First, we got ace Jughead. Now, a long-running staple of the “Riverdale” extended universe is coming out as trans.
Meet Danni Malloy, first introduced in a 1989 edition of “Strange Science” as the love interest to the fantastically-named Dilton Doiley, as well as the sometime-sidekick of another little-seen Archie character, Jinx Holliday (Lil’ Jinx, if you’re nasty.) While Danni has been around for over 30 years, the new installment of the Archie series “Strange Science”—written by trans comic writer Magdalene Visaggio—will feature Danni in a story all her own, with artist Butch Mapa doing the visuals.
An interesting distinction here is that Danni has always been presumed to be a cis woman. Rather than shoehorning in a transition storyline, this edition of Strange Science will show Danni in her element as a proud, thriving trans scientist.
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As Visaggio herself noted in a tweet, this is the first time readers will see Danni since her last appearance in 1990. “I’ve been wanting to make this happen for a long time, and it’s really cool to see it finally come to fruition,” she explained in a press release. “I never wanted Danni’s trans identity to be gimmicky, or for her to feel like she was only created to be trans. So, I’d like to apologize for sneaking her over the line like this! I wanted you to have a chance to fall in love with her for who she is, not what she is. I’m honored I got to make it happen, and I’m grateful to Archie for never, not even once, pushing back on my insistence on making their books a little bit more queer. I hope Danni finds a good home at Archie with supportive writers and artists helping to keep her alive for years to come.”
It should come as no surprise that although Danni’s first appearances were limited, she’s been a trans favorite for some time now.
The comic is set to drop on August 16th of this year. “Riverdale” writers, time to get busy!
