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Autism in Comics

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TiggersAreGreat Since: Mar, 2011
#1: Aug 2nd 2011 at 3:54:28 PM

I have noticed that the number of characters who have autism in comics is small enough to count with the fingers on one hand.

In DC Comics, there is only one character who is explicitly said to have autism, and his name is Black Manta. Believe it or not, one of his origin stories state that he was a patient in Arkham Asylum, and he was subjected to medieval treatments in an attempt to "cure" his autism, which apparently made him go wrong. This sounds a lot like those stories of how people with autism were put in an institution, and institutions are bad places to end up in. Black Manta, unfortunately, is Aquaman's archenemy. He murdered Aquaman's infant son, and would have murdered his own son.

In Marvel Comics, there is only one character who has autism or is autistic, and his name is David AKA Legion. Legion also has Multiple Personality Disorder (now referred to as Disassociative Identity Disorder). He has at least 9 personalities, and certainly has issues.

For those of you who are wondering, autism is a brain disorder that is present from birth, and a person with autism tends to display the symptoms of being self-absorbed to an abnormal degree, which can be observed in early childhood. People with autism tend to have a lack of response to other humans, as well as a limited ability or disinclination to communicate and socialize. Other features of autism include being very sensitive to sound, being very sensitive to being touched, enjoying repetition (e.g. flicking a light switch on and off as many times as they like), and enjoying a rigid routine which they will not like if it gets disrupted. There is an entire spectrum of autism, so it comes in many forms.

Guess what? I have a form of autism, so the points in the previous paragraph can be applied to me. I also find it troubling (maybe even disturbing) that not only are there very few autistic characters in comics to speak of, but at least one of them is protrayed as a Complete Monster. I wonder how much experience the writers have had with autistic people.

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!
brc2000 Thermonuclear Warrior from here Since: Jul, 2010
Thermonuclear Warrior
#2: Aug 2nd 2011 at 4:11:28 PM

You don't really see many autistic people in media in general.

Gray64 Since: Dec, 1969
#3: Aug 2nd 2011 at 8:04:21 PM

Is you're issue that there are few characters with autism, or that the ones who exist aren't portrayed correctly? Do you really see this as an issue? How many characters with Autism should there be?

Ever notice how many characters with eyeglasses are portrayed as nerds? And how few asthmatics there are? And you hardly ever see anyone of Basque descent in comics, either.

I'm not trying to be flip or disrespectful here, but you really can't expect comics to cover every concieveable demographic. Puts me in mind of a meeting the US Press Club had with foreign Journalists once where a reporter from Fiji complained that the US media never mentioned Fiji.

foodbattle ...What the brown? from Tahiti (it's a magical place) Since: Oct, 2009
...What the brown?
#4: Aug 2nd 2011 at 10:02:36 PM

Having split personalities like Legion doesn't make someone autistic. That's a completely different disorder.

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Sparkysharps Since: Jan, 2001
#5: Aug 2nd 2011 at 10:43:05 PM

[up] I believe he's actually supposed to be comorbid.

As for the topic at hand: Why are you signaling out media's representation of autism specifically, as opposed to, say, every goddamned mental illness ever?

Because, really, both the psychology major me and the mentally disordered me have come to understand that a hell of a lot of writers don't really care to know about psychology, abnormal or otherwise, beyond "There was this dude named Freud and he had a bunch of wacky theories."

edited 2nd Aug '11 10:44:46 PM by Sparkysharps

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#6: Aug 3rd 2011 at 1:01:41 AM

Considering the symptoms, it seems to be that an autistic person is terribly unsuited for life as a superhero. Especially regarding the need for routine; most superheros seem required to live on a 'the situation changes every ten minutes' basis. Considering their general treatment of mental conditions (with wildly varying degrees of accuracy) it might just be that they don't want to write an autistic character on a regular basis.

Now, say, as a teacher in Xavier's Institute that doesn't go around in the tights, or someone who works for Stark or is a colleague of Dr. Fantastic that could work, but not themselves as a superhero.

Course, there's always the thought that you yourself could write/draw such a character. Or that such a character belongs to a genre other than superheroes.

1Samildanach Human from Australia Since: Dec, 1969
Human
#7: Aug 3rd 2011 at 1:09:31 AM

Looking at the number of tropes listed on HollywoodPsych, and having read enough of them to know most are related to writers having pretty much NFI regarding real psychology, your post does not surprise me.

As someone who has Bipolar Affective Disorder type II (I like using the long version tongue), I do feel your pain. But the problem is systemic sad.

EDIT: A word was missing.

edited 3rd Aug '11 2:49:25 AM by 1Samildanach

TiggersAreGreat Since: Mar, 2011
#8: Aug 3rd 2011 at 5:20:00 AM

A sensible strategy would be to cover demographics one at a time rather than all at once. Maybe comics can't cover them all, but they can potentially cover a lot of them if they tried.

The funny thing about mental illness is that no one seems capable of understanding it unless they have experienced it themselves or have met people with mental illness. This is not an attempt to sound offensive, this is an impression that I have gotten.

Also, I'm not so sure that Autism is a mental illness. I mean, it's not like getting a cold or the flu.

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#9: Aug 3rd 2011 at 5:33:06 AM

There's not enough Narcoleptic characters in comic.

Damnit, I want a Narcoleptic superhero! The Auto-Sandman! Autism gets all the breaks and media attention!

edited 3rd Aug '11 5:35:01 AM by Ghilz

Gray64 Since: Dec, 1969
#10: Aug 3rd 2011 at 6:15:10 AM

While I would say that when comics portray a specific mental disorder, the writers aught to do their research and portray it responsibly, the comics industry as a whole and comics creators individually are under no obligation to portray mental illness/mental disorders at all.

On a slightly related not, once upon a time Wonder Woman fought a female villian whom she was afraid to hit because the villian was a hemophiliac; if the author had bothered to do any research at all, he/she would have discovered that women don't develop hemophilia, and for very obvious reasons can't be hemophiliacs.

Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#11: Aug 3rd 2011 at 6:30:22 AM

[up]Did Not Do The Research

Haemophilia CAN occur in women, but it is much rarer than men, and requires both parents to carry the recessive X chromosome disorders.

Sparkysharps Since: Jan, 2001
#12: Aug 3rd 2011 at 12:28:07 PM

Also, I'm not so sure that Autism is a mental illness. I mean, it's not like getting a cold or the flu.

Most mental disorders aren't like getting the cold or the flu, I assure you.

Theoriginalblader Sloving cases one by one from Downtown Since: Feb, 2011
Sloving cases one by one
#13: Aug 3rd 2011 at 12:48:27 PM

Two of my friends thought Calvin had Autism.

TiggersAreGreat Since: Mar, 2011
#14: Aug 3rd 2011 at 1:20:15 PM

If any of you are wondering what narcolepsy is, this might help you understand. A definition of bipolar disorder can be found here.

Actually, the autism I have, if you want to be technical about it, is closer to Asperger's syndrome. For a definition of this syndrome, see this.

edited 3rd Aug '11 1:21:12 PM by TiggersAreGreat

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!
Sparkysharps Since: Jan, 2001
#15: Aug 3rd 2011 at 1:27:45 PM

Tiggers, we have computers. We are fully capable of wiki-ing disorders we're curious about if we so wish.

TiggersAreGreat Since: Mar, 2011
#16: Aug 3rd 2011 at 3:21:49 PM

[up] Oh, sorry about that. sad I guess have been operating under the assumption that Internet-Surfers-Are-Morons. I understand that you guys are not morons. I have heard that there are people who surf a site, come across terms that they have never seen before, and they make no attempt to find out what those terms mean themselves. It takes all sorts, doesn't it?

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!
1Samildanach Human from Australia Since: Dec, 1969
Human
#17: Aug 3rd 2011 at 5:10:03 PM

There's not enough Narcoleptic characters in comic.

Damnit, I want a Narcoleptic superhero! The Auto-Sandman! Autism gets all the breaks and media attention!

Now I want one too sad. What would his super power/powers be, though? Send other people to sleep would fit, but is a bit too Sandman-ish (would work for a deconstructive/parody style series). Super strength/endurance is pretty generic, being unrelated to the neurological condition would be a nice touch, and would provide plenty of opportunities for drama/humour — single-handedly holding up a falling building... then falling asleep and thereby dropping it early, for example. Being a diminutive, otherwise normal woman would play with our expectations (strong people are big, superheroes are larger-than-life, etc.). Putting that in bullet points:

  • Suffers from narcolepsy.
  • Super strong/tough
  • Small body size
  • Relatively well adjusted (none of that angsty, need-to-prove-herself stuff, just gets on with things).

Any other ideas to add to the brainstorm?

TiggersAreGreat Since: Mar, 2011
#18: Aug 3rd 2011 at 5:53:06 PM

Well, a character with autism could possibly qualify as an Anti-Hero. You could have the character as a Good Is Not Nice guy, or a Knight in Sour Armor type.

Hey, here's an idea DC Comics ought to think about! They could make an autistic character who would be placed in the role of Oracle. That would be the role Barbara Gordon AKA Bat Girl was put into after that horrible incident involving The Joker. Then, if they wanted, they could make the autistic character paralyzed from the waist down and has to rely on a wheelchair. Yes, and then they would end up with a Twofer Token Minority!

What do you think? Is this a brilliant idea, or a horrible idea?

Oh, Equestria, we stand on guard for thee!
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#19: Aug 3rd 2011 at 5:56:56 PM

[up] That does nothing to help the crippling under-representation for Narcoleptic characters! Why would autism get all the glamour!

Any other ideas to add to the brainstorm?

Should be called the Auto-Sandman.

edited 3rd Aug '11 5:57:34 PM by Ghilz

NitztheBloody Nitz the Bloody from SO CAL Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Nitz the Bloody
#20: Aug 3rd 2011 at 11:42:11 PM

If it's any consolation, several characters in my webcomic are referenced as spectrum-y, and one of the major characters is confirmed autistic...

We Are The Wyrecats Needs Tropes!
NitztheBloody Nitz the Bloody from SO CAL Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Nitz the Bloody
#21: Aug 3rd 2011 at 11:47:08 PM

Considering the symptoms, it seems to be that an autistic person is terribly unsuited for life as a superhero. Especially regarding the need for routine; most superheros seem required to live on a 'the situation changes every ten minutes' basis. Considering their general treatment of mental conditions (with wildly varying degrees of accuracy) it might just be that they don't want to write an autistic character on a regular basis.

Hence where the HERO part of the equation comes in, overcoming challenges internal and external in order to help others.

We Are The Wyrecats Needs Tropes!
SKJAM Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Baby don't hurt me!
#22: Aug 4th 2011 at 4:32:05 AM

Technically a different forum, but With The Light is a better-than-usual depiction of an autism-spectrum character.

VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Calendar enthusiast
#23: Aug 4th 2011 at 6:24:26 AM

Why have the autistic character be a superhero?

You could write a comic where an autistic character uncovers some sort of big government conspiracy and tries to warn the world while avoiding the CIA. That has action, intrigue, and suspense, plus it makes more sense to put an autistic character in that role.

Ukrainian Red Cross
System32 Since: Mar, 2010
#24: Aug 5th 2011 at 8:02:31 AM

The SCP foundation has an autistic Reality warper article. The idea of a Low Functioning Autistic demigod rampaging through Metropolis or Gotham because it's a part of his/her routine sounds interesting.

Similarly, An actual Schizophrenia suffering batman villain would be interesting.

Alternatively, I had an idea for an entrely new comic:

Super team consisting entirely of superheroes with a form of disability. The idea is the leader Realised that while they have the ability to help the world, they cannot do it without help. Practically the whole cast save a few are paraplegic/autistic/insane or mentally ill in some way.

The comic itself would be a homage to the classic Very Special Episode PSA's of the olden days, while still having a rich plot discussing learning to work alone, overcoming weaknesses and disability issues such as stigma. (As you can tell, I'm not thinking about a long running comic here.)

Jordan Azor Ahai from Westeros Since: Jan, 2001
Azor Ahai
#25: Aug 5th 2011 at 8:10:29 AM

Had a thought. Molly in Runaways might qualify as a narcoleptic. Using her powers tires her quickly and she has to sleep a while to recharge.

Hodor

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