Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login
The John Byrne Forum MOBILE
Byrne Robotics | The John Byrne Forum
Topic: Age Gap Again Post Reply | Post New Topic
Author
Message
John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136078
Posted: 28 April 2026 at 6:42pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply
Found someone online grumbling about my “pairing” of Marinna and Namor, cuz he was fifty years older than her.

Hm.

I wonder how this poster felt about Jane Foster and Thor? Or when I was steering She-Hulk towards Hercules. Or, to flip it, Daredevil and Black Widow? (At the time of writing she was in her fifties, and Matt barely into his thirties.)

Back to Top profile | search
 
James Johnson
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 2372
Posted: 28 April 2026 at 7:11pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply
JB,

Don't give it oxygen.

In this age, there will always be online trolls looking for

Something
Hidden
In
There

to justify their existence........
Back to Top profile | search
 
Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 31994
Posted: 28 April 2026 at 7:26pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply
Marrina is a fucking alien. Who’s to say what her actual age is?
Back to Top profile | search
 
John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 136078
Posted: 28 April 2026 at 8:43pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply
I suppose this one sticks in my craw because the trolls harp on it as if I’m the only one who’s ever played the May/September card. It speaks much to the sad lack of sophistication in some of the darker corners of the web.

Review Hollywood’s output and see how much of a staple the older guy/younger girl motif has been—often without even acknowledging it. How many times did Humphrey Bogart hook up with “age appropriate” co-stars, even when playing characters younger than his actual age?

shrug

Back to Top profile | search
 
Dave Kopperman
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 27 December 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4017
Posted: 28 April 2026 at 8:51pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply
While none of the pairings mentioned above ever struck me as queasy, there have been times in comics (as with any medium) where the whole age difference thing has been a little iffy. One particularly notable one that read weird at the time and gets worse in retrospect every time I'm reminded of it was Hal Jordan/Arisia. So much time was spent establishing her as a teenager, and Hal rebuffing her because of the age difference. And then she's so hot for Hal that she uses her ring to mature herself. Which is already icky, but having Hal then become involved with her - immediately after learning that - is just pretty bad. Bad for the character - one of many lousy choices that lead to his eventual downfall, and bad for any impressionable young reader who might view what Arisia does as some form of proper consent.

Edited by Dave Kopperman on 28 April 2026 at 10:09pm
Back to Top profile | search | www
 

If you wish to post a reply to this topic you must first login
If you are not already registered you must first register

  Post Reply | Post New Topic |

Forum Jump

 Active Topics | Member List | Search | Help | Register | Login

You are currently viewing the MOBILE version of the site.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL SITE