I don't know if anyone has asked this before, but I was rereading Secret Six recently and I wondered something. What was your thought process/ what inspired you to have Scandal chose BOTH Liana and Knockout and have them all enter into a poly relationship?

Hmm.

Well, I wanted Knockout back, BAD. When she was killed (and no blame for this should go to the writer, it was a decision based on an idea that came from above, that was a good idea in theory, it just caused some havoc in the trenches), I thought it was a waste of a great character. And more than that, I wanted to show that the DCU could have, not just a lesbian character, but an actual lesbian COUPLE that were in love and fun to read about.  There just wasn’t a lot of that out there at the time. Still isn’t, really. And a lot of the lgbtq characters that ARE out there are pretty mopey…I wanted to show a couple that worked through their problems and were in love and happy.

Call me a romantic.

Anyway, Knockout was taken away, and knowing the kind of character Scandal is, she had to grieve. She was hurt and a little broken. What was fun was to put Liana in that mix…someone who was SO cheerful and SO positive that eventually even Scandal can’t stay depressed around her.

If you notice, most of the Six are uncomfortable around Liana, because their own viewpoints are so cynical and informed by darkness. Even after she is taken and tortured, she insists that they not hurt her abductor. They just don’t know what to do around someone like that. I think she reminds them of a humanity they have abdicated, and it’s almost painful.

So eventually, Scandal falls in love again, but she never forgets Knockout.

Backstage, I was trying to get Knockout back, but it just wasn’t happening.

When I finally was given approval to bring her back, there really wasn’t any other option to me. Scandal thinks, oh, no, I have to choose one of them.

And Jeannette says, “No, you don’t. Why should you?”

I agree with Jeannette. There’s the added bonus that a lot of people live as poly, and there’s not really any representation for them in mainstream comics. So that’s another good reason to do it.

It just seemed like the best possible solution. I’m glad we went that way. If there’s a pre-52 Earth out there somewhere, I’m hoping they’re all three in it, happy as clams.

So the long answer is that, and the short answer is, I am a romantic.