Believe it or not, it has been more than 250 issues of Image Comics‘ Savage Dragon since the first time Erik Larsen drew a risque page that drew criticism.
…But if you talk to certain folks on the internet, they’ll tell you that “Savage Dragon is porn now,” mostly citing a handful of high-profile super-powered sex scenes that have taken place since 2014’s Savage Dragon #200. Malcolm Dragon, the current star of the title and son of the original Dragon, is married to Maxine, a young woman who excitedly, enthusiastically experiments with her sexuality. Malcolm himself is no prude, rarely backing down from Maxine’s requests.
It is understandable that some readers, particularly those used to traditional PG/PG-13 superhero comics, might be less comfortable with Savage Dragon these days. It probably features incidental nudity more often than almost any other superhero comic on the market, and the occasional plot that centers on something like a striptease or a foursome. At the moment, Maxine is suing Mickey Mouse for sexual abuse.
But, for those who don’t remember how we got here, we thought the release of Savage Dragon #281 — in which we find out Maxine has been working as a pornographic actor since Malcolm left for Russia months ago — was the perfect moment to do a quick rundown of the series’ X-rated controversies.
[Editor’s Note: The images that follow in this piece are extremely Not Safe For Work. Be warned!]
Things started out relatively minor with Savage Dragon #17. Released in 1995, Dragon shares a shower with his then-girlfriend, Rapture. The series shipped with variant interiors — one in which Rapture’s anatomy is strategically covered by soap, steam, Dragon, etc., and an “uncensored” version that drew some criticism at the time.
Just five issues later, Savage Dragon #22 featured a profoundly wet t-shirt on Rapture. Given the way women were drawn (and generally depicted) in early Image comics, both the #17 and #22 controversies drew some criticism from people who generally disapproved of the nudity, and some from feminist voices unhappy with the context as much as the content.
Not too much later, we had another pair pretty close together. In Savage Dragon #46, Dragon and Smasher find themselves transported abruptly back to Earth after a battle with some gods, including Thor and AllGod. Arriving home, they find themselves naked, in a burning field, in an homage to Dragon’s first arrival on Earth. With Smasher’s breasts and nipples on display, that one drew some looks, as well. Only three issues later, Dragon’s sex life took center stage with an image of Dragon and his girlfriend Alex Wilde going at it “doggy style.”
There is plenty of R-rated content in Savage Dragon, but the whole “Savage Dragon is porn now” argument vanished from the public consciousness for a while, only to return with a vengeance in recent years.
In Savage Dragon #200, Angel Murphy/Battle Girl joins Maxine and Malcolm in a threesome, capitalizing on the chemistry between Angel and Malcolm — something that was a frequent topic of tension for a few years. It shocked some readers, particularly since Angel and Malcolm, while not biologically related, were both raised largely by Dragon and have known each other for basically their whole lives.
In #202, Larsen revisited the threesome, but also added Malcolm’s ex-girlfriend, Tierra. This one was even more notable in terms of story, since after the foursome, all three women ended up pregnant, resulting in the Dragon “Triplets” (Jack, Tyrone, and Amy). All three babies would be raised by Malcolm and Maxine. Angel gave up custody of Jack, and Tierra died during childbirth.
A couple of years later, one particularly graphic scene solidified the “Savage Dragon is porn now” comments as a permanent part of the comic’s legacy. In Savage Dragon #228, there’s a three-page sex scene between Maxine and Malcolm, in which Malcolm ejaculates so powerfully that it sends his wife flying, complete with graphic sound effects and a mess left behind.
Six issues later, as the culminating event of a long stay in Dimension-X, there’s a naked fight scene between Rapture, Jennifer Murphy, Angel Murphy, and Alex Wilde. The nudity had been amping up throughout their time in Dimension-X, since they were not prepared when they got there, and faced a number of challenges and attacks during their time there, wearing away at their clothes as they went.
And, of course, then we had Savage Dragon #280 last month. Another issue with a “variant interior,” its final page tees up this month’s big reveal, with Malcolm opening the door to find his wife engaged in group sex with Beast-Boy, Thunder-Head, and Mr. Glum.
For the uninitiated — Thunder-Head is currently married to Maxine’s mom, and the two previously sold their own sex tape. The real Mr. Glum is dead, having traded bodies with Angel’s husband Frank, who is therefore the one doing the deed.
For more details, you can check out our interview about Savage Dragon #281 this week.
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