Oh… Oh jeez, dude, you are late to the party. I’ve been so busy with work I haven’t done that is AGES. But I can see this means a lot to you, so you know who is just OBVIOUSLY trans?
She-Hulk’s whole schtick is a transformation narrative brought about by the miracles of science (specifically, changing her blood chemistry). She changes from a self-loathing, meek person who wants to please others because she doesn’t feel much self-worth, to a strong, vivacious, and happy woman. Unlike the He-Hulk’s “woe is me” narrative, Jennifer’s transformation is a blessing (especially once she learns to control the mood swings that come early in the transition) that makes her happier even if it doesn’t solve all her problems, and at times even causes new ones. Later on in the series she even rejects her old life entirely and loses the ability to transform back into her meek form, in much the same way most trans people eventually reach a point in transition when they can’t look back. Later narratives examined how She-Hulk herself has problems finding work while her hated old identity is still considered very hireable, and eventually She-Hulk is forced to run her own business on a shoestring budget and depends heavily on specialty work from friends. If those aren’t metaphors for a post-transition working life, I don’t know what is.
But I’m not saying She-Hulk is a metaphorical trans woman. I’m saying Shulkie is a literal trans woman. If you go back to her earliest issues (and I have), Jennifer Walters is weedy and tomboyish with sharp features. She and her father love each other very much, but have a strained relationship because of how “everything changed” after her mother died. Jen has very few friends, and none who seem to have known her longer than a few years—it was hard to get permission to transition back in 1980 unless you cut out your old life and hid most of your past. She-Hulk’s go-to color for her costumes is purple, the queer-coded color; more significantly, across her many (many) costume changes, she always comes back to purple with a white accent, and what is purple if not pink and blue? Now, I’m not saying She-Hulk literally wears a trans pride flag, but…
“It literally makes 0 difference, that is why I’m spending so much time and energy being angry and bothering you about it.”
