interests. Bob and Helen from The Incredibles (2004) as Herc and Meg from Hercules (1997) The flower is, of course, a violet!
Digital revision of this piece (and what a difference!) that I made this summer for @misspookamonga‘s Incredibles Circus AU idea (story excerpts can be found here and here)
Inspired by @willow-s-linda‘s artwork for The Greatest Showman.
My submission to the ever-growing collection of Elastigirl’s Mohawk artwork.
When Helen said that she used to have a Mohawk, the historian in me was a bit disappointed with the inclusion of what I thought was such an anachronistic detail (yeah, I know, the Incredibles is supposedly set in a 1960s-esque alternate timeline where many anachronisms are already present … not the point). Anyway, both movies are set in 1962, so Helen would probably have had a Mohawk in the early 1940s, when she was in her late teens or early twenties, and Mohawks definitely were not part of American youth culture at that time.
At least, I was excited to find out, in a civilian context. Lo, and Behold! Helen’s Mohawk actually makes perfect sense if we assume a military context, specifically one in which she fought in World War II, which fits in canon very nicely. Not only would it help explain Helen’s piloting abilities, but in the first movie, when we get a look at Bob’s den, we see a World War II era poster with Mr. Incredible that says “Doing Our Part.” Behind him, we see several Supers in action (including Frozone on the bottom), and it’s a pretty good bet that the reason they were being featured in war propaganda posters was that they were also using their powers fighting on the frontlines (perhaps having been recruited or commissioned by the NSA to do so).
Here’s a link to a great article about the military history of the Mohawk with lots of photos from the World War II era.
In short, the article establishes that the Mohawk was not invented and popularized by punk rockers, but by American paratroopers, specifically the U.S. Army paratroopers of the “Screaming Eagles” 101st Airborne Division, who volunteered for a suicide mission behind enemy lines during the Normandy Invasion that helped free Europe from Nazi domination.
With her stretching powers and ability to turn into a parachute, Elastigirl would have been a natural fit as a paratrooper. In my artwork, she’s pictured with six fictionalized members of the legendary “Filthy 13” demolition unit of the 101st Airborne Division, who indeed volunteered for the jump and parachuted behind Nazi lines in the pre-dawn hours on D-Day (June 6, 1944). They’re standing in front of a C-47 troop transport, ready to take them across the English Channel to the frontlines.
As a sign of solidarity, comradeship, and with the intention of intimidating the enemy, all members of the unit assented to Mohawks or a shaved head, and sometimes they sat in a line and each man shaved the head of the man in front of him, as we see in this photo:
As the author of the article states, “That long-lost photo is also significant because – by each man shaving the head of the man in front of him – they made the combat Mohawk a shared experience that bonded the unit together in cohesiveness and esprit de corps … a memorable, cherished moment together … just before that suicide mission that left half of the men in this photo killed, wounded, or captured.”
Half of the men were killed, wounded, or captured in D-Day. One out of every two. That was a sobering thought as I designed the six men in my picture, and a reminder to thank the veterans in my life for their sacrifices, and for the bonds that they created with one another during the process.
Thank you for coming to my history lesson!
"Your suit can stretch as far as you can -- without injuring yourself ..."
"We have a confirmed hit ... target was destroyed." "Elastigirl's in trouble ... she’s had an encounter with Screenslaver ..."
"I can't lose you again!"
What started out as a conversation on the Incredibles Discord server has turned into the most indulgent piece of fluff I have ever created! It was fun to draw the whole family together and play with aging them up a couple years.
Introducing the fourth Parr child: Eleanor Lucy, “Nellie” for short. Eleanor is a form of Helen, and both mean “bright, shining light,” but it’s also an homage to Bob, as Robert is Germanic for “bright fame.” Lucy (also meaning “light,” this time in Latin) was chosen for her Lucius, her uncle and godfather (More on Incredibles name meanings here)
At this point, Nellie displays no superpowers, though her abilities, which are more mental in nature, start to become apparent later on. We threw around several ideas of what her powers may be, but I’m most partial to the idea that her powers fall under the category of telepathy. She can tap into the minds of others and experience things as they do. Through deep concentration, she can even connect with other minds in remote locations. However, since all of her siblings have names that coincidently describe their powers, her secondary power is being able to radiate light and glow in the dark!
Made some line art. Self-indulgently scribble-colored it in. Ended up actually really liking the effect! (Also, I suck at feet but I actually really like Helen’s! Hooray for progress!)
Relics
"You really didn't have to do that, Winston." Helen watched the kids disappear excitedly into the newly furnished living room and smiled.
"Ah, pish! It was nothing!" Winston swept his hand across the air in front of him before leaning in toward her conspiratorially. "Besides, I've got another set at home!"
"No, what she means is that you really, reallydidn't have to do that." Bob attempted to smile but his teeth were clenched, and Helen patted him on the arm.
"Bob swore the kids would never know about —"
"They couldn't get my nose right," her husband muttered, watching their progeny sprawled out on the braided rug.
"Of course they should have them!" Winston exclaimed. "After all, they're yourkids!"
Bob turned back to the business tycoon. "They couldn't get my nose right!" he said petulantly.
Helen rolled her eyes.
"Oh, come on!" Winston's exuberant voice rang through their new bigger-than-the-first, much-smaller-than-the-second house. "How many kids can say that their parents are action figures?"
"They made me look fat!" Bob groused.
Helen squinted her eyes at him. "I had no idea you were this vain!"
"I'm not vain!"
His booming voice belied the sentiment, and Helen slapped her husband on the arm. The kids didn't even notice their father's outburst, but Bob inhaled deeply before saying more softly, "I just think that if you're going to make a scale model of someone, you should make sure it actually looks like that person!"
"Bob ..."
"Our photos were on every magazine and cereal box; it wouldn't have been that hard!"
"Bob."
"AND now Jack-Jack's chewing on my leg."
"Honey!"
"What?"
"Look at your children."
He looked back again, this time not saying anything. Dash zoomed around the room; apparently Frozone had discovered the power of flight. Lucius would be so pleased! Violet had taken Mr. Incredible out of her littlest brother's mouth, and was now positioning one of his hands on his hip and the other straight up in the air, and Helen couldn't contain her grin as Jack-Jack exclaimed, "Mama!" and grabbed the Elastigirl figure to his chest.
"They don't care if they got your nose right," she said, softly, wrapping her arms around him.
"I suppose you're right," Bob admitted. He sighed and smiled at the scene before turning and giving her a kiss on the forehead. "So, what do you say, kids?"
In unison, Dash and Vi called, "Thank you, Uncle Win!" Jack-Jack babbled and screeched after them, clearly enjoying his new toys.
"My pleasure!" Winston answered. "Have fun!"
He shrugged on his suit coat and made for the door. Helen thanked him for stopping by and told him to do so again soon. He'd already stepped outside when he turned around. "By the way, have the kids ever seen your old comic books?"
Helen paled and Bob went stiff beside her. The Supers Comics claimed to tell the dramatized true stories (or truly dramatized stories) of Superhero exploits, but they were really just glorified tabloids. Villains and criminals took a backseat to rumors about who was dating whom and — Helen met Bob's wide-eyed stare and realized they were thinking of the same thing — there was thatpicture of the two of them in the December 1943 issue ...
"If you want, they could have them," Winston said. "After all, I've got another set at —"
Helen stretched her arm forward and pushed him out the door, hoping the kids hadn't heard the offer. "Thanks for stopping by, Winston, but you really, really don't have to do that!" --- Also posted on ff.net and Archive of Our Own
Drawing inspired by the lovely little tidbit in the Incredibles 2 Official Guidebook! Karen and Nelson are my blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ship, but I love them so much!
Voyd feels a bit disappointed when Elastigirl walks out on their conversation. He-Lectrix asks if she wants to dance to take her mind off it. They are adorable and oh so awkward and it’ll take a while before they dance any closer to each other than they are right now!
