#the defenders

I just finished the final season of Jessica Jones on Netflix and overall I feel fairly ambivalent about it. I think the first season was by far the show’s strongest and I felt like the show lost some of its heart (namely through the way we see the corruption of Trish and especially Malcolm), but overall I felt like it held to some of its core themes, and I certainly didn’t hate it. However, what this season got me thinking about, and what I think becomes a clear problematic which repeats throughout many of Netflix’s Marvel originals shows is the way the vigilante role of the superpowered heroes is represented and played out: heroes demonstrate repetitively the failing of America’s criminal justice system, and yet ultimately reify the validity of these structures in very frustrating ways. Definitely spoilers below. 

Before continuing, I do want to emphasize two things: first, this is intended to be an intervention on an incredibly prevalent problem, not a complete dismissal of the shows themselves. Considering how much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe centers on the stories of white men (frequently rich or middle-class, and exclusively canonized as heterosexual despite fan counter-readings), it is important to acknowledge the significance of Netflix shows centering their stories on women, people of color, and people with disabilities, as well as the way they, to some extent, address the social inequalities that marginalized communities and individuals experience. Secondly, I also do not want to suggest that all of the Marvel Netflix-originals have the same kinds of potentials; The Punisher, for example, does not, to me, hold the same possibilities as Luke Cage, and I’m not even looking at Iron Fist because I haven’t watched it and don’t intend to.

Let me first start by briefly discussing the concept of the prison industrial complex and prison abolition. If you are unfamiliar with the concept or the activism I highly suggest reading The Nation’s article “What Is Prison Abolition?” and looking at Critical Resistance, which was co-founded by Ruth Wilson Gilmore and Angela Davis. Taken from the website’s about, “the prison industrial complex (PIC) is a term we use to describe the overlapping interests of government and industry that use surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as solutions to economic, social and political problems.” What prison abolition is about “is a political vision with the goal of eliminating imprisonment, policing, and surveillance and creating lasting alternatives to punishment and imprisonment.” There are a number of excellent scholars/theorists/activists who discuss prison abolition, but here I’m going to be citing and discussing “Prison Reform or Prison Abolition?” (the introduction to Angela Davis’s Are Prisons Obsolete?) and Morgan Bassichis, Alexander Lee, and Dean Spade’s “Building an Abolitionist Trans and Queer Movement with Everything We’ve Got.”

Let me start tracing this argument through Jessica Jones by drawing out a few of the examples which initially brought this criticism to the forefront of my mind while watching this final season:

1. Corrupt Cops & the Need for Jury Evidence: while the show demonstrates the limitations of policing and the criminal justice system, it simultaneously acknowledges corrupt cops who are abusing their power and the inability of police to lock up a villain because they don’t have enough evidence or the ability to get said evidence. By showing these together, there is a suggestion that the two issues at once separate from each other and equally problematic. We do not see police officers acting without warrants, assaulting/shooting suspects (although in one scene, an officer threatens to shoot Jessica when she is smashing a gazebo and digging beneath the foundation to recover a body neither the officer nor the homeowners realize is hidden there up until Trish begins filming her), or acting outside of the law to collect evidence; instead, the show’s hero does many of these things in contexts which suggest she is correct to do so (again, the antagonist she is facing up against is a psycopathic serial killer who tries to kill her multiple times). The corrupt cop in this season is removed from the central action; his corruption allows Jessica to do what she “needs” to do (destroy evidence which will allow the villain to be incarcerated, to keep her sister out of prison), and is represented as being separate from the police force as an institution. There is even a way in which his actions are presented as being potentially justifiable: he kills drug dealers to steal from them. We are told this is wrong because they are kids and still have “time to change,” implying that if they were adults, their murders would be perhaps justified (and one officer even comments that “one of those kids” hit her in the head with a bike lock, suggesting that their age doesn’t matter); we are also told it is wrong because his motive is the theft, not “justice.” This again implies that things might be different if he was murdering drug dealers for dealing drugs, and again obscures the systemic inequalities which produce crime, as well as the way the PIC contributes to and benefits from these inequalities.
2. “Supers” and Prisons: acknowledged but never fully addressed is the significance of “supers” as an unprotected category. When Trish is arrested, Detective Costa informs her that the NYPD doesn’t have jurisdiction and that powered peoples are, apparently, not afforded due process of law. When Jessica is initially reluctant to tell the police that the masked vigilante is Trish and hopes to stop Trish herself, Jessica comments that no one really knows what happens on the Raft because no one from the Raft is able to contact the outside world. Given the context that Luke Cage’s powers came from illegal experimentation conducted on him while he was incarcerated, it seems possible if not probable that experimentation/medical torture is being conducted on those incarcerated on the Raft, and it becomes all the more insidious that Luke shows up to explain to Jessica that he himself had to send his brother to the Raft, and convince her to do the same. Essentially by addressing some of the extreme human rights abuses involved in incarceration in the real world through the metaphor of fictitious superpowered people being denied the (facade of) protections that are extended to suspected criminals, the argument being made is that even incarceration at its worst is a necessary and viable solution to crime.
3. The problematic of “diverse” cops: this is less centered in the narrative and subsequently has lower stakes than the other two examples I discuss above, but by representing a “diverse” police force, we are given the illusion that police forces “are” “diverse”, and that this means something. Costa, who is shown having “personal problems” in the form of going through the adoption process with his husband, who is worried about how much Costa is working and whether or not he will be more present as a parent, obscures the reality of homophobia in the PIC.

Davis argues that “the prison is considered so ‘natural’ that it is extremely hard to imagine life without it” (10) and the consequence of this is that “the U.S. population in general is less than five percent of the world’s total, whereas more than twenty percent of the world’s combined prison population can be claimed by the United States” (11). She goes on to raise the question “why were people so quick to assume that locking away an increasingly large proportion of the U.S. population would help those who live in the free world feel safer and more secure?” (14). Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, The Punisher, and Daredevil, address, to varying degrees and varying success, some of the problems of the PIC: they acknowledge police corruption, wrongful incarceration, the effects of financial inequalities on criminal justice outcomes (namely in the power of the rich to avoid punishment), illegal treatment of prisoners (through experimentation/medical torture), the effects of trauma and poverty on the creation of the “criminal”, and the lasting effects of incarceration. However, the solutions suggested through these shows, at best emphasize alternative models of policing/surveillance (in the case of Jessica Jones, private investigator and serial trespasser, an increased kind of policing/surveillance) and reforming systems rather than abolishing them. The problem with this, as Davis points out, is that “frameworks that rely exclusively on reforms help to produce the stultifying idea that nothing lies beyond the prison” (20). Furthermore, the shows, for the most part, do not even call of for reforms or imagine reform as a real possibility anyways; they suggest empathy but maintain that prison or death are the only ways to stop “real” criminals. The prison is almost always the naturalsolution in these shows; the only question is who belongs in them and how they should get there. Worse, the only show which consistently deviates from the naturalness of incarceration is The Punisher, which suggests the better alternative to prisons might be revenge killings. 

In discussing “the hero mindset,” Bassichis, Lee, and Spade discuss, essentially, the pitfalls of neoliberalism and argue that “stories of mass struggle become stories of individuals overcoming great odds,” and give the example of narratives which center Rosa Parks as “sparking” the Montgomery Bus Boycott through a solitary (“lonely”) act while obscuring the reality that she was an experienced civil rights activist acting in part of a series of civil disobediences (26). This is a general problematic of the superhero (and especially “vigilante” hero) genre, and it becomes particularly relevant in shows such as Luke CageandJessica Jones which are addressing systemic issues like racism, the prison industrial complex, and sexual assault/abuse in important (if imperfect ways). Superheroes, especially vigilante heroes, predominantly work alone; when they do team up it’s typically only with one or two others (Jessica working with Trish), short-lived (The Defenders), or both (Jessica sometimes working with Luke, Malcolm, and/or Erik). What’s important, is that they arevigilantes, working outside of structures or movements; while operating outside structures can have the potential to suggest alternatives solutions to the structures (ie the way that prison abolition looks to find solutions outside of policing/prisons), it also centers the solution (and problem) on individuals in ways which obscure the realities of broader structures. Even in these limited “team-ups” there is little to no potential for meaningful coalition between individual heroes and organizations/activist communities to address the broader inequalities which are being addressed/acknowledged. 

This plays out in the third season of Jessica Jones in the way that it centers on a binary logic which runs: prisons or vigilante-justice through murder. The audience is told that the police don’t cut it, they can’t always know who’s a “good” person or a “bad” person, and because of that “good” people are vulnerable and “bad” people walk free. The initial antagonist is a psychopathic serial killer making it easy to subscribe to this model. While it is perhaps better that the solution isn’t for Jones to kill him (again, this is the solution suggested in The Punisher), the problem is not only a reification of the prison, but that in order for this solution to be realized, Jones must take on a heightened policing role, following him, illegally searching his house, and chasing down leads the police overlooked. As Bassichis, Lee, and Spade point out, “the violence of imprisoning millions of poor people and people of color, for example, can’t be adequately explained by finding one nasty racist individual, but instead requires looking at a whole web of institutions, policies, and practices that make it “normal” and “necessary” to warehouse, displace, discard, and annihilate poor people and people of color” (23). The binary is further traced through Trish Walker, who herself becomes a (vigilante) murderer; she is partially excused (morally/as a character) of the murders, because her first two kills are assaults that go to far because she flashes to her mother’s murderer, and the third is her mother’s murderer. Furthermore, her role as a vigilante is contextualized through her own experiences of powerlessness as the victim of abuse. However, even as Trish represents a more morally ambiguous case for the need for prisons, the solution (prison) never addresses the issues we are told shaped her actions, nor any potential for other outcomes.

Defenders #1 (Englehart/Buscema, Aug 1972). Hulk keeps cool long enough to ask Dr Strange for help rescuing Namor from a necromancer. This team doesn’t make any sense but I’m kinda into that dynamic.

Defenders #3 (Englehart/Buscema, Dec 1972). The Silver Surfer’s been trapped on Earth for years now, but Doctor Strange thinks a quick detour through the Multiverse can free him. It’s a disastrous, maddening mission. Englehart brings some psychedelic storytelling, but Sal Buscema’s art is way too straightforward for such a trippy tale.

Defenders #2 (Englehart/Buscema, Oct 1972). Strange, Namor, and Hulk embark on an expedition to find the Silver Surfer.

To prep for next month’s Inktober I lowered the prices on the remaining originals I had from last year! Got a few from each show left (Voltron, Stranger Things, Marvel’s The Defenders, CW’s The Flash)! Check ‘em out, they need good homes!

–>MY STORE<–

At the Hotel Victoria, the rooms are well-appointed, the chambermaid service is quick and discreet, and the restaurant has two Michelin stars.

But there’s something strange going on within its walls, and Matt and Elektra may find themselves facing more than they bargained for. To truly put matters to rest, they’re going to need allies - but first, they’re going to have to survive the night.

“Matthew.” Elektra fills the world - every silent space in this strange building, and every cold space in his heart. “What do you know about ghosts?”

Lay a Ghost.Daredevil, Matt/Elektra. Teen. No Archive Warnings Apply.

~

I began this post-Defenders fic way back in October 2017 for the prompt “your otp vs. a haunted house”, and now it’s DONE! Hope all you fans of Matt/Elektra, mysterious happenings, Defenders team-ups, and/or Matt & Jess snark enjoy!!

[image caption: black and white mist overlaying a pair of sai. text on image: MattElektra Shiptober Week 1. Tuesday, October 1 Spar. Wednesday, October 2 Crimson. Thursday, October 3 Spectral. Friday, October 4 Yearn. Saturday, October 5 Beware.]

Happy Shiptober, everyone! It’s time to kick things off with the week one prompts! So excited to spend October with you amazingly talented folks, and see all your awesome creations! ♥ 

MattElektra Shiptober guidelines:

1. Create MattElektra content of any type based off the daily prompt (Graphics, fics, vids, meta, you name it! Show and comics-inspired works welcome!)

2. Post it at tumblr and/or the platform of your choosing

3. Tag it with #mattelektrashiptober in the first five tags

4. Do it again the next day (or as often as you can!)

5. And most importantly - have fun!

For a list of all 31 prompts, click below!

Daily Prompts

1. Spar
2. Crimson
3. Spectral
4. Yearn
5. Beware
6. Hidden
7. Dust
8. Heart
9. Wild
10. Hold
11. Bygone
12. Bleed
13. Tingle
14. Grace
15. Time
16. Curse
17. Regret
18. Scare
19. Worship
20. Swell
21. Trouble
22. Adore
23. Flicker
24. Exhale
25. Ritual
26. Shiver
27. Cease
28. Hope
29. Grave
30. Linger
31. Quiet

How I’d handle the “Daredevil” reboot (per the news from today):

1) Have Matt appear as the deuteragonist of the “Echo” show. In “Echo”, it’s revealed that Wilson Fisk somehow survived getting shot by Maya (based on the comics where the same thing happened). Since Fisk survived, Maya is forced to go on the run due to Fisk putting out a contract for her head. Matt hears about what happened and decides to help Maya escape Fisk’s wrath, thus starting the show. 

2) The main personal conflict of “Echo” is Matt and Maya trying to get along, as well as Maya’s moral dilemma. She wants to finish what she started by going after Fisk and ending him, while Matt tries to convince her that killing is wrong, no matter what. It’s basically Batman and Catwoman’s dynamic in “The Batman” when it came to killing Carmine Falcone. 

3) At the end of “Echo”, Maya decides to let Fisk live when she learns that Fisk is going back to prison. She parts ways with Matt, now more of an anti-hero than an anti-villain.

4) The “Daredevil” reboot picks up right where “Echo” ends. Fisk is on trial (again), resulting in the criminal underworld going into panic mode. Just when things are finally going Matt’s way…a new villain shows up to complicate things. The new villain can be anyone in Daredevil’s rogues gallery, but I’d personally go with either Mister Fear or Muse. 

“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a Monster.” - Nietzsche

Wrapped up bare breasted in sweaty, bloody sheets with their devilish despair.

Cinematic Parallels - Daredevil X Hannibal

1. In their full throttled devilish form

2. Sleepless Sleepyheads

3. Facepalms (Someone give them a hand so that these babies can facepalm their facepalm their facepalm their facepalm.)

4. Hot and bothered And Bloooody

5. Top of the morning for our eyes

(I have so many more parallels which will be posted in due time. Can hardly keep calm with these two absolutely brilliant avant garde top tier lovable characters.)

‘Nice ears’

‘They’re horns’

Part of a bigger piece but the suit will take me forever so see this as an appetizer I guess

This was just an excuse to draw matt and a foil balloon because I love complicated things