Marvel has created a series of new superheroes, including a pair of twins Safespace and non-binary Snowflake.
In what the comicbook giant claims is a move to reclaim these words, the characters form part of the 'The New Warrior' team.
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Unveiling the controversial duo, co-creator Daniel Kibblesmith explained that Snowflake is the more aggressive sibling, while Safespace is the defensive.
He told the Marvel website: "They're hyper aware of modern culture and optics, and they see their Super Heroics as 'a post-ironic meditation on using violence to combat bullying'.
"It's this idea that these are terms that get thrown around on the internet that they don't see as derogatory. [They] take those words and kind of wear them as badges of honour.
"Safespace is a big, burly, sort of stereotypical jock. He can create forcefields, but he can only trigger them if he's protecting somebody else.
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"Snowflake is non-binary and goes by they/them, and has the power to generate individual crystalized snowflake-shaped shurikens. The connotations of the word 'snowflake' in our culture right now are something fragile, and this is a character who is turning it into something sharp.
"Snowflake is the person who has the more offensive power, and Safespace is the person who has the more defensive power. The idea is that they would mirror each other and complement each other."
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Adding: "The connotations of the word 'snowflake' in our culture right now are something fragile, and [Snowflake] is a character who is turning it into something sharp."
The siblings, who it's said have been created to fight bullying, join meme-obsessed Screentime, teen vampire B-Negative, and foster kid Trailblazer, in Marvel's new comic series, which lands on shop shelves next month.
However, the move has divided opinion among fans, with some understanding what Marvel was trying to do but critical of its execution.
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Taking to Twitter, one person said: "Heard two cis dudes at Marvel are introducing a pair of nonbinary heroes named (i shit you not) "Snowflake" and "Safespace". I figured i should do them a solid and design a pair of cisgender superheroes for them as well, since i know how hard up for representation cis folks are."
A second critic wrote: "Look, I'm sure everyone at Marvel has the best of intentions but by god read the room on naming two black NB characters Snowflake and Safespace."
While another commented: "Two poc characters named snowflake and safe space?? A native american girl named trailblazer?? And f***ing Asian kid who got addicted to the internet named screentime?! And the white kid looking like a vampire named B negative.... lol #NOPE"
Featured Image Credit: MarvelTopics: Interesting, US Entertainment