LGBT+ Marvel Characters Discussion

[Anduinel]

Thanks for posting those, and the background info on the creative teams!

I had totally missed Northstar on that one cover! With him and Bobby on the same team, I wonder if we'll see a Iceman/Northstar relationship in this alternate reality?

Surprisingly, most of the questions Williams seems to be fielding are dealing with Betsy's sexuality.

[Drops Of Venus]

That cover for The X-tremists is amazing! I'm living for the designs.

[Sandy Hausler]

TWO-GUN KID [Mark Hawk]

Two-Gun Kid? How did he get on this list?

Sandy Hausler

[Triniking1234]

I'm gonna file that Extremists cover under "Worst Northstar look ever", fam.

[Dante Milton]

With him and Bobby on the same team, I wonder if we'll see a Iceman/Northstar relationship in this alternate reality?

I hope not, for a few reasons. 1. I know the pairing has some fans, but I really don't think they're compatible. I don't think JP would have much patience for Bobby's whole shtick. 2. I feel like they would bring that drama into the 616, and I don't want to see them break up JP's marriage just to give Bobby someone to date, especially not when there are other options. 3. I would like to see two gay men characters in the same book just being friends without making them love interests for each other, it seems rare.

[Triniking1234]

1. I know the pairing has some fans, but I really don't think they're compatible.

That never stopped comic writers before.

[Dermie]

Two-Gun Kid? How did he get on this list?

Presumably due to the 2nd RAWHIDE KID miniseries--the one that had Rawhide team up with a group of other Western heroes--which had a line ambiguously implying that he might be gay. That's the only thing I can think of that's ever suggested he might be LGBT.

[Dermie]

I hope not, for a few reasons. 1. I know the pairing has some fans, but I really don't think they're compatible. I don't think JP would have much patience for Bobby's whole shtick. 2. I feel like they would bring that drama into the 616, and I don't want to see them break up JP's marriage just to give Bobby someone to date, especially not when there are other options. 3. I would like to see two gay men characters in the same book just being friends without making them love interests for each other, it seems rare.

Fair enough, but just to play devil's advocate, here are a few counter points.
1) Them being compatible or not in the 616 continuity doesn't really need to have any bearing on whether or not they would work in an alternate reality setting.

2) We've already seen that the writers can give Bobby someone to date in the 616 without it having to be Northstar. And the fact that Northstar had feelings for Bobby is already an established fact in the 616--so having them as a couple in an alternate universe would not necessarily have to mean dragging that back into regular continuity. In fact, it could mean giving the fans of that 'ship a chance to see that pairing without it impacting regular continuity, since it is only alternate versions.

3) Its true, that IS a rare thing--not just for comics, but also for tv shows. Unless you've got a cast that has multiple gay characters, it is pretty much inevitable that the 2nd gay character introduced will be a love interest for the 1st. But I think that is an issue that is better corrected in regular continuity, rather than an alternate reality team that will only exist for a single arc.

[Anduinel]

I'm gonna file that Extremists cover under "Worst Northstar look ever", fam.

Not digging the ass-cape/poorly executed long coat, no. But I'd counter that the maple-leaf Alpha Flight unitard was worse.

1) Them being compatible or not in the 616 continuity doesn't really need to have any bearing on whether or not they would work in an alternate reality setting.

That's assuming this AU works like Age of Apocalypse and not Age of X. If the X-Men are actually going to remember any of this, I can see the "But is it really cheating if your memories were over-written?" drama being a certain level of interesting, but then it starts the whole "See, he's been carrying a torch for Bobby!" crapola again, not to mention another weird pot of worms around consent issues.

[Dermie]

The Week In Gay:

Just working down the list in alphabetical order...

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #9: Black Cat guest stars in this arc, and she is bisexual (although it is rarely ever mentioned).

AVENGERS #700: Loki has a small subplot scene, establishing that his role in the book is not over yet.

EXILES #10: The alternate Valkyrie is one of the regular cast.

FANTASTIC FOUR #3: Iceman is one of the many guest stars, revealed as a temporary FF member from an untold story (which presumably Dan has plans to tell at some future date, otherwise why bother to set it up). Also Tong has a background appearance.

MS MARVEL #36: at least a version of gay supporting character Zoe Zimmer appears in this issue.

SPIDER-MAN/DEADPOOL #41: Deadpool is pansexual, and this series makes a point of playing on bromantic subtext to the Spidey/Wade dynamic.

THANOS: INFINITY CONFLICT graphic novel: Starfox is a co-star to this story and was implied to be bisexual in the last THANOS series.

THOR #7: Loki is a supporting character.

SQUIRREL GIRL #38: Koi Boi appears (as does Nancy, who I believe is implied to be bisexual).

UNCANNY X-MEN #1: Iceman. Northstar. Psylocke. Anole. Multiple Man. Plenty of LGBT characters running around this arc.

UNSTOPPABLE WASP #2: Nice stuff with Ying bonding with Mockingbird - it looks like those two are forming a bond similar to the one Nadia has with Janet. Also Poundcakes and Letha of the Grapplers appear as well - nothing has ever been confirmed about either of them, but both have been the subject of speculation around this sexuality.

And in the wait-for-trade group we also have a new SQUIRREL GIRL tpb - the first arc with Derek Charm as the artist

Anything I missed?

Also, not from Marvel but possibly of interest to some here -- the DR. HORRIBLE: BEST FRIENDS FOREVER one-shot came out, revisiting the world of DR. HORRIBLE'S SING ALONG BLOG.

[Dermie]

That's assuming this AU works like Age of Apocalypse and not Age of X. If the X-Men are actually going to remember any of this, I can see the "But is it really cheating if your memories were over-written?" drama being a certain level of interesting, but then it starts the whole "See, he's been carrying a torch for Bobby!" crapola again, not to mention another weird pot of worms around consent issues.

True enough that we don't know for sure yet how thing AU will work. But as you pointed out, even if the memories carry over into regular continuity there is potential for interesting drama from that. It all depends on how it is handled. And the issue of people thinking Northstar is carrying a torch for Bobby...well, that's never going to entirely go away. But that doesn't mean the writers are actually going to go there and split up Jean-Paul's marriage.

As for consent issues...unless the reality was created by the wishes or desires of one of the two of them, I don't think that is too big of a concern. There could be some interesting "what did we do?" fallout from it when the characters get their regular memories back (again, assuming the regular continuity remembers the events), but I don't think it would/should be played from a sexual violation perspective. It would be different if it were a scenario where someone like Mesmero or Purple Man specifically controlled them into being lovers--but this would be just one small aspect of a whole reality change, and not something specifically guided into being.

Ultimately, whether any fallout from it would be a good or bad thing will depend on how the writers choose to handle it. But just speaking specifically in the context of the AU story itself, it might be fun to get to see a pairing that we aren't likely to see in regular continuity.

[Anduinel]

True enough that we don't know for sure yet how thing AU will work. But as you pointed out, even if the memories carry over into regular continuity there is potential for interesting drama from that. It all depends on how it is handled. And the issue of people thinking Northstar is carrying a torch for Bobby...well, that's never going to entirely go away. But that doesn't mean the writers are actually going to go there and split up Jean-Paul's marriage.

Right away? Probably not. But the most recent ideas tend to be the ones that get developed and consistent characterization in company-owned comics is a crapshoot at best. So I'd rather not have the notion put on the table. I suspect it's going to come up sooner or later, tbh - as Dante pointed out, there's a lack of queer adult men in the X-Books, plus writers tend to take the path of least resistance. So once the time comes, Bobby probably won't be getting a serious love interest outside of the mutant sphere, which leaves a limited number of options. But I dislike the pairing for a number of reasons, so I'm happy to hold off on that possibility for as long as possible.

[Strong Girl Daken]

I really do think that Northstar needs something of an image/character makeover. I'm on the record as not being a Northstar fan, but I want to be. I find him so derivative of Quicksilver - a speedster with a superiority complex and twin sister drama. I hope Age of X-man injects life into the character and gives him a new direction and a perspective unique to him. New costume, new connections, character development, etc.

[Magnito]

Really looking forward to North star and Iceman on the same tram. Even if it is AU.

[Star_Jammer]

I'm gonna file that Extremists cover under "Worst Northstar look ever", fam.

Wow, really?

Have you seen:

?

I kinda like the X-tremist look, although I didn't know it was Northstar till someone pointed out the emblem.