Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Rape of the month: September

You know, I thought we were actually going to get a month rape free for a moment, there. And then I read Secret Six #4.

Now I love Gail Simone's writing, and this storyline shows every sign of being well written, but it's still the same ghastly cliche that everyone else in comics feels the need to write ad nauseum as though they were the first to think of it.

And honestly, there are few enough women in the DC universe unmolested. Was it really necessary to reduce that figure by one more?

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

What happened? I don't rad this title?

Anonymous said...

Is it about Knockout and Deadshot? They were babbling in the kitchen of the House of Secrets, while Scandal was resting in her room. Knockout says "Stop. Please" off-panel. Scandal wakes up because she had a nightmare, and in the next panel Knockout and Deadshot are naked, lying down on the kitchen floor. As a true gentleman, Lawton didn't even drop his cigarette. But how could he rape a meta?

I did some research and I've found out that "Knockout has a psychological weakness due to her torturous training on Apokolips, and when she feels trapped, she shuts down."

http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=knockout

I'm still not entirely sure, if this is true only hardcore fans will understand what's going on. The next issue should clarify the matter for the rest of us.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure she's been in tougher situations. If she shut down b fighting off a non meta, when she has fought superboy in the past,than the writer is ten times worse than the ordinary two-bit writer.

Marionette said...

Perhaps I am misreading it then, but when there's a page of someone chatting normally, cut away to mad person with mind control abilities ranting about getting their own back on said person and playing with strange devices, cut back to the person acting totally out of character, I read it as mind control.

If it transpires that the two scenes are entirely unconnected then I will consider this consensual and Knockout simply a total slut who is happy to screw a team mate while her lover is in the next room.

Anonymous said...

Knockout says "Stop. Please" off-panel

Are we even sure it's Knockout speaking though? The art in Secret Six is a bit ropey but I was pretty sure from their body language that Kay and Floyd were flirting beforehand.

I guess it's open to interpretation but my first response was annoyance at yet another portrayal of a bisexual woman being incapable of having monogamous relationship.

Anonymous said...

"I read it as mind control."

I know that Savage is threatening his daughter Scandal, cause she's in love with Knockout and he wants a grandchild (for some reason) but I was not interested in this particular sub-plot. And I don't know anything about Vandal Savage's abilities. So, he's manipulating Lawton to split up Knockout and Scandal?

There is a lot of mind-control going on in this book, Ragdoll was controlled by Dr. Psycho, the Mad Hatter was messing with Elasti-Girl's mind, and now this…

"Are we even sure it's Knockout speaking though?"

You're right, it could be Lawton. The line could read like: "I don't want to do this. Whoever you are, get out of my head!"

Marionette said...

Are we even sure it's Knockout speaking though?

Given the way Scandal reacts to this voice I think we can assume that it belongs to Knockout.

In fact I'm more confused now. If Knockout is not being mind controlled then why is she not beating Deadshot to a pulp if she wants him to stop?

Hopefully things will become clearer next issue.

Anonymous said...

Just read Secret Six issue 5. Not only was the sex consensual but Knockout doesn't even feel like she's cheated on Scandal.

Apokoliptans obviously have a different interpretation of fidelity. Go figure.