There’s an argument brewing again here at Black Gate’s L.A. offices, and yes, it’s about the Avengers. Ryan Harvey, Mr. Captain America himself, seems to think it’s ok that Black Widow is the token female member of the Avengers in the upcoming movie, while I ardently believe that Wasp should have gotten the nod.

Now that’s not to say there’s anything wrong with Black Widow, or Scarlet Johansson for that matter, but Wasp WAS a founding member of the team and she’s certainly one of my favorite comic book heroines.

There are several reason for this, primarily because she was the very first comic book heroine I had a crush on when I bought my first comic, Avengers #195. But putting first crushes aside, there is another reason I love Wasp, and that’s because she isn’t static.

In the world of animation, be it on TV or in comic books, there is a static formula for most characters involved, the basis of which is uniform. It’s rare that a character gets to change their clothes, and for some reason that always rubbed me that wrong way.

Wasp, however, has certainly had the most uniform changes of any comic book hero ever, and I truly dig that about here because it makes her more human.

I remember watching the G.I. Joe cartoon when I was a kid and thinking, “You know, Cover Girl was a freaking super model and she’s always in the same damn outfit!” And don’t get me started on Scarlet, bless her, because she had to wear the same stupid unitard on every assault. Then there was Lady Jaye who looked great in her army gear but you’d think she might change it up a bit once in a while.

I mean, it’s the same deal for guys too, the Joe grunts always wearing the same stuff day after day after day. I mean can Gung Ho put on a T-shirt once in a while?

And look at Captain America, he’s worn the same costume since WWII, and Superman since a decade before that! I mean seriously, do you see guys walking the streets capped with a fedora and sporting zoot suits these days? [Well other than Ryan Harvey that is]

Change it up a little, people. Take a page from Wasp!

I think one of my Top 10 Uncanny X-men comics is #244 where the ladies of the group go for a girl’s night out in a Beverly Hills Mall. Sure, if you read it today its way over the top 80s fashion and hair, but it’s still a change up!

You ever watch Thundar the Barbarian? The guy is walking around an apocalyptic Earth with a fabulous sun sword and yet he wears a fur wrestler’s thong. Are you telling me he can’t find a suit of tactical armor in all his travels or at least a pair of Mad Max shoulder pads? I mean the year is 3994 A.D., someone created a sun sword, and this guy can’t find pants! And don’t get me started on Princess Ariel [no relation to Disney’s redhead who actually has a couple costume changes in the movie] because she wears a one piece bathing suit through the entire series.

Oh, oh, and the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon is the worst of them all! Why? Because I play Dungeons & Dragons and honestly a primary purpose in gaming is GETTING NEW EQUIPMENT! Now I’m all for these kids sticking with their gifted weapons and armor, that’s great, but you’d think in all their adventures that Eric the Cavalier could rustle up a suit of plate, or for that matter how about a friggin horse! I swear to you, if I played a cavalier that carried a shield, no weapon, and no armor save a pair of shin guards I wouldn’t last through the first encounter because even if my shield did protect me from all frontal attacks whoever was playing Sheila the Thief would stick me in the back and put me and the rest of the party out of the collective misery.

And don’t you think it would be great if Albert, aka ‘Presto the Wizard’, might stop pulling rabbits out of his hat and I don’t know, pick up a spell book with Fireball in it, or heaven forbid a Staff of Power or something.

I swore if I ever got to make a series of anything, be it comic or animation, I’d demand that characters actually evolve with costume changes as the series progressed. I guess lucky for Hollywood that’s never happened, but I’m still trying!

Anyway, I’m still upset about Wasp, but even if she was in this new movie I doubt they’d let her wear three different uniforms before it was done so it’s probably best Joss Whedon kept her out of the story. Otherwise, I’m sure I’d find it lacking, just as I do so many of my most nostalgic comics and animation.