We all know her, we’ve all encountered her, and –with a few exceptions- we all hate her. Who is she, you ask?

She is Mary Sue, the most prolific of all fanon evils.

Mary Sue (sometimes called Marie-Suzette or Marie-Suzanne, in regards to a French Sue particular to Les Mis) is an original character, maddening in her flawlessness. She takes on many forms: the doe-eyed factory girl, the sensuous barmaid, the quick-witted cousin, or the adopted sister. No matter how she manifests herself, Mary Sue usually exhibits several characteristic traits:

• Ravishing, ethereal beauty

• Musical talent, fluency in foreign languages, healing powers, or other abilities

• A tortured past (dead parents, erroneous siblings, etc.)

• Physical scars to remind her of said past

• A link to one or more common characters (either as a lover or a family member)

• A romantic, fatal disease –tuberculosis is a favorite

• An anachronistic profession (i.e. lawyer, doctor, revolutionary, professor, etc.)

• A miniscule flaw that somehow only adds to her charm (oftentimes a vicious temper or a rejection of all gender-oriented activities, such as sewing)

• Irresistible charisma

• Eerie similarity to her creator or canon characters (Eponine, Enjolras, etc.)

While Mary Sues exist in all fandoms, this dissertation will be concentrated specifically on those who feed off of "Les Misérables".

Many Mary Sues are avatars for the authors who spawn them, designed for the sole purpose of acting out fantasies with the canon characters. On many occasions, however, Mary Sue can also be a canon character –usually an Eponine- who has been written with such glaring disregard for canon traits that she is rendered unrecognizable (Eppy-Sue). Once in awhile, she even takes male form (Marty Stu), which, when attributed to certain dashing blonde revolutionaries, can result in a most nauseating hybrid indeed: Enjy-Sue.

For easy clarification, I have compiled a list of the most prevalent Mary Sues, how to identify them, and how to avoid them.