Marvel Comics Outs All-New X-Man

[AcesX1X]

Bobby's been gay for years. glad to see he's finally stopped lying to himself.

[Tazpocalapse]

This is not what i expected.Not that i find anything wrong with Iceman being gay, i jut wonder what makes Jean assume he is gay? Is it something that she saw in his thoughts. I know the issue is not out yet, but i hope this question gets answered. I wonder also does the fact that these characters are literally from the 1960s factor in.

[Iron Fist]

But anyway, like several posters have pointed out, just because you feel a certain way or are attracted to certain types as a teenager, that does not necessarily mean you will ALWAYS feel that way. Sexual identity isn't always cut-and-dried. It's entirely conceivable Bobby was attracted to men as a teen but, dare I say, grew out of it, just as there are 40-something married men who suddenly realize they like men. It's not the case all the time, but it's not impossible.

I would still argue that 616 Adult Bobby is definitely straight. Was he ALWAYS straight? *shrugs*

I think we will agree to disagree.

[Ebon]

The problem I have with these panels is Jean. It’s not for Jean to define and label whatever Bobby is thinking and feeling. Bobby’s attractions (or lack thereof) are his and it is for him to define and identify himself - not her.

The whole reason we have definitions and labels is that we don't have telepaths. A telepath is going to know the hard, cold truth of things. (Again, depending on the writer.)

[RandyMcDonald]

The problem I have with these panels is Jean. It’s not for Jean to define and label whatever Bobby is thinking and feeling. Bobby’s attractions (or lack thereof) are his and it is for him to define and identify himself - not her.

This is true. If, however, he is identifying himself as being of one particular orientation for no good reason, it is helpful to point this out if it is the case. This is especially the case given Bobby's legitimize confusion.

Bobby agreed with Jeen, FWIW.

[Viteh]

On a more positive note, I think Bendis had planned this from the start, or at the very least close to it. I think that issue with young Bobby saying he didn't like Kitty was foreshadowing. Particularly as he says that as he sees his older self make out with her. So kuddos for that Bendis.

[Havok83]

They can be.

In the specific case of ANXM's Bobby, who is a young teenager coming from a much more homophobic era than ours and who has been described as having been raised in a conservative, even bigoted, household, I can believe that he did not know what was going on until Jeen provided him a label. (The example of his older self, who was apparently involved in a relationship with Kitty Pryde that failed for reasons unrelated to sexual orientation, would only have been more confusing.)

In the case of the older Iceman, who lives in our era, presumably has more self-knowledge that his teenage self, and knows a reasonable number of non-heterosexuals first-hand, I think that he might well know. It could be that adult Bobby is simply too embarrassed to come out at this relatively late stage of his life, to provide explanations as to what was going on and why he didn't do anything earlier. (I have an old friend who might be in the same situation himself, granted.)

The issue isnt teen Bobby. Its not uncommon for teenagers to be confused about their sexuality. A person really starts to learn about this stuff around this age and feel things out so they may not necesarily be sure of things. The fact that he confirms what Jean has read shows that he at the very least is aware of his attraction to men and thus may be gay. He isnt portrayed as being completely clueless on this front.

We'll have to wait and see how the older Bobby is portrayed but I read that they affirmed that he is straight, which given what was just revealed makes no sense. If they were to say he's in the closet, that would make more sense, but trying to still say he is straight doesnt jive unless they go out and say teen Bobby is plucked from an alternate universe. You dont start out gay and then become straight and I dont buy this notion that if he is gay, he is unaware of it.

[William300]

I don't have anything against a gay Iceman. I just feel like this kind of makes that last few decades of relationship stuff with him unimportant. It means that every relationship he ever had with a woman was a lie. All his relationships he's ever been shown to have, with Opal, Polaris, Annie and Kitty are all lies. None of the romances he's ever had were ever real. They were all covers. Now, what I'm hoping they do, is explain it as somehow caused by there timeline's splitting, have it shown that adult Iceman is genuinely straight, and all his romances with females were real, while continuing to explore young Iceman's open homosexuality. That way it doesn't retcon original Iceman, but the new one can continue exploring his sexuality.

[AnakinFlair]

This has been obvious for a long time. Props to Bendis for finally making it official! I can't wait to see where the character goes from here!

It has?

I've never, ever once felt that Iceman was gay, nor have I ever heard that rumor. Am I against it? No, but I can't help but think back upon all the women he's dated, from Rogue to Kitty to Opal.

[ZephyrSurf]

I don't have anything against a gay Iceman. I just feel like this kind of makes that last few decades of relationship stuff with him unimportant. It means that every relationship he ever had with a woman was a lie. All his relationships he's ever been shown to have, with Opal, Polaris, Annie and Kitty are all lies. None of the romances he's ever had were ever real. They were all covers. Now, what I'm hoping they do, is explain it as somehow caused by there timeline's splitting, have it shown that adult Iceman is genuinely straight, and all his romances with females were real, while continuing to explore young Iceman's open homosexuality. That way it doesn't retcon original Iceman, but the new one can continue exploring his sexuality.

Why would you assume that if this does hold true for adult bobby? Romance and sexuality isn't so cut and dry.

[Timbales]

This is true. If, however, he is identifying himself as being of one particular orientation for no good reason, it is helpful to point this out if it is the case. This is especially the case given Bobby's legitimize confusion.

Bobby agreed with Jeen, FWIW.

The agreement is besides the point. It's not her place to enforce her opinion of his feelings on him.

[gwmclintock88]

I'm not seeing how this is evidence. Is it her comment about 'wanting it badly enough'? Because that could be interpreted as simply being a reference to wanting better control. Is there a better explanation than that?

As it stands by itself, I'm not sure what the intention was. Four panels and I'm supposed to infer Iceman is gay?

[Starleafgirl]

This is not what i expected.Not that i find anything wrong with Iceman being gay, i jut wonder what makes Jean assume he is gay? Is it something that she saw in his thoughts. I know the issue is not out yet, but i hope this question gets answered. I wonder also does the fact that these characters are literally from the 1960s factor in.

A lot of people are assuming Jean used her powers, but I personally find that assertion to be dumb.

She's just a teenage girl, who has been friends with a teenage boy, who has picked up on and figured out that he's actually gay.

I think the fact that they're literally from the 1960's factors in that it's why Adult Bobby never came out. He never dealt with his gayness and instead attempted, several times and mostly unsuccessfully, to have relationships with women. Teen Jean has seen this and wants to help her friend confront this part of himself, so she attempts to have this talk with him, as his friend.

I don't see where her being a telepath factors into this at all.

HOWEVER Teen Jean has been shown to just snoop around in others' brains, right? So maybe she did see something that concerned her and made her want to talk to her friend.

The agreement is besides the point. It's not her place to enforce her opinion of his feelings on him.

She didn't ENFORCE anything. She said what they both knew to be true and gently prodded him in that direction to get him to consider it for himself.

I'm not seeing how this is evidence. Is it her comment about 'wanting it badly enough'? Because that could be interpreted as simply being a reference to wanting better control. Is there a better explanation than that?

As it stands by itself, I'm not sure what the intention was. Four panels and I'm supposed to infer Iceman is gay?

Hon, gay people in real life don't need to present evidence of who they are. Straight people don't either, for that matter.

I'm not sure why you expect comic book characters to.

[Ebon]

Sorry but it's marketing....from their editorial department. I'm alright with a character undergoing a change, but unfortunately I'm less forgiving of change when it comes with fact that Bobby Drake has over 50 years of stories as straight kid. We've seen a number of "emotional" stories but none of them dealt with anything remotely gay.

As I pointed out, it would have been impossible to write those stories before the current cultural climate allowed such a thing to be considered. So, this whole '50+ years of stories' is a non-issue.

[Hutchimus Prime]

The problem I have with these panels is Jean. It’s not for Jean to define and label whatever Bobby is thinking and feeling. Bobby’s attractions (or lack thereof) are his and it is for him to define and identify himself - not her.

Exactly, I don't care one way or the other, but it was awful nice of Jean to tell Iceman he's gay. I don't know, this just feels tacked on and artificial; almost like Bendis wanted to get this out of the way before he left the books and just threw it in there.