1. Dark Phoenix
This cosmically-powered, solar system-eating force of creation has to be the ultimate baddest, BADDEST super bad girl you do not EVER want a valentine from. However, the problem with this girl is that there is absolutely nowhere you can run to, unless you have a spare space-craft capable of travelling incredibly vast inter-stellar distances handy. The Dark Phoenix is an uncontrollable entity capable of consuming entire star systems in a never-ending hunger for self-sustainment. Centred on Jean Grey (Phoenix of the X-Men), the Dark Phoenix saga (X-Men issues #129 to #138) written by Chris Claremont and drawn by John Byrne, remains one of the most famous and recognizable X-Men stories of all time. In fact, the loss of Jean Grey's humanity as it is corrupted by the cosmic power known as the Phoenix Force remains one of the most poignant stories in comics, period. It simply is an amazing tale. Dark Phoenix hungers without reason. It is an overpowering and unstoppable force in female form that can withstand any attack. It is unassailable and lacks any sort of compassion. All it needs is extreme quantities of energy to allow it to continue its travels across the universe. A valentine? You're lucky if she spares your sun. If you're thinking of tokens of love, then you're out of luck. The Dark Phoenix doesn't even bother to waste time pondering these minor humanities. But, the woman that carried the Dark Phoenix entity knew that Scott Summers wouldn't stand a chance against her and, in her last moments of humanity, looked for a way that would end her existence and protect her love while she was vulnerable. Sacrificing her life to end the Dark Phoenix, Jean Grey ultimately gave the greatest gift of love that she could. That's a valentine token that defies all attempts at description. So, in conclusion, there are a lot of evil women in comics. There are also a lot of reasons why we're compelled to read about them their beauty, their power, their ability to take control over people and situations. In short they're strong, capable women who know what they want and how to take it. Just like any other compelling character in literature, they're fun to read about and we love the adventures they get into. Still, when it comes to the basic things like love and especially on Valentine's Day, maybe you want to think about that special girl who doesn't want to dominate or manipulate you. Maybe you just want to think about that special girl who treats you well - so that you can treat her well in return? Enjoy your Valentine's Day, true believer.
John K Kirk
Contributor
John Kirk is a Teacher-Librarian and currently a History/English Teacher with the Toronto District School Board.
But mostly, John teaches Geek.
Comics, Sci-Fi (Notably Star Trek), Fantasy and Role-Playing and table-top games all make up part of John’s repertoire, There is a whole generation of nerds-in-embryo who rely on him to make sense of it all, to teach that with great power comes great responsibility, that the force will be with us always and that a towel IS the most useful thing to have in one’s possession.
When John isn’t in the classroom, he can be found in his basement writing comic reviews for www.popmythology.com and features for Roddenberry Entertainment's www.1701news.com.
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