I've been looking queerly at comic books

This post has been brewing for some time and invariably will be rather long and detailed by the time I'm done writing - so if you're the kind to settle in and read -go and grab that cup of tea or coffee now...

I've never really been a reader of comic books per se, but I became a fan of the world of superheroes with the onslaught of very well produced movies in the early nought-ies. I loved the drama, the action and I especially loved the special effects. I lapped them up like a parched camel might tackle a watering hole.

I recall an interview, with Stan Lee, MARVEL Comics foremost superhero creator, where he mentioned that the genesis of the mutants in X-men during the turbulent sixties resonated in particular with minority groupings in the US like blacks, gays and the disabled. They related to their personal angst at dealing with their differentness from the rest of society and how society was dealing so differently with them.

Not surprisingly, as a gay man, this sparked an ever intensifying flame of interest for the genre and the 'origins' of the superheroes themselves. I've been spurred to seek out the existence (or lack thereof) of gay superheroes and to explore how they’re reflected?

I'm not talking about the over speculated but totally misconceived relationship between Batman and his ward Robin, nor some of the heroes of sometimes erotic underground publications. I mean the 'real deal'; heroes that are 'written gay' by their authors - in the mainstream publications of DC and MARVEL.

I could discourse at length about the history of gay’dom in comics over many decades, but there are resources penned by greater super hero geeks than me, and two better ones are found here and here. I found however, that there were a few significant storylines that aptly illustrated some parallels with our story in the real world.

In the late seventies and early eighties, as gay men across America were fighting for protection from discrimination, their conservative Christian counterparts led by Senator Briggs and a former Miss America Anita Bryant to name but a few, were playing to the popular view that gay men were amongst other things paedophiles recruiting innocent children to their 'sinful ways'.

And so, I guess, it came as no surprise when there was a story line in 'A very Personal Hell' (The HULK #23 - Marvel, October 1980) where Bruce Banner is accosted in the public showers at the Manhattan YMCA. I think that story showed every straight mans nightmare encounter. The near rape scene shows how gays were viewed by the world: Sex crazed men bent on having their way by any means possible.

But, without any feather boas or sequined spandex, an intentionally gay hero called Northstar was introduced to the MARVEL universe in a new team called Alpha Flight (Alpha Flight #1 - Marvel, August 1983). He was however, not out. By the mid eighties, a sufficient number of hints and comments had been dropped and there was wide spread speculation about his sexuality. In effect, like many young gay men of the era, only his big toe was unintentionally out of the closet.

At the same time, hysteria around the 'gay plague' – AIDS - saw to it that Northstar was also afflicted by a dread disease, with persistent coughing and other mysterious AIDS-like symptoms. It was originally planned he’d succumb to the disease in the 50th issue, but the publishers would not have it. Instead it was revealed his disease was actually a curse cast upon him by a 'fairy'!?!

Attitudes towards homosexuality changed glacially into the nineties. But, I think that when AIDS finally became a human disease it marked a major a turning point for gays in real life as it was for the superheroes in comic books as is so aptly described in the following scene quoted here as a narrative from Lonley Gods .com (Alpha Flight #106, MARVEL, March 1992):

When Northstar discovered an abandoned baby girl that had AIDS he adopted the baby as his own and began to promote AIDS awareness. This act enraged the retired superhero Major Mapleleaf, whose gay son died of AIDS the year before. Mapleleaf decided to attack Northstar for the perceived injustice.

"My son Michael was a victim of AIDS as well!" Mapleleaf monologued as he traded blows with Northstar. "But he was gay - so people didn't afford him the luxury of being 'innocent'. There were no press conferences, no fund-raisers, no nightly news updates .... And now you come along! You with your cute and sweet and photogenic little orphaned girl .... My son wasn't guilty of anything. But because he was gay, he didn't rate!"

Northstar responded with a punch, yelling back: "Do not presume to lecture me on the hardships homosexuals must bear. No one knows them better than I. I am not inclined to discuss my sexuality with people for whom it is none of their business – I am gay!"

This revelation only enraged Mapleleaf further: "You're one of Canada's most prominent public figures, both here and abroad! Before that, you were a renowned Olympic athlete! Don't you realize the good that you can do?! By not talking about your lifestyle - by closeting yourself - you're as responsible for my son's death as the homophobic politicians who refuse to address the AIDS crisis!"

Northstar finally ended the fight with several more blows before coming to an amiable conclusion with Mapleleaf. "We do agree on one thing, sir. It is past time that people started talking about AIDS, about its victims. Those who die ... and those of us left behind."

By the dawn of the 21st century, a growing number of characters, hero’s and villains alike were either introduced, outed or re-written in as gay like the cowboy character The Rawhide Kid, whose origin dates back to 1955, was re-introduced as gay in 2003.

In the same year, for the first time an openly gay couple were introduced with a new team the Young Avengers (Young Avengers #1, MARVEL, March 2003). The shape shifting Hulkling (who's no relation to HULK) and Wiccan have since been depicted as a pair of young heroes who care for each other deeply. Their relationship and sexuality is so normalised within the story that it's never a diversion.

But as we all know, coming out is not always like that. Our relationships are in general not widely viewed as normalised as in the Young Avengers example. For many the fear of rejection when coming out to our friends and family is a nightmare come true. And in the ever increasing discourse on matters of sexuality, comic books have stepped up to the task to discuss the issue with readers allowing them to decide how to relate to a not so rosy ending.

In one of the X-series’, Colossus's has been re-written as gay but, this was not revealed until Northstar was incorporated into the team and they start dating (Ultimate X-men #65, MARVEL, January, 2006).

Colossus told his team mate, the devoutly Catholic, blue skinned, three toed and tailed Nightcrawler that Northstar asked him to his school's prom. Nightcrawler incredulously asked...

Colossus replies: "If a man as unique as you no longer has to hide in the shadows, I fail to see why someone like me should. Wouldn't you agree?"

Nightcrawler could however not accept this.

The conversation continued: "I know you've been avoiding me since you think you found out what I am." Colossus began. "Do you think that I am attracted to every man? Why would you think that? I will admit, your skin is cute, but you are not my type. So do not worry, I promise to keep my hands to myself. Can we just go back to the way things were? .... I am the same friend you knew."

To which Nightcrawler angrily replied, "I am thinking, now ... that I did no know that friend very well." ( Ultimate X-men #67, MARVEL, February, 2006).

In my research into the history of the superheroes, has made it clear that the depiction and assimilation of homosexuality has evolved through the years. Our kind are now well documented in the annals of DC and Marvel and our depictions in those parallel universes has progressed much like our story in real life. Today it seems the overall view of gay supers is being positive – hopefully helping us find wider acceptance in more than just the strangest of places.

Ciao4now