Single-mother with menstrual superpowers to lead Emilia Clarke's debut comic-book
Our Khaleesi now wants to spread her dragon wings! Emilia Clarke, who gained global prominence for her GoT role, is now venturing into comic book writing. Titled M.O.M.: Mother of Madness, it tells the story of Maya, a single mother, whose life changes when she discovers her superpowers that come from her menstrual cycle. The 34-year-old British actor will release her book next month.
'Was born from the idea that single mothers are superheroes'
Opening up about the inspiration behind this quirky idea, Clarke said, "She's a single mum that's got to get s**t done. This was born from the idea that single mothers are superheroes. You need superhuman strength to do that." "When you get into your 30s, your friends start having kids, you're like, 'Oh my god. I wasn't aware of what it took,'" she added.
Maya can swing like Spider-Man from her armpit hair: Clarke
Clarke turned all the aspects of period pain into something unique for her protagonist. This includes "the bloating, the hair growth, the mood swings, the [acne], all of it." She shared what fans can expect from Maya and her incredible superpowers. "When Maya is scared, she goes invisible; when she's angry, she has superhuman strength. She can swing like Spider-Man from her armpit hair."
Maya touted one of the 'most-progressive female heroes' at present
The male-dominated comic spaces she witnessed while growing up prompted the Me Before You star to go for something totally female-centric. Hence, she decided to team up with seasoned comic book writer Marguerite Bennett and comic book penciler Leila Leiz to develop Maya, believed to be one of the "most-progressive female heroes." Its publisher revealed the three-issue miniseries would be a Deadpool-Fleabag blend.
Why 'something didn't sit right' with Clarke during her research?
"I found that 16% of comic book creators are female, according to a 2019 study, and only 30% of comic book characters are women. On the other hand, roughly half of comic book buyers are female. Something didn't sit right with me," she narrated.
Through her comic book, Clarke wants to send a message
M.O.M.: Mother of Madness is not just a comic book. Clarke is treating it to be a medium to spread a strong message: Normalize menstruation and stop the cliched narrative about single moms. She wants the media to stop showcasing just their "struggle and sadness," and portraying single mothers as pitiful beings. The Clarke piece is coming to stores near you on July 21.
