LGBT+ Marvel Characters Discussion

[Alpha to Omega]

Avengers #8 featured some LGBT representation:

spoilers:

At least two members of the Twilight Court are confirmed gay or bi with Galehaut, a woman, being in love with Lancelot, another woman, who is interested in Artur, a man, who is secretly in love with Parsifal, another man.

end of spoilers

[Dermie]

Claremont's original vision for Nightcrawler's parentage is finally established after some 40 odd years. Just shows how far we've come aa a society for a story to now be canon when it was unthinkable in the 80s or even in the 2000s

Indeed. I was glad to see that twist finally making its way into canon, and I appreciated that they were able to do so without completely discarding the previous story of Kurt's parentage. As unpopular as that storyline was, I liked how they managed to keep some elements of it rather than just dismissing it entirely.

[Dermie]

Avengers #8 featured some LGBT representation:

spoilers:

At least two members of the Twilight Court are confirmed gay or bi with Galehaut, a woman, being in love with Lancelot, another woman, who is interested in Artur, a man, who is secretly in love with Parsifal, another man.

end of spoilers

Yes. I was happy to see the LGBT inclusion among those new characters, as well as just getting to know a bit more about them as characters beyond their mythical archetypes.

[Dermie]

The Week In Gay:

11 new books out this week.

Alpha Flight #5 of 5 - Northstar and Fang are part of the team, and Kyle also appeared in the issue here.

Avengers #8 - a couple of members of the Twilight Court are revealed to be LGBT.

Invincible Iron Man #13 - Starfox made a guest appearance

X-Men #29 - Shadowkat is on the team.

Marvel's Voices: Avengers - none of the stories feature any LGBT characters, but there is a splash page spread by Luciano Vecchio of all of the POC members of the Avengers, including Living Lightning, Iron Patriot and Nightmask. There is also an interview with Al Ewing which discusses his bisexuality and its impact on his writing.

And for the digital comics...

Alligator Loki #25 and 26 - the series returns for a new 'season' this week, and 616 Loki appears in both issues.

Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #80 - Loki's contest continues.

If I've missed anything, please let me know.

[Dermie]

The Week In Gay:

15 new books this week!

Blade #6 - Dracula plays a large role in the issue

Dark X-Men #5 of 5 - Feint is a member of the team.

Guardians Of The Galaxy #9 - Star-Lord appears, but this issue is a spotlight on Mantis and Gamora.

Immortal Thor #5 - Loki appears

Spider-Gwen: Smash #1 of 4 - Mary Jane of Ghost-Spider's universe is a supporting character here

White Widow #2 of 4 - there is a non-binary supporting cast member, and Yelena herself is believed to be asexual

X-Men Red #18 - series finale. Jon Ironfire and White Sword have a significant part, and Kobak is part of the big battle scenes.

for the digital comics....

Alligator Loki Infinity Comic#27 - Loki appears

Marvel Mutts Infinity Comic #3 - America Chavez is in this issue

Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #81 - Loki's challenge continues, with this issue featuring Misty Knight and Prowler.

If I've overlooked anything, please let me know.

[Dermie]

It has been announced that DEADPOOL is getting a new ongoing run again next year, with a new creative team!

Not a huge shock given that his third movie is coming out around that time and Wade doesn't usually go more than a year or so without a new ongoing book. Still, its nice to confirm that Marvel will have at least one ongoing solo book with an LGBTQ lead in 2024.

I wonder how much (if any) of Wade's supporting cast from the Alyssa Wong run will be carried over into the new run...such as Wade's non-binary lover Valentine Vuong or his symbiote dog Princess. Neither of them are mentioned in the initial press release which makes me worry they may be the victim of the sort of off-panel supporting cast purge and re-set that sometimes happens when a new creative team comes in (it happened when Wong came in to--and the supporting cast and status quo from Kelly Thompson's run were gone). On the other hand, Ziglar does make reference to Wade's "found family" in the announcement, which could include Valentine and Princess. We'll see.

[Dermie]

The Week In Gay:

14 new physical books this week!

Astonishing Iceman #5 of 5 - conclusion of the miniseries with Iceman vs Mister Clean. Romeo gets to participate in the action too, which is a first for him.

Original X-Men #1 - one-shot that has teen Iceman and the other original 5 X-Men once again plucked from the past, this time for a single mission in an alternate present-day. Alternate adult Iceman appears too.

Uncanny Avengers #5 of 5 - conclusion. Deadpool is on the team.

Uncanny Spider-Man #5 of 5 - conclusion. Mystique appears.

And for the digital comics....

Alligator Loki Infinity Comic#28 - Loki appears

Marvel Mutts Infinity Comic #4 - Gwenpool and Ms. America both appear.

Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #82 - Loki's contest continues (Shang-Chi and Terrax are the next pair up).

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #118 - Kobak Never-Held is part of the story, and Shadowkat and Somnus have cameos.

As always, if I've missed something please let me know.

[Micabe]

Claremont's original vision for Nightcrawler's parentage is finally established after some 40 odd years. Just shows how far we've come aa a society for a story to now be canon when it was unthinkable in the 80s or even in the 2000s

Indeed. I was glad to see that twist finally making its way into canon, and I appreciated that they were able to do so without completely discarding the previous story of Kurt's parentage. As unpopular as that storyline was, I liked how they managed to keep some elements of it rather than just dismissing it entirely.

I've read X-Men Blue: Origins #1 and wasn't impressed at the roundabout way this particular dangling plot device resolved itself but, I've read the aforementioned issue at least three times and there is still one thing that eludes me because it wasn't explicitly spelled out and that's who exactly is Kurt's birth mother? Am I to infer that Mystique has been lying to herself for decades and not once within the pages did Irene ever remind Raven of the truth or tell Kurt that she was his birth mother and not Raven?

[Dermie]

I've read X-Men Blue: Origins #1 and wasn't impressed at the roundabout way this particular dangling plot device resolved itself but, I've read the aforementioned issue at least three times and there is still one thing that eludes me because it wasn't explicitly spelled out and that's who exactly is Kurt's birth mother? Am I to infer that Mystique has been lying to herself for decades and not once within the pages did Irene ever remind Raven of the truth or tell Kurt that she was his birth mother and not Raven?

Destiny is his birth mother -- she was shown giving birth to him on-panel in the issue.

Destiny and Mystique were shown later in the issue going to Charles Xavier and having him telepathically alter their memories. Mystique knew she was Kurt's parent but not that she was his biological father, and Irene had no memory of being his mother at all.

[Dermie]

The Week In Gay

14 new books out this week...not bad for the week between Christmas and New Year's. I thought this was usually a slow week for new releases.

Black Panther #7 - Beisa appears in this issue.

Captain Marvel #3 - Yuna Yang is either lesbian or bisexual, and her love interest Lenore has a secret...

Immortal X-Men #18 - series finale. Destiny is one of the cast.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #2 of 4 - Iceman is part of the cast. This is a flashback mini set between pages of the original SECRET WARS miniseries, so Bobby is still closeted at this point.

Spider-Woman #2 - the new Nightshade (Logan Lewis) makes a brief appearance.

X-Force #47 - Northstar and Fang (Akihiro) both appear in the issue.

For the digital comics....

Alligator Loki Infinity Comic #29 - Loki and Valentine Vuong appear.

Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #83 - Loki's contest continues (Shang-Chi vs Terrax this round)

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #118 - Kobak Never-Held has a supporting role, and Iceman and Romeo make cameo appearances.

Looks like that's it for this week. If I missed anything, let me know.

An early very happy New Year to you all!!

[Kingdom X]

The Week In Gay

14 new books out this week...not bad for the week between Christmas and New Year's. I thought this was usually a slow week for new releases.

Black Panther #7 - Beisa appears in this issue.

Captain Marvel #3 - Yuna Yang is either lesbian or bisexual, and her love interest Lenore has a secret...

Immortal X-Men #18 - series finale. Destiny is one of the cast.

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars: Battleworld #2 of 4 - Iceman is part of the cast. This is a flashback mini set between pages of the original SECRET WARS miniseries, so Bobby is still closeted at this point.

Spider-Woman #2 - the new Nightshade (Logan Lewis) makes a brief appearance.

X-Force #47 - Northstar and Fang (Akihiro) both appear in the issue.

For the digital comics....

Alligator Loki Infinity Comic #29 - Loki and Valentine Vuong appear.

Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #83 - Loki's contest continues (Shang-Chi vs Terrax this round)

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #118 - Kobak Never-Held has a supporting role, and Iceman and Romeo make cameo appearances.

Looks like that's it for this week. If I missed anything, let me know.

An early very happy New Year to you all!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR DERMIE!!! You’re a gem for giving us these updates!

Do folks have any specific hopes for LGBTQ+ rep in Marvel this year?

[Dermie]

HAPPY NEW YEAR DERMIE!!! You’re a gem for giving us these updates!

Thank you kindly.

Do folks have any specific hopes for LGBTQ+ rep in Marvel this year?

Thanks for asking this. I had meant to post that sort of question myself, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. lol

I would like to see some more solo projects with LGBT characters in print format; be it one-shots, miniseries or ongoing books. The Infinity Comics have been great for giving lead roles to characters who might not normally get solo features in the regular comics...which has worked out well for some of the LGBT characters. But I would like to see more of it in the physical comics as well. Not that 2023 was entirely lacking in queer characters with their own books...but I'd like to see more.

I am hoping for a sequel to the ASTONISHING ICEMAN mini...maybe even an ongoing! More Wiccan & Hulkling is always welcome! I'd really like to see the new Giant-Man (Raz Malhotra) get a solo project.

I am hoping to see Starfox get another one-shot or a mini or something, and hopefully more explicitly confirm his bisexuality/pansexuality. Its already been hinted at before, plus his recent makeover really pushes his queer vibe...but it would be nice to see him actually get to hook-up with some guys as well as his various female companions.

The X-books have been consistently good for LGBT inclusion during the Krakoa era, so I hope to see that continue when the Krakoa era comes to its end later this year and the X-office goes through a big shift in editorial and creative personnel.

I'd love to see the AVENGERS franchise start pulling their weight again when it comes to LGBT inclusion. I am enjoying Jed MacKay's run but it doesn't include any of the team's LGBT members, and neither did Jason Aaron's run before it (although, in fairness, both runs have included some LGBT characters as guest stars, supporting characters, villains, etc). There are various LGBT Avengers members out there, but almost all of them are stuck in limbo these days (since the end of Al Ewing's GOTG run anyway, since it included several of them).

I could probably keep going, but that's enough for now. How about everyone else?

[Dermie]

The Week In Gay:

13 new physical books released this week.

Fall Of The House Of X #1 of 5 - Shadowkat is part of the cast.

Marvel Meow #1 - print collection of the Infinity Comic series focusing on the various pet cats (and cat-like creatures) of the Marvel Universe. Loki is featured in several of the stories (adopting his Cat-Loki form introduced in the SQUIRREL GIRL series), and we also have appearances by Black Cat, Star-Lord, etc.

And for the digital comics...

Alligator Loki Infinity Comic #30 - Loki appears

Marvel Mutts Infinity Comic #6 - America Chavez and Gwenpool are both in this.

Marvel's Voices Infinity Comic #84 - the conclusion to the Loki arc. Black Cat also appears.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #120 - Kobak Never-Held makes an appearance.

Wow, a very light start to the year for LGBT representation! Hopefully things pick up next week...

[Dermie]

The Week In Gay:

15 new books out this week.

Avengers #9 - the Avengers battle with the Twilight Court continues. There are a couple of LGBT members in the Twilight Court.

Captain Marvel #4 - Yuna Yang, Carol's new reluctant sidekick, is lesbian or bisexual. There is also a sort-of (but not really) appearance by Black Cat.

Miguel O'Hara: Spider-Man 2099 #2 of 5 - Dracula appears

Rise Of The Powers Of X #1 of 5 - alternate future versions of Mystique and Kate Pryde appear.

Sentry #2 of 5 - one of the random civilians to get some of Sentry's powers in this issue is a gay man.

Spider-Gwen: Smash #2 of 5 - Em Jay and Glory are supporting cast.

Thunderbolts #2 of 4 - White Widow is part of the team for this issue. Jumbo Carnation also has a behind-the-scenes appearance, having designed the outfit Bucky Barnes wears in this issue.

Wolverine #41 - Fang (Akihiro) appears in this issue.

And for the digital comics....

Alligator Loki Infinity Comic #31 - Honey Badger (or Scout, as they want us to call her now...but I still prefer Honey Badger) appears.

X-Men Unlimited Infinity Comic #121 - Somnus appears in this issue.

As always, if I've missed anything please let me know!

[Kingdom X]

Thank you kindly.



Thanks for asking this. I had meant to post that sort of question myself, but hadn't gotten around to it yet. lol

I would like to see some more solo projects with LGBT characters in print format; be it one-shots, miniseries or ongoing books. The Infinity Comics have been great for giving lead roles to characters who might not normally get solo features in the regular comics...which has worked out well for some of the LGBT characters. But I would like to see more of it in the physical comics as well. Not that 2023 was entirely lacking in queer characters with their own books...but I'd like to see more.

I am hoping for a sequel to the ASTONISHING ICEMAN mini...maybe even an ongoing! More Wiccan & Hulkling is always welcome! I'd really like to see the new Giant-Man (Raz Malhotra) get a solo project.

I am hoping to see Starfox get another one-shot or a mini or something, and hopefully more explicitly confirm his bisexuality/pansexuality. Its already been hinted at before, plus his recent makeover really pushes his queer vibe...but it would be nice to see him actually get to hook-up with some guys as well as his various female companions.

The X-books have been consistently good for LGBT inclusion during the Krakoa era, so I hope to see that continue when the Krakoa era comes to its end later this year and the X-office goes through a big shift in editorial and creative personnel.

I'd love to see the AVENGERS franchise start pulling their weight again when it comes to LGBT inclusion. I am enjoying Jed MacKay's run but it doesn't include any of the team's LGBT members, and neither did Jason Aaron's run before it (although, in fairness, both runs have included some LGBT characters as guest stars, supporting characters, villains, etc). There are various LGBT Avengers members out there, but almost all of them are stuck in limbo these days (since the end of Al Ewing's GOTG run anyway, since it included several of them).

I could probably keep going, but that's enough for now. How about everyone else?

Yeah I’d also like to see more LGBTQ+ characters integrated onto team rosters. It often feels like certain creators hold all the weight for representation and fill their rosters with queer characters while other books have none. Once those creators leave we end up back at square 1 representation.

I’d also like to be done with subtext, but that’s likely overly ambitious. Ewing and Howard have both spoken about needing to use subtext when handling queer characters and it’s TIRED. Other media has evolved to the point where they’re either LGBTQ+ rep or not. Comics need to catch up.