LGBT+ Marvel Characters Discussion

[gifted]

While I would be happy to see an LGBT character getting more focus, Raz is on the ones I care the least about it.

It's more his potential that I like. Especially his whole gay, college, Indian (I'm Asian, but still dark-skinned) heritage self, he's someone I feel I could have been able to relate to.

But like Mah VM stated, Marvel just didn't care about him, despite their new direction being perfect for him.

I wish Cullen Bloodstone was in the new Mercs For Money line-up. Especially if it's true that Elsa is in the line-up and they're changing her to look more like the version of Negasonic Teenage Warhead from the Deadpool movie, they should just use Cullen instead of trying to force Elsa to be a stand-in for a movie character.

Ugh, yes. Anything Cullen. Though, it's been confirmed that the girl is actually Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Am I the only one that read that article a few weeks back? Haha.

[Wiccan]

It's more his potential that I like. Especially his whole gay, college, Indian (I'm Asian, but still dark-skinned) heritage self, he's someone I feel I could have been able to relate to.

But like Mah VM stated, Marvel just didn't care about him, despite their new direction being perfect for him.



Ugh, yes. Anything Cullen. Though, it's been confirmed that the girl is actually Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Am I the only one that read that article a few weeks back? Haha.

I don't even watched Deadpool and it was obvious that she was NTW. And Idk. An older married(I think he is, right?) indian character is not something I can relate and maybe that has to do with it, but in general I'm just not that interested in the Pym side of Marvel, I mostly just like Cassie and Jan, but they're not like total faves or anything.

[MasterOfMagnetism]

Ugh, yes. Anything Cullen. Though, it's been confirmed that the girl is actually Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Am I the only one that read that article a few weeks back? Haha.

Oh sorry, I didn't hear that. I don't know much about NTW but they really are just totally changing her to fit the movie version? But yeah I wish Cullen would come back and something like Mercs For Money would be a good fit for him, he's not the standard "hero" type of character.

[Tiamatty]

The people you'd expect would be screaming retcon even if the writer says it was always their intention, for them the character'd be changed or turned gay. If Marvel is going to represent the LGBT community they should listen to us not to the people who are always complaining about Diversity being done the Wrong Way = Not They Way They Want.

Some people objected when Striker from Avengers Academy was confirmed as gay. A brand-new character, always intended to be gay, outed by his creator barely a year into the title, had some foreshadowing . . . and yeah, some people still objected to it.

Raz Malhotra is the only Legacy character who is LGBT and coincidentally he's the only one who got no promotion, no solo and no place on an Avengers team. All the others got solos and later joined All New All Different Avengers but the All New Giant Man had to be a supporting cast member in Astonishing Ant-Man. Marvel doesn't give a flying ****.

He's not quite the only one who hasn't had anything done with him. The new female Quasar's dropped into Limbo since Standoff. Spencer does supposedly have plans for her in the Captains America, but she hasn't shown up yet.

Ian Soo is a new Inhuman with an A-List power (Telekinesis) and yet he hasn't even shown up in Uncanny Inhumans or All New Inhumans which makes literally no sense whatsoever. You'd think the inhumans of New Attilan would be interested in knowing a new inhuman with his potential exists and could very well join them and be trained.

Nah, I don't think so. Ian Soo doesn't want to be a superhero. He just wants to live his life and hang out with his BFF Patsy and work with Tom where they exchange flirting and get people screaming "JUST KISS YOU FOOLS!" Not, uh, not that I'm invested in an Ian/Tom relationship or anything. Anyway, the point is, there's no real reason to bring him into one of the Inhumans titles. He doesn't belong there. He belongs at the gay bookshop. Marvel should instead do more with what's-her-name from All-New Inhumans. The woman from Crystal's ship.


Edit: On a side note, with four questions in the Axel-In-Charge thread about LGBT representation, I wonder if CBR actually will ask Alonso. But why do I get the feeling they'll ask that frigging Golden Oldie question instead?

[Wiccan]

Tbh, I think that's because Marvel doesn't consider Hellcat to be an important in the MU. It's one of those series who are almost like in another universe than the main series and events. Like books like Captain America, Thor, Avengers etc were the MCU movies, and comics like Hellcat, Mockingbird, Moon Girl were the MCU TV shows.

[somacula]

Guys what about an LGBT villain? Sinestro or doom tier

[Dermie]

Some people objected when Striker from Avengers Academy was confirmed as gay. A brand-new character, always intended to be gay, outed by his creator barely a year into the title, had some foreshadowing . . . and yeah, some people still objected to it.

Actually, Striker was outed in issue #23--so just under two years into the book. But other than that, yeah, everything you said was dead on. And some people objected to Striker being gay due to the sexual abuse in his backstory--they claimed Gage was implying that the sexual abuse turned him gay (although Gage did address that point directly in the story and refuted it).

I'd really like to see Striker turn up somewhere. sigh.

[ZNOP]

Guys what about an LGBT villain? Sinestro or doom tier

Wait, I'm shocked -- there isn't any?

Actually, Striker was outed in issue #23--so just under two years into the book. But other than that, yeah, everything you said was dead on. And some people objected to Striker being gay due to the sexual abuse in his backstory--they claimed Gage was implying that the sexual abuse turned him gay (although Gage did address that point directly in the story and refuted it).

I'd really like to see Striker turn up somewhere. sigh.

Issue #23 of what title?

[Tiamatty]

Actually, Striker was outed in issue #23--so just under two years into the book. But other than that, yeah, everything you said was dead on. And some people objected to Striker being gay due to the sexual abuse in his backstory--they claimed Gage was implying that the sexual abuse turned him gay (although Gage did address that point directly in the story and refuted it).

I'd really like to see Striker turn up somewhere. sigh.

Yeah, the fact that the gay character had also been sexually abused was . . . unfortunate. And he's not the only example of that. Karma's a lesbian, and her backstory involves gang rape. There are probably other examples I'm just forgetting, too.

[somacula]

Wait, I'm shocked -- there isn't any?



Issue #23 of what title?

Yeah there are a bunch, like loki who has a mini now, also Mystique, machinesmith. I think launching a good villain that happens to be lgbt would have some appeal since everyone loves a good villain

[Wiccan]

Loki and Mystique aren't even considered villains anymore. Anti heroes at best.

[MasterOfMagnetism]

Yeah the thing with villains, especially villains who are minorities, is that they usually end up more as "anti-heroes" than full-on villains. I would like to see a gay villain though. I'd love a gay mutant who is a Brotherhood of Mutants type of character, maybe someone who becomes the arch-nemesis to Iceman or Anole.

[gifted]

I feel that Marvel cheats with Mystique and Loki because their character concepts and powers make them sexually fluid, which segues into fans accepting their gender fluidity and sexuality more. Also, it's not like Marvel shows them proactively engaging in non-heterosexual relationships anyway.

[somacula]

Yeah the thing with villains, especially villains who are minorities, is that they usually end up more as "anti-heroes" than full-on villains. I would like to see a gay villain though. I'd love a gay mutant who is a Brotherhood of Mutants type of character, maybe someone who becomes the arch-nemesis to Iceman or Anole.

A gay hero doesn't necessarily need a gay villain... I was thinking of a larger scope villain like a villain to a hero like Cyclops or blue marvel that's bent on destroying the ultimates or the X men. Hell they can say sinister is gay and gunning for Cyclops, I wouldn't be surprised.

Also I've got a question, what's your stance on gender fluid characters such as loki? It's something particular in fiction that a character can go between male and female genders through magic and without the need of surgery. Do they count as transsexual in your book or is it cheating?

[MasterOfMagnetism]

A gay hero doesn't necessarily need a gay villain... I was thinking of a larger scope villain like a villain to a hero like Cyclops or blue marvel that's bent on destroying the ultimates or the X men. Hell they can say sinister is gay and gunning for Cyclops, I wouldn't be surprised.

Also I've got a question, what's your stance on gender fluid characters such as loki? It's something particular in fiction that a character can go between male and female genders through magic and without the need of surgery. Do they count as transsexual in your book or is it cheating?

I don't think a gay hero has to have a gay villain, it's just that personally I would like to see a gay hero with a gay arch-nemesis. Sinister had a wife but if they revealed that he's bi and obsessed with Cyclops I would totally believe it.

As for gender-fluid or transgender characters and shapeshifting, it's tough for me to judge 'cause I'm not gender-fluid or trans (I'm just a plain-old gay dude), I think it depends on how it's portrayed. Personally I consider the character Sera to be transgender, and Xavin to be gender-fluid, but I don't really consider Mystique to be gender-fluid. I don't think being able to shapeshift automatically makes a character gender-fluid.