IN HER SHADOW: SUPERHEROINES AND THE UNWITTING LEGACY OF PATRIARCHY

Abstract

This paper examines superheroine narratives through the lens of feminist jurisprudence, arguing that popular comics function as cultural and legal texts reflecting patriarchal structures. Drawing on feminist legal theories by Catharine MacKinnon, Kimberlé Crenshaw, Martha Fineman, and H.L.A. Hart's legal positivism, the study analyzes characters such as Wonder Woman, She-Hulk, Storm, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, and Harley Quinn to demonstrate how female superheroes embody both empowerment and systemic gender constraints. It explores themes including the "Women in Fridges" trope, hypersexualization, intersectionality, reproductive autonomy, and legal paradoxes affecting women. The paper further connects fictional narratives with real-world legal doctrines and judicial practices, highlighting persistent inequalities in law and society. It concludes by advocating for a feminist reconstruction of jurisprudence that recognizes popular culture as a valuable site for legal critique and transformative justice