Amazing Spider-Man #674 preview

[cyberghostface]

Look's like Carlie decided to come back from her home planet...and with a new makeover to boot.



So once again, Carlie's Mary-Sueness is in full effect, having deduced what the cops around her couldn't figure out (especially since this isn't the first time in the Marvel universe that supervillains have killed people via dropping them from heights) and ends up looking better for it with the cops disrespecting her. Seriously, look at that cop's sneer. Poor Carlie, how could anyone hate her?

Of course, turns out Carlie has yet another new look with her only distinguishing factor in her appearance being that she has glasses.

Just a reminder, this was how Carlie looked last issue. This is becoming ridiculous now--has anyone ever thought of making a model sheet for the character to pass around to new artists for some sort of consistency? She's been around for years now and no artist has agreed on what she should look like. 

Comments

[cyberghostface]

I've read it and I'm not sure what changes. Yes, Mary Sue is tossed around at random, incorrectly and inconsistently and at characters who don't fit the trope (i.e. Hermione Granger). I'd even agree that a lot of male Mary Sues (Gary Stus) aren't recognized as such and there are sexist double-standards there.

But there are still numerous characters both male and female that fit the Sue template, and Carlie is definitely one of them. I just ran her through a litmus test and I got a 77 (50+ being the highest noted score).

Carlie would be a Mary Sue even if she was a guy. Let's say Jessica Jones breaks up with Luke Cage, and "Carl" enters the picture. Carl is pretty much perfect, closer to Jessica Jones in general looks and personality than Luke was and gets her in ways that no one else has, and everyone around Jessica Jones tells her how perfect he is. Luke even says "Wow, that Carl is one cool dude--you should totally date him, Jess. He's so strong and honest". Oh, and he's named after the EIC's son. I would DEFINITELY call him a Mary Sue. Without a doubt.

And I've seen the Mary Sue term tossed at male characters a number of times.

I know a lot of fans think Jon Snow from A Song of Ice of Fire is a Mary Sue for example because he's one of the few characters who hasn't suffered devastating losses and usually comes out on top.

I know a lot of people have said that the male hero of the Dragon Tattoo trilogy is a Mary Sue, because he's apparently based off the author, irresistible to women, successful, etc.

There's Wesley from Star Trek, who was named after the series creator and saves the day numerous times and everyone loves him, etc.

Pretty sure everyone has called Eragorn a *huge* Mary Sue.

[cleome45]

This isn't just about Carlie Cooper, you know. I've agreed -- repeatedly-- that the character has her problems. But frankly the term "Mary Sue" is so hopelessly overused and so inherently sexist that I no longer trust anyone who insists that such-and-such female they dislike is a Sue, unless I've had the option of studying the treatment in depth myself.

There's too much baggage attached to its usage, too small a pool of female characters to draw from for overall analysis, and too little approval from the culture at large for ANY female character to be a "bigger than life" heroic archetype. The term can't be applied in an unbiased fashion because there's too much bias --in favor of male characters getting to be heroic "just because"-- already baked into the culture.

...And I've seen the Mary Sue term tossed at male characters a number of times...

If you honestly think --after reading the points Zoe made-- that your "number" (a Jameson here, a Wesley there) makes everything just even-steven on both sides of the culture, then we really don't have anything more to talk about.

Seriously. This is depressing as fuck and I need to be over there now. Excuse me. :(