She-Bulk
by sylvia
I’m not sure when my fascination with She-Hulk began, but I remember visiting Universal Studios in Orlando on my honeymoon, and being disappointed that there were no She-Hulk action figures or other She-Hulk merchandise along with all the other Marvel stuff they were selling.
Fortunately, that was resolved when the hubs had gone back to Universal for a work trip, and found me a She-Hulk action figure! She now stands proud and green in my foyer.
So the fascination continued, and I bought comic books like they were going out of style. Prior to the comic books, I didn’t really know the story of She-Hulk, except that she was related to the Hulk.
Well, I won’t go into the whole back story here, but I realized something about She-Hulk that resonated very deeply within me:
She-Hulk is more comfortable as “She-Hulk” than as “Jennifer Walters”, her non-gamma-ray alter-ego.
I went to a Catholic grade school where we had to wear uniforms, so when Junior High came, and we had to be integrated into public school (no uniforms), my true fatshionista came out. Of course, PoDunk USA was not ready for my fierce style and I got ridiculed. The ridicule of my clothes + the ostracization for my fattyness were too much for my underdeveloped character, and conservativeness won out.
Since then, I have dressed relatively conservatively. It’s sort of my way of blending in so that what I look like doesn’t stand out more than it already does. And I’m an office lady, who occasionally has to see clients, so it just fits the mold. You could say dressing conservatively is my security blanket (one of thousands).
But I have never lost the “She-Hulk” inside me. I have told myself for years that it was a blessing in disguise that I was a fatty growing up, because otherwise I would have worn tube tops and gold lame hot pants every day. And that if I ever got thin, that is what I would do.
Wait, WHAT?!?!? What kind of ZAFTIG thinking is that? Why put on hold today what I can do RIGHT NOW!?!?!?
That’s why I respond so well to She-Hulk. Maybe she isn’t the alter-ego of Jennifer Walters. Maybe she is She-Hulk, and Jennifer Walters is just a manifestation of her desire to confirm with society.
I think it’s time for my She-Bulk to start calling the shots around here.
Now I’m off to find me some tube tops…..
Ok, this totally means we are going shopping this weekend.
umm, yeah!! the off-white pants I’m wearing (I’ve never worn off-white pants before) are just the tip of the iceberg!
I’m thinking strapless dress!
I think a lot of us can relate to that concept. Individuality is so often quashed, She-Hulk is a liberating concept.
You may not be able to wear those tube tops at the office, but honey, it’s up to you to decide whether or not to rock them in your off hours.
Yay, She-Hulk! I love her so much.
(Also I am a lawyer and my real name is Jennifer.)
so…are you She-Hulk?
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