Board Thread:Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard/@comment-32364251-20171218232652/@comment-5896827-20181221004934

The more I think about it, the more I feel like Alex is a bit of a Mary Sue. I took the Mary Sue litmus test on the springhole website, and she got 96. Just some typical sue examples:

-Alex has heterochromia

-Is particularly pointed out as good-looking and beautiful with a "petite" figure in a series where most characters aren't that attractive (Most characters in the Magnus series have a very normal and realistic body type)

-Riordan hyper-focuses on all the outfits Alex wears and puts a great amount of detail into them. From my memory, none of the other characters got quite the same amount of focus except for Blitz who is a fashion designer, which makes sense.

-Alex is focused on so much that it detracts from the main plot. I know more about Alex and her pronouns than I do about the quest they went on.

-Alex voices the author's personal political beliefs and her beliefs are shown as infallible in-story. One of Alex's main purposes in the story is to serve as the author's political statement on transgender issues. Alex's function in the quest plot could be filled out by any generic child of Loki.

-People who disagree with Alex on anything are portrayed as evil and totally unsympathetic (her dad). That, or they "reform" (Halfborn and Sif) and change their life long held beliefs to coincide with Alex's.

-Alex openly insults and berates characters yet no one minds. Even character's who would normally respond like Sif, a goddess. Gods are known for cursing and killing mortals for the slightest perceived sleight. I believe Alex outright insulted and even threatened the goddess. Yet, Sif did nothing but act annoyed. Annabeth insulted Hera and was cursed for an entire year to be followed by pooping cows. Percy injured Ares and was cursed to have his sword fail him when he needs it most. Alex, for all intent and purposes, behaved worse than what Percy and Annabeth did when they got their curses yet nothing happened to her. In fact, Sif changes her mind and apologizes, even gushing over how beautiful Alex is.

-Alex is openly defiant of authority and it is shown as justified or goes unpunished.

-Alex is violent (hurts people) and destructive (destroys her room) yet suffers no consequences. In fact, Alex behavior is portrayed as justified by the author.

-Alex's hard life is used as an excuse for her awful treatment of others

-Alex's past is treated as particularly tragic even though it is not much different than other Riordan tragedies.