She-Hulk's Body

"I guess I've just always been impressed by her—physique. Her definition," Sue Storm admitted under the influence of Moonstone's microgravitic manipulations. "When I was growing up, that kind of fitness and bodybuilding wasn't thought to be appropriate for girls. Not ladylike. We're supposed to be fit, but we're not supposed to be—swole."

"And you've never thought of building muscle yourself?" Dr. Stone said, her voice slightly strained. "Never imagined what you might look like with bigger muscles? Or six-pack abs?"

"No, no, I mean—I'm a mother, a wife, I'm not—" Sue protested instinctively.

"Not what?" Dr. Stone pressed. "Not ripped? Plenty of women build muscle. Soldiers, firefighters, bodybuilders."

"I'm not gay!" Sue blurted.

Instantly, the Invisible Woman's face paled. Her hands went to her lips, aghast at what had just come out of her mouth.

"I—I didn't mean—"

"You did," Dr. Stone said, and her temples throbbed as the implants buzzed in her skull. "Many women get caught up in the contradictory expectations of society. Any woman that isn't sufficiently feminine according to some bullshit patriarchial stereotype is seen as masculine. That makes them competitive with men. Accusations of homosexuality are seldom far behind."

Sue said nothing. Her brain felt like mush. She wanted to form some argument against what Dr. Stone was saying, but every word seemed so true.

"Part of the stress you've been feeling might be from those contradictory expectations. You may not be homophobic consciously, but unconsciously, you're still dealing with preconceptions about how women should look and act. So as much as you admire She-Hulk's physique, you're afraid of admitting it openly, because that would seem gay. You're afraid of pursuing bodybuilding yourself because then you might be gay."

"I'm not—" Sue started to protest.

"Maybe you aren't," Dr. Stone said. "But you are conflicted. It's stressing you out. So we need to address that."

"How?" The Invisible Woman asked.

Dr. Stone's smile was thin-lipped, almost cruel.

"By getting you a body like She-Hulk's."