Marvel Addresses "Hercules'" Sexuality

[CBR News]

Marvel has answered speculation on the sexual orientation of "Hercules," following the announcement of a new series by Dan Abnett and Luke Ross.


Full article here.

[Drz]

Huh, I was pretty sure they we're going to make Hercules into a bisexual. Weird that they are keeping him straight, the historical Hercules had male lovers too.

[UltimateTy]

I always assumed he was Bi and it felt so natural in X-treme X-Men

[scribbleMind]

The foot in my mouth is delicious. Ah well, as long as Dan Abnett knows what he's doing, and he might because he's Dan Abnett, I can't complain.

[MasterOfMagnetism]

Wow, way to validate the homophobes Marvel. I'm so disappointed right now. He's a character from Greek mythology for Christ's sake!

[Hi-Fi]

So stupid. Especially when it was already adressed IN the comics. Hercules is bi.

[Baby_Hater666]

Who was responsible for this???

Names specific names please

[Kieran_Frost]

Looks like Axel took a page out of the MCU = no gays allowed Guess the issue of diversity doesn't involve LGBT issues! So disappointed; yet sadly not too surprised. Watch out MAC, watch out adult Bobby; the winds they are blowing...

[FlashingSabre]

Seriously? This is why people think comics aren't diverse. He's historically bisexual. You cant just decide that he's straight.

[Kuwagaton]

I'm surprised and disappointed, but let's nip this now: this has NOTHING to do with homophobia or homophobes.

[NewMutant]

His response is pretty embarrassing. I get the alternate universe version but that's not hat we are talking about and HE KNOWS THAT. The decline for the follow up looks bad too. Hercules can be straight but has hooked up with men still, he can be bi, he can be whatever; but stand your ground on the issue. It's not like Loki's bisexual solo book ever did anything with his sexuality.

[Kuwagaton]

Looks like Axel took a page out of the MCU = no gays allowed Guess the issue of diversity doesn't involve LGBT issues! So disappointed; yet sadly not too surprised. Watch out MAC, watch out adult Bobby; the winds they are blowing...

America and Bobby, like Prodigy, we're initially heterosexual, so I wouldn't really complain there.

Seriously? This is why people think comics aren't diverse. He's historically bisexual. You cant just decide that he's straight.

And Thor is a redhead. Marvel has never followed outside sources for fictional history, and they have no obligation here. That said, his last major writer did make him bi.

[Tayswift]

America and Bobby, like Prodigy, we're initially heterosexual, so I wouldn't really complain there.


And Thor is a redhead. Marvel has never followed outside sources for fictional history, and they have no obligation here. That said, his last major writer did make him bi.

Angela is very gay and has a solo. many people doesn't count it, maybe not even marvel...

seems like the tv show Da Vinci that he wasn't bisexual. I think it is a lost change to include representation in a more natural way without changing sexualities and the drama it follows

[Starleafgirl]

This is beyond stupid, but Marvel's decision here is hardly the end-all be-all.

Ancient Greek philosophy was all about men sleeping with men was beautiful and sleeping with women was just a duty to perform to produce children. It was a total patriarchy and had some pretty awful views towards women (not surprising, as many ancient societies from that part of the world did), so it shouldn't surprise anyone that they didn't think much of them in any area of life, including sex. Meanwhile, the joining of two men in sex? Yeah, a beautiful thing.

Hercules/Heracles, created by ancient Greeks, would have the same world views/philosophies of the society that spawned him. At the very least, the Marvel version of Hercules would've thought nothing of sleeping with men in the past, as he's from ancient Greek society in Marvel canon.

But even more than that, as the son of an ancient Greek god, come on... Ancient Greek gods slept with anyone and anything. They had no hangups about bisexual vs. straight.

Looking at all of this put together, the only logical conclusion is that Hercules is casually bisexual for the right man, even if he mainly sleeps with/lusts after women.

A straight Hercules just boggles the mind. It's inaccurate and inappropriate for the character.

However, Marvel's word on this now isn't the final word. Once they realize how stupid it was to try and make the ancient Greek Hercules straight, they'll reverse it. It might take years, decades even, but they will. It's just too ingrained in ancient Greek characters that they don't give a damn about bisexual vs. straight labels.

So if they don't address his bisexuality in his new series, fine, but I hardly think you can make an ancient Greek figure strictly straight. He's been around for hundreds of years, right? I hope no one at Marvel's trying to say he's NEVER slept with a man in all that time, lol.

I guess I can see now why Marvel allowed an alternate universe Magik to be in a lesbian relationship; they just plug their ears and go, "It's fine, 'cos our Illyana's still straight. It'll all be over soon! No one will really notice! And when it's done, we'll just pretend it never happened!"

[Kuwagaton]

Except it did happen, to an alternate character.

And they haven't said anything about not having slept with a man, they're just saying in this comic he is straight. Anyway I find the "he's really old, gotta be bi" argument a little strange.

Angela is very gay and has a solo. many people doesn't count it, maybe not even marvel...

Angela, MAC, Mystique, Wiccan, Hulkling, and two Bobby Drakes have major roles this fall. I wouldn't say we don't need more lbgt characters or that a quota is filled, but it is at least enough to get the impression that they're making a sincere effort to make things better with character diversity.