As part of Pride Month 2014 (in which we celebrate gay visibility in part) where are the GLBT characters in the All-New Marvel Now?
Young Avengers won a GLAAD Media Award earlier this year. The Astonishing X-Men issue featuring Northstar’s wedding was a big seller. Those are the most high-profile gay heroes of the Marvel heroes.
Northstar (Jean-Paul Baubier) married Kyle Jinadu 2 years ago. After Astonishing X-Men came to an end, Northstar returned to the Jean Grey School in Amazing X-Men to join the Quest for Nightcrawler. We haven’t really seen Kyle so we must assume he’s running Jean-Paul’s businesses while Northstar helps Wolverine, Storm and Beast battle demons, monsters and anti-mutant hate groups. The new creative team and storyline took Logan back to Canada (Northstar’s home, too) so we might expect to see Jean-Paul stay in the action as the X-Men team up with Alpha Flight.
Young Avengers came to an end when Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie moved on to a new creator owned project. Fans can be happy that Hulkling (0ne half of the Hulkling/Wiccan super couple) along with Noh-Varr and Prodigy are starring in the Original Sins anthology series. The three Young Avengers are fighting the Hood in a tie-in story to Marvel’s big summer crossover event.
Anole is a fan-favorite from the New X-Men era who’s co-starring in Bromo-Superior, a storyline in Brian Wood’s X-Men book featuring the students of the Jean Grey School and continues his friendship/bromance with Rockslide and Hellion. Bling (Roxy Washington) has appeared in the back story of the X-Men title, too.
Rictor and Shatterstar are in limbo after X-Factor (another GLAAD Media Award winner) came to an end. Peter David relaunched an All-New X-Factor with a whole new concept and smaller team.
Karma was a major part of the Astonishing X-Men at the same time of Northstar’s wedding but has yet to turn up in a title after Astonishing came to an end.
Cullen Bloodstone survived Avengers Arena to join the cast of Avengers Undercover, along with Runaways alum Karolina Dean.
There are a lots of GLBT characters just not in major roles except for Northstar. DC’s Batwoman is the only GLBT hero to star in their own solo series. Could publishers given more GLBT heroes a shot at a solo book or making them integral to a team book?
Creator changes, creative shifts and ultimately sales are the major factors in the longevity of books starring a GLBT characters. All the major publishers have pushed to have diverse comic book universes that reflects the real world. Ultimately you the reader have the power to save every characters regardless of orientation.
By Editor