Essay Questions

What does the underlying subtext of the relationship between Ambrosius and the Director suggest?

The Director of the Institution of Law Enforcement and Heroics is a woman. Sir Ambrosius Goldenloin is the Thor-like star of their superhero lineup, Normally, this situation would likely result in some sort of sexual tension between two such characters in which the simmering conflict is the fact that it is the woman who is the male’s business superior. That is not the case here. There is tension, but it arises from the fact that the Director exhibits a dismissive attitude to the agency’s most famous face. Her tone during their scenes together suggests that she is not impressed with his intellect, and she even explicitly calls him incompetent and smarmy. She also takes the superior attitude of having to “spell everything out for” him. When combined with and juxtaposed against the Director’s quite obvious fear and respect of supervillain Ballinger, the underlying message of this subtext very strongly hints that those whom the public view as heroes are not—by design—everything they are perceived to be. The subtext may even be argued that it takes people who are more easily manipulated than most to become heroes.

What is the significance of Nimona changing her hair color?

About halfway through the story, Nimona changes her hair color from pink to purple. The first significant thing about this is that Ballinger notices it. He not only notices the change, but he goes so far as to tell her that he “thought pink was your color.” This is a demonstration of an attentive awareness of others that supervillains rarely exhibit. For the most part, supervillains—and superheroes—tend to be narcissistically self-centered. Not necessarily in a bad way as this attribute is usually expressed through an intense focus on the malevolent plot at hand. That Ballinger notices this cosmetic detail says much about him as a villain.

The hair change is also significantly stylistically. There is a reason why the “look” of most superheroes created in the 1930s or 1960s does not look much different today unless, of course, the dramatic change is the whole point. It is unwritten given that a comic book character doesn’t change their looks within a story unless it is for a specific reason related to the plot. Although enough context is given to make assumptions about why Nimona changes the color but not the style of her hair, the reason is never specifically identified. It may have to do with the emotional turbulence she has just undergone. It may be a commentary on pink as a gender stereotype. Most likely the two significant aspects discussed here are related. Both her decision to change her hair for no definite purpose and Ballinger’s noting of the change are subversive elements within the medium. Like so much that takes place in the story, expectations are created to be upset and undone.

What is foundationally subversive about the clever “double trap” the heroes set for the villains in this story?

The Joker, Riddler, Penguin, Catwoman, and Mr. Freeze never set a trap to ensnare Batman and Robin because Robin was their real target. Sidekicks are sidekicks in the world of comic books. They exist to help the hero and, yes, sometimes get captured in the process and thereby become bait to be used to lure the villain. Part of the overall subversive foundation of this story is that Nimona the sidekick comes to be seen as a much greater threat than Ballinger the supervillain. As a result, when the “double trap” which Ballinger describes as clever is set in motion it is because Nimona is the real target. Until her appearance, Ballinger’s plans rarely went well. He was widely recognized as the nemesis of the Institution, but this was mostly theoretical as a result of his potential. It was not until he gained a sidekick that his potential was finally realized. And because Nimona’s shapeshifting abilities combined with her reckless disregard for life is a combination that makes her more menacing, her becoming the target of the double trap subverts the very foundation of the villain/sidekick construct of the medium.