Forge in the cartoons

A correspondent asked me about Forge. Since I haven't discussed him much, here's a brief bio:

Forge (comics)Forge is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a superhero associated with The X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist John Romita Jr., he first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #184 (August 1984).

A mutant with an unsurpassed brilliance in technology, Forge has had a lengthy career as a government weapons contractor. He shared a romantic relationship with Storm, and a brief affair with Emma Frost which led him to associate with the X-Men, beefing-up the technology at the X-Mansion. He was also a member of the Pentagon-funded mutant group X-Factor.And here's the correspondent's e-mail:I should mention the new X-Men cartoon, "Wolverine and the X-Men." It is easily the worst X-Men cartoon I've ever seen including the "Pryde of the X-Men" pilot episode, and I should have expected that since it's really a marketing tie-in for the upcoming Wolverine movie. However, it is the first X-Men video release, cartoon or otherwise, with Forge as a main team member (and not as a "visiting member," someone from the future, etc.). In the pilot episode, the Forge character read very "white" except for the one fringed boot; no reeds or drums or chanting, no distinctly stereotypically "Native" features or vocal tendencies, or any mention of spirituality in the first 5 episodes that I have seen. Instead of Forge being portrayed as strong or a war veteran, he is kind of a scrawny nerd, especially next to the other male characters, with a bit of a whiny voice.

This is interesting, because Forge in X-Men: TAS [The Animated Series] was definitely a clichéd '90s PC "wise old Indian," if a buff one, when shown as an old man in the future, and an angry younger man when shown (briefly) in the "present" timeline (this being a decade ago). Forge in X-Men: Evolution was a bit character whose origin was dramatically overhauled and, though definitely depicted as a man of color, did not have his Nativeness openly mentioned or acknowledged visually or through audio or dialogue clues. (Conversely, the "very special" Danielle Moonstar episode had drums, chanting, AND flutes accompanying her, pigtail braids, turquoise jewelry and leather fringe, and the requisite dream-imaging, magical spirit coma, possession/personality shifts, ghost town, and lone village elder-mystic.)

Would you consider this a step forward or a step back? I know that the Native woman as sexual object is not going anywhere for a while, but is this next step after the PC romanticized view of the Native man a good change towards realism or a step backwards into perceived irrelevance and non-threatening emasculation? I may be being hypersensitive, especially considering the Forge character IS a giant nerd, but it just doesn't sit quite right with me. I think it is the tokenism (implied?) of the character that bugs me more than anything else; even in TAS and Evolution, other Native characters showed up (usually for 1-2 episodes only, but that's still something). In this new cartoon, the only one is Forge; all the other main characters are white (or Storm).

I'd appreciate your opinion on the matter, but of course, unless you have access to the English Canadian release or are willing to download it, there isn't any way for you to watch it firsthand until 2009. In any case, thanks for your time and input!

--GenevieveComment:  I don't need to see something to address it, Genevieve. Besides, you've described the issue well enough.

In the comics, Forge is a tough, taciturn character who makes machines in his workshop but doesn't interact with others much. With few exceptions, there are no indicators that he's an Indian. You probably could read an X-Men comic for a year or two without realizing his ethnicity.

I haven't seen more than a glimpse of the X-Men cartoon series. It sounds as though none of the series have made Forge blatantly Native, which would be consistent with the comics. It also sounds as though he was formerly an angry warrior type but has become a "scrawny nerd." Neither of these is consistent with his portrayal in the comics, but never mind.

So we have two issues to consider. One, is it a step forward to portray Forge as a character devoid of Native trappings--i.e., as a generic character of indeterminate ethnicity? Two, is it a step forward to change him from an angry warrior into a scrawny nerd?

The answers

The answer to Question 2 is the easiest. Yes, it's a step forward. Something like half the Native superheroes are angry warrior types (Thunderbird, Warpath, Ripclaw, Super-Chief, Black Condor, et al.). The other half are wise shaman types. A scrawny Indian nerd is a type seldom if ever seen, so that's good.

Question 1 is a little trickier. Many Native superheroes are either drenched in cultural markers (as Genevieve describes Moonstar, above) or devoid of them. Neither one is realistic.

If you spend some time with Indians, they won't go on about the Great Spirit, their oneness with nature, or their most recent vision. They also won't be indistinguishable from non-Indians. They'll usually say or do something that reminds you they're Indians. They'll express their "Indianness" one way or another.

I don't think Forge wears a headband or fringed boots much anymore. Without them, you wouldn't necessarily know he's an Indian. It's possible he could go a long time without revealing his ethnicity.

I'd consider this portrayal (not Indian enough) a step sideways from a portrayal that's too Indian. These are the end-points on a spectrum of possibilities. The ideal would be something in-between: a character who doesn't wear his Indianness on his sleeve but also doesn't forget he's an Indian.

For more on the subject, see Thunderbird in the Cartoons.

Below:  "What was I thinking? Apaches wear headbands but I'm a Cheyenne."