Sophia Maddalone

Abstract:

Superhero stories with characters portrayed as white people have been prevalent throughout American pop culture for decades. However, in recent years new versions of superheroes have been played by people of color. In 2018, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was released and features a young Afro-Latino boy. In 2014, the comic book Ms. Marvel No Normal was published featuring the story of a young Pakistani-American girl. I argue that these characters present two different approaches to diversity, one that is positive and another that may be more negative. Although Ms. Marvel brings representation to the table, some say that the comic book leaves room for judgment of Muslim women.