Just in time for Pride Month, Marvel is debuting two transgender superheroes
A brand-new hero will be introduced in the forthcoming 2022 edition of 'Marvel Voices: Pride!' It was reported earlier this week that Marvel Voices: Pride #1, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ characters and creators of the Marvel universe, will feature the first glimpse of Escapade, a new transgender mutant superhero.
In a statement announcing the new heroes, Marvel stated that their first expedition will be in a 'high-flying, yet intensely personal mission' to the mutant country of Krakoa in a Pride comic. Her first narrative will be a 20-page adventure written by Charlie Jane Anders, illustrated by Ted Brandt and Ro Stein, and colored by Tamra Bonvillain. Escapade, whose real name is Shela Sexton and who will be introduced in Marvel's upcoming Pride comic, is a trans mutant who can instantly toggle physical locations with another individual or trade any particular physical or abstract attributes like superhuman powers, skills, organizational status, possessions, and even situations! According to a press release, the duo travels the Marvel Universe as professional thieves, robbing criminal and corrupt organizations until an incident changes Escapade's life forever.
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Escapade can only keep power for a few hours at a stretch and must be within seven feet of her aim, and the more complicated the switch, the more likely a disaster. Escapade is fortunate to have an indispensable companion on her side in the form of her tech-savvy best buddy Morgan Red, as well as a tool belt carrying an arsenal of illicit tools and devices. Morgan and Escapade travel the Marvel Universe as seasoned thieves, robbing from criminal and corrupt organizations...until a chance meeting with Destiny and Emma Frost alters Escapade's life forever. Escapade's superpower is the ability to transform into anyone standing close enough to her.
The fact that both of Anders' characters are transgender is a crucial component of the plot, according to her. She also mentions how vital it was to her to include a complete community of trans mutants in this comic, not just Morgan and Shela. Se wanted to make it quite apparent that being a mutant is not a metaphor for being trans, but also vice versa. The writer thinks that her creation has faced rejection because she is transsexual. She wants to be there for everyone who has been abandoned, and she wants to make people feel as though they can belong, be seen, and loved. That is something she hopes everybody reading this comic, particularly young trans people, will take away.
The other member of the team is a genetically modified turtle that they rescued from a lab. Anders informed Marvel's website that she is a devoted fan of the Marvel Universe and that she sings the original Spider-Man animation theme tune in the shower. Anders now hopes that her creations will inspire trans and non-binary people all across the world to feel that they, too, can fight for justice through the power of creativity and chosen family.
Escapade will be introduced in Marvel's Voices: Pride #1, revealing her profession as a superhero/thief and delving into her background as a trans mutant. Fans may expect her to become involved with the X-Men, and a devastating prophecy is revealed in her destiny, and she will return in the fall in a special New Mutants' story arc guest-written by Anders.