Speculative Curriculum: Epistemology, The Human & Eve Ewing’s Monica Rambeau: Photon

• In Event: Margins, Gutters, and Futures: Comics as Sites of Critical Literacy and Speculative Cultural Resistance

Abstract

Speculative Curriculum: Epistemology, The Human & Eve Ewing’s Monica Rambeau: Photon

Monica Rambeau or Photon (once known as Captain Marvel), a comic book hero who can convert her body into any type of energy, is one of the most powerful cosmic beings in the universe. As a fictional being whose powers derive from extra-dimensional cosmic energy, Rambeau can fix rips in space-time itself. Despite her cosmic power, there is one thing that Monica still desires – knowledge. Specifically, she desires the knowledge “to know, to really,really know with utter certainty. That I am fine. I’m okay…[that] I don’t have to prove a thing…I am enough.” Analyzing this from a psychological perspective might be interesting; however, I argue that utilizing an epistemological one is fruitful here instead.

The knowledge that Rambeau seeks is not just the belief that she is good enough, but the knowledge that she is good enough. A comic panel depicts her reflecting upon the ways in which she tried to prove herself as “good enough” throughout her life, indicating that the evidence of her reliability, trustworthiness, ability to be a team player, etc. In the end, none of these things suffice as evidence constituting knowledge of her worthiness. This raises an interesting question. What then, if not evidence of her individual achievements, could provide this knowledge?

Drawing from Afro-Caribbean philosopher Sylvia Wynter’s “deciphering practice” for aesthetics, I analyze Monica Rambeau: Photon to explicate how comic books engage students in the speculative and why that is incredibly important in this particular day and age. Wynter’s deciphering practice contains four levels, three of which are utilized to investigate the “signifying practices” of Monica Rambeau: Photon. Second, one investigates the social environment and cultural dimension specific to the comic. Third, one finds “constancies and regularities” between the first two levels that replicate each other. Such analysis yields a discussion of: (1) the multiple epistemologies represented in the comic itself, (2) its pedagogical function as an example of finding connection-in-difference, and (3) the importance of the comic’s participation in sociogenic processes that generate other ways of existing outside of dominant naturalized constructions of childhood.

Analysis illustrates how Eve Ewing’s Photon, as a comic, participates in what Wynter (2013) might call “sociogenic processes,” including: (a) constructing identities of multi-dimensionality and multi-temporality and (b) serving as a source of pedagogy regarding creating connection within difference. In so doing, this paper explains how comics like Photon can engage teachers and students in the speculative and in alternative world and identity building. It also discusses the importance of doing so in a day and age in which social media and A.I. generated content (generated and maintained by corporate algorithms) offer more and more opportunities for the algorithmic shaping of the boundaries on perceptions of possible futures. The analysis concludes with connections between the explorations of Monica's epistemological journey and the importance of using comics to engage students in speculative practices that expand possibilities for human becoming, particularly in an era of increasing algorithmic mediation of imagination.

Author

• Sarah Ishmael, University of Wisconsin - Madison