“For many people who perceive disability as more of a descriptor word for the body,
the words’ disabled’ and ‘superhero’ may not seem to go together.” (Norris)
Believing a Myth
The significant misconception here is the connection between the word disabled and a broken body.
My body is considered broken because I need mobility aids to do daily tasks.
I can do daily tasks independently, but that’s not what people think when hearing the word disabled.
Society misconstrues the situation to be a personal problem for me. In reality, the problem is accessibility.
“For several decades now, activists in various social change movements have repeatedly said ,
the problems faced by any marginalized group of people lie, not in their bodies, but in the oppression they face.” (Clare)
Science fiction is a medium through which writers and illustrators offer escape into a fantasy world.
Science Fiction storylines often parallel current political or social issues through superheroes.
Having disabled superheroes helps to provide role models for the disability community, and also exposes “normal” people to disabled protagonists like:
Matt Murdock/Daredevil, who’s blind, or Professor Charles Xavier, who’s a wheelchair user.
This representation of disabled superheroes is good but often lacks integration of diverse gender, sexuality, and racial backgrounds.
Daredevil and Professor X, who are white men, possess powers fortifying their minds. African-American superheroes Cyborg and
Misty Knight were given powerful prosthetics that increased physical strength. These power sets have underlying racial implications.
Having the African-American character’s limbs replaced by technology sends the message that
their bodies are more replaceable and dependent on technology than their own intellect like their white counterparts. (Norris)
Disabled superheroes are needed because everyone benefits from being represented in the media. Comic storylines continue to introduce new characters as they evolve.
Representation today is less than ideal, sometimes reinforcing disability stereotypes. Even so, those characters are still role models and connect with people in and out of the disability community.
Sources
Clare, E. (2001). Stolen Bodies, Reclaimed Bodies: Disability and Queerness. Public Culture 13(3), 359-365. https://www.muse.jhu.edu/article/26252.
Norris, M. (2015). Comics and Human Rights: Oracle and Representations of Disabled Superheroes.LSE. http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/80270/