If you had superpowers, would you automatically use them to do the right thing? Uphold law and order, stop supervillains and rescue stranded kittens from trees? In Super, the answer is an unequivocal "yes." Ophelia has a clarity of purpose that few of the other women in the series can touch. She wakes up in the morning knowing exactly who she is and what she wants to do with her life.
J is nothing like Ophelia. Being good doesn't come naturally to her. She's a smartass, a fighter, a drinker and general rabble-rouser. (And she would mock the hell out of you for saying "rabble-rouser", too.) The world's been kicking her around since she was very small, and she decided along the way that the only smart thing to do was kick back, both for her own sake and for the people who couldn't do it themselves. And because it's funny. Did I mention that J's not really a color-in-the-lines kind of girl?
I've mentioned a few times on this blog that I unabashedly, unequivocally love heroes. Why am I so fond of J, then, given that she treats the law as something to poke at with a stick while giggling? Because I also think it's interesting to see how heroes are made, the struggle to do the right thing. J's a fun, complex character precisely because she and Ophelia approach the world with such different viewpoints. The dialogue between them is my favorite of the series.
I also really like blowing things up. Probably best to get that out right upfront.
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