Savage sexism: Examining gendered intelligence in Hulk and She-Hulk comics

By using Hulk and She-Hulk comics from the 1980s as subjects for a case study, this article explores the seemingly lost potential of She-Hulk’s intelligence and exposes the problematic depictions of female superheroes as seen in her comics. This article pushes back against the practice of citing fans and their preferences as rationale for the troubling depictions of gendered bodies that so often characterize superhero comics (especially in a context of the 1980s cult of fitness), and examines not only these gendered representations, but also the gender differences in comics readership. In looking for alternatives to and subversive moments against these gendered social messages, this article also discusses the extent to which intelligence can be read as a sexually neutralizing element for Bruce Banner (Hulk) and his cousin Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk). Ultimately, it seems that, at least in the 1980s, attempts at smashing the status quo were countered by the stereotypical sexism produced and perpetuated by patriarchy.