True, the editor's said that more than once and even started a thread which encompassed that topic (which, sadly, got derailed). I've even jokingly referred to her as Jean "Grey" now and then, for that reason.Varanus wrote:As I said in my reply to The Nick (some may have missed it as its the last post on the previous page) that seems relevant here regarding the whole "did Faith try to rape Melissa" thing:
Was it attempted rape? I don't think so, but it is definitely an example of something that the writers have stated in the past that Faith views as ethically okay but that normal people may not see as okay. We have confirmation Faith does not intentionally make people love her, but at the same time it has long been admitted Faith's sense of morality is not the norm.
Here's how I see it: was it invasive? Yes, but we have to consider Faith's intent and the circumstances.Varanus wrote:That is we get into a much more gray area when Faith somehow gets herself and Mel naked in the water and tries to lead her to admit that she loves her (which Mel plainly does not). That Mel acts very out of character (have we ever seen her do that "I... I..." stuff before or since? ) until fade-out-girl appears is what causes many readers to think Faith was doing something to Mel's mind to make her more receptive to her advances, something more than just giving her a nice scenery.
From what we've seen, that was not an example of Faith's typical behavior. She doesn't stroll down the halls of Artemis pulling random girls into dream worlds with her. She did that during a combat exam. The only other instance where she's done anything similar, was when she bloodlusted Layla, which was another combat situation.
In combat, it's permissible for certain rules to bent, broken, or completely ignored depending on the circumstances. Normally, a lot people wouldn't kill. But if their lives being threatened and they happen to have a loaded gun, they might. Faith's goal was to win by way of seduction and, had Melissa consented, Faith would have succeeded. Coaxing your opponent to surrender that way is unorthodox and unethical, by our standards. By her standards, however, she'd likely argue she'd done nothing wrong. After all, where's the harm in creating a bit of mood (scenery, lighting, music, etc.) to ask a cute girl if she likes you?
Was it her intent to rape Melissa? No. She has the power and the ability to do that, but she didn't, because we've been told she finds rape sick, evil, and wrong.
Did she force the issue, or try to harm her in any way? No. She created a picturesque scene and tried to seduce her, but that was as far as it went.