On the topic of Maddy having postpartum depression + psychosis, do you think thatâs possible?
Iâm by no means an expert, but I have done a bit of research on the subject bc of stuff in my family
For main universe 616 Madelyne, I would say it is possible (?) maybe
Thereâs not much evidence to point to initially- she is unhappy after Nathan is born but there are pretty clear reasons for it (giving birth alone in a kitchen, Scott not calling and being emotionally absent) that would probably make most people feel similarly. Her descent into becoming the Goblin Queen is a direct result of a series of traumas- Scott leaving, being attacked by the Marauders and losing her son, constantly feeling powerless among the x-men, her experiences in Genosha etc, and then obviously later the clone reveal and Mr. Sinister, which is the final nail in the proverbial coffin
In Hellions (2020), Madelyne seems to imply that she was never the same mentally after waking up from the coma she slipped into after the Marauders attacked her, so thatâs what she considers the âturning pointâ to be for her. This honestly makes a lot of sense- aside from her and Scottâs relationship problems she was doing pretty well as a new mother before it happened, and then in 24 hours she lost her husband, her son and her identity, with Mr. Sinister destroying all record of her existence.
However it is possible she was struggling and then this sequence of events exacerbated it, PPD usually manifests within a month of giving birth and can be brought on by extreme stress. So while I do think Maddieâs storyline and becoming the Goblin Queen make relative sense when you look at the amount of trauma she suffered in a pretty short window of time, postpartum depression on top of that isnât impossible
Postpartum psychosis is also possible, but I think less likely. Throughout Inferno and the issues leading up to it sheâs lucid, focused and fully understands whatâs happening and what sheâs doing. PPP can manifest up to 4 months after birth, but while Maddie is angry and lashing out, sheâs not necessarily experiencing psychotic symptoms.
There are some scenes that stand out- when sheâs standing in front of Jeanâs grave and sees a replay of her wedding and when sheâs in Mr. Sinisterâs laboratory and sees herself as a baby and then an adult inside an empty tank. In the comic this is explained as manifestations of her latent telepathic abilities, but they could also fall under visual hallucinations, which can be a feature of PPP. Likewise there is unfortunately an established connection between postpartum psychosis and mothers attempting to harm their babies, which Madelyne does do in her eventual decision to sacrifice Nathan. It does, however, depend on whether you think these things are specifically postpartum related or moreso her mind reacting to everything thatâs happened to her.
So my answer is more of a maybe?
I do think this would be interesting to explore in an AU capacity, especially one that doesnât involve magic or mutants. Removed from the context of typical comic book fuckery, there are a lot of parallels that can be drawn between Madelyneâs story and the realities of some mothers who struggle with these issues postpartum, especially in extreme cases where this causes the children to be removed.
