Romeo & Iceman: A Mutant and Inhuman Tragedy in the Making?

[WallStreeter]

Being closeted and having a steady GF is common, as is not feeling any social anxiety with doing what you need to do to get a beard and stay in the closet.
A teenager feeling awkward talking to people that actually sexually interest him and are aware of that fact is also common. It's perfectly in line with his character. I assume you're one of the people that dislikes the fact Bobby is gay because of you bringing up 'retcon'.

Agreed. An adult feeling awkward to people that sexually interest him and are aware of that fact is also common. Elizabeth Gilbert, a famous writer, has had two husbands, many lovers and she just came out of the closet and admitted she is involved with her female best friend and that is why her husband is getting a divorce. She had a lot of failed relationships with men. It was interesting when Jean confronted Bobby for catcalling Illyana, because sometimes people try to cover up same sex attraction by putting on a persona of a player who does a lot of hook ups with the opposite sex.

[amoretpax199]

It was interesting when Jean confronted Bobby for catcalling Illyana.

When was this?

[Kurolegacy]

Being closeted and having a steady GF is common, as is not feeling any social anxiety with doing what you need to do to get a beard and stay in the closet.
A teenager feeling awkward talking to people that actually sexually interest him and are aware of that fact is also common. It's perfectly in line with his character. I assume you're one of the people that dislikes the fact Bobby is gay because of you bringing up 'retcon'.

I bring up that it's a retcon because that is exactly what it is. By definition: Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is the alteration of previously established facts in the continuity of a fictional work. Bobby has always been straight without so much as a sign, going back to the 60's, that he was gay. The reveal in and of itself is bathed in plotholes of that Bobby has near constantly been around psychics that were either better trained or nossier than Jeen for his almost his entire publication and yet somehow hides the fact yet a Jean Grey who was plucked out of their teenage years picks it up? Really now? To suddenly decide to throw it in to make that he's been closeted for over 50 years of publication is by definition a retcon. And yea, I'm completely open that I'm not a fan of this retcon. I'm not a fan of any retcon that feels the need to warp who a character is to fit whatever story the writer wants to tell where there was no need to. Just as I'm not a fan of the Wanda/Quicksilver retcon.

Also I really wish people would stop pretending that Bobby comes from the 60's and is a victim their cultural values. Just because Bendis chooses to ignore the sliding timescale and create numerous plotholes doesn't mean the readers (especially the comic savvy) need to play follow the leader. Given that the current MU takes place in 2016, Bobby and the O5 come from the early 2000's at earliest at this point.

[Tofali]

Romeo already took the poison and survived but will Bobbi?

[MasterOfMagnetism]

I hate this inhuman malarky and can't wait until they flop well into oblivion but this was a cute read. I like it probably because I relate to many of the things that cropped up (yay representation). Romeo's power is creepy though, but I'm glad we're getting more development on Bobby getting more comfortable with his sexuality. I would like to see a bit more about what a teenage boy from the 50's feelings about his sexuality and likely internalised homophobia.. but this was a damn good start.

Now here's hoping we see a storyline about older Iceman coming to terms with his late in life coming out.. That interests me much more tbh.

I feel quite similar. While I don't care for this Romeo character right now I do enjoy that they're finally making progress with Bobby accepting being gay and I look forward to seeing adult Bobby getting focused on too.

When was this?

It's literally what prompted Jean to take Bobby aside and talk to him about his sexual orientation.

I bring up that it's a retcon because that is exactly what it is. By definition: Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is the alteration of previously established facts in the continuity of a fictional work. Bobby has always been straight without so much as a sign, going back to the 60's, that he was gay. The reveal in and of itself is bathed in plotholes of that Bobby has near constantly been around psychics that were either better trained or nossier than Jeen for his almost his entire publication and yet somehow hides the fact yet a Jean Grey who was plucked out of their teenage years picks it up? Really now? To suddenly decide to throw it in to make that he's been closeted for over 50 years of publication is by definition a retcon. And yea, I'm completely open that I'm not a fan of this retcon. I'm not a fan of any retcon that feels the need to warp who a character is to fit whatever story the writer wants to tell where there was no need to. Just as I'm not a fan of the Wanda/Quicksilver retcon.

Also I really wish people would stop pretending that Bobby comes from the 60's and is a victim their cultural values. Just because Bendis chooses to ignore the sliding timescale and create numerous plotholes doesn't mean the readers (especially the comic savvy) need to play follow the leader. Given that the current MU takes place in 2016, Bobby and the O5 come from the early 2000's at earliest at this point.

While this story development is a retcon it doesn't change the fact that there are people in real life who don't come out as gay until after years of being in relationships with the opposite gender, marriage, kids, etc.

I still don't know if everyone who works at Marvel agrees on the "sliding timescale" and how it works. This was Hopeless, not Bendis, and he had Bobby reference coming from a past where his idea of what gay people are like is quite outdated.

Also the very concept of the "sliding timescale" would mean that every year the history of the Marvel universe becomes more compressed and more past stories get retconned out of continuity. And if the O5 come from the early 2000's then maybe Bobby hasn't spent so much time around psychics who would realize he's gay.

I don't think you can get away with saying that this retcon goes against decades of continuity while also arguing that the sliding timescale has erased most of that continuity anyway.

[Kurolegacy]

While this story development is a retcon it doesn't change the fact that there are people in real life who don't come out as gay until after years of being in relationships with the opposite gender, marriage, kids, etc.

I still don't know if everyone who works at Marvel agrees on the "sliding timescale" and how it works. This was Hopeless, not Bendis, and he had Bobby reference coming from a past where his idea of what gay people are like is quite outdated.

Also the very concept of the "sliding timescale" would mean that every year the history of the Marvel universe becomes more compressed and more past stories get retconned out of continuity. And if the O5 come from the early 2000's then maybe Bobby hasn't spent so much time around psychics who would realize he's gay.

Except that even with the sliding timescale, everything that's happened is still canon within the MU it's just moved forward, been placed into more modern fitting historical points (ie Tony now became Iron Man during the war in Iraq instead of Vietnam) and happened over the span of about 13-14 years judging by that Peter was bitten by the spider 13 years prior to current day MU and the F4 repelled Galactus some time after 2001. So he's still been around just as many psychics as he always has, they're just never gonna address the obvious plothole there.

[MasterOfMagnetism]

Except that even with the sliding timescale, everything that's happened is still canon within the MU it's just moved forward, been placed into more modern fitting historical points (ie Tony now became Iron Man during the war in Iraq instead of Vietnam) and happened over the span of about 13-14 years judging by that Peter was bitten by the spider 13 years prior to current day MU and the F4 repelled Galactus some time after 2001. So he's still been around just as many psychics as he always has, they're just never gonna address the obvious plothole there.

Personally I just don't think the concept of the sliding timescale works, I don't know how you can take several decades of stories and cram all those events into a 13-14 year timeframe. You'd have to lose certain stories.

I don't know if they'll ever address the idea of Bobby living in the closet while around telepaths but they could come up with various explanations if they wanted to, like maybe adult Jean and Emma didn't feel they had the right or simply didn't want to meddle in Bobby's personal life because of what they knew from his thoughts, unlike the teenage Jean. Or they could, as I've seen some people suggest, have it that Xavier used his telepathy to make Bobby suppress his thoughts of sexual confusion, at this point I don't even think that would be very OOC for Xavier.

[WallStreeter]

Personally I just don't think the concept of the sliding timescale works, I don't know how you can take several decades of stories and cram all those events into a 13-14 year timeframe. You'd have to lose certain stories.

I don't know if they'll ever address the idea of Bobby living in the closet while around telepaths but they could come up with various explanations if they wanted to, like maybe adult Jean and Emma didn't feel they had the right or simply didn't want to meddle in Bobby's personal life because of what they knew from his thoughts, unlike the teenage Jean. Or they could, as I've seen some people suggest, have it that Xavier used his telepathy to make Bobby suppress his thoughts of sexual confusion, at this point I don't even think that would be very OOC for Xavier.

Emma made jokes about Bobby and said his true love was interior decorating. When Karima, Lady Mastermind, and Iceman went on a mission in disguise, Lady Mastermind got women disguises for everyone. Iceman protested and said why didn't they get him a male disguise and Lady Mastermind said, "If God couldn't make you a man, what makes you think I could?" So clearly those two telepaths did pick upon him being gay, and Xavier did not suppress his thoughts. Adult Jean just didn't want to meddle in his personal life.

Adult Iceman had one lover who could assume male form (Mystique) and one lover that could be either male or female (Cloud). It was also said that the first time he dated Lorna Dane (before she left him for Havok) that they had never had sex. Writers had been deliberately leaving hints about Iceman for years, but it wasn't until Bendis came along that editorial approved an actual Iceman is gay storyline.

[Iron Fist]

I thought this issue was cute.

Bit heavy handed with Crystal's reaction to the X-Men ballsing up the NuHuman though.

I would say I hope this is a relationship that develops and endures but Marvel suck at gay characters let alone gay pairings so.

[Anduinel]

It's fine that folks can bring subtext into the conversation, but I don't really think it's necessary for fans to do the legwork to try and legitimize Bobby's coming out to those bothered by it. Bobby's gay, it ain't gonna change, and folks can live with it or not.

[MasterOfMagnetism]

It's fine that folks can bring subtext into the conversation, but I don't really think it's necessary for fans to do the legwork to try and legitimize Bobby's coming out to those bothered by it. Bobby's gay, it ain't gonna change, and folks can live with it or not.

Very true, but I still can't help but get really annoyed that whenever Bobby's sexuality comes up there's still people who keep complaining abut it. Especially considering that there's so little gay representation in the Marvel universe right now. But I really should take your advice and ignore them.

[bishop88]

aother x-book polluted by inhuman trash...hopeless and bagley are a good team...but honestly if all the teen x-men went back tommrow would anybody care i doubt it they have so overstayed their welcome its just plain sad now..really just a waste of an x-book now

[Iron Fist]

Very true, but I still can't help but get really annoyed that whenever Bobby's sexuality comes up there's still people who keep complaining abut it. Especially considering that there's so little gay representation in the Marvel universe right now. But I really should take your advice and ignore them.

There's a large gay fan following, especially in X-Men. Perhaps everyone should start complaining every time an issue deals with the relationship of a heterosexual couple :P

[Dthirds123]

How come crystal is shown to be generally care about mutants in all new inhumans but in all new X men she is more agnist them, did hopeless ruin another character

[akiresu_]

Ye sign me up for that gay team book tbf, get Northstar back in here asap

How old are these kids supposed to be? I can't shake the feeling they may be a little young for this particular establishment. Like I get they aren't drinking but do miami doormen just let anyone in?

Romeo/Bobby feels way too much like a retread of Empath/Magma for me. So, it's been done. But hey, looking forward to the one panel in IvX they're building up to where Bobby and Romeo have to fight and it's all sad.