Very ironic coincidence, Genis Vell, and there’s definite parallels between the two stories. I didn’t follow Marvel when Gwen Stacy died, but I knew about her tragic end and was also angered when “Sins Past” revealed she was unfaithful to Peter and secretly had kids – by no less than Norman Osborne! This was a disgusting “revelation” that unnecessarily smeared one of the few “saints” of the Marvel Universe. Is no one safe from revision by character assassins? Must EVERYONE be tarred to make them “more believable” in today’s morally bankrupt society? Will we find out that Uncle Ben used to drink and beat up Aunt May? Outrageous.
(My distain for “Sins Past” continues even though the writer recently admitted that he wanted PETER to be the daddy, but was overruled by Marvel in favor of Norman. This still doesn’t make it “right” and “acceptable” for either Peter or Gwen, as it flies in the face of their normally responsible characterizations. And let’s not forget that Mary Jane doesn’t fare any better for keeping this secret all these years…)
I agree with you. Besides, as Maximara said, this story can't be put in the regular Continuity... I noticed it when I have read this saga in the original version months ago. The editors have modified some dialogues for give sense to Straczynski's errors, but doing so they made worst damages... This is one of the causes that made me decide to read a lot of comics in the original versions. I'm still reading in the Italian edition because I have the complete collection and I prefer don't quit.
Yet at least Marvel waited until now to sully the poor girl’s reputation. Supergirl’s body had barely returned to her parents on Rokym when her name was dragged through the mud. You must realize that back in 1985 Superman #415 was about as shocking and controversial as “Sins Past” is today (a sad commentary on our desensitized times). Yes, DC sugar-coated it as best they could and loaded the story with implausible mitigating circumstances – Supergirl lost her memory for a while after colliding with a red kryptonite meteor and when she woke up in bed with a stranger Kara understandably fled rather than ask questions. But that doesn’t completely excuse Kara of keeping silent after her complete memories returned, knowing she’d probably be dead before jilted hubby Salkor found her.
And there’s uncomfortable implications surrounding “Jasma’s” wedding. While Salkor’s planet might have different marriage laws, it’s hard to believe a person suffering from amnesia and with no background history would be permitted to enter such a binding agreement. And if Kara wasn’t legally capable of providing “informed consent” as the couple consummated their marriage (as the shared bed clearly implied), that’s tantamount to statutory… :shock:
I suppose that on Salkor's planet laws were different. Besides he seemed a good guy, so I don't think that he could harm her using her " mental problem".
Ugh. Even as a kid twenty years ago I winced at this prospect. Sure the marriage could have been annulled, but perhaps that was part of the reason Kara couldn’t face Salkor again. Still, a person as honest and upfront as Supergirl should have mustered the inner courage to face this situation and deal with it. Yes, it might have been an honest mistake, and it’s evident that she still loved Salkor. But perhaps they could have found a means to end the marriage in an honorable fashion, or even struggle together to “make it work” while both continued their responsibilities protecting their respective planets. That would have been more in character – Supergirl ALWAYS accepted responsibility for what she did, even once allowing herself to be sentenced to the Phantom Zone when confronted by evidence implicating her with crimes she couldn’t recall. (The culprit was later revealed as a disguised Lesla-Lar.)
I think that she didn't clear her mind yet. Maybe she preferred don't face her husband before to fix her situation. That moment never arrived... Damned Antimonitor.
This is obviously only my interpretation of the events!
I'm glad to talkin' about this tale with you. I didn't know very well how this comic book was considered by readers... Even because this story was unknown to me! In Italy noone talks about that period... I'm asking myself how many readers have these stories. Maybe less than 30 or 40...