Inexperienced Lantern’s lore is without doubt one of the most expansive in DC Comics. From the numerous people who’ve worn the ring to the Lantern Corps that patrol the universe, the Emerald Knights mythos boasts numerous iconic heroes and villains. Nonetheless, with the discharge of Inexperienced Lantern #40, DC Comics has formally resurrected one of the crucial controversial characters within the firm’s historical past. This character’s loss of life was closely criticized and perpetually modified how folks focus on and analyze feminine characters in fiction. For after 32 years, Inexperienced Lantern Kyle Rayner’s ex-girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt, has returned as the brand new Black Hand and chief of the Black Lantern Corps.
Lately, the Inexperienced Lantern Corps has been going by one in every of its most extraordinary eras. Not solely has Kyle Rayner lastly turn out to be Earth’s primary Inexperienced Lantern once more, however the Inexperienced Lantern Corps has additionally formally joined forces with the Yellow, Crimson, Blue, Indigo, Orange, and Star Sapphire Lantern Corps. An enormous a part of this alliance stems from the creation of the Emotional Properly, which acts like a common Lantern Battery for all of the Corps. Nonetheless, of their makes an attempt to create unity, the Corps’ meddling with the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum by accident precipitated the Emotional Properly to mutate, turning into a gateway for the Black Lanterns, led by Alexandra DeWitt. And now along with her resurrection, DC Comics is strolling a tightrope.
Alexandra DeWitt’s Loss of life Coined a Time period for One of many Worst Tropes in Fiction
Even when you don’t know Alexandra DeWitt, you recognize the time period her character impressed. Alexandra first appeared in 1994’s Inexperienced Lantern #48 as a kind-hearted photographer. Alexandra initially dumped Kyle for being immature, however after he acquired the Inexperienced Lantern ring, she determined to offer their relationship one other shot. Nonetheless, her story ended abruptly and graphically in Inexperienced Lantern #54, when the supervillain Main Power murdered her and stuffed her in a fridge. Kyle opening the fridge to see Alexandra’s lifeless physique has since gone down in historical past as one of the crucial notorious and inappropriate panels in comedian e book historical past.
Alexandra’s loss of life wasn’t controversial as a result of she was a beloved character. The truth is, the other was true. Outdoors of being Kyle’s girlfriend, Alexandra was not given any company or characterization, and her brutal loss of life solely served Kyle’s emotional journey. Basically, Alexandra had no impartial significance as a personality and her loss of life was merely a story software that served as a motivation in Kyle’s character arc. This led the well-known comedian author Gail Simmone to create the Girls in Fridges listing, named after Alexandra’s demise. Simmone’s listing coined the fridging trope, wherein a feminine character’s kidnapping, loss of life, or different tragedies transfer the male character’s story alongside. The Girls in Fridge listing now contains over 100 examples in comics, however much more seem in motion pictures, TV, video video games, and literature.
Since Alexandra’s loss of life, DC Comics hasn’t achieved a lot along with her that wasn’t tied to Kyle’s guilt over her loss. She even briefly popped up as a Black Lantern hiding in a fridge to hang-out Kyle through the iconic Blackest Evening occasion. On the similar time, what Alexandra’s loss of life helped present is the unfair and prejudiced therapy of feminine characters in media and that extra work ought to be achieved to flesh them out past their impacts on the male leads. And whereas examples of fridging can nonetheless generally be present in fashionable media, Alexandra’s loss of life unintentionally raised consciousness of one of the crucial sexist tropes in fiction.
DC Comics is Taking a Large Threat with the New Black Hand
Given all the things related to Alexandra DeWitt’s loss of life and legacy, DC Comics is taking a really massive gamble that might have long-lasting and severe repercussions for the Inexperienced Lantern model. Not solely is Alexandra as soon as once more a Black Lantern, however she has additionally assumed the position of the Black Hand, chief of the Black Lanterns and second in command to Nekron, the Lord of the Unliving. And relying on how DC Comics handles Alexandra’s story shifting ahead, resurrecting her may both be one of many smartest or dumbest selections the corporate has ever made.
For a personality as notorious as Alexandra, DC Comics may simply dredge up each controversy they tried to bury. The worst factor that the writers may do with this chance is to display that they haven’t realized their lesson from the backlash that’s haunted the corporate for many years. And subsequently, absolutely the worst narrative path with Alexandra as the brand new Black Hand is to focus solely on how her resurrection and descent into villainy impacts Kyle. Moreover, if Alexandra’s motivations lengthen solely to her anger towards Kyle and wanting revenge towards him, she’ll as soon as once more be nothing greater than a plot machine her impact on Kyle’s character—one thing that we’ve already seen many instances earlier than.
Nonetheless, there’s hope that Alexandra DeWitt will likely be greater than a prop in Kyle’s story. The return of the Black Lanterns isn’t restricted to the Inexperienced Lantern sequence, as Superman #43 additionally teased. This multi-comic teaser strongly implies that Alexandra will likely be a part of a a lot bigger storyline that may considerably affect the DC Universe. And because the new Black Hand, Alexandra has greater than sufficient energy to be a mighty and frequent villain who threatens all life within the cosmos. If DC performs its playing cards proper, they will flip Alexandra into DC Comics’ subsequent huge unhealthy, along with her personal motivations and storylines outdoors of Kyle, and make her a totally realized character who can transfer previous her fateful loss of life.
Do you assume that brining again Alexandra DeWitt was a good suggestion? Go away a Remark beneath and be a part of the dialog within the ComicBook Discussion board!