The Forgotten Ms Marvel: Accepting Yourself For Who You Are With Sharon Ventura

The superhero code name Ms Marvel carries a lot of weight in the Marvel Universe, symbolising the same level of responsibility as titles like Captain America or Captain Marvel. There’s a legacy of strong female characters taking up the mantle, which started with Carol Danvers and more recently passed to Kamala Khan. 

Sharon Ventura also went by the title of Ms Marvel and while she’s a lesser-known character she is deserving of the moniker. Ventura has been through a lot in her superhero career, dealing with the trauma of rape, low-self esteem, depression and body dysmorphia. The story of the forgotten Ms Marvel deserves to be told.

Advertisement

An Exploration Of Male Suicide In Comics

Male mental health is a topic that needs to be discussed on a continuous basis. There is a plethora of factors that stop men from talking about their mental health, which range from the perception of being ‘weak’, to the fear of being judged. Suicide has become the biggest killer of men under 45, and to stop this from happening, we need to create a society where guys can feel comfortable talking about their experiences with depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions.

Creative mediums like comics can help to drive the discussion about mental health and raise awareness of suicide and the reasons behind it. Several superheroes and villains have been depicted as having suicidal thoughts. Examining the motivations of these characters can help to shine a light on the thought process behind suicide.

Superhero Mentality: Speedball

Coping with a mental health disorder can be one of the most difficult experiences of a person’s life. Conditions like anxiety and bipolar disorder may prevent someone from living to the fullest. One of the most liberating steps is the realisation that you aren’t alone and that it’s okay to share how you’re feeling with like-minded people.

Superheroes like Speedball understand the power of finding a routine that helps to manage a mental health condition. A sufferer of self-harm and low self-esteem, Robbie Baldwin has experienced more trauma that anyone his age should have to face. Read on to discover his coping mechanisms in the latest edition of Superhero Mentality.

Superhero Mentality: Mister Miracle

When it comes to the topic of mental health, a lot of men struggle to talk about their experiences. Suicide has become the biggest killer of men under 45 and the only way to destigmatise the subject is to speak about it openly. Superhero Mentality focuses on a comic character with mental health issues and examines their coping strategies.

Even superheroes like Mister Miracle aren’t immune to suicidal thoughts. Raised in a hyper-masculine and violent society, Scott Free spent his whole life trying to escape. He fled to Earth, created a new identity for himself and married a good woman, but it wasn’t enough to stop his depression. He tried to kill himself by slitting his wrists. Eventually, Scott managed to get his life back on track by finding a routine that worked for him.

Addressing Millennial Mental Health With Polaris And Why She Is So Relatable

Figuring out who you are is a struggle that everyone relates to. Whether you come from a big or small family, it can be hard to step out of someone else’s shadow. The struggle to define yourself may take an emotional toll, which is the kind of situation that Polaris has found herself in before. Lorna Dane is a character that has needed to overcome a lot of obstacles in her life. As the daughter of Magneto she’s had to step out of the shadow of his infamy while battling her own mental health issues. Based on her experiences Polaris is a relatable character for a lot of millennials and I’m investigating her history to see how much she’s overcome.

Skip To The End Creator Jeremy Holt Talks Nirvana, Mental Health And Musical Time Travel

Music has the power to transform lives, whether through connecting with a song or being transported to another place. Nirvana was the kind of band that touched many people, with Kurt Cobain being an inspiration. But Cobain’s life was also complicated by depression, drug abuse and a distafisaction with the celebrity lifestyle. Cobain and his band were happiest when they were making music, which is what Jeremy Holt decided to explore in his graphic novel Skip To The End.

I’m happy to present an interview with Holt about the nature of his graphic novel and his thoughts on what it means to be transformed through music. He spoke candidly on his opinion of mental health, male suicide and the independent comic scene.

Suicide Club Review: A Cautionary Tale Of Immortality And Parenthood

Everyone wishes they had more time, whether to pursue their dream career or travel across the world. Imagine if you could extend your life and set out to accomplish everything you’d ever wanted. Imagine being able to maintain your youth for decades. What would you do if you had more time? Would you make the most of it? These questions form the basis of Rachel Heng’s Suicide Club, a novel that combines technology with the prospect of living forever. But there’s a dark side to immortality and Heng takes the reader on a journey through themes of loss, parenthood and what it means to be alive.

Skip To The End Graphic Novel To Shine A Light On Nirvana And Suicide Awareness

Music can have a transportive effect in that it can make you look back at a fond time in your life. Music has the ability to make a positive impact on mental health, but it can also be the undoing of many promising young artists. Such was the case for Kurt Cobain as he ultimately committed suicide. Writer Jeremy Holt is shining a light on Nirvana and mental health struggles with his new graphic novel Skip to the End.

Exploring The Mental Health Issues Of Speedball As A Reflection Of Low Self-Esteem In Men

In the modern day, mental health is an important issue, with people becoming more comfortable talking about it. But there are many who still struggling with their disorders or feel afraid to talk about it for fear of being judged. This feeling is common among young men, which is why The Comic Vault advocates mental health positivity. A male character who reflects feelings of inadequacy and guilt is Speedball. His struggle to overcome his mental health issues is a poignant journey that deserves to be looked at it more detail.