Marvel’s New Trans Superhero Is Swooping in Just in Time for Pride
Escapade, who’ll make her debut when Marvel’s Voices: Pride #1, written by Charlie Jane Anders, arrives June 22.Escapade, aka Shela Sexton, is a trans mutant who is “a total goofball” according to Anders. “She is, a cool weirdo who has a super strong sense of justice and a profound loyalty to her friends.” She also boasts a very unique power.
While she’s only able to maintain it for a few hours at a time, Escapade “can instantaneously switch physical locations with another person or trade any specific physical or abstract attributes such as possessions, organizational status, skills, superhuman powers, and even situations!” according to Marvel.
There’s one wrinkle though: To pull off the switch, she has to be within seven feet of her target, and the chances for mishaps increase depending on the complexity of the situation.Fortunately, Escapade isn’t, well, escapading alone.
She has a trusty sidekick, her “tech-savvy” best friend Morgan Red, who of course has an arsenal of helpful (and stolen) tools tucked away for any occasion. “Together, Escapade and Morgan tear through the Marvel Universe as professional thieves, stealing from criminal and corrupt organizations…until a meeting with Emma Frost and Destiny [of the X-Men] changes the course of Escapade’s life forever.”Along with Anders, artist duo and Eisner-nominated cartoonists Ro Stein and Ted Brandt helped bring Escapade to life with colors by Tamra Bonvillain.Brandt shared how much it meant to them to take part in the project. “Now more than ever, we need a hero like Shela Sexton for people to look up to,” he explained. “It was a real honor and a privilege to be a part of her creation process!”Stein shared Brandt’s enthusiasm.
