Uncanny Avengers: Breaking Labels and What Havok Said?

 

Uncanny Avengers

Breaking Labels and What Havok Said?

 

So this is what has been currently buzzing (or is it bugging) around the comic book community. Last weeks edition of The Uncanny Avengers, issue No. 5 included a speech from their leader; mutant Havok AKA Alex Summers regarding the name/label 'mutant'.

Now initially I did not pay attention to this as much, but shock hit me once I read the dozen tweets and articles headlining against this one piece of work. Basically ire was raised over the fact that Alex Summers as a character and Rick Remender as the writer had decided to abolish in his mind, his 'mutant' label and status. 

To some this may seem perfectly normal, mutants after all are an allegory for minorities. This way, what I felt, was that he was abolishing the labels that identify us as black or white or gay or straight. To me it made sense, to simply identify each other as humans; through the choices as Alex points out we make as individuals.

On the internet though, people felt Remender was denying minority status and forgetting the acts against minorities caused by breaking such a label. It was widely felt that Remender was rather dismissive and should have clearly outlined his thoughts. What thoughts would these be? well thoughts that Havok wanted to be identified as a person first, not by his minority group (which would be second). This would in turn suit much better that Person A is a human just like the rest of us and he suffers due to his minority status as a black, homosexual or Muslim. I now see the clear difference, an easy way to judge that would be by replacing the so called 'M' word with another label to identify a minority. Overall Remender needs to know the difference between a 'minority label' and a 'slur against a certain group'.

Of course it didn't help that Remender unfortunately had a twitter outburst; 

In all honesty, I see this as a good thing. Not the page, but the situation. It can help writers understand the issue in the future and makes people aware of the difference between breaking and defining a label and accepting your minority status. For me, it allows me to read comics and not take everything at face value, but rather look at the deeper meaning the writer is trying to convey and whether that issue is profoundly explained. There are both negatives and positive highlighted around this page, if you read the above page what are your thoughts? is this a step forward in breaking labels and identifying everyone through their actions? Or is this the ignorance that affects the identification of minority group and their rights? 

Hit me up on your thoughts. 

PS.: If you think my views or points are wrong or incorrect, I would like you to correct me in a civil manner. As you can read from my earlier ignorance, I don't have a good grasp regarding the real world issue. Thank You.

'Nuff Said

Aneesh Raikundalia