Von Blog

    The first time, it was cute. Funny even. Having an idea, then being told that the paper topic I had developed wasn’t feasable. I dried my tears, girded my loins, and decided on another paper topic about the Marvel Comics S.H.I.E.L.D. title.

And then reality lifted its steel-toed boot of truth and kicked me in the teeth.

    Apparently, no one felt it neccesary to either keep or reprint the elder-issues of the S.H.I.E.L.D. title from the 1980’s. Not only that, but very little information existed on my rather-obscure topic. So what did I do in order to recify the situation? Choose a more mainstream character to write a paper on? Did I begin raiding the campus library for Batman or Superman books? Did I decide to cast my credibility as a comic book fan out of the window by…selling out?

Of course not. First of all, reading Batman and Superman isn’t selling out. Superman shoots fire from his eyes, and Batman…well, Batman is Batman. ‘Nuff said.

As for the topic, I just chose something more obscure. Take that, common sense.

My third (and last, God willing) paper topic will be based on the late 70’s, early 80’s comic book, Power Man and Iron Fist. This title teamed up Power Man (A.K.A. Luke Cage, an African-American ex-con who gained enhanced strength and impenetrable skin due to a science experiment gone awry in prison) and Iron Fist, (A.K.A. Danny Rand, a well-to-do white man who, through years of training in the mystic mountains of China, taught himself to harness the whole of his body’s energies into fiery punches) two characters who couldn’t have less in common and yet functioned as a single, unbreakable unit. 

I chose this topic because it speaks to a racial component that I have not addressed thoroughly in any of my other papers on American superhero comic books. It both destroys and creates racial cliches, both enforces and demolishes ethnic stereotypes, and simultaniously works to both degrade and develop long-held racial beliefs. The title, in my view however, was a pedagogical success because not only was Luke Cage strong, noble and intelligent, but Danny Rand was written in a way that allowed Luke Cage to be so.

The most exciting facet of all of this is that primary and secondary sources actually exist. I have a collection of the first 50 issues of the Power Man/Iron Fist title, which is very good considering I intend to work with the early years of the book. As for secondary sources, I have already found two books that give some much-needed cultural background on the character of Luke Cage, as well as the evolution and depiction of African American superheroes in general.

My next goal is to find some secondary sources, either published or on the ‘net, that shed some intellectual light on the Power Man/Iron Fist title as a whole.

This shouldn’t be a problem, unless of course I’m forced to change topics in the next fifteen minutes.

I had an idea for my 299 paper. It was to be a glorious, powerful, and in-depth journey through the history of American comic books, busting at the seams with verbose language and thoughtful, colorful research. It was to cover the Marvel Civil War, while simultaniously weaving politics, civil rights and the allegory into a tapestry of literary gold.

Sadly, that paper will never see the light of day.

Perhaps a bit melodramatic. The fact is, I wanted to write my paper on the Marvel comic book event, Civil War, a 7 issue mini-series that sees the U.S. Government flexing its dictatorial muscles by requiring any and all superheroes to register themselves with the powers that be, or risk arrest and detention. Some heroes, led by Iron Man, champion the cause of registration, while others, led by Captain America, choose to go underground and fight what they see as a breach of civil liberties. All in all, a pretty solid story with enough modern day allegory to write an entire book on, let alone a paper.

But Civil War was released only a year or two ago, making the historical narrtive a bit stunted, if not totally impotent. So I had to scrap the Civil War idea. I’ll have to admit, it hurt initially. But I have moved on.

And have arrived at my new paper topic: The Depiction of the Government Agency S.H.I.E.L.D. During the Reagan Years, 1981-1989.

S.H.I.E.L.D., it must be said, is a covert agency set in the Marvel Universe, that conducts special opts, coordinates superhero teams, and monitors any and all threats from big time villians bent on world conquest. You know, like the CIA, except with a modicum of ethical standards. Well, sometimes anyway.

And I chose the Reagan Era because I was interested to see just how favorably (or unfavorably) a secret government agency like S.H.I.E.L.D. was portrayed during the ’80’s, at the height of American Conservatism, trickle down economics, and Thatcher-supported Apartheid.

You know, the good ‘ole days.