10 Comic Book Moments That Were Profoundly Insulting
6. Marvel Comics' Swimsuit Specials From The '90s
Comics: Multiple Issues
What Happened: Between 1991 and 1995, Marvel Comics created some special edition comics in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Edition. Instead of hiring models to cosplay its characters in skimpy swimsuits, which many fans would have appreciated, the company had its artists draw them.
There were books issued on an annual basis for five years, and while they did have a loose story supposedly weaving everything together, all they really amounted to was a depiction of every hero, villain, or love interest wearing little to nothing at all.
Why Was It Insulting: The '90s weren't the best when it comes to storytelling, and there are a lot of things to complain about from the decade. Without tearing apart the publishers too much—there was a serious decline in sales going on at the time—Marvel Comics' decision to create Swimsuit Issues wasn't just insulting, it was weird as hell.
The books were exploitative, and despite including men and women, few could argue otherwise. Namor was shown bursting out of the water with a shell covering his naughty bits, while heroes like Psylocke and Jean Grey were drawn in outfits so skimpy, they couldn't physically exist. It was weird, it was exploitative, and yes, it was definitely insulting to readers who would have preferred a cohesive annual story.