Queer Superheroes: A Brief History

The Authority, including Midnighter (in black) and Apollo (in white)

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Comics have always had a homoerotic edge. What's surprising is how many superhero characters are actually gay, lesbian, transgender, or ... something else.

The 1993 coming-out of Northstar, of the Canadian X-Men group Alpha Flight, caused a sensation. Starting out as a lithe, elfin creature, by the time of his coming-out he'd morphed into a hulking muscle freak drawn by a straight artist. This irked many gay comics fans already well-versed in the subtler nuances of queer comic code.

Other gay characters of various sizes and superhero skill sets have continued the tradition. X-Men characters Mystique and Destiny had an implied lesbian relationship, but without all the ruckus. Apollo and Midnighter, two members of the Authority, from DC Comics' Vertigo imprint, have been known to engage in a bit of affectionate smooching aboard their high-powered spacecraft. And the Green Lantern features lesbian duo Lee & Li, as supporting characters.

For better or worse, many comic queers have been villains, including Batman's Riddler and the Joker, Dare-Devil's nemesis Machinesmith, and the Flash's foe Pied Piper (who ends up a good guy fighting for gay rights).

In the mainstream comics world, DC and Marvel have very gay-friendly company and editorial policies. Adult but not erotic, DC's Sandman series includes many GLBT characters. But few lead characters have been out -- readers have often had to read between the tights.

In 1997 several gay comics fans, finding other online sites to be unfriendly, formed the Gay League to help clarify who's who, and who's dating whom. Small presses like Andy Mangel's Gay Comics have filled in another gap, pumping out over 25 issues of openly queer-themed comics.