No one was really that shocked when Sailor Moon became a hit with its target market of little girls shortly after the anime started airing in 1992. Nor was anyone’s mind completely blown when the show started attracting older female viewers too, since its script had plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor mixed with some honestly compelling drama.
The big surprise, though, was just how many guys the show pulled in, as Sailor Moon built a male fan base of unprecedented size for what was ostensibly an anime for girls. While the central cast of five leggy ladies in sailor skirts obviously didn’t hurt, another key point in breaking down the barrier of entry for male viewers was the high quantity of action scenes in which Sailor Moon and her partners battled villains using their command of fire, thunder, and other awesome powers.
Looked at from that perspective, Sailor Moon isn’t so different from an American comic superhero team like The Avengers, something hammered home by this impressive crossover fan art.
The drawings were produced by artist Jei Shepard, who’s a fan of comics and video game originating on both sides of the Pacific. Not surprisingly, Jei, who also produces artwork on commission, lists The Avengers and the Sailor Senshi as two of her favorite ensemble casts, so she decided to combine the two. Rather than decking out the mighty men of Marvel in pleats and frills, Shepard instead chose to reimagine the Sailors as the members of the U.S. publisher’s hottest team.
Despite her crybaby tendencies, there’s no denying that when the chips are down, Sailor Moon stands up for what she believes in. Straightforward and honest, it’s easy to see why Shepard chose the series’ protagonist to suit up in this Captain America-inspired uniform.
As the only Avenger whose superpower is “technology,” it’s obvious that the smartest of the Sailors should be the one to step into Iron Man’s shoes, so the job goes to girl genius Sailor Mercury, who’s repainted the suit to match her hair.
Hawkeye gets a lot of flak for being one of the least intimidating Avengers. While Iron Man’s blasting foes with lasers and the Hulk is smashing them with his elementary school student-sized fists, Hawkeye has…a really nice compound bow?
Just think how much more fear the team could strike into the hearts of evildoers by replacing Hawkeye with Sailor Mars, who can make arrows out of fire.
You could argue that since they both have green as their image color, Sailor Jupiter should be the Hulk. The fourth member of Sailor Moon’s squad is far too feminine to serve as a stand-in for the angry giant though. Not only that, she masters a number of lightning-based attacks as the series goes on, such as the Supreme Thunder Dragon, making her a perfect substitute for Thor, the God of Thunder.
Finally, we come to Sailor Venus, who takes over for Black Widow. This is another sensible choice, as Black Widow is the only woman to fight alongside the Avengers in their recent Hollywood blockbuster, and within the Sailor Moon anime Venus is often referred to as being the most overtly feminine of the Sailor Senshi.
Now all we need from Shepard is Tuxedo Mask sporting Nick Fury’s eye patch, Queen Beryl in Loki’s getup, and maybe Luna the cat as Squirrel Girl, and we’ll be all set.
Related: Jei Shepard’s Tumblr page
Sources: Kotaku Japan, Geeko System
Images: Geeko System
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