Morph in X-Men '97 (possible spoilers)

[Exodus]

If they really wanted to go gay they would reveal Kurt as bisexual and have his special relationship with Logan. We all know he's a fill in for Kurt

I think they should definitely reveal that an a-list character and tend pole movie money making machine is gay: Wolverine, Iron Man, or Captain America...those characters would make a real difference.

But let's face it: diversity in Hollywood is only a commercial enterprise to sell more tickets. Thus, LGBTQ+ characters are still horribly absent in most blockbusters.

[Nicoclaws]

I consider Escapade's powers a version of shapeshifting, I guess YMMV? Jessie Drake's as well.

That's your interpretation choice about Escapade's power, not what she's been advertised and written.
I don't know Jessie Drake.
Still, Alaya wrote like 3 or 4 trans and nb characters who are not shapeshifters so your comment about Marvel is kinda weird. Maybe I dont' know the other trans Marvel characters, though.
Cloud was more genderfluid initially I think ? But they've indeed been enby in Ewing's Defenders I think I remember.

[davetvs]

I honestly cannot name any Trans mutants beyond Escapade and Jessie Drake, so the two of them are enough for me to consider the pattern but I'm also dramatic, so. To counter Exodus' point, Deadpool is pansexual (I think?) but I can't recall it really being touched on in his movies so far. Doesn't he have a crush on Spider-Man?

[jwatson]

If morph alone got all this attention, this x-men 97 about to be lit. let's go!

[Jackraow21]

I think they should definitely reveal that an a-list character and tend pole movie money making machine is gay: Wolverine, Iron Man, or Captain America...those characters would make a real difference.

But let's face it: diversity in Hollywood is only a commercial enterprise to sell more tickets. Thus, LGBTQ+ characters are still horribly absent in most blockbusters.

A friend of mine who is gay once pointed out that the whole plot thread in the MCU of Steve trying to save Bucky is because he’s in love with him. Now I cannot unsee that. The man broke up the Avengers over him!

[Nicoclaws]

I honestly cannot name any Trans mutants beyond Escapade and Jessie Drake, so the two of them are enough for me to consider the pattern but I'm also dramatic, so. To counter Exodus' point, Deadpool is pansexual (I think?) but I can't recall it really being touched on in his movies so far. Doesn't he have a crush on Spider-Man?

If you're interested, read Alaya Cota, NM and the book after that by Escapade's creator (which was admittedly a tiny bit... Boring ? I couldn't get into it). Also i can't remember which of the X-queers from the short stories in unlimited is trans. Thee's a trans man with fire powers.

[Alan2099]

Once again, I'm straight and cis-gender (I think I have the lingo right, since I don't typically have a reason to use it except when online), but I'd think that in order to have a shapeshifter qualify as transgender, wouldn't they have to show a preference to be in a gender other than the one they started out as? So a character is biologically male, gains shapeshifting powers, and then prefers to spend the majority of their time post-empowerment as female - that would qualify as being more of a transgender character. Specifically, we would have to see that they spent much, or most of their leisure time as the opposite gender to what they started out as, as time spent on mission could be seen as not entirely the choice of that character, but driven by mission requirements. Correct me if I am wrong here.

You know, we never did see Morph before he got his powers. What if Morph was a girl until he was able to shapeshift?

[Colossus1980]

I think you and I are broadly in sync with the idea that it is a bit concerning (or maybe just lazy) that shapeshifters are the go-to examples for characters who bend their gender and racial identities (not to mention sexual orientations).

So is Marvel going to retcon Skrulls? Dire Wraiths?

Is DC going to retcon Durlans?

[80sbaby]

I think some people are overthinking just what this will mean. They're not likely going to make a big deal about it in the show and only use "they/them" pronouns.

Also every shape shifter isn't NB. Mystique, as stated above, identifies as female for example. So I wouldn't necessarily worry about it being a trend. But I do agree that they really should have more NB characters so as not to make Morph tokenized. That's been an issue with entertainment for awhile now, though. They'll include a marginalized character but only one lol I mean, look how long it's taken to get 2 black people on the team.

[DragonsChi]

Personally, the more it goes on the more I am put off by retconning diversity on to characters. All it really seems to be doing is dividing the current fan base, causing unnecessarily controversy, and in most cases sets off the downfall of the property.

In the past …what 8-10 years…(?)… of retcon diversity I can’t think of one that is truly “beloved” or that is making substantial amount of money to keep that project going.

I use to be in the camp of “ let’s try a few and see how it goes” . Now I am so worn out by about the immediate feeling of negativity going into a movie, tv show, and now some comics (my last stronghold) that I am buying less and less of things I use to love just to keep my energy clean.

It’s a shame because properties like X-Men 97’ should be an easy slam dunk. They could literally replay the last track add in a some new players to cover the diversity bases and everyone would be, in general, happy. But if more negativity comes out about the show, just based off of recent trends, it will bomb before it gets off the ground.

And I already know some are going to take that last line as bait to say “ Well they’re just bigots” or some other dismissive comment but at the end of the day if properties we love fail we all lose.

[marhawkman]

I always see it as a problem the moment only one single minoritized character is introduced and hence becomes heavily burdened to represent an entire group. Which can only fail.

If there is only one non-binary character on a team it will always be problematic because the character will never be enough to represent the complexities of an entire group and will disappoint a lot of people. They should have introduced several LGBTQ+ characters onto the show...let Morph for example have a network of several non-binary, trans* and queer people they hang out with in the show.

Find ways to "soften" the "burden of representation". This is crucial when it comes to minority representation in my eyes.

I think it is shameful how bad the presentation of trans*, non-binary, and also gay people in pop culture still is. It is particular important in cartoons and children's popular media. You have to start somewhere and I'm glad Morph exist as a non-binary character.

This also has a vast rift between creator intent and what fans make things out to be. Lots of times... it was a fan-theory that got people outraged over "queer" representation. IE it was a fan theory that got crushed by official lore... lore consistent with original intent and depiction.

[marhawkman]

Personally, the more it goes on the more I am put off by retconning diversity on to characters. All it really seems to be doing is dividing the current fan base, causing unnecessarily controversy, and in most cases sets off the downfall of the property.

In the past …what 8-10 years…(?)… of retcon diversity I can’t think of one that is truly “beloved” or that is making substantial amount of money to keep that project going.

I use to be in the camp of “ let’s try a few and see how it goes” . Now I am so worn out by about the immediate feeling of negativity going into a movie, tv show, and now some comics (my last stronghold) that I am buying less and less of things I use to love just to keep my energy clean.

It’s a shame because properties like X-Men 97’ should be an easy slam dunk. They could literally replay the last track add in a some new players to cover the diversity bases and everyone would be, in general, happy. But if more negativity comes out about the show, just based off of recent trends, it will bomb before it gets off the ground.

And I already know some are going to take that last line as bait to say “ Well they’re just bigots” or some other dismissive comment but at the end of the day if properties we love fail we all lose.

Yeah, X-Men has SOOO many characters with all sorts of identities... why change the ones that are already established when you can use one of the less often seen ones for that role in the story?

[bat39]

Personally, the more it goes on the more I am put off by retconning diversity on to characters. All it really seems to be doing is dividing the current fan base, causing unnecessarily controversy, and in most cases sets off the downfall of the property.

In the past …what 8-10 years…(?)… of retcon diversity I can’t think of one that is truly “beloved” or that is making substantial amount of money to keep that project going.

I use to be in the camp of “ let’s try a few and see how it goes” . Now I am so worn out by about the immediate feeling of negativity going into a movie, tv show, and now some comics (my last stronghold) that I am buying less and less of things I use to love just to keep my energy clean.

It’s a shame because properties like X-Men 97’ should be an easy slam dunk. They could literally replay the last track add in a some new players to cover the diversity bases and everyone would be, in general, happy. But if more negativity comes out about the show, just based off of recent trends, it will bomb before it gets off the ground.

And I already know some are going to take that last line as bait to say “ Well they’re just bigots” or some other dismissive comment but at the end of the day if properties we love fail we all lose.

Yeah, the culture war politics is wearying. Then again, so is much of politics.

Then again, I have confidence that whatever changes they make to Morph won't adversely impact the show, and could even potentially add to it, depending on how much depth it adds to Morph's character. Morph is a bit of a blank slate so, despite my concerns about this notion that a shapeshifter would naturally be gender-fluid, I do think its a 'safer' option to retcon him than to do it to, say, Cyclops or Wolverine.

[dragon1440]

Yeah, this. Its why, in the case of Doctor Who, I don't buy the idea of the Doctor being a 'trans' character. He becomes virtually a different person in each incarnation and he identifies as that gender throughout.

Coming back to the X-men, in the case of Mystique, she's undoubtedly a woman. Now, if they come up with some retcon that was originally a man before her powers developed and prefers to be a woman, then you could make some argument for her being a 'trans' character.

I dunno what the case with Morph would be. Going strictly by what little was established in the TAS, one could assume he was a man. It remains to be seen if Morph was a man who now identifies as non-binary (and has changed his appearance accordingly), or if he was always non-binary, and assumed a default male appearance in the earlier series which he's now chosen to drop to reveal his true self.



I think you and I are broadly in sync with the idea that it is a bit concerning (or maybe just lazy) that shapeshifters are the go-to examples for characters who bend their gender and racial identities (not to mention sexual orientations).

Generally right and i get the point but something VERY important needs to be pointed out, and not a huge deal to cis hetero world but in the queer world it is a HUGE deal because of its usage in history. When you say "one could assume he was a man. It remains to be seen if Morph was a man who now identifies as non-binary (and has changed his appearance accordingly)". As morph is nonbinary they have ALWAYS been nonbinary, never a man. Just the way they presented themselves was as a man. BIG difference. The most common usage by cis hetero world is in terms of a person CHOOSING to be queer. A gay middle age man doesnt just suddenly become gay, they have always been gay just not out of the closet. That concept applies to every part of the queer community. They always have been what they are not suddenly becoming and/or choosing to be queer

[Nicoclaws]

Is this going to be the new "Iceman is not gay and I don't want to understand what coming out means" ?