My Inner Heroine

A local photographer is doing a D.C. versus Marvel photo shoot. I started brainstorming immediately and then I did something unexpected. I signed up a She-Hulk...

I asked for input on my character choice. A lot of people said Poison ivy and I would be lying if I said I didn't really want to do that. Poison Ivy is the tall, lithe woman that is so good at being so bad. She oozes sex appeal. She is cunning, mysterious, and embodies the bad girl attitude. Who wouldn't want to play along as this classic heartbreaker? I started looking into some of my favorite heroines and villains. I considered Storm, but honestly I thought her outfit was too boring. Black leather isn't really my cup of tea. Cat woman wore a mask and I wasn't excited about the idea of not getting the full hair and make-up treatment. I thumbed through some more abstract options. I wanted to be someone that caught your eye and I wanted someone who would make dynamic photographs. 

When my search brought me to She-Hulk, I was sold. A brilliant lawyer turned super heroine? I was intrigued. She embraced the confidence and assertiveness of her alter ego so much that at one point she got stuck in her She-Hulk form? Kick ass! She is a feminist who has a love affair with Iron Man? Say what?! I think I'm in love. This intelligent, strong, sexy as hell heroine is right up my alley! 

What is going to feel more empowering than dressing up as the She-Hulk? I get to be a super-heroine that is known for her strength and her intelligence more than her body. She hardly ever fights in heels, falls in love, or lets the "big boys" run the show when she's around. I get to pose in all kinds of ugly-pretty photos. I'll get to snarl, flex, and break things. I love the idea of not worrying about keeping this perfect, photo ready face while I'm kicking booty.

This role seemed to be tailored to my body type, too. I felt like I wouldn't do justice to the statuesque form of Wonder Woman or the never ending hips of Cat Woman. I don't have the height of a Amazonian beast, but I have the curvy, muscular form the She-Hulk needs. The only thing I need to do is try and push myself more on my training. I'm already wanting to tone up and what's a better motivation than green make-up and a day full of pummeling?

In preparation for the shoot, instead of watching what I eat because I'll be squeezed into latex, I am going to be lifting heavier so I can show off some stellar definition. Instead of sucking in and sticking out my chest, I'll be working on holding a flex while throwing my punches and kicks.

 I don't think I've ever felt so inspired to get in front of a camera. I've done budoir photographs and wedding photographs, but those were such different atmospheres. This idea gives me so much more pride in my body. I feel like most women wouldn't touch this idea with a ten foot pole. Most women want the sexiest super-heroine. They want to be the fantasy girl that every man dreams of. All I want is to make a huge mess and spend all day being a total bad-ass.