Rouge and the Myth of the Southern Belle
A portion of Chapter 5 of my PhD dissertation. Specifically focusing on the role of Rogue from the X-Men. Probably one of the first characters I actively tried to read everything about when I first started reading comics. Rouge and the Myth of the Southern Belle In looking at the correlation between sexuality and power, and how female power and sexuality are constrained in superhero comics, the X-Men provide some of the most compelling examples. Not only does the development of mutant powers occur at the same time as development of sexual maturity, but often those mutant powers are interwoven into how the characters develop and deal with sexual maturity and relationships. When the mutant Toad develops greenish skin and a long sticky tongue, it does change how he deals with members of the opposite sex. Similarly, Rouge, and her mutant power to absorb the powers and memories of anyone she touches changes the type of relationships she can have. It also plays strongly into myths of femal