I already mentioned this in the "Abandoned Fanfic Ideas" topic, but I was wondering about something.

Many fans are hostile to the idea of "Mary Sue" fanfic characters: that is, a character created solely by the fanfic author. This character is not a part of the official published continuity of the super-hero team, but is usually the author's "stand-in" who, more often than not, is well-loved by the established characters, and is generally perfect herself/himself.

Is the reason that fans are so hostile to "Mary Sues" because they want to read about the established characters, not someone else's avatar? Or is it because "Mary Sues" are often so impossibly heroic and perfect?

All right, I'll fess up. I'd like to write another Lita Wu story, but hesitate because I think she may be construed as a "Mary Sue" character, because she's related to the Hudsons and is loved by Alpha Flight. But then, what is a Mary Sue character anyway? Opinions?