#maelex

it’s so sad and frustrating seeing people react to maelex by saying it’s outdated or didn’t age well or is weird in hindsight because no! it’s not outdated it aged fine and it’s not weird in hindsight because it’s supposed to be gross and weird and abusive. that’s the plot. that’s the point! you’re supposed to feel that way! Sometimes in old comics when characters are abused it’s actually treated as abuse in the comic itself. not every representation of abuse is outdated or mishandled just because they don’t show up with blaring signs reading ‼️‼️‼️‼️ warning ‼️‼️‼️‼️ abuse ‼️‼️‼️‼️

lex repeatedly shows he views mae as fundamentally less than human. he punishes her when she does things he doesn't like, he controls where she goes and doesn't go and freaks out as soon as she's not physically in reach, and when gretchen kelley (his mother/ex girlfriend/doctor/partner in crime) confronts him about taking advantage of an innocent young girl, he essentially says it's ok bc she's not human. he studies her in multiple labs and experiments to figure out the secret behind her biology. he thinks of her as stupid. he clones and exploits her and calls her his 'most precious gem' as if she's some beautiful thing he literally owns. he trademarks her likeness and sells dolls of her behind her back. and yet, to her face, he tells her he loves her and values her and doesn't want her to ever be in pain. she stays with him because she believes that he genuinely loves and values her— he stays with her because he thinks she's useful.