Rock the Vote: Countdown of the CBR's Top/Favorite LGBT X-Men Characters (616)

[Beetle]

She had like a weekend fling with the part of Fantomex's brain that got split up into a female body, but since then there's basically been nothing at all, so unless one of her ex boyfriends shows up in a female body I wouldn't expect anything further in that respect from Betsy, and the whole thing with the female Fantomex was done pretty much just so that the writer would have as diverse of a team as possible, done just so that the team could have a gay/bi character and then again that storyline seems to have been completely dropped immediately afterward...so I'd say that Betsy isn't bi...

Cluster is a woman. Stop referring to her as boy in a female body

[H-E-D]

Yeah, Fantomex as Betsy knew him basically ended up in... well, Fantomex. Cluster was separate.

You know, I don’t think they ever established what happened to her or Darkomex

[andresdavidmr]

I'm so glad my boy Julio got the #1 spot, he truly deserves it. His relationship with Shatterstar was so lovely and I really hope they get back together (this time for good).
Also it was pleasing to have Karma ranking so high, even when her sexuality has never been flesh out that much (and I hope that changes as well).

[Devaishwarya]

Cluster is a woman. Stop referring to her as boy in a female body

Still does not refute the fact that it was a "gimmick" move and it was a one-off plot point that has never showed up anywhere else since. At least thus far...with HiX-Man, you never know.

In essence...Betsy was bi for all one night only.

[houndsofluv]

whoaaa Rictor beat out Iceman and Northstar? a moment in herstory truly

[ericng]

Still does not refute the fact that it was a "gimmick" move and it was a one-off plot point that has never showed up anywhere else since. At least thus far...with HiX-Man, you never know.

In essence...Betsy was bi for all one night only.

Yes, I agree. A lot of these one issue story will be ignored over time so I won't categorise Betsy as bi.

Just like how Rictor having sex with Rahne was ignored and retconned into gay.

[Dermie]

Yes, I agree. A lot of these one issue story will be ignored over time so I won't categorise Betsy as bi.

Just like how Rictor having sex with Rahne was ignored and retconned into gay.

Rictor's sexual relationship with Rahne was neither ignored nor retconned. The same writer who wrote him and Rahne having sex is the same writer who had Rictor come out of the closet and he most definitely acknowledged the Rictor/Rahne relationship when Rahne found out about Ric and Shatterstar.

As for Betsy, "bisexual" does not mean 50/50 equal attraction to both sexes. The fact that she has only had one relationship with a woman so far (that we know of) does not somehow disqualify her from being bi. There are plenty of real life bisexuals who tend to date one gender more than the other. There are some real life bisexuals that have never had a relationship with someone of the same sex--but they still know they are bisexual because of the attractions they feel, even if they haven't acted on them.

Until such time as Betsy states on-panel that her relationship with Cluster was a one-off experience and that she is only straight, the simple fact of the matter is that she has had an on-panel same-sex relationship.

[Veitha]

Whoa Rictor won! I wasn't expecting him to beat Bobby.

You go, Julio.

[ChronoRogue]

I'm so glad my boy Julio got the #1 spot, he truly deserves it. His relationship with Shatterstar was so lovely and I really hope they get back together (this time for good).
Also it was pleasing to have Karma ranking so high, even when her sexuality has never been flesh out that much (and I hope that changes as well).

Eh... I mean there's a reason why they broke up right? Though Shatterstar's series seemed to hint at Star losing interest or at least some insecurity from Rictor? Anyway, I don't think Rictor was ever really comfortable with having an open relationship. He just seemed to get swept up in what Star wanted. also was I the only one that though Star x Layla was icky

I do think that if they do ever become boyfriends again, what they really want from the relationship probably needs to be discussed.

On the other-hand, I think before that happens I'd like to see Rictor date someone new. not Cullen Bloodstone though

[Confuzzled]

Rictor won?! Wuuuuuut? That's wild. I thought he wouldn't even make Top 5 (Northstar, Bobby, Mystique, Shatterstar and either Karma or Daken being my guesses).

He ultimately joins the the detective agency and gets his powers back through Quicksilver and the Inhuman crystals.

Well, as much as I would hate to give her any modicum of credit... especially to something concerning the holocaust of her own making, it was Wanda herself, not Pietro, who gave Julio back his powers in Young Avengers: Children's Crusade.

Whatever Marvel is doing the interest is there because at CBR Rictor is #1.

I guess the decent portrayal and appearance (by Fox's standards) of Young Rictor in Logan helped too.

[LoganAlpha30X33]

Rictor's sexual relationship with Rahne was neither ignored nor retconned. The same writer who wrote him and Rahne having sex is the same writer who had Rictor come out of the closet and he most definitely acknowledged the Rictor/Rahne relationship when Rahne found out about Ric and Shatterstar.

As for Betsy, "bisexual" does not mean 50/50 equal attraction to both sexes. The fact that she has only had one relationship with a woman so far (that we know of) does not somehow disqualify her from being bi. There are plenty of real life bisexuals who tend to date one gender more than the other. There are some real life bisexuals that have never had a relationship with someone of the same sex--but they still know they are bisexual because of the attractions they feel, even if they haven't acted on them.

Until such time as Betsy states on-panel that her relationship with Cluster was a one-off experience and that she is only straight, the simple fact of the matter is that she has had an on-panel same-sex relationship.

Well since outside of Cluster there's been like zero interest that Betsy has shown in other women really before or since and she was a part of Fantomex before the whole thing happened so it's not like she just met another woman and fell in love or something like that, and one experience does not make someone bi either, just like I remember some Buffy and Angel fans years ago saying that if Oz had guested on Angel when Willow was there late in the series and the two had sex then they could no longer categorize Willow and a lesbian anymore because of it...

[Confuzzled]

Who cares about the label. While I can see why people may have reservations calling Betsy "bi", her relationship with Cluster makes her pan at the least, putting her on the spectrum and making her eligible for this list anyway.

[Dante Milton]

Happy to see Rictor at #1, thanks to New Mutant for taking the time to put all of this together, it was some much needed fun.

[CRaymond]

Surprised as well, but honestly it makes sense. Rictor's sexuality has been a natural development with fits and stops, and while important to his story, it's not his defining character trait... his depression is, which is hilarious to me. We love a sad gay, I guess.

[Solitaryhawk]

Yes, I agree. A lot of these one issue story will be ignored over time so I won't categorise Betsy as bi.
Just like how Rictor having sex with Rahne was ignored and retconned into gay.

That came up in a QnA with Peter David in 2010 while he was writing X-Factor:

Question: I really liked your response to a reader in the book's letters page regarding Shatterstar and his "representation" of bisexuals. One thing that I have been confused by though is why you made Shatterstar bi- and Rictor gay instead of vice-versa (considering the latter's previous sexual relationship with Rahne). What was your thinking behind this?

Peter David's Answer: "I was thinking that, first of all, there are plenty of gay guys who tried hetero relationships and it didn't work out. Indeed, the fact that they were gay was what caused them not to work out. And I decided that that's how we'd play Rictor. And then playing Shatterstar as omnisexual would provide an interesting contrast, because Rictor's finally decided to come to terms with what makes him happy while Shatterstar is still eager to explore anything that's good looking and has a pulse, with Rictor to be his main lover and guide. If I gave them the exact same worldview, what fun is that?"

Eh... I mean there's a reason why they broke up right? Though Shatterstar's series seemed to hint at Star losing interest or at least some insecurity from Rictor? Anyway, I don't think Rictor was ever really comfortable with having an open relationship. He just seemed to get swept up in what Star wanted. also was I the only one that though Star x Layla was icky

Sina Grace broke them up in Iceman #9 with absolutely no explanation.



Shatterstar and Rictor reunited at the end of the mini.



Shatterstar and Layla were stuck on Latveria with Doctor Doom and had no way to get home. It’s been bantered around in message boards that the two hooked up so that ‘Star could forge a teleportational connection with her so they could escape (at that time, ‘Star couldn’t teleport without a psychic anchor to guide him).

Happy to see Rictor at #1, thanks to New Mutant for taking the time to put all of this together, it was some much needed fun.

Absolutely! This made my day! Thanks for all of your hard work into making this happen.