Commentary: The sexist demand on female superheroes: Save the world and look hot

"Mom, look," said my daughter Mika. She was sitting on her bed, poring over the "Marvel Encyclopedia," a door-stopper catalog of superheroes recently borrowed from the public library. "The men here look so big and strong," she said as she pointed to the glossy pages, "but the women all look like this" - she sucked in her stomach to indicate a concave abdomen and a minuscule waist.

The women also had ample breasts, though my 8-year-old may be too young to notice. In fact, they all looked alike: While getting their busts augmented to double-Ds, they also apparently had asked for their lower ribs to be removed.

Hyper-sexualization of women in comics is