Quote:
Originally Posted by NimrodClover
I have always felt that Elastigirl was given the short end of the plot stick not because she wasn't an interesting character or lacked usable powers but rather was hampered by the time (Silver Age DC comics) in which the character was written.
Reading many of those early to mid 60's plots it feels like she was only "empowered" because she was simply physically large, an oddly masculine approach and was otherwise a mild mannered house wife... oops, Olympic level swimmer turned Hollywood star who talked like a homemaker.
Never been a fan of DC comics...
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I can appreciate that take. The character definitely suffered from the era. I have noticed the character being a little bland and soap-operaish when normal sized. I'm worried that that might get worse once they introduce her love interest and future husband. I'm trying to not read too far ahead.
I do think that the character also shines when she shrinks. She had a very strenuous stealth mission in part five while tiny. And the scene where she Errol Flynned her way onto a gun and kept it from firing in an earlier issue may rank as one of my favorite shrunken super hero moments.
The big thing that separates Rita from a lot of the other heroines of the time was the fact that the writers first gave her a traditionally (at the time) masculine power and let her get her hands dirty. I commented on the fact that the other shrinking super heroines of the time (Wasp and Shrinking Violet) flew while the shrinking heroes (Ant-Man and Atom) had to jump and climb their way around (or ride flying ants like some micro cowboy.) Rita had to do things like swing on a super strong line of thread. Or climb down a pearl necklace. Which made her more interesting for me and made the visuals more fun.
I read the Tales to Astonish run with Ant-Man/Giant Man and the Wasp just before I came across My Greatest Adventure. Rita had a lot more going for her than Janet. At least at that point. I really wanted to find something great in those old Wasp stories, but it just wasn't there. At least not for me.
For that matter, I believe that Rita comes out ahead of the early Sue Storm and Jean Grey. They became better characters (as did Janet) as times and writers went on. Rita got written out of comics (I'll avoid spoilers and specifics) for a very long time and never really came back. At least not for any great duration.