Heroine vs. Villainess: Not so Different Afterall
Growing up, superheroes have shaped how we view justice, strength, and morality; Superman with his strength, Batman with his intellect, and Wonder Woman with her compassion. Except one of these superheroes is not quite like the other ones. The portrayal of women in visual media such as comics, movies and TV shows has been a point of contention for years. While DC superheroines are portrayed as empowered, moral feminist icons, villainesses are depicted as the monstrous femme fatale, highlighting the hypersexualization and divide in representation, both shaped by the male gaze and patriarchal perspectives. Using critical scholars like Carolyn Cocca, Eileen Donaldson, Shannon Austin, etc., I will be looking through a feminist lens at the differences and similarities between DC heroines and villainesses in their respective comics, films and TV series. In this essay, I will be contrasting the way these scholars – as well as society itself – apply their thoughts on the differences between the two categories, as well as how they are not as different as one might expect, with heroines sitting within the boundaries of patriarchal society, and villainesses cast outside this standard. I will be highlighting their origin stories, designs, personalities, their impact on their audiences, as well as how it reflects and affects society today.
FEMINIST THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
A feminist framework can help look at the characters we see in the media through a new lens that focuses on how their gender shapes the story they follow and how that is directly related to how society differentiates men and women. Within this framework, there are multiple concepts I will be discussing, including the male gaze, patriarchy and hypersexualization. The concept of the male gaze refers to the way women are constantly depicted from the perspective of the men who are watching them, which often puts an emphasis on their bodies and beauty rather than their agency and voice. This focus on looks often leads to the hypersexualization of women and the use of their bodies as a form of commodity. This reflects the imbalance of power in the systems set up today that are brought on by a male-dominated society.
Many of the authors I will be drawing on are prominent scholars in this field of study, and use a feminist lens along with other theoretical frameworks to look at these visual media. Carolyn Cocca argues that there are often constraints put upon female superheroines despite efforts to make them seem like male heroes’ equals, while authors like Shannon Austin talk about how female villainesses use the patriarchal expectations of society as a mask to gain power. I will be using multiple writers' ideas to help guide and support my arguments.
IDEAL SUPERHEROINE: STRONG, PRETTY, CONTROLLEDWhen someone tells you to imagine a female superhero, oftentimes, your mind will go straight to Diana Prince, or more commonly known as Wonder Woman. Though she is not quite the oldest female superhero, she has been consistently written since the early 1940s and has become an icon of third-wave feminism. William Moulton Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman, “wanted to offer an alternative to the brutal masculinity that he felt dominated a world at war” (Donaldson). This led him to create Wonder Woman, a powerful Amazonian warrior who left her home in Themyscira – a land of female warriors – to protect and bring peace to “Man’s World”. Though many versions of Wonder Woman’s origins have been written again and again, some aspects of her character stay the same.
She wields dual “Bracelets of Submission”, which are indestructible cuffs that she uses to ricochet bullets off of, as well as the “Lasso of Truth”, which forces whoever is in its hold to tell the truth; both of which were crafted by Hephaestus, the Greek god, as it is the gods and goddesses who have blessed the women of Themyscira. She is very often seen as compassionate, empathetic, determined, and ambitious, which is portrayed in many adaptations, like the 2009 animated Wonder Woman movie. “May Gaea be with you, Diana. All of Themyscira, all of the world depends on you… I don’t see how we could have stopped her.” (Wonder Woman 00:28:50). Wonder Woman is seen as the salvation of humanity; she is determined, stubborn, and loyal to both her people and mankind, yet is put in a position that places her equal or above men. With this being said, the portrayal of Wonder Woman as a feminist icon comes with its own complications, as her character is often shaped by wider social expectations surrounding femininity and representation.
Wonder Woman’s costume is an integral part of who she is and how she is viewed, especially for a superheroine; however, her visual design shows how her feminine empowerment is largely shaped and limited by the male gaze. Her costume often consists of a swimsuit-like red, blue, and gold body armour, a tiara, heeled boots and at times, an armoured skirt. Her costume draws attention to her body, specifically with how little she is actually wearing. De Wulf Helskens et al. point out that the “physical appearance of superheroines often underscores their sexuality by pronouncing their extreme hourglass figures” (94) (See Fig. 1). Her outfit has a lot of exposed skin; her thighs, shoulders and chest are uncovered, which, from the standpoint of a warrior, would not provide any protection in battle. Therefore, her costume relies on physical appearance over practicality, which aligns with the male gaze. Wonder Woman is beautiful, skinny, but also curvy around her chest and hips, and as writers, artists and directors change, they tend to lean into these aspects of her character more, losing the message that she was supposed to be portraying in the first place. Cocca explains that female superheroes are often “posed in what has come to be criticized as ‘broke back’ fashion—a twisted, impossible posture allowing the reader to see all of a woman’s curves in the front and back at the same time” (99). Poses like this encourage the reader to look at female power through a sexualized lens, especially once you understand that there is no need for these women to be dressed like this other than the commodification of their bodies to their “mostly male, white, heterosexual, and adult [readers]” (Cocca 99). This pose also does not come naturally, making it noticeable that they are drawn against female anatomy, to make it more visually appealing to their audiences. As DC gets more popular, more women are showing interest in superheroes and comic books, because their reach is growing; these art panels can leave a lasting impact on the women reading. Specifically, that this is how a strong female must present themselves, and the beauty standard for women. This creates a stark contrast between the way that female and male bodies are represented, which reinforces the gendered expectations within DC.
Coogan draws on a scene from a Superman/Batman comic where they are on Themyscira to watch the Amazonians train. Every woman on the island was dressed in very revealing outfits, while “Batman and Superman look on, their bodies fully covered, and their muscular chests the most visible part of their bodies…they are the object of Superman and Batman’s gaze” (Coogan 573). While we can see Themyscira as a paradise for women, ironically, it can be interpreted as the hypersexualized fantasy of a man. The mere presence of men on that island turns the warrior women it trains into objects of the male gaze. Very similar situations happen in “man’s world”, where the constraints of her femininity are placed upon her by a patriarchal system. Donaldson explains that superheroines like Wonder Woman can “perform masculinity only if she also performs hyper-femininity,” which means that to avoid becoming what others deem as monstrous, she can only perform masculine traits if she can balance the scales and present herself as overly feminine. Female superheroes can only be overtly strong as long as she does not have large, bulky muscles, but a lean, petite frame; they can only have power if they show that the power they possess can be reigned in and is controlled by their feelings, such as empathy. For every “masculine” characteristic they possess, there has to be a limiting factor that reins them back into their femininity.
As empowering as Superheroines like Wonder Woman are made out to be, she is often shaped by the gender norms she tries to challenge. Wonder Woman’s feminism is often conditional. She is allowed to be a third-wave feminist icon because she falls within the boundaries of what a patriarchal society deems okay for a feminine figure. Wonder Woman’s origin is also centred around Steve Trevor, a US military officer who washes up on Themyscira and starts Diana’s journey to “Man’s World”; he is also often seen as a love interest for her, which further pushes her away from complete independence, as she remains tied to male relationships. She is also often seen having to rely on him to show her the ways of this new world. “Wonder Woman tells Steve Trevor [while] rejecting his proposal, ‘If I married you, Steve, I’d have to pretend I’m weaker than you to make you happy — and that, no woman should’” (Coogan, 571). This is a prime example of Diana verbally rejecting these systems, but still unconsciously enforcing them. Even though they don’t get married, they are still depicted in a romantic sense, even if they are not legally tied together. This focuses on her loving and caring side, a side that is widely accepted as feminine. By putting romance into her story, she is then associated with a man, and her story is taken away from the action and empowerment and shifted to less threatening, feminine expectations.
Wonder Woman’s power is not a threat because she is not trying to uproot the patriarchal justice system, but reinforce it, while still displaying femininity; “her monstrous Amazon origins in Greek myth, her need to perform femininity, her currency as a commodity, and the general misogyny that pervades the judicial system of Man's World which invests Batman's authority with greater validity than hers” (Donaldson). Wonder Woman is placed within this world as a product of feminist ideals and patriarchal limits. DC does not shy away from using her feminism as a commodity, even within the movies. In the animated movie, Death of Superman (2018), it is mentioned when Wonder Woman says, “Wonder Woman merchandise did very well this year. I can step up when the Wayne Foundation falls short” (Death of Superman 00:30:10). She is then brushed aside, as Batman, being a billionaire, is placed in a higher position within these systems of power. By insinuating that Wonder Woman is selling merchandise, DC transforms her from a symbol of empowerment to one of consumerism, which enables the audience to look at her through a capitalistic, patriarchal lens. This reinforces the point that feminism is only okay when it is seen as profitable and non-threatening. As a result, Wonder Woman embodies both empowerment and constraints. She is an icon of superheroine representation, yet never pushes far enough outside of the patriarchal boundaries to be considered monstrous like the female villainesses in DC.
THE FEMME FATALE: SEXY, POWERFUL, UNTAMABLE
On the flip side, female villainesses are often depicted as female monsters. While they are independent and powerful, they are portrayed as dangerous and threatening. They are characterized as a horrible outcome of crossing the boundaries of what society deems as acceptable femininity. DC shows its audiences that femininity and sexuality are only proper when it stays within the limits that patriarchal society decides. The further these women push these limits, the more monstrous they become. They start to fall into the category of the “femme fatale”, a category of women shown often in films that use their sexuality and beauty to allure and manipulate men; most times, they act as a hurdle between the male protagonist and their goal. The femme fatale is shown as a villainous character and rarely wins in the end because of her sinful ways. DC villainesses are often either tied down to men like Harley Quinn (Harleen Quinzel) or firmly step out of patriarchal limits like Poison Ivy (Pamela Isley). These villains are only deemed as “‘monstrous’ because they deviate from the passive, feminine behavior expected of ‘Real Women’” (Donaldson). This distinction between that of a monster and a “Real Woman” creates the foundation for female villainesses to be seen as, not empowered, but unnatural beings who need to be controlled and punished.
Both Harley Quinn's and Poison Ivy’s origins revolve around the men in their lives at the time; however, Harley is controlled by these patriarchal systems, while Poison Ivy actively rejects them. Harley used to be a psychiatrist at Arkham Asylum and was assigned to The Joker. In the 2016 film Suicide Squad, it was explained that “she thought she was curing him, but she was falling in love” (Suicide Squad 00:09:41). Love, a characteristic that is most associated with women, is an integral part of Harley’s personality, which reinforces the stereotype that women are often controlled by their emotions; this is exactly how The Joker uses and manipulates her to do his bidding. Her first introduction was in Batman: The Animated Series (1992), and she was “depicted as The Joker’s plaything, blindly servicing his every whim. Yet subsequently, in the film Suicide Squad (Ayers, 2016) she is… an intellectual… yet a lubricious rebel who is self-assertive and self-aware” (Geczy & Karaminas 173). Even when she is depicted as assertive and aware, her identity itself is tied so strongly to The Joker’s, yet still seen as monstrous because of her newfound independence. She is seen more as the monster when she breaks free of The Joker’s manipulation than when she was under his control because now she is too powerful, too much of a wild card.
Dr. Pamela Isley had a slightly different origin story. Both women are Doctors and intellectuals, but the men in their lives pull them into the “monstrous” when they attempt to control them. Dr. Isley, a scientist studying plant pheromones, gets injected “with toxins by her supervisor Jason Woodrue… which changed her personality and DNA” (Kinsella & Jürgen 1058-1059). While Harley’s backstory focuses on emotional manipulation, Pamela’s origins are the result of violence perpetrated by a man who was her superior. With her newfound power to control plant life, she uses her plants to reign over mankind and reject the systems that allowed for the exploitation of nature and herself. Her active rejection of these systems places her outside of the patriarchal boundaries of what is considered feminine and submissive, casting her as “monstrous”. Harley Quinn begins controlled and emotionally manipulated, and she gets deemed as monstrous for pushing back against The Joker and claiming her independence, but Pamela is seen as such the moment she positions herself outside the system. Their origins show that whether they submit or resist, they are seen as a threat if they cannot be controlled by the male powers in their lives. Their stance as “monstrous” women can also be determined by the way they are visually portrayed in the media they appear in – through costume, body and powers that present them as hypersexualized and dangerous.
Harley Quinn is often depicted as The Joker’s henchman or lover. Together with him, Quinn’s earlier costumes followed the clown theme to match him, often portraying her as a jester dressed in a black, white and red skin-tight outfit (See Fig. 2). This showed the control The Joker had over her at the time; he was the clown, and she was his plaything. In newer adaptations when Harley is seen breaking away from The Joker in Suicide Squad (2016), she changes her outfit to a cropped top that says “Daddy’s Lil Monster”, fishnets, revealing shorts, combat boots, a choker with the word “puddin’”, and changes her colour scheme to blue and red – though it still follows the same half and half design as her earlier costume (See Fig. 3). Just within the outfit itself, we can see both changes and similarities to when she was connected with The Joker. The drastic change out of the jester costume shows that she is gaining her independence away from The Joker, but the choker and shirt suggest otherwise. Her power and personality are still deeply entrenched in the way that The Joker moulded her; her choker can be symbolic of a collar, as “puddin’” is a pet name she uses for The Joker. Geczy & Karaminas explain that “Quinn is transformed into a hyper-sexualized and confident antihero dressed in tight hot pants and crop top” (179). All versions of Harley Quinn’s outfits are hypersexualized; even when she is fully covered, she is subjected to the male gaze through her tight bodysuits that show off her slim figure and full chest. Although Harley is often hypersexualized, it also highlights how these expectations can be manipulated and used as another form of power, especially by characters who understand how these patriarchal systems shape them – a strategy that is seen more prominently with Poison Ivy.
Poison Ivy’s design is vastly different from Harley’s, most importantly because she gains the power to communicate and control plants, seduce men by releasing a pheromone with her kiss, as well as an appearance that is less than human. She is often depicted scantily clad in either an outfit made of leaves and vines that covers very little of her skin or underwear and a revealing top (See Fig. 4). After Poison Ivy gets her powers, she loses faith in men and actively tries to kill and manipulate them as revenge for the mistreatment of nature. She is deemed as monstrous not only because she rejects patriarchal systems, but also because of her transformation, which reinforces the idea that “violent women [are] inhuman because human/real women do not commit violence" (qtd. in Donaldson). DC tries to explain Poison Ivy’s violent tendencies on the fact that she is no longer fully human, instead a femme fatale seductress, who is not a real woman. Her refusal to let Dr. Woodrue experiment on her betrays the patriarchal standard of women being seen as underneath or less powerful than men, which, along with her new appearance, quickly forms the narrative of her being a monster. The plants around Poison Ivy also create a narrative. Kinsella & Jürgen explain that “Spores and fungi… are visualised in a highly grotesque and violent manner. This is in stark contrast to depictions of ‘classically feminine plants’ such as flowers” (1062). She is equally depicted with threatening, carnivorous plants, as she is with vines and more exotic flowers. She, again, goes against the patriarchal notion of femininity, pushing her further into both power and the monster. Though one thing both Poison Ivy and Harley understand is how to use patriarchal expectations of femininity as a mask or tool for their own gain.
Austin explains that “women, in order to obtain and keep their power, must also use a mask of femininity to survive in a male-dominated society” (287). Both Harley and Poison Ivy are aware of how they are hypersexualized and adhere to the male gaze, often using their femininity as a form of power. They both weaponize their appearance in ways that use the patriarchal system to their own advantage; “the ‘criminal justice system is more lenient toward female offenders than male offenders’, and specifically those female offenders who perform femininity ‘correctly’” (qtd. in Donaldson). By presenting themselves within the male gaze, they can often manipulate men to underestimate their power, which allows them the ability to flip the narrative, where they are now in a position of power and knowledge. Poison Ivy uses flowers, which are “typically feminine symbols of beauty and gentleness… [to subvert] those feminine symbols into monstrous and destructive creatures” (Austin 287). She uses these feminine symbols and turns them into symbols that also fight against patriarchal expectations of what is considered feminine. This tool, however, remains incredibly limited, as it still relies on the very structures that pin them as monstrous objects in the first place. Therefore, while women often remain under the male gaze and expectations of femininity, they have the agency to use these systems against men, rather than let the systems dictate their autonomy.
Some may think that these villainesses should be seen as empowering characters like Wonder Woman because of the way they push past patriarchal standards and create their own power within femininity, which is ultimately viewed as a threat, casting these women as monstrous. However, these villainesses are only allowed to be powerful in certain ways; they are portrayed in the way that DC wants you to perceive them. Storywriters, along with DC itself, form the narratives for these storylines, where these women and their rejection of boundaries are seen as villainous and unnatural rather than empowering. This makes the audience view these characters as the femme fatale, seductresses who get in the way of the protagonist's goal – ultimately, women who should not be looked up to. Their hypersexuality also keeps them within a boundary for female villains, still being portrayed as “sexy” or “alluring” for the readers, even in their defiance. They push the patriarchal boundaries in their narratives, only to be trapped in the expectations of femininity of the readers and writers. This kind of conditional feminism is exactly what makes villainesses like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy not so different from superheroines like Wonder Woman.
SUPERHEROINES AND VILLAINESSES: THE LIMITS OF POWER
Superheroines like Wonder Woman are often presented as icons of empowerment and feminine representation, but that representation is often controlled by the boundaries of male expectations. On the other hand, villainesses like Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy are seen as powerful, threatening figures that push against these boundaries, but are portrayed as monstrous, femme fatales. While Wonder Woman is rewarded for acting within the system, Quinn and Ivy are punished for being unnatural and dangerous. Both mirror each other; they are simply opposite sides of the same coin. All of these women are controlled and forced to fall within the patriarchal systems that they claim not to uphold. They are hypersexualized and subject to the male gaze from not only their fellow male characters but also the audiences who commodify them. Cocca explains that it’s not writing powerful women that is tricky, but “[w]hat's tricky is that we live in an unequal world, in which girls and women are devalued” (52). While it is not wholly the writer's fault, DC presents these women in a way that degrades their worth. They see feminism as acceptable only if they can profit from their hypersexualized characters that end up reinforcing the power struggles that they are trying to deroot. They show their audience that femininity and sexuality are only okay if you are working within these power structures, and that women who push against them are evil and deranged. Their visual content often reinforces notions that the audience has of beauty standards, gendered stereotypes, power structures and what femininity is considered “acceptable”. The impact this leaves the audience with is the exact opposite of what characters like Wonder Woman were made to stand for. While heroines and villainesses are drastically different, DC frames them into the celebrated or the condemned based on the same patriarchal boundaries.
CONCLUSION
While DC superheroines are portrayed as empowered, moral feminist icons, they are constricted and shaped by the systems that they claim to be against. Villainesses are depicted as the monstrous femme fatale for actively situating themselves out of the patriarchal structures, highlighting the hypersexualization and divide in representation; while in different ways, both are shaped by the male gaze and patriarchal perspectives. Women in DC are often not represented well, as they are confined within their own systems of expectations, as well as ours. They are hypersexualized, commodified, and controlled by the narrative, which reinforces the ideas we have about what is an acceptable form of femininity and power. Anything outside these standards is met with labels of rebellion and deviance, often tied to villainesses and avoided by superheroines. The way that these female characters are presented reinforces female stereotypes for audiences and creates a lacklustre form of representation. It indirectly tells the audience that femininity is only okay when it is controlled by men, and even strong, feminist icons are only allowed in media if they can be hypersexualized and sold as a commodity. Although there may come a day when all femininity is accepted, and female stories are nuanced, strong and unsexualized, DC has yet to create the character their audiences have been hoping for.
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