She-Hulk’s New Foe is a Dark Reminder of Why Batman Can Never End His War on Crime

Warning: Spoilers for The Sensational She-Hulk #7!

One surprising connection between She-Hulk and Batman reveals the dark truth behind the average hero’s journey. Batman and She-Hulk are not two heroes who get lumped in with each other often, but one thing that connects them is the same mission that all superheroes share: the quest to stop crime permanently. For Batman, it relates to his war on crime, which may be too ambitious to succeed.

The Sensational She-Hulk #7 – by Rainbow Rowell, Ig Guara, Dee Cunniffe, and VC’s Joe Caramagna – echoes a similar sentiment as to why no superhero can ever complete such a journey. These last two issues mark the return of Ganymede for the first time in 30 years. Beyond just ruining She-Hulk’s relationship, Ganymede reveals that while away off-panel, she finally completed her journey to avenge her fallen sisters.

Unfortunately, completing her mission proved more harmful than helpful, sending her on a path to villainy. Ganymede’s dilemma puts into perspective the bittersweet reality of heroism and why no hero finds a happy ending.

She-Hulk Shows The Surprise Ramifications Thwarting Evil Permanently

Ganymede Is A Cautionary Tale

Years before meeting She-Hulk, Ganymede – the last of the Archsisterhood of Spinsters – was on a mission to face-off with the Blood Skrulls, who murdered the rest of her hive. With the help of Wanda Maximoff in Scarlet Witch #6, her mission was completed, but without the satisfaction she hoped for. In the time since then, Ganymede fell into a depression and has been aimless. From time immemorial, she had been bred by war, trained for war, and fought war; tragically, she didn’t know what to do once she became a warrior without a conflict.

She goes as far as to align herself with Drapurg, a villain who attempted to orchestrate the destruction of Manhattan last year in She-Hulk’s last self-titled series. Ganymede joins someone else’s war strictly to give herself a purpose she’s long lost. Now, Ganymede is blindly forcing herself into a conflict with She-Hulk. She has no qualms with She-Hulk, but Ganymede is willing to fight her purely so that she has somethingto fight for. In a way, this makes her more dangerous than she ever has been before.

No Superhero Can Get Their Happy Ending – Especially Not Batman

Sorry, Bruce

Readers rarely witness a superhero really “complete” their journey; usually, that journey is never-ending. Of course, superheroes are confronted with one threat after another because they exist in a serial medium, but Ganymede’s fate in Sensational She-Hulk #7 offers an in-universe rationale. Readers don’t want their favorite heroes suddenly adrift once their nemesis has been taken care of. For superheros, there is no such thing as a definitive “happy ending” simply because there can’t be – especially for characters like Batman, who are more committed than most.

Imagine if Batman completed his war on crime and saved Gotham for good. In a world where there is no more crime and no longer a reason for Bruce Wayne to be Batman anymore, there’s no longer a reason for Batman comics to exist. In-universe, Batman would be aimless in the same way Ganymede is now. The same can be said for any hero in DC or Marvel – including She-Hulk – and speaks to a sad reality that so many heroes face as to why most heroes are destined, or doomed, to do this forever.