While there have been many highly acclaimed Avengers comics over the years, Avengers #200 is considered to be among the worst. But why was the comic so controversial? What happened in it? Here’s all you need to know.
What is Avengers #200 about ?
Avengers #200 showcased moments of sexual abuse involving Carol Danvers, and was considered wrong on many levels.
In the storyline by David Michelinie, Bob Layton, Jim Shooter, and George Perez, Carol Danvers was impregnated by a mystery assailant. She had no idea how it happened. She then gave birth to the child within just 2 days of being pregnant.
The kid aged rapidly into a grown man, and came to call himself Marcus. He revealed that he was originally the son of Immortus, and was raised in a limbo dimension. He decided to be reborn on Earth, so he chose Danvers as the strong and capable woman who could do the job for him.
Bringing her into the limbo dimension, he seduced her, used a mind-altering machine to artificially earn her affection, and slept with her. He then sent her back to her own timeline so she could give birth to him on Earth. In simpler terms, Marcus was his own father and he sexually abused Ms. Marvel to be physically born on Earth.
To add to this, when Marcus admitted this reality of tricking Danvers, she still went with him to the limbo dimension to be his lover, and none of the Avengers objected.
Why is Avengers #200 controversial?
Avengers #200 got a lot of backlash from the readers as it sent the wrong message, and seemingly made light of a very serious subject.
Subjects such as sexual abuse made their way into a very distasteful story by Marvel. Not only was the narrative disturbing, but it also sent an incorrect message to the readers, particularly those in younger demographics.
Furious readers like Carol A. Strickland wrote an article titled “The Rape of Ms. Marvel” in the comics magazine FOC. Meanwhile, Jim Shooter, a writer on the story and the Editor-in-Chief of Marvel Comics at the time, admitted in 2011 that the comic was a travesty and shouldn’t have been published. He said:
“But, in those days, in any case, the buck stopped at my desk. I take full responsibility. I screwed up. My judgment failed, or maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention. Sorry. Avengers #200 is a travesty.”
Marvel messed up with Avengers #200’s publication and it became a big deal for all the wrong reasons.
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