Women in the Avengers
This panel depicts a fight between the Hulk and She-Hulk. Through the image, the differences between how gender influences the portrayal of the characters is evident. The Hulk takes up the majority of the page. He is positioned in a power pose, with his arms raised in fists, which makes him look even larger and takes up more space. There is a lack of movement in the way his body is drawn, his position is more angular than curved. He is portrayed as an immovable force. All of this stands in contrast to She-Hulk. The two share green skin, exposed and enlarged muscles covered in veins, and ripped clothes. The way this manifests on She-Hulk though, is much more feminine than that of Hulk.
Where the Hulk is large and takes up most of the page, giving off a domineering effect, She-Hulk is regulated to the bottom corner. In being positioned under him, it implies a powerlessness she has in his presence. Instead of an angular, powerful pose, her body is curved in a way that gives a three-quarter view of both her chest and her backside, something which is only able to be achieved through the stylization of the comic. Her clothes are also influenced by her gender. The Hulk retains his pants while She-Hulk is left with only her underwear. The design of her underwear is notable as well. It is purple with lace and doesn’t fully cover her body, leaving some areas, such as her backside, exposed.
The design and exposure of her underwear, her pose, her position on the page, and her contrast to the Hulk, all work to undermine her character and pose her with her femininity as submissive to the Hulk and his masculinity.
These panels depict the villain's interactions between two women. One woman is a prostitute he hired to dress as and fulfill his fantasies of the second woman, the superhero Wasp. Through their interactions, the comic portrays both women as weak, subjugated to men, and as sexual beings. It is not only through the actions of the characters that this is enacted, but by the way the scenes are illustrated as well.
On the first page, the woman is lying on the ground in a revealing costume. Her pose makes it so that both her exposed thighs and breasts are shown to the viewer. In contrast to her vulnerable position, the man is standing behind her in a power pose, his muscles displayed and accentuated. The following page shows him throwing her out the window, presumably to her death.
The third page depicts an interaction between the villain and the real Wasp. In this interaction, he begins to sexually assault her while she is unconscious. The way that the characters are drawn reinforces the disparity between them in terms of power as influenced by gender and gender violence. The position that Wasp is drawn in, as well as the art style, highlights her breasts in each panel. Her legs are also the focal point of the second panel and are positioned in an arguably sensual way.
(To see a similar depiction of an unconscious woman, see the Batman: Black and White image).
It is assumed these panels serve to display the immorality of the villain through the way he interacts with women. However, the composition of the art and depiction of the women undermines this message with its portrayal of them as weak and as sexualized objects, even as they are being victimized.