NS: America Chavez: Made in USA discussion

[leahandillyana]

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?

Comments

[donnblake]

I think I said something along these lines when some of the relevant scans were posted, but I guess I have a hard time seeing what the retcon adds. As you've said, "morally challenged old white man," isn't something we were lacking for- it's probably right up there with "Dubious radiation science," as far as superhero origins.

Now, a story doesn't have to be new to be well told or worthwhile, but as far as looking at that change in a vacuum, it takes away something relatively rare and worthwhile.

It's somewhat odd to think that, on a non-fictional level, Chavez was created by white men, while this retcon was written by a queer Latina woman, but I don't really know what to take away from that.

[blueprintstyles]

There's a chance this could be editorial-driven. MCU will probably debut Chavez within the next few years in the MCU and this seems like their style.

[christianconnor]

The sad thing is that the MCU seems to be heading in the multiversal weird direction - Chavez' original origin would be perfect for that.

[filthysize]

More like in a few months. She's in Doctor Strange 2.

But historically, they don't share information all that much. And given that Doctor Strange 2 is specifically going to be about multiverse-hopping, it's entirely possible the MCU version will have the original version and it's gonna be very funny when the comics immediately retcons the retcon.

Remember when Bendis and McNiven revamped GOTG in anticipation of the movie, gave Star-Lord a brand new backstory and costume, and then less than a year later the movie came out with Star-Lord using his old helmet, and the comics quickly abandoned those new changes?

[silverhammerman]

Or the new half-Kree original story for Captain Marvel, timed to come out around the same time as the movie... which used more or less a tweaked version of the classic origin story.

For a publisher that so obviously values syngergy, Marvel can be really awful at it sometimes.