Meet Marvel’s Latest X-Men Character, Trans Mutant Shela Sexton, Escapade
Debuting in June’s issue Marvel’s Voices: Pride # 1 is trans mutant named Shela, aka Escapade. She brings a lot to the table for the LGBTQ community.
Over the years, Marvel Comics has shown its support of the LGBTQ + community in several ways. One of the most forward-facing is representation, either through the employment of amazing creators or through characters in their comics. Recently, creator Charlie Jane Anders introduced Shela Sexton, aka Escapade.
Shela is a trans mutant superhero making her debut in Marvel’s Voices: Pride # 1 this June. In an interview on Marvel.com, Anders describes Shela as “a total goofball with a super-strong sense of justice and a profound loyalty to her friends.” Alongside Escapade on her adventures is her friend, Morgan Red, also transgender, and a genetically engineered flying turtle named Hibbert.
Artists Ted Brandt and Ro Stein helped bring Shela to life with incredible designs. Shela has brown hair with blue at the tips. Her hero costume consists of a yellow jumpsuit, with a blue jacket and boots to match. It’s a fun yet practical design that works well with Shela’s unique and useful mutant powers. Her ability allows her to switch circumstances with another person. For instance, cites Anders, if someone held Escapade, she could quickly reverse the circumstances. In the blink of an eye, the aggressor now experiences the feeling of facing down a gun. This power has many applications and potential pitfalls, but it’ll be interesting to see how this ability translates into the comics.
Anders reveals a lot about Shela’s relationships with her “chosen family.” Her best friend, Morgan, was there for her when she was first transitioning. What began as support quickly grew into a close, deep friendship. The two make an amazing team, with Shela carrying out the missions while Morgan acts as a sort of “guy in the chair.”
Because of Shela’s mutant status, she is also a part of their society. When it comes to Krakow, however, Shela is not a fan. According to Anders, she finds it suspicious and does not like the idea of a mutant nation-state. The young hero isn’t overly fond of authority over all, and “she’s not sure if she wants to belong to a nation that’s going to tell her what to do with her life and powers.”
Shela’s identity as a trans person will allow for representation within the LGBTQ + community. In her interview with Marvel.com, Anders emphasizes that being a mutant is not a metaphor for being trans and vice versa. She hopes that people can feel like they belong through Shela’s story.
After her debut in Marvel’s Voices: Pride # 1she’ll join the team at Marvel’s New Mutants. Hopefully, this should help Escapade avoid the fate of some other queer characters who made big debuts only to fade from the spotlight quickly. At the very least, it indicates a commitment to keeping Shela’s voice present and accessible to fans.
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