Nanotechnology has been featured in many works of

science fiction, such as the movie I, Robot or the TV show

Star Trek, yet the science behind it is not frequently

explored and the focus is on the effect nanotechnology

has on the individual or society because it can be used as

a tool for society or a weapon against it. In Disney’s Big

Hero 6, the young boy Hiro develops microbots, based on

nanotechnology, and intends for them to be used to help

society, but they are stolen by a villain and used for

personal gain instead. In the original comics, however, it

is the character Honey Lemon whose main power comes

from her nano-purse and although she is well trained in

various forms of martial arts, her biggest source of power

is her intelligence and the tools she has created using

nanotechnology and other advanced sciences. The

situation of the The Engineer in The Authority is similar.

She was a scientist working on human-machine fusion

when she got access to information on how to replace the

blood in her body with liquid machinery, equipping her

with the ability to use nanotechnology to advance her

skills as a scientist, as well as a fighter. Throughout the

comic it is evident that the agency of The Engineer is

heavily influenced by her technologically enhanced body

which leads to a development of her character. I take a

look at how the agency of The Engineer is affected by

nanotechnology and how this leads to empowerment.

Workshop BLOOD IN THE GUTTER: UNCERTAINTY AND SPECULATION IN CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN COMICS July 15, 2016

The nanotechnological enhancement of the body of The

Engineer leads to her empowerment and enables her to

act independently among the team of superheroes. The

Engineer is already very confident as a scientist but the

enhancements of her body that she has willingly

performed on herself also strengthen her ability to fight

and this is a new territory for her. She has to adjust to the

changing roles in her team. The team is in a constant

state of uncertainty and risk because they could be

attacked or face a new enemy at any given moment. The

nanotechnological devices in the blood of The Engineer

give her the power to form and create any given object

that would assist her in a particular situation. As soon as

she realizes this and does not confine her abilities to the

field of science, she is able to act more freely and thereby

more confidently. The transformation of her character is

therefore caused by the enhancement of her body

through nanotechnology and living in a risk environment

and having to adjust quickly to new situations. She starts

out as the scientist in the team and takes care of their

space ship and handling and transmitting information

while also enabling radiotelepathic communication among

the team members. The Engineer already felt comfortable

as a scientist because it is a role she is familiar with from

her previous life. However, she had to adjust to using her

powers to fight, and explore the possibilities she has

through nanotechnology. This changes the manner in

which she handles herself throughout the rest of the

comic. Nanotechnology enables her to act more

independently in times of uncertainty.

Nanotechnology and Empowerment:

Agency in Times of Uncertainty

Juliane Geertsen // Uncertainty and Speculation in Contemporary American Comics (BA Research Seminar)

References

Beck, Ulrich. "Living in the World Risk Society." Economy

and Society 35.3 (August 2006):329-45. Web.

Ellis, Warren. The Authority. New York: DC Comics, 2013.

James, Edward, ed. The Cambridge Companion to

Science Fiction. Cambridge: Cambridge University

Press, 2003. Print.

Kukkonen, Karin. Studying Comics and Graphic Novels.

Malden, MA: Wiley Blackwell, 2013. Print.

McCloud, Scott. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art.

1993. New York, NY: Harper Perennial, 1994. Print.

When The Engineer comes back from the first mission with her team, she contributes the fact that she survived to the machinery in her body. She is still getting used to the transformation of her body but feels like it has protected her without herself being certain how. She was not engaged in the fight directly but enabled communication within the team. This is in accordance to the role she has had in the team thus far. She is responsible for handling information and managing their space ship, the carrier.

In the first mission that requires The Engineer to engage in the fight to help her team, she is faced with an unfamiliar situation. She does not know to use her abilities to fight people and hesitates. This puts her under a lot of pressure to come up with a way to use nanotechnology as a weapon instead of using it as a scientific tool.

After a few missions that required her to fight, it is evident that The Engineer has developed a new attitude towards her job in the team. Although she is still responsible for the carrier and handling most of the scientific issues, she is now an integral part of the fighting team as well. She started out as a scientist but when she replaced her blood with nanotechnological devices, she chose to change her life dramatically.

When mentioning her reasoning for this decision, it shows that she felt obligated to take on the role of The Engineer because she knew she was capable of doing it. She is becoming more comfortable after having accepted what responsibilities she has. From this point on, she no longer hesitates in fights and is very proactive and explores the possibilities of her transformed body.

Agency – It describes the capacity of an individual to act

independently and make free choices. This agency can

be affected by different structures of social or personal

nature.

Gender in Science Fiction – Because of traditional

conceptions of gender and attributes that have been

typically associated with the biological sex, science fiction

has been considered a predominantly masculine field in

the past.

Risk and Uncertainty – Uncertainty refers to the state of

not knowing or having limited knowledge. Risk describes

a state of uncertainty and the anticipation of catastrophe.

Abstract Analysis Conclusion

Concepts

Img 1: p. 51 Img 2: p. 91

Img 3: p. 112 Img 4: p. 112