Shape-Changers in Comics
Including: Ms. Marvel, Nimona, Mr. Fantastic, Meggan, Martian Manhunter, and Elasti-Girl
What’s it all about?
For our second round of threads, we focused on comics characters who can change their shape. This includes shape-shifters, tricksters, and characters with the ability to stretch and bend their bodies. In comics, anything that can be drawn can be believed. That makes them well-suited to fantastic physical transformations – and plenty of symbolism related to bodies and identity!
The Polymorphic Powers of Ms. Marvel
The polymorphic powers of Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan are both a fluid and precise metaphor. The character’s 2014 debut by G. Willow Wilson & Adrian Alphona uses polymorphism to subvert tropes and tell a complex, identifiable story about intersectional identity. 1/12
You can also jump ahead to specific threads. Here’s a full list of topics:
The Polymorphic Powers of Ms. Marvel
Shapeshifting in “Nimona”
The Cold War Fluidity of Mr. Fantastic
Meggan, Shapeshifting & Female Beauty Standards
Martian Manhunter, Gender & Sexuality
The Power of Elasti-Girl