Disney Princess Superheroes

[ysabetwordsmith]

Here's a list of Disney princess superheroes. 

Two of them are feats of epic brilliance: Pocahontas as Captain America (somebody fic this, please) and Mulan as Hawkeye.  

One is pretty good, Snow White as the Hulk.  Although I have to point out, the princess who actually showed extreme personality swings was Rapunzel.  ("Best. Day. Ever!" "I am a despicable human being.")

Two are epic fail.  Jasmine as Iron Man and Belle as Thor are just wrong.  The intellectual Belle is the obvious match for Iron Man.  Thor should go to someone with a physical aspect, for which I think Nala is the best match, but Tarzan's Jane has potential too.

One is insulting, putting the Sultan up as Black Widow.  Way to make fun of the only female on the team.  That position should have gone to a prince who plays on his looks.  Now we have options like Gaston (who is evil), Prince Hans (who actually IS a spy), and Flynn Ryder (an outlaw with a double identity and sexual wiles).

I'm willing to overlook the botches for the sheer fansquee of seeing Pocahontas with that shield.  Fanfare of symbols, ba-dum-KSH!

Comments

[lightbird]

Mulan as Hawkeye is the best thing ever! And I love Pocahontas as Captain America too. These are the two that really stand out for me as excellent.

Sultan as Black Widow was a real WTF? for me and stood out in the most horrible way possible.

I'm pretty meh on the other ones, though the concept is very interesting.

[thnidu]

Yeah, that shield blew me away, too, independently. (I clicked on the link and looked at them all after your 3rd ¶.)

I also agree with your judgements. (Although Prince Hans isn't a spy, he's… [Spoiler redacted].)

Well...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Because of the way Hans (large section of plot redacted), he reminded me of Black Widow. Hrm, in her Red Room/Department X days.

Re: Well...

[thnidu]

Mmm. Well, I'll just have to catch up on canon to understand all of that. Sometime. Maybe.

[thelinesoflearning]

I don't know, I actually rather like Jasmine as Iron Man. Starting as a position of privilege, very headstrong and independent -- and Belle may be smart, but I can't quite see her as Tony. If anything, if you wanted to map her on a smart guy, I'd be more interested to see her as Bruce. As for Thor -- assuming we're sticking to the official Disney Princess lineup, I'd either say Ariel (for the non-human who decides they like it on Earth) or Elsa (for the elemental powers).

Also, while I like Mulan as Hawkeye, I'd probably put her as Black Widow. Swap the team member who uses her femininity for the one who disguises theirs. I don't know who I'd put as Hawkeye, assuming you want to avoid the obvious archer for archer swap. Tiana, maybe? Most down-to-earth princess as the most human member of the team?

I agree about Pocahontas as Cap, though. That is brilliant. And the drawings are gorgeous, excepting the Sultan which... I don't even know what happened there.

... Wow, I rambled all over on your post, sorry.

[clare_dragonfly]

I agree with Jasmine as Iron Man. Though I don't really know my superheroes--just what comes out to pop culture, since I haven't seen the movies or read the comics.

[thelinesoflearning]

I'm still trying to start getting into the comics, but I'm pretty familiar with the movies and I can definitely see Jasmine in the role. Especially when I think about the interpretations of fem!Tony I've liked in fanfic.

[lightbird]

Also, while I like Mulan as Hawkeye, I'd probably put her as Black Widow. Swap the team member who uses her femininity for the one who disguises theirs.

I really like your take on it.

[thelinesoflearning]

I just love the idea of the Black Widow being this androgynous badass, the one in the suit on this all-female team. I kind of started plotting a fusion after I wrote this comment (kind of because it's less 'plotting' and more 'assigning characters'...), and this image is a large part of why.

Okay...

[ysabetwordsmith]

I have to admit that I like Mulan as Black Widow (which works if we consider Mulan a transman). But now in the spirit of genderbending, I am also thinking about Li Shang as Black Widow.

Re: Okay...

[lightbird]

Yeah, you know Li Shang had crossed my mind too as soon as I saw the pic and read your post. Like you said, that position could have more aptly gone to a prince who plays on his looks. Not that Shang plays on his looks the way that say Gaston does, but I'm sure he's well aware of what a hunk he is too.

Re: Okay...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Now I'm remembering "My name is Phoebus ... it means Sun God."

Re: Okay...

[lightbird]

Perfect!

Re: Okay...

[ysabetwordsmith]

And now I'm imagining Frollo as one of the World Security Council fools who thought it would be a good idea to nuke New York.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I don't know, I actually rather like Jasmine as Iron Man. Starting as a position of privilege, very headstrong and independent <<

Well reasoned.

>> As for Thor -- assuming we're sticking to the official Disney Princess lineup, I'd either say Ariel (for the non-human who decides they like it on Earth) or Elsa (for the elemental powers). <<

I did consider Elsa for Thor. I kind of think Elsa is more like Loki and Anna more like Thor, in terms of personality.

>> Tiana, maybe? Most down-to-earth princess as the most human member of the team? <<

Not a bad idea.

>> ... Wow, I rambled all over on your post, sorry. <<

Hey, you got people thinking in different directions! I like that in my blogs. If I wanted soundbites, I'd be on Twitter. I want conversations. I'm happy. I don't even care if people are talking to me or each other.

Re: Thoughts

[thelinesoflearning]

So, first off, thank you for this post, because I think I'm going to end up writing this fusion and it's shaping up to be one of the longest things I've done so far. I'm excited about it and also apologize for taking the idea and running away so completely, because it's more or less shaped up nothing like this.

I did consider Elsa for Thor. I kind of think Elsa is more like Loki and Anna more like Thor, in terms of personality.

Honestly, I don't see much of Elsa in Loki's personality. I do see her in his powers and his identity confusion, though, which is why, I think, in a Thor retelling with the sisters, they kind of both end up serving both roles instead of it being a straight-up division.

If I wanted soundbites, I'd be on Twitter. I want conversations. I'm happy.

This makes a lot of sense, yeah, I just feel bad for talking too much most of the time. XD I'm glad I could spark some discussion, though.

Re: Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> So, first off, thank you for this post, <<

You're welcome. I'm glad you found it so inspiring.

>> because I think I'm going to end up writing this fusion and it's shaping up to be one of the longest things I've done so far. <<

Hee!

>> I'm excited about it and also apologize for taking the idea and running away so completely, because it's more or less shaped up nothing like this. <<

No need to apologize. Ideas go where they go.

>> Honestly, I don't see much of Elsa in Loki's personality. <<

They both have a cool elegance, care what people think but pretend they don't, try to shut out emotion, and freak epically when things go wrong.

>> This makes a lot of sense, yeah, I just feel bad for talking too much most of the time. <<

You feel what you feel, but sometimes feelings lie to you. Talking is great.

[peoriapeoriawhereart]

The Sultan as Natasha was a clear case of not grasping incommensurate rhetoric.

Beauty and the Beast via The Hulk would be an intriguing weirding, though I think Cinderella might suit Bruce a touch better.

Captain Pocahontas was All the Win, such that I just can't think how to turn it to fic.

Iron Man is just so much harder, since Tony is such a hot mess and that's different for women than it is for men.

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> The Sultan as Natasha was a clear case of not grasping incommensurate rhetoric. <<

Yyyyeah.

>> Beauty and the Beast via The Hulk would be an intriguing weirding, though I think Cinderella might suit Bruce a touch better. <<

I have definitely seen B&B/Hulk fic. I think I may even have seen Cinderella, although I'm not sure Bruce was in Cinderella's role. But that would be awesome, because Cinderella is so disheveled and abused. And hey, instead of pigeons pecking the eyes out of the wicked stepfamily, there could be a Hulk-out scene. <3

[gehayi]

I adore the idea of a Native American Cap. Words can't express how much I love this. *grins*

I agree with thelinesoflearning; I can see Jasmine as Iron Man. She's a child of privilege and wealth; she's independent, stubborn and headstrong; she's a LOT brighter and more capable than those around her realize; and she's pragmatic ("Tell me, princess, when did you last let your heart decide?"). She's not much for inventions or tech, but then, neither fit her universe. (I can picture her as an accomplished technomancenr in magical armor, though.)

If we're talking about the princess who actually Hulks out in canon, I think that it would be Belle, the kind intellectual who wants to heal people--and who astonishes everyone when she gets angry. She yells at Gaston; she yells at the Beast. And, like Bruce, most of her story comes from isolation, physical and emotional. If you wanted to put Rapunzel in this role, though...well, she does have extreme mood swings, so that could work, too.

Since I genuinely like Natasha and I'd prefer that her genderswapped version be likable as well, I nominate Flynn Rider. Any other male character who uses his sex appeal is abhorrent to me. Gaston is a manipulative and emotionally abusive bully. Naveen is frankly out to marry for money so that he can fund his playboy lifestyle. And Hans is just despicable.

Flynn does use his sex appeal, yes, but not to the exclusion of all else. He manipulates situations with the ease that Natasha does. He's intelligent and curious. He has a tragic past (and an identity) that he conceals. And you DON'T get between him and anyone he cares about. You just don't.

I wouldn't put him in a gown, though. Flynn gets Natasha's skin-tight black leather outfit.

I'd keep Mulan as Hawkeye. I love her outfit, because she's wearing a redesigned version of the clothing she wore when saving China. She's a woman AND a warrior, and the two facets blend beautifully.

Tiana, of course, would be Nick Fury--the down-to-earth, hard-working, determined leader who takes no nonsense and no bullshit from ANYONE.

For Thor, I nominate Ariel, the non-human who loves the human world without really knowing or understanding much about it, the naive one who cares so much about what's fair.

I don't know who to cast as Loki. Elsa has the equivalent of frost giant powers but I don't see her deliberately betraying anyone. Merida might do so out of rage, but she'd knock herself out to fix things. Anna is a sweetheart--awkward, but nice. Esmeralda knows what it's like to be an outcast, but a) again, she's too kind and b) she's not part of the Disney Princess lineup. And I can't envision Snow White, Cinderella or Aurora as Loki. I just can't.

If we can go outside of the princess lineup...maybe Lilo Pelekai? She's eccentric, stubborn, argumentative, sensitive, causes havoc even when she's not trying to, befriends dangerous and potentially lethal aliens, and has a complicated relationship with an older sibling. (Besides, Loki always did remind me of a small child.)

[krait]

Captain Pocahontas America! Awesome.

Belle should definitely be Iron Man; not so sure that reading romance/fairy tailes counts as "intellectual", but she certainly has the inventor father. :D Also, I think she'd be happy to be a hero whose regular identity isn't known; she doesn't seem to be deeply attached to her locals, so I don't think she'd be bothered by concealing who she was from the public eye.

Editing to add: I like the Jasmine-as-Iron-Man idea, too! She has the wealthy background, but she also seems to have a very strong inner drive to excel where she doesn't have to, or even to show off (don't tell me she didn't enjoy watching Aladdin gape when she pole-vaulted!). And while tech isn't very present in her world, magic is, and I think you could argue that her curiosity and swift acceptance of the Magic Carpet bodes well for her if she were transplanted into a setting where technology is more prevalent.