You’ve in all probability heard the expression “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and if that’s the case then Linda Park may be one of many strongest girls within the DC Universe. Whereas most individuals know her as Wally West’s spouse (strive saying that 3 times quick), Linda Park is a lot greater than that. Since her introduction in 1989’s The Flash #28, Linda has been a dynamic character with compelling subplots and lots of memorable moments. With AAPI Heritage Month now upon us, let’s take a more in-depth have a look at Linda and discover a few of the trials which have made her a stronger character.
Office Discrimination
When readers first met Linda Park, she was a tv reporter. Now, we all know what you’re pondering—one other superhero love curiosity who works as a journalist. Heck, she wouldn’t even be the primary Flash love curiosity to carry that occupation. Nevertheless, Linda Park has needed to take care of job-related challenges that reporters like Iris West, Lois Lane and Vicki Vale by no means confronted. As an Asian-American tv persona, Linda confronted strain from her producers to downplay her heritage.
In 1990’s The Flash #36, Linda was instructed she needed to lighten her pores and skin tone, play down her heritage and attempt to “appear unique, with out being international.” The producer then instructed her she would get replaced if she didn’t cooperate. Let’s not mince phrases right here—her producer was being a disgusting racist. When the Flash battles somebody like Captain Chilly, they might merely punch the villain and he’s arrested by the tip of the story. Combating towards office discrimination isn’t that easy. These had been the tough issues Linda needed to navigate, which the comedian’s namesake by no means needed to expertise.
How did Linda reply? She ignored her producer and by no means cease being herself. In truth, by the tip of that storyline, Linda’s reporting helped take down a cult. Linda was a rattling good reporter, and she or he wasn’t about to compromise any a part of her heritage to assist her profession. The message we had been left with was that Linda had nothing to show and she or he wasn’t going to let a racist producer outline her.
Altering Profession Fields
What’s scarier than going through down the Legion of Doom? Altering your profession as an grownup. Linda might have been an excellent journalist, however in The Flash: Iron Heights #1, she started to see her occupation in a brand new gentle. Because the Flash’s spouse, she had superior information of assorted risks threatening the world and was torn between her obligation as a journalist to report and her instincts to kill some potential tales in an effort to forestall a citywide panic. This triggered some battle in her marriage, and in the long run, Linda determined to stroll away from journalism.
Beginning over is difficult for a lot of causes, particularly if you happen to had been profitable in your chosen subject, however Linda has by no means backed down from a problem. Not solely did she select to change careers, however she selected probably the most tough professions possible. In 2001’s The Flash #178, Linda enrolled in medical college, and started finding out to change into a pediatrician. She instructed household and mates that she wished to assist sick and needy youngsters all over the world and this might be one of the best ways to do it. Medical college was not simple, and Linda needed to take care of grueling examine periods, her superhero husband interrupting her lessons, mountains of homework, and an unforgiving schedule. As if that wasn’t sufficient, Linda did all this whereas she was pregnant!
After she miscarried her twins, medical college grew to become too heartbreaking for Linda, and she or he made the choice to drop out in 2003’s The Flash #205. Nevertheless, she was later given an opportunity to finish her medical coaching and even surpass the information of her pediatric academics. After some actuality warping, Linda’s being pregnant was restored and she or he gave delivery to twin youngsters named Jai and Iris. When Wally, Linda and their twins had been transported to an alien world (extra on that in a bit), the couple realized their youngsters wanted particular medical care attributable to their distinctive speedster metabolism.
In 2008’s The Flash #236, Linda appealed to the alien council to let her examine all of their medical and technological secrets and techniques. Such issues had been forbidden on their world, however Linda Park might be very convincing. She as soon as once more threw herself into her research and gained sufficient medical information to save lots of her youngsters. Going by medical college on Earth is difficult sufficient, think about what it will need to have been love to do it on an alien world with expertise that you just’ve by no means seen earlier than. Both means, this was one other trial that Linda handed with flying colours.
The Anti-Damsel
Many individuals affiliate being the love curiosity of a superhero with getting kidnapped or crying by the window as you wait on your important different. However Linda Park isn’t any damsel-in-distress and has at all times been the grasp of her personal future. Probably the greatest examples of this may very well be present in Infinite Disaster #4. Throughout a battle with Superboy-Prime, the Velocity Pressure started to lose its stability and Flash discovered himself being pulled into someplace unknown. Earlier than fading away, Wally appeared earlier than Linda to say goodbye.
Most different superhero spouses would’ve had a tearful goodbye, however Linda was not going to lose her husband. She instructed Wally that wherever he was being pulled to, they’d all go collectively as a household. Linda embraced her husband, pulling her twins and her into the unknown void collectively. This second speaks volumes about who Linda Park is. She isn’t going to take a seat on the sidelines whereas her husband fights for his life within the unknown. For her, marriage is a partnership, and meaning she’s alongside for the experience, for higher or for worse. The Wests wound up on the planet Savoth, the place they grew stronger as a household earlier than returning to Earth.
Unpacking Linda Park
These are just a few of the various trials Linda Park has endured through the years. Linda has embraced and overcome each problem that has been thrown her means, and at all times comes out stronger. She might not patrol the streets in a scarlet super-suit like her husband or youngsters, however she has led a life stuffed with accomplishments, and is without doubt one of the most dynamic characters within the Flash mythos. It’s not laborious to see why Wally West fell in love together with her. Linda’s story is much from over, and as a fan I can’t wait to see how she’ll conquer all of the trials that lay forward.
Joshua Lapin-Bertone writes about TV, motion pictures and comics for DCComics.com and writes our month-to-month Batman column, “Gotham Gazette.” Observe him on Twitter at @TBUJosh.
NOTE: The views and opinions expressed on this characteristic are solely these of Joshua Lapin-Bertone and don’t essentially mirror these of DC Leisure or Warner Bros.
