Top 6 Gay Comic Book Characters

3. Iceman

Out of all the characters in the comic universe, I think it’s most fitting that one of the X-Men would turn out to be gay. In fact, if you go back and watch X2: X-Men United, there’s a particular scene where Bobby Drake aka Iceman “comes out” to his parents as a mutant, and it’s been stated that this entire scene was meant to be an analogy for people coming out as gay or lesbian to their families. In a shocking twist of fate, a young Iceman was revealed to be gay in a recent issue of Astonishing X-Men.

The reveal was met with your standard reaction. A lot of people praised it, and others flipped out about it, mainly because Iceman has had relationships with various women in his past. This isn’t the first time comics have retconned stories about their characters, and this will probably not be the last. People are going to get angry because they claim that this is “ruining” classic characters (just look at people’s reactions to a female Thor and a black Captain America). Here is the thing: characters change all the time. I never understood the whole “ruining” of characters or their stories. It’s not like someone is taking all the previous issues of X-Men where Bobby was straight and tossing them into an incinerator. If you want to read stories where Bobby is straight, go read them. They’re still out there to enjoy. If a fictional comic book character’s sexual orientation really bothers you (especially when it doesn’t impact their plot points, development, or actions), then maybe you need to go outside or find another hobby.

2. Northstar

Northstar deserves a lot of credit for his role in the fight for LGBTQ representation in comic books. When Northstar debuted in 1979, writer John Byrne was forbidden from openly stating that the character was gay due to Marvel Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter‘s policy against homosexual characters. Byrne was restricted to leaving subtle clues here and there hinting at the hero’s sexuality. It took more than 13 years before writer Scott Lobdell was allowed to give Northstar the famous speech bubble that said the phrase, “I am gay”.

Previously, Alpha Flight, the comic series that featured Northstar, had a sub-par run. But Northstar’s coming out caused the issue to sky-rocket into popularity. The famous issue, #106, sold out in just a week! It’s a shame that no other major mention of the character’s sexuality was made for the rest of Alpha Flight‘s run, but that doesn’t mean that Marvel was brushing it under the rug completely. In 2012, Northstar married his long-time partner Kyle Jinadu in New York City as a tribute to the real-life event of New York legalizing and recognizing same-sex marriage.

1. Batwoman

Batwoman is possibly one of the most well-known lesbian characters in comic fandom. If you thought Batman had a complex history, don’t get me started on Batwoman (thanks, Infinite Crisis!). Prior to the events of the Crisis, Katherine Kane was a costumed crime-fighter who took up the Bat-name because of her attraction to Batman and her dedication to altruism. After Crisis, she was revived as Kate Kane, an openly gay super-heroine who had a brief relationship with the aforementioned Renee Montoya. As you could expect, there were mixed reviews about the change in Batwoman’s sexual orientation, with some people praising it and others fuming over it.

Despite the outrage, the writers kept pushing forward and continued portraying Batwoman as a lesbian for the next several years. She eventually proposed to her girlfriend, Maggie Sawyer, and the two were intended to be married soon after. Unfortunately, there were some issues regarding the fate of these characters’ relationship due to DC’s unwillingness to allow a gay marriage to appear in their comics. Batwoman‘s run ended just a few short months ago. At least it was fun while it lasted.

Some gay and lesbian comic book characters were able to enjoy long-lasting relationships, while others were forbidden from their true love. This reflects the true lives of LGBTQ people in the real world. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of gay marriage, we can only hope that we see many more happy endings for the LGBTQ community, both in real life and in fiction.