Women in Ultimate X-Men

This image, which shows a man and woman in bed, demonstrates the objectification of the woman as well as the difference between female and male representation. The man is laying down, nearly fully clothed, and holding a gun. Kneeling next to him, positioned as the focal point of the panel, is the woman. She is wearing nothing but a leotard, gloves, and tights. The visual of her body is influenced not only by her clothing but her positioning and the art style as well. Her back is arched in a way that shows her thin waist, accentuated by the unnatural art style. 

The panel cuts off at her neck, obscuring her head from view. This conveys the absence of her identity and the lack of importance it is treated with. Rather, the attention is on her body which is in full view. 

This depiction is in contrast to that of the man, who is fully in view, holding a gun which alludes to his sense of power, and the way he speaks. In the text, he calls her an “ignorant woman” for being concerned about a possible earthquake. The disparity between them is supported not just visually, but by the text as well. 

The image demonstrates the difference in them physically, with her being much smaller than him and reduced to her body while he is fully in the frame and portrayed with power. The text adds to this by creating differences in their mentality as well. She is berated by him and called ignorant for being uninformed. The portrayal this conveys is one where she has no value aside from her body– her identity is obscured and her intelligence written off.

In this panel, characters Wolverine and Jean Grey are seen kissing. The notable aspect of this image that pertains to this exhibit is the contrast between the two characters. They are illustrated in a way that accentuates their respective masculinity and femininity. 

With two feet firmly on the ground Wolverine, standing behind Jean Grey, is fully supporting her body weight. He is standing in an angular pose which shows off the muscles of his arm, neck, and shoulders. Jean Grey, on the other hand, is collapsed in Wolverine’s arms. Her feet are not on the ground, giving her no foundation of her own to stand on and making her fully reliant on him to hold her up. Her pose is much more curved and demonstrates more movement than Wolverine’s pose. 
(To see a similar depiction of male and female poses, see the Avengers: The Search for She-Hulk, Issue 74 image).

The art style supports the disparity between their positioning through the stylization of their bodies. Wolverine has well-defined muscles while Jean Grey has none. Wolverine’s bicep is as wide as the entirety of Jean’s waist. Wolverine is drawn with lines on his face which allows him to convey expressions while Jean’s face is smooth save for a line that highlights the position of her cheekbone. Her clothes are disturbed by movement and reveal her stomach while his clothes remain in place. Jean’s body is nearly fully on display while his body is obscured by hers. 

The way the image portrays the two is not on equal footing. Rather, Jean Grey is submissive to Wolverine in almost every aspect of the image.