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So apparently this Squirrel Girl is really strong...

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dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#1: Oct 5th 2011 at 4:05:54 AM

Well, even though I don't, or more accurately can't, read comics, I keep hearing a lot about this Squirrel Girl. If her reputation, which I assume is a meme, are correct, she's easily one of the most powerful, or at least effective superheroes. All I know is that she uses power that has to do with squirrels.

So...what's the deal with her?

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
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#2: Oct 5th 2011 at 4:38:08 AM

Why can't you read comics?

From what I can gather, Squirrel Girl is a comedy series. The title character's power is that she can communicate with squirrels, and that's pretty much it. The writer decided it would be funny if someone with such a weak power could defeat the most powerful supervillains in the Marvel Universe, so he made it happen. And apparently, it was indeed funny.

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dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#3: Oct 5th 2011 at 4:40:04 AM

That's about it? Huh, that's very disappointing. Not that I actually expected any of the reputations to be true but still.

Oh, we don't have comics here. More complex works like Watchmen and The Sandman can be found in some university libraries (well, I guess) and that's about it.

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
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#4: Oct 5th 2011 at 4:50:40 AM

Oh, the reputation is true, it's just Played for Laughs.

Just out of curiosity, where do you live, if you don't mind me asking?

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dRoy Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar from Most likely from my study Since: May, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just high on the world
Professional Writer & Amateur Scholar
#5: Oct 5th 2011 at 4:53:06 AM

South Korea, it would be.

Continuously reading, studying, and (hopefully) growing.
TeChameleon Since: Jan, 2001
#6: Oct 5th 2011 at 4:54:40 AM

It goes a little further than that... the character was originally a one-shot Iron Man character (late Seventies/early-Eighties-ish?) a mutant girl with mild superhuman agility, reflexes and strength, and of course the power to talk to squirrels.

The story she first showed up in had Iron Man throwing down with Doctor Doom, for... some reason... and Doc Doom had Tony on the ropes. Squirrel Girl, who was pulling a Tagalong Kid, if I remember right, pops onto Doc D's hoverwhatsit, and we were left with the memorable image of the fearsome Doctor Doom, scourge of the Marvel Universe, getting his armour ripped off of him in chunks by a small horde of squirrels.

Most fans promptly declared it Canon Discontinuity and forgot about it, but for whatever reason, one writer or another remembered it and thought it was funny, so it wound up becoming an Ascended Meme, with Squirrel Girl going on to kick cosmic-level threats in the head Behind the Black.

Sijo from Puerto Rico Since: Jan, 2001
#7: Oct 5th 2011 at 7:56:00 AM

[up]This is correct. Though you can hardly blame the fans since the idea that Doom's armor (which, remember, is made primarily to battle the Fantastic Four, including the Human Torch) would have holes in it big enough for squirrels to squeeze in and chew at wires is ridiculous. The whole thing was obviously just a joke, though thanks to the "It was a Doombot!" explanation, it can still be considered canon (though again, why would Doom make a Doombot with such a glaring design flaw still raises questions.)

Note also that the rest of Squirrel Girl's vaunted victories are highly questionable; some happened entirely off panel and might thus be imaginary (and no, the testimony of a 4th-Wall breaking squirrel doesn't count.) This IS a running gag from Marvel's writers, mostly Dan Slott. But one of these days, they are going to have to deal with the fact they don't jibe with the rest of Marvel's universe (where is she during, say, Fear Itself?)

Don't get me wrong, I like Squirrel Girl, I think she's funny and Marvel needs more idealistic heroes like her. But she needs to get out of this "She's invincible!" Meme so she can be her own character again.

KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#8: Oct 5th 2011 at 8:07:29 AM

I disagree. Keep that meme going as long as possible. The moment it ends and they start trying to make her a "serious" character, that's when they'll screw her up permanently.

TheoneandonlyJoseph Since: Jul, 2011
#9: Oct 5th 2011 at 8:19:34 AM

i have never had the opportunity to read SG, but i love the concept of an invincibal joke character. after the slaughterfest that is fear itself, the marvel universe is going to need humor.

Ronka87 Since: Jun, 2009
#10: Oct 5th 2011 at 8:42:54 AM

SG was also a member of the jokey Great Lakes Avengers, along with a bunch of other goofy superheroes. It was a great series, and I believe in it they mention she fought the likes of Thanos and won. They even had a Watcher appear saying it was the real, absolutely true Thanos and not a clone, robot, or imaginary story.

If Deadpool can be part of the Marvel canon, I see no reason why Squirrel Girl can't. So long as they don't bring her into obviously serious stories to solve them with her memetic badassness, there's nothing wrong with having her around.

TeChameleon Since: Jan, 2001
#11: Oct 5th 2011 at 8:51:35 AM

@Sijo- I've seen the comic in question; the squirrels weren't crawling inside Doom's armour and chewing through wires, they were tearing off chunks like it was made out of damp cardboard. As noted, it was kind of a surreal comic...

Highly Visible Ninja EDIT- having said that, I really hope I'm remembering the scene right...

edited 5th Oct '11 8:53:13 AM by TeChameleon

RianFike Since: Dec, 1969
#12: Oct 5th 2011 at 8:57:22 AM

Sorry, new accounts cannot post external links.

RianFike Since: Dec, 1969
#13: Oct 5th 2011 at 8:58:29 AM

Whoa. Squirrel Girl is becoming BIG TIME in the Marvel Universe, and anyone who says different is not keeping up.

She has the cover and the main story in New Avengers #15.

And she is featured in the Super Hero Squad Comic Combat video game.

She started as a joke, but now she is legit.

RianFike Since: Dec, 1969
#14: Oct 5th 2011 at 8:59:40 AM

Sijo, she has a nice sized part in Fear Itself. Stay current!

RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#15: Oct 5th 2011 at 6:06:54 PM

I've seen the comic in question; the squirrels weren't crawling inside Doom's armour and chewing through wires, they were tearing off chunks like it was made out of damp cardboard. As noted, it was kind of a surreal comic...

Maybe she summoned the superheroes of the squirrel community.

edited 5th Oct '11 6:07:32 PM by RavenWilder

Sijo from Puerto Rico Since: Jan, 2001
#17: Oct 5th 2011 at 9:37:14 PM

[up][up][up]Really? What part? Because if she CAN defeat The Serpent by herself, it'll make the rest of Marvel's biggest heroes look like idiots (that is, in fact, the biggest problem with her victories being canonical, which is why I don't believe them to be.)

And honestly, overall I've not been reading much of Fear Itself. It's just not convincing or original enough to me.

(Btw, Thanos later claimed that he can make clones even The Watcher cannot tell aren't him. Considering this guy has outsmarted Cosmic Entities before, I believe him. The only way SG could beat him is if HE wanted it to happen.)

edited 5th Oct '11 9:39:25 PM by Sijo

KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#18: Oct 5th 2011 at 9:47:14 PM

Really? What part? Because if she CAN defeat The Serpent by herself, it'll make the rest of Marvel's biggest heroes look like idiots (that is, in fact, the biggest problem with her victories being canonical, which is why I don't believe them to be.)

I disagree. Comics aren't like shonen manga—characters can be defeated by people below their power class.

silver2195 Since: Jan, 2001
#19: Oct 5th 2011 at 9:48:15 PM

[up]To a point, but that's not an excuse for Ass Pulls.

Currently taking a break from the site. See my user page for more information.
KingZeal Since: Oct, 2009
#20: Oct 5th 2011 at 9:53:50 PM

The entire point to Squirrel Girl is that her victories are offscreen. That's not an Ass Pull, it's intentionally leaving it up to the audience's interpretation.

NapoleonDeCheese Since: Oct, 2010
#21: Oct 6th 2011 at 8:31:42 PM

Trying to analzye and justify Squirrel Girl's power is Completely Missing The Point.

She's unbeatable because she's awesome, not the other way around.

edited 6th Oct '11 8:31:53 PM by NapoleonDeCheese

Zeromaeus Since: May, 2010
VampireBuddha Calendar enthusiast from Ireland (Wise, aged troper) Relationship Status: Complex: I'm real, they are imaginary
Calendar enthusiast
#24: Oct 7th 2011 at 5:12:25 PM

Wait, what? When did she curse properly?

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RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#25: Oct 7th 2011 at 6:50:30 PM

[up][up][up] Is there any particular reason to want Squirrel Girl to be in serious stories?


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