Emilia Clarke has boasted legions of devoted fans for several years, thanks in no small part to her role as the powerful Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones.
The actress is now set to transport her empowering portrayal of strong women characters into a new realm, with the upcoming release of her debut comic book, M.O.M.: Mother of Madness.
Comic book heroine Maya's appeal and relatability lies in the fact that it's the decidedly ordinary that makes her extraordinary—a busy single mother, whose life is changed as she gains superpowers through her menstrual cycle.
"She's a single mum that's got to get s**t done," Clarke told Variety. "This was born from the idea that single mothers are superheroes. You need superhuman strength to do that.
"When you get into your 30s and your friends start having kids, you're like, 'Oh my god. I was not aware of what it took. Holy s**t.'"
As for how Maya's cycle has been weaved into the storyline, Clarke explained: "The bloating, the hair growth, the mood swings, the [acne], all of it. We hate that when it happens, speaking for myself and everyone I've ever met who has had a period.
"What if we turned that around and made the period something that we can feel as this unique, crazy, superhuman thing that happens in our body? When Maya is scared, she goes invisible, when she's angry, she has superhuman strength. She can swing like Spider-Man from her armpit hair."
Maya's powers are so deeply rooted in the hands of Mother Nature that in upcoming editions of the three-part miniseries, she will be seen using her "inflated boobs" to help bring down a human trafficking ring.
"She's so ashamed of her powers at the start," said Clarke. "It's mental. Even today, if your tampon falls out of your bag, it's embarrassing. Why?"
After seeing comic book shops as boys-only spaces when she was growing up as a fantasy novel fan in the U.K., the actress said that she began to consider what a graphic novel might look like from her perspective following the dawn of #MeToo.
As countless high-profile women turned the Hollywood tide by speaking out against the harassment and discrimination that had been normalized in years' past, Clarke was drawn toward a path of new artistic possibilities.
The screen star worked with an all-female creative team to realize M.O.M., which she co-wrote with Marguerite Bennett, while Leila Leiz provided the art.
"In doing my research, I found that 16 percent of comic book creators are female, according to a 2019 study, and only 30 percent of comic book characters are women," said Clarke. "On the other hand, roughly half of comic book buyers are female.
"Something did not sit right with me in that exchange, and all these signs were telling me to go make my own."
M.O.M.: Mother of Madness is set to be released on July 21.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
