I’m a huge fan of Thor, Marvel’s comic book series. Oh, you might think it’s just because I’m a Vikingophile, but no, actually; what got me hooked was Walt Simonson’s amazing run writing (and also drawing, at first) for the character, from Thor #337 (1977) to #382 (1986). He basically reinvented the character, and he did it not by discarding everything that had been done before him, but simply by changing the focus of the series – Thor still acted as a traditional super-hero, but now his stories dealt a lot more with Asgard and fantasy-mythical elements based off real-life Norse mythology. The character had other great writers – Tom DeFalco’s run comes to mind -, but Simonson is my favourite to this day.

But this isn’t about Thor’s comics, it’s about the Nintendo DS Thor – God of Thunder game, which is based off the great (but underrated) first movie (comic book fans apparently don’t like Shakespearean drama. Who’d have thought?). Well, I say “based off” but the game doesn’t follow the movie’s plot (at least as far as I’ve played it), it seems to be a prequel, instead.

Actually, this isn’t even about the game – although it is a very fun 2D platformer / beat ’em up hybrid which does not feel unoriginal, repetitive or boring at all (unlike the PS3 version), so if you like this sort of game and has access to a Nintendo DS, I recommend it. No, this is about a specific moment in the game’s second stage, when Thor runs into Lady Sif surrounded by several trolls and comments: “Sif, it appears you plan to defend all of Asgard alone?”

Her answer? “What, a woman can’t fight without a man by her side?”

My thoughts? “Damn it, did they really turn Sif into an ‘angry feminist’ stereotype?”

Thor starts replying “Well, no, that is not my…”, but then Sif cuts him off: “Do not worry, Thor, I will save some for you”, and then she runs off to look for more enemies. So, not just an “angry feminist”, but also a stupid one.

At this point, as the game proceeds, I’m thinking: “Maybe this won’t be so bad. There’s a moment in the movie when Thor says something like ‘And Sif, who proved to everybody a woman could be one of the best warriors in Asgard?’, and she answers ‘I did’ in a smug tone, and Thor replies ‘Ok, but I supported you’. Maybe this will be a reference to that scene, and… OH GOD DAMN IT.”

Merely three screens later, there’s Sif having her ass kicked by a large number of trolls. You (the player) proceed to kick THEIR asses in turn, and then Thor has to carry the gravelly-wounded Sif back to Odin for healing while being pursued by many, MANY goblins, before finally being rescued by Volstagg, who then takes Sif with him so that Thor can go back to the frontlines.

“Now, Spoony”, some of you might be saying, “don’t be a humourless feminist. So Sif is injured and the player has to save her, so what? The game’s name is Thor – God of Thunder, not Thor And His Amazing Friends.”

True, but compare Sif’s introduction to the first appearance of each of the Warriors Three: Thor also has to help Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg, but they’re all kicking asses and taking names while also being faithful to their movie depictions (which are a distilled version of their comic book incarnations). Meanwhile, Sif immediately brings up her gender when the situation didn’t call for it at all, acts in an even more brash and arrogant manner than Thor himself (to the point even he – the guy whose character arc in both movie and game is to stop being vain and impulsive and learn some humility so he can finally become the hero he can be – is left dumbfounded), and then doesn’t even get to show off her fighting ability, instead being almost immediately rendered helpless so the player can save her.

I could just chalk it all up to the game’s developers just unthinkingly perpetuating all the mysoginistic tropes so pervasive in video games, but the whole thing is just so unnecessary! WHY does Sif have to specifically bring up her gender, especially in a manner so reminiscent of the stereotypical “angry feminist” rant? If she hadn’t, the whole thing could be just ascribed to Sif being overconfident and paying the price for it (which is actually reasonably in-character for her comic book version) instead of this awful “uppity woman being put in her place” vibe the whole thing gives off.

So, yeah. What the hell.