Woman of the Month: Mari McCabe

Mari McCabe from Vixen

Is it any surprise that I went for Vixen as October's woman of the month?

I know that Arrow has its problems, but I will give it credit for one thing: exploring and sustaining its ever-widening universe. It has currently spawned two spin-offs (The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow), an animated web series (Vixen, naturally) and even retroactively incorporated a character from an otherwise unrelated cancelled television show into its continuity (Constantine). It's comparable to what Marvel are doing on the big screen, but in some ways on an even larger scale.

And so the exciting thing about Mari is that she's introduced to us as part of a much bigger world; simultaneously making her stand out and blend in.  One of my favourite tropes is Hero of Another Story, which (when used well) gives us the sense that there's a lot going on outside the experiences of the main character; that meaningful battles and important events can occur without their involvement.

Such is the case with Mari, who is very much the main character of her own story, one in which Barry and Oliver come across as unwelcome meddlers. It would have been very easy for the writers to make her a typical Mystery of the Week in the ongoing adventures of Arrow and the Flash, but instead she's kept front and centre of the action. They're the guest stars, as well as convenient tools used to demonstrate just how powerful Mari is.

But what I like most about her is that she's an adult. Unlike Oliver and Barry, who have to go through a lot of character development across the course of their respective shows, Mari comes across as a grown woman: mature, self-assured and in control of her destiny. (Obviously there's nothing wrong with character development, but it's nice to occasionally get someone who is already fully-formed). 

Another interesting touch is that Mari's motivation is based entirely on her desire to find out about her background – and a totem is less valuable for its magical abilities as it is as a clue to her past. Though in saying that, she naturally joins the ranks of vigilante superheroism by the end of the show. 

There was some disappointment that Vixen was introduced as part of a (very) short-running  web-series, with episodes barely clocking in at five minutes. But as there's still plenty more to learn about Mari McCabe, hopefully her story has performed well enough to warrant Megalyn Echikunwoke appearing on one of the three Arrow-related shows in the near future.