The Emmy-nominated actress Emilia Clarke’s new comic book M.O.M.: Mother of Madness was released on July 21st! Clarke is most famous for her role in HBO’s Game of Thrones as Daenerys Targaryen. In April of this year, she revealed she was developing this comic via an Instagram post. In a previous article by Entertainment Weekly, she stated growing up, her brother was a big comic book fan, but she wasn’t allowed in the comic book shops with him because she “was the loser little sister.” Due to the lack of women on comic book covers and within the shops themselves, Clarke admitted she “didn’t feel safe to explore” this area at the time.
Years later, the persisting lack of women in comics and the way female superheroes are often portrayed inspired Clarke to create a character that was more relatable. In the Entertainment Weekly article, Clarke says she believes people have very personal experiences with superheroes. Adding on, she states, “These are characters that people are passionate about, and care about deeply, and relate to. I wanted to throw a new character into the mix, and see if people related to her in a way that was impactful to them.”
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The lead character of M.O.M. is Maya, a superhero, scientist, and single mother whose powers come from her menstrual cycle. Clarke co-created the comic with writer Marguerite Benette and artist Leila Leiz. According to the official synopsis, M.O.M. combines “Deadpool action and Fleabag comedy when Maya activates her freakish superpowers to take on a secret sect of human traffickers.”
Clarke appeared virtually as a guest Wednesday morning on Live with Kelly and Ryan to discuss where the idea came from. In the interview, she stated, “The idea of a single mother to me is the ultimate superhero. If you put down on paper what a single mom has to do, you’d assume that person would need to have superhuman strength.”
Clarke decided to “make [Maya’s] powers come from her menstrual cycle, the thing we don’t like about ourselves as women.” She says the idea evolved from her just speculating “wouldn’t it be funny…?” to her sitting down and “writing fifty pages of every character” and those characters’ stories.
As Winter is Coming originally stated, when thinking about superheroes today, it can be difficult to do so without discussing whether these new superheroes will turn into successful franchises. Luckily for fans of M.O.M., Clarke is not opposed to adapting her comic into a film in the future, if the opportunity presents itself.
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Clarke stated she did not create M.O.M. with the intention of turning it into a movie. However, she says, “But if it’s successful and people like it and it comes up, sure, then let’s make something bigger.”
Clarke’s latest non-Game of Thrones roles include Qi’ra in Solo: A Star Wars Story with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Woody Harrelson, and Alden Ehrenreich, as well as Kate in Last Christmas with Henry Golding and Emma Thompson. Earlier this year, Clarke was officially announced as one of the stars joining the cast of Marvel’s upcoming show Secret Invasion. However, her specific role is not yet disclosed.
Want to know more about Emilia Clarke and M.O.M.: Mother of Madness? Check out my previous article here!
Purchase the first volume of M.O.M.: Mother of Madness here! The comic series will have three volumes in total.