As if players needed yet another reason to pass on Rocksteady Games’ disappointing Suicide Squad: Kill the justice League, an in-game profile for Wonder Woman has revealed that the Arkhamverse’s incarnation of Lex Luthor greatly admires the fact that “toxic masculinity” does not exist within the Amazon society of Themyscira.
Each written from the individual perspective of either Captain Boomerang or Luthor himself, these profiles – referred to in-game as ‘Codex Entries’ – see either of the two super villains offering both a quick rundown of a given character’s personality and their own own personal thoughts regarding the subject’s existence.
For example, in his brief dissertation on The Flash, the aforementioned Aussie declares, “All you need to know about Flasher is that he’s a shiny red beacon bastard to every high school sports captain who ever thought they were been than m–you.”
“You’re just makin’ a livin’ as a hard workin’ rebel, an’ then this guy shows up, throwin’ his weight around, callin’ himself the fastest, the funniest, the best,” his ranting continues. “Who asked, mate?! If he was any more full of himself, he’d have little Flashies drippin’ off his nose hairs.”
However, while most of these Codex Entries serve mainly to flesh out the Arkham universe and provide players with a fun spot of flavor text, the one belonging to Wonder Woman attempts to up its relevance with a ham-fisted injection of real-world sociopolitical discourse.
Taken “from the files of Lex Luthor”, Diana’s profile begins with the super villain explaining, “I am prone to wild imaginings. As a man of science, speculation is how my brain finds leisure, and the closest thing it knows to ‘play’ – But there is little amusement to be found in imagining how improved Earth would be if instead of forcing the Amazons into hiding with our cruelty and avaraice, we had instead looked to them as a model, replicable if only we could set aside our baser instincts.”
From there, Luthor offers glowing praise to the fact that the Amazons have “solved so many of our society’s ills: Broken democracy, lagging technology, toxic masculinity. And thus they flourish through higher learning, mutual aid, and governance without cruelty. They are a a golden society, who deserve to be as secret as they are.”
“Enter Wonder Woman, so named, I assume, because one Wonders why a Woman of her caliber and ancestry would leave paradise to play in the mud with us,” he adds.
And though the profile continues, the only available screenshot of it on the internet, its originator currently unknown, cuts off the very last bits of Luthor’s musings.
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While most criticism of this entry will focus on its mention of “toxic masculinity” – and for good reason, as this term is rarely ever used to discuss actual topics relating to men’s mental well-being and behaviors but rather as a blank check to be used in service of shutting down all male input in a given discussion – it should be noted that what makes the entire Codex Entry particularly absurd is the fact that it’s coming from Lex freakin’ Luthor.
As anyone with more-than-a-passing-knowledge of the DC mythos knows, Luthor’s entire super villain career is motivated not out of a desire to do evil, but out of a fear that should Superman be allowed to exist, humanity will come to rely on him for everything and thus lose all motivation to advance and flourish as a species.
And players are supposed to believe that the same man who hates Superman for his alien heritage is supposed to be a fawning fanboy for Wonder Woman, who herself is of mystical origin and in no way human? Yeah, sure.
As of writing, it is unknown which specific member or members of the Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League were responsible for the real-world penning of Wonder Woman’s in-game profile.
But to this end, it should be noted that the game’s script writing, including but not limited to its “banter, cut scenes, barks, [and] audio logs,” featured input from the notorious Sweet Baby Inc.
A self-described “inclusion-focused narrative and consultation company” whose credits include work on such titles as Alan Wake II, God of War: Ragnarok, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Sweet Baby Inc.’s main objective is to foster the concepts of ‘diversity and inclusion’ within any title brought their way.
“We believe that representation is key to connecting players and audiences,and we offer a few ways to help your team and project gain the perspective needed to make it happen,” explains the company on their official website. “We’re part of an inclusive and knowledgeable community of diverse consultants, able to cover a wide range of cultural and sensitivity topics. Our approach leads with the creation of joy in marginalized players, and seeks to be additive rather than strictly corrective.”
Whether or not Sweet Baby Inc. had any actual hand in writing the game’s Codex Entries has yet to be confirmed in any official capacity.
However, given both their above mission statement and the ridiculous presentation of the anti-anything-but-human Luthor being a proponent of a mythcal race, odds are good that they had some hand in penning its contents.