Holy voter suppression, Batgirl! What comics reveal about gender and democracy

• Comic books used to be a niche genre of interest to a narrow subset of popular culture enthusiasts.
• Since the 1970s, however, they increasingly have supplied the characters and stories on which film, television and streaming media empires are founded.
• As a scholar of gender and political culture, I am interested in comic book depictions of superheroines as elected officials.

Wonder Woman for president

• Wonder Woman, the Amazonian princess, warrior for peace and Earth’s self-appointed defender, has long been an icon of feminist strength.
• She famously graced the cover of Ms. magazine’s inaugural issue in 1972, depicted as a giant superheroine rescuing an embattled world as she ran for U.S. president on a platform of “peace and justice.” In 1944, however, when Wonder Woman ran for president in the pages of her own comic book, the story exhibited a surprising undercurrent of authoritarianism and sexist thinking.
• “Wonder Woman for President,” is a flash-forward story set in the 3000s, when women head the governments of the world.
• “Girl troopers” guard President Arda Moore, the woman who precedes Wonder Woman’s ascent to the Oval Office.

Giving sexist and authoritarian politics “the boot”

• A comics narrative that has been overlooked by scholars and fans, however, illustrates how popular culture can foster healthier attitudes about politics and gender.
• In “The Unmasking of Batgirl,” Batgirl is discouraged that the crooks she sends to jail get released and commit more crimes.
• Disillusioned with vigilantism, she decides that the only way to effectively fight crime is to champion legislation aimed at crime prevention and prison reform.

Telling democratic stories

• Sometimes, like Wonder Woman’s signature outfit, they’re draped in red, white and blue.
• Although Batgirl’s congressional tenure has largely been ignored by scholars and fans, it illustrates how even pulpy remnants of historical pop culture sometimes provide a surprisingly robust vision of gender equity and democratic strength.