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This is a collection of essays that analyze the presence of ableism in superhero narratives from television shows, films, and comics. Contributors use critical disability studies, media studies, cultural studies, and other interdisciplinary fields to unveil the misinformation, stigma, and exclusion caused by ableist representations of disability or disability-related experiences. Ableism is unmasked in media franchises such as DC Comics, Marvel, Sesame Street, and more.
These essays go beyond what is currently available in critical disability superhero studies, and explore both the well-known and lesser-known characters including Iron Man, Daredevil, Dr. Strange, Thor, Nick Fury, Jessica Jones, War Machine, Wonder Woman, Dr. Poison, the Joker, Bucky Barnes, Punisher, Rocket and Groot, Luke Cage, Captain America, and Sesame Street's Super Grover. They also offer insightful intersectional analyses of entire series, films, and shows such as Arrowverse and The Ables.
List of contents
Table of ContentsPreface
Amber E. George
Introduction: Making Sense of Superheroes and Their Social Identities
Amber E. George
Hyper-Normative Heroes, Othered Villains: Differential Disability Narratives in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Kelly A. Kane
Living in the Mutant Underground: Marvel's The Gifted
Sue Scheibler
Isolation, Overcoming, and the Filmic Stare in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Iron Man Films
Grace McCarthy
Tech as Ableist Tool: Understanding the Role of Disability in the Arrowverse Series
Courtney Stanton
Cultural Appropriation and Ableism: Dr. Strange's Strange Concoction
Shanti Srinivas
Of Sexism and Ableism: Wonder Woman's (Ab)Use of Disability
Tatiana Prorokova-Konrad
Assimilating Queer/Disabled Subjects in Marvel Superhero Fanfiction
Divya Garg
Enabling New Perspectives of (Super)Power and Disability in Jeremy Scott's The Ables
Robin E. Field and Christopher Boucher
"It is I, Super Grover, Here to Challenge Ableism!"
Daisy L. Breneman
The Joker: Disrupting Perceptions of (Dis)ability in Batman Comic Books
Sean Thomas Milligan
About the Contributors
Index
About the author
Amber E. George is an assistant professor of philosophy and diversity, equity, and inclusion at Galen College and has written and edited several books that explore social justice themes. She lives in Vestal, New York.
Summary
Analyses the presence of ableism in superhero narratives from television shows, films, and comics. Contributors use critical disability studies, media studies, cultural studies, and other interdisciplinary fields to unveil the misinformation, stigma, and exclusion caused by ableist representations of disability or disability-related experiences.
