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DC Comics is having one of its major superheroes come out of the closet
By Jeremy PopkinMay 22nd, 2012, 12:45 pmComments (21)
President Obama’s support of same-sex marriage may herald an age of acceptance for the LGBT community, but what’s more important is that the president’s attitude has finally allowed a major comic publisher to out one of their most popular superheroes. We’ve come so far!
At a panel at the Kapow Comic Convention in London on Sunday, DC Comics co-publisher Dan DiDio revealed that one of DC’s biggest heroes will become "one of our most prominent gay characters." The decision comes a year after an interview with The Advocate in which DiDio announced plans to introduce new gay characters rather than switch the orientation of old ones, a policy that DC’s Senior Vice President Bob Wayne explained “has evolved.” (What is it about everybody using that word?)
Openly gay characters aren’t exactly new to the world of comics. Marvel’s Northstar has been out since the ‘90s, and his upcoming engagement is apparently important enough to warrant an official announcement on The View. Hell, even Archie introduced a gay character two years back, and saw him marry his boyfriend this past January. And when Archie gets his old-fashioned milquetoast hands on something, it officially loses all shock value and sense of impact.
So of course there’s nothing left to do now but speculate. Batman would be far too obvious, and would rob us of a rich tradition of “boy ward” jokes. A gay Superman would be a bold choice, though considering all she’s had to put up with for seventy-some-odd years, Lois Lane deserves far better than to be Clark Kent’s beard. But if DC really commits to the idea and doesn’t just decide to switch the orientation of some lesser superhero like Martian Manhunter (or, God forbid, Booster Gold), then I’d have to put my money on Aquaman.
It has to be Aquaman, right?
I mean, come on. It’s Aquaman.
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Commentarium (21 Comments)
Bizarro Superman am go IN closet!
just as Ricky implied I am amazed that a single mom able to earn $8912 in 1 month on the internet. did you read this page..MakeMONY7.notlong.CoM
the fuck is this?
Mister Mxyzptlk. But he goes back into the closet if he says his name backwards.
they just have Superman become Superwoman? Because that would be even dumber than what they are doing now. Look at their outfits: they are all already gay.
The only problem is, how can you do sex-change surgery on someone who's invulnerable?
Wonder Woman.
too true. I dont think it ever said the one being gay is a male.
They already have a lesbian super hero, Batgirl (now that I think of it, I think she's bi).
I think it's the Flash.
BatWOMAN is a lesbian. Batgirl is not.
My money is on Green Lantern. Because then they can oust the current gay lantern at anytime and put a new ringbearer in his place.
What about Captain Marvel? SHAZAM!
it's totally gonna be Robin.
Which one? There have been 4 Robins. Dick Grayson is unlikely, considering his many relationships with women and Jason Todd is a minor character/murderous psychopath. Damian Wayne doesn't seem to have any interest aside from violence. That leaves Tim Drake, which would make a surprising amount of sense considering many people claim he and Superboy are an unofficial couple due to excessive bromance. He's not really a major superhero, though.
It's Batwoman who's gay, and she dated the Question. That's two gay DC ladies more prominent than Northstar; it's Marvel that needs to up their game. Come on, Captain America: that closet is looking awfully uncomfortable.
For some reason, it seems like it should be Aquaman. I can't really explain why, but it would just feel right.
If it's one of DC's "biggest heroes," it's probably a Justice Leaguer. They've said it's a "he," so Wonder Woman's out. Most of the JLers' sexualities are already well established: Aquaman is practically married already to Mera, Bruce Wayne is a playboy, Clark has Lois, Green Lantern has Carol Ferris. Cyborg is already a minority, and I just don't see them making the one non-white JLer even more of a minority. So if they're going to switch a major character's orientation, my money's on the Flash. He would be the most easily switched without massively rewriting an established aspect of the character.
It's Red Tornado. He vibrates!
Just goes to show what lazy times we live in. Rather than create a new and original character, DC has to desecrate an age old character that was created by true artists. So much time has been wasted on the gay non issue, while the out of control issue of poverty continues to be swept under the rug.
Because we all know that if comic books were to weigh in on the issue, we could end poverty before the decade is out!
It seems sort of reductive to the artists who created these characters to try and remove one of them from the closet because of our political climate.
If there's been homoerotic tension in some of the comics in the past, then go ahead and play on that, but I'll be sad if it's Superman. I like him and Lois together. :[