Jean-Paul Beaubier/Northstar Appreciation 2024

[Sutekh]

I always loved this scene in 'X-Men/Alpha Flight. I wondered what it would have been like if CC wrote Northstar more.

The dance at the end was also a nice touch, after Rogue was temporarily 'cured.' I always wanted to see more of some of the relationships toyed with during that run, not just Kitty and Rachel, but also Rogue and Northstar (or any of those humans introduced to remain as allies or side-characters, since they were mostly supposed to be some sort of experts or specialists or whatever).

[From The Shadows]

The dance at the end was also a nice touch, after Rogue was temporarily 'cured.' I always wanted to see more of some of the relationships toyed with during that run, not just Kitty and Rachel, but also Rogue and Northstar (or any of those humans introduced to remain as allies or side-characters, since they were mostly supposed to be some sort of experts or specialists or whatever).

I also liked the Rogue/Northstar dance scene. The rest of the team was taunting him and Rogue said that they just didn't understand him in her mind. No one knew what he was carrying with him at the time.

[Anduinel]

I also liked the Rogue/Northstar dance scene. The rest of the team was taunting him and Rogue said that they just didn't understand him in her mind. No one knew what he was carrying with him at the time.

There's evidence that most of Alpha Flight did know that Northstar was gay (that evidence being a lot of snarky, insulting double speak about his sexuality). So they knew, just most of them weren't willing to extend Northstar much empathy.

[From The Shadows]

There's evidence that most of Alpha Flight did know that Northstar was gay (that evidence being a lot of snarky, insulting double speak about his sexuality). So they knew, just most of them weren't willing to extend Northstar much empathy.

Was that Mantilo later? I didn't read a lot of that run. Anyway, in this mini they implied that Northstar was too cold to be able to have any sort of close relationship when they mocked him, not that he was gay.

[berserkerclaw]

John Bryne made him gay just didn't outright say it just implied it.

[Anduinel]

Was that Mantilo later? I didn't read a lot of that run. Anyway, in this mini they implied that Northstar was too cold to be able to have any sort of close relationship when they mocked him, not that he was gay.

Nah, it started with Byrne and, given the interactions between Rogue and Northstar and some of Heather's remarks, Chris "King of Subtext" Claremont seems to have been writing with awareness of Byrne's intent concerning Northstar. Sasquatch is taking a swing at Northstar for not seeming to give a damn about anyone in Alpha Flight besides Aurora, but I was responding to the part about no one knowing what Northstar was carrying at the time - Alpha Flight was aware of what Northstar had been through recently, his sexuality, and, at least in part, were aware of just what his issues with Alpha Flight were, which makes Sasquatch's remarks even more dickish than usual. What makes Rogue so different from Northstar's own teammates, imo, is that once she's in the know, even though she doesn't let Jean-Paul get away with being a blustering ass or with going into overprotective big brother mode, she offers him commiseration and friendship instead of judgment.

[Nyssane]

What makes Rogue so different from Northstar's own teammates, imo, is that once she's in the know, even though she doesn't let Jean-Paul get away with being a blustering ass or with going into overprotective big brother mode, she offers him commiseration and friendship instead of judgment.

It's honestly one of my favorite friendships in all of comics. I'd love to see them on a team together.

[Anduinel]

It's honestly one of my favorite friendships in all of comics. I'd love to see them on a team together.

Ditto. And I'm gonna quote myself a bit on the whole Rogue and Northstar interaction in this mini, because I really don't think Claremont gets enough credit for just how well he has these two characters who've never met before click over just a handful of pages:

When next we see them interacting, Northstar lets down his defenses in front of Rogue, even confiding some of his doubts to her. This is highly unusual behavior for Jean-Paul, but at the same time, not out of character. It mostly comes down to context. Prior to this, Jean-Paul has has multiple instances where he’s demonstrated loyalty, steadfastness, and protectiveness. With the exception of Aurora, though, he almost never displays these positive traits toward anyone on the Alpha Flight roster, likely because he doesn’t consider these people his friends, just the interfering Anglophone assholes he can never fully eject from his life.

Rogue is outside of all that. Despite the fact that Jean-Paul probably never would have opened up to a stranger willingly, thanks to Rogue’s powers, the two of them have a weird type of instant intimacy at a time when the people closest to Jean-Paul are either dead or not speaking to him. She makes it clear that she knows all about him, but passes no judgement on his homosexuality (which is more than can be said for Northstar’s own sister). In addition, Rogue has just made herself vulnerable to Jean-Paul as well by her admission: she’s all of eighteen years old, and since childhood she’s had to resign herself to the knowledge that she’s likely going to go the rest of her life without to ability to enjoy even the casual affection that other people take for granted, let alone anything like a normal relationship.

Yeeeah, no way the isolated gay guy was going to be able to empathize with that last bit, nope.

So maybe it shouldn’t be that much of a shock that, instead of telling her to **** off, Jean-Paul lets down his guard, then immediately shifts into over-protective brother mode. When Rogue has a chance to see if her most desperately longed-for wish has come true, Jean-Paul offers himself up as a test subject solely for her benefit. Far from being an intolerable presence, Rogue turns out to be one of Jean-Paul’s few friendships we ever actually see developed on-page.

And then there’s the matter of how Rogue relates to Jean-Paul, particularly where the “first dance” scene is concerned. Rogue is oddly insistent upon Jean-Paul being her partner for her first dance, despite the fact that any one of her male teammates would have been happy to oblige. (I mean, really, Nightcrawler turn down a waltz? Even if it was Magneto offering, he’d probably at least consider it.) And I suspect Jean-Paul’s sexuality plays a part there because Rogue knows he absolutely will not contemplate her as a romantic interest on any level.

As I mentioned before, Rogue is eighteen at this time, barely an adult. Her one experiment playing at childhood romance ended in tragedy, and she’s been without even casual touch since she was about fourteen. So she she’s had to put an enormous distance between herself and anything like typical human contact, let alone any hopes for future romance. She can flirt, use a kiss as a surprise attack, or admire a handsome man, but it’s all play-acting; it could never go anywhere and she knows it.

But suddenly, that’s all changed. Rogue has to rethink her entire way of interacting with the world, and that’s overwhelming enough without having to navigate male attention as well. And that last bit doesn’t go away just because she’s among friends: Brawler starts to pull a line on her as soon as she shows up in her new dress, Nightcrawler’s an incorrigible flirt, etc. But Jean-Paul won’t have that sort of interest in her, no matter what. She knows him intimately, he’s her first non-traumatic kiss, and there’s no chance of him introducing even a hint of complications she’s not ready to think on yet. He’s safe. She can just enjoy her dance as a dance and leave the rest of it to unravel later.

(That’s not to say that Nightcrawler or Colossus would deliberately do anything to make Rogue uncomfortable, but UXM #192 is a good illustration of why she might be wary. Kurt stepped over Rogue’s boundaries twice in a matter of seconds, simply because the level of isolation she has to endure momentarily slipped his mind and all he saw was a pretty lady to flirt with. He obviously didn’t mean to and felt awful about it as soon as he realized what he’d done. But just because the hurt he inflicted wasn’t malicious didn’t make it any easier for Rogue in the moment.)

[Anduinel]

Northstar pinboard.

[Nyssane]

How was this gorgeous cover art not posted on here yet?