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Plus-size superhero proves that special powers come in all packages

New female superheroes are always welcome. But a female superhero who doesn’t have supermodel proportions? Now that’s awesome.

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Valiant’s new badass superhero is Faith, who just happens to be plus-size. She caught everyone’s eye when she appeared in the publisher’s Harbinger series and has now landed a series of her own.

Blogger Faith Herbert — who was orphaned at birth, as tends to be the case with superheroes — wears glasses, is a diehard sci-fi fangirl and models her look on other superheroes. But as her alter-ego Zephyr she can fly, is telekinetic and rocks an all-white costume.


Comic book fans have definitely embraced Faith as an alternative to the typical skinny/sexualised female superhero character.

“I’ve heard some very moving comments from comic fans who had never seen a hero who looked like them on the cover of a comic before the Faith covers were unveiled,” Faith’s creator Jody Houser told Mashable. “So there is very much a demand for a book like this.”

Even better Faith is happy with her size. She doesn’t want to lose weight because she has far more important superhero-type things to be doing.

“Faith really stands out as a superhero who is plus-size and beyond that, she’s not someone that’s ashamed of her size. She’s perfectly comfortable with her body,” Houser told MTV News. “It’s never even really been brought up as an issue in the comics so far, and I’m planning on sort of continuing that trend of her just being very confident in herself and happy with who she is.”


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Apart from promoting a body positive message, Faith has a strong moral compass and knows exactly what kind of superhero she wants to be.

“Faith not only has a deep knowledge of superheroes as a life-long comic reader, she’s very aware of who she is and the type of hero she wants to be,” said Houser. “She had a brief stint on a superhero team that had no qualms about killing people, and she walked out on them because she knew it wasn’t for her. And yet, she still remains optimistic about the world and her place in it. More than anything, it’s that positivity that really shines in her interactions with others.”


The first issue of Faith will be released on Jan. 27, 2016.

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