Well.. it getting all sorts of gay in the world of superheroes these days, isn’t it? LOL
Just days after reports that DC Comics was planning on outing a major male character as openly gay (see yesterday’s post HERE), Marvel announces that one of their gay superheroes, Northstar, would be getting hitched to his long-term partner.
Some may think this is just Marvel trying to one-up DC when it comes to the new-found prominence of gay superhero characters over the past while, but that would actually be incorrect.
You see, Marvel’s Northstar was actually the comic world’s first openly gay character. And he came out in the books all the way back in 1992. Hmm, for all of DC’s back-patting for being so progressive (now that the US President has said he backs gay marriage), it almost seems like they’re trying to catch up.
Initially a member of the fictional team of Canadian superhumans Alpha Flight (he’s French-Canadian, don’t you know) debuting back in 1979, Northstar is later portrayed as a member of the X-Men. The character’s creator, John Byrne, had apparently always intended for the character to be gay, however he was restricted to implied hints of this, due to Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter‘s policy against openly homosexual characters, and by the Comics Code Authority. (as per Wikipedia)
Hmm.. thing is though, although this character has been around for over 30 years and openly gay for 20 of them … I’ve barely heard of him myself, and I’m CANADIAN!! LOL (ok.. I never really got into Alpha Flight as a kid.. I was more a Spiderman kind of kid 🙂 )
I didn’t think he was that popular a character, or had had that much of a story in the books… until I read the bio on Marvel Universe.
He’s had a shaky relationship over the years with his twin sister Aurora, and has been in-and-out of both Alpha Flight and X-Men several times.
He’s even had a couple of solo mini-series, been a political terrorist, killed by Wolverine then revived and brainwashed by HYDRA, written a book (!?), been trapped in Asgard (where Thor is from..).. and the list goes on and on. Phew!!
Issue number 50 of ‘Astonishing X-Men’, on sale tomorrow, will showcase Northstar popping the question to his lovely partner.. with the wedding gracing the cover (and inside, of course) of the June issue (number 51 as shown in the top picture).
So.. anyone else notice that the past couple of posts have been a bit geeky?
Geek is chic now, right? 😉
In order to read the article in it’s entirety, click the link for the Huffington Post.
Ramblings of a Supposed Disease Free Mind 