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scans_daily2021-08-11 01:54 pm
leahandillyana) wrote in scans_daily2021-08-11 01:54 pm
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NS: America Chavez: Made in USA discussion
In this post I would love to hear your opinions on the revelations in the limited series, as the final issue (5th) premiered today. Major spoilers to issue 4 under the cut.
So, Made in USA massively retcons America's backstory. In the new one, she and her newly introduced twin sister Catalina were human girls with a genetic disorder. Given experimental,very illlegal therapy by a mad scientist, the sisters and several other girls were cured and developed the signature dimension hopping powers. Her mothers were killed as they tried to smuggle the girls from the island they were kept in, and Catalina was caught. Thinking her whole family was killed, little America came up with a fantasy of a magical land of superpowered women and was adopted by a human family. The cover of the fourth issue portrays what the change does to America:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/America_Chavez:_Made_in_the_USA_Vol_1_4?file=America_Chavez_Made_in_the_USA_Vol_1_4.jpg
I personally have mixed feelings about the retcon. Sure, the original backstory was very similar to Wonder Woman's, but an Amazonian society of only women leading perfect lives is a fantasy rarely seen. Utopian Parallel was particularly noteworthy because it was an explicitly lesbian society, while DC is very reluctant to portray its Amazons as queer. The new backstory is kinda like a typical superhero backstory - compare for example some versions of Spider-Woman's backstory, or Jessica Jones' backstory. What's more, while in the original story America has powers because her mothers had powers, here she has powers because a man experimented on her. I feel that a very pleasant girl power fantasy was lost by the way, but that's a subjective opinion. The miniseries itself is a very good read and a palette cleanser after the disastrous first series. What do you guys think?
So, Made in USA massively retcons America's backstory. In the new one, she and her newly introduced twin sister Catalina were human girls with a genetic disorder. Given experimental,very illlegal therapy by a mad scientist, the sisters and several other girls were cured and developed the signature dimension hopping powers. Her mothers were killed as they tried to smuggle the girls from the island they were kept in, and Catalina was caught. Thinking her whole family was killed, little America came up with a fantasy of a magical land of superpowered women and was adopted by a human family. The cover of the fourth issue portrays what the change does to America:
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/America_Chavez:_Made_in_the_USA_Vol_1_4?file=America_Chavez_Made_in_the_USA_Vol_1_4.jpg
I personally have mixed feelings about the retcon. Sure, the original backstory was very similar to Wonder Woman's, but an Amazonian society of only women leading perfect lives is a fantasy rarely seen. Utopian Parallel was particularly noteworthy because it was an explicitly lesbian society, while DC is very reluctant to portray its Amazons as queer. The new backstory is kinda like a typical superhero backstory - compare for example some versions of Spider-Woman's backstory, or Jessica Jones' backstory. What's more, while in the original story America has powers because her mothers had powers, here she has powers because a man experimented on her. I feel that a very pleasant girl power fantasy was lost by the way, but that's a subjective opinion. The miniseries itself is a very good read and a palette cleanser after the disastrous first series. What do you guys think?
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