Who will come out in a June storyline?
Who is the gay DC comics character?
DC comics announced at the Kapow! Comic convention in London this past weekend that they will reintroduce a previously existing character, who was previously straight, as a gay character.
DC had previously stated their decision to introduce a brand new character as gay instead of reversing the sexuality of an established character.
Bob Wayne, Senior VP of Sales for DC, explained that, just like President Obama, DC’s policy “has evolved.”
Bleedingcool.com reported on the statement made at Kapow!, and later updated their story to include a brief history of gay comic book characters.
Marvel character Northstar was re-imagined as gay in the 80s, but not officially stated as gay until the 90s by writer Scott Lobdell. Lobdell recently created a new gay DC character in the relaunched comic Teen Titans.
Image Comics and Wildstorm published comics featuring gay couple Midnighter and Apollo based on Batman and Superman, but their relationship was downplayed and censored when DC bought Windstorm. Midnighter and Apollo were eventually married in the comics, with a fictitious comic-book-version of Ellen Degeneres officiating.
While the presence of LGBT characters has increased, the real story with the announcement of a gay DC character is that the character is someone who we already know.
Could Batman be the gay DC character? How would that affect the summer blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises, premiering just a month after DC’s June storyline revealing the gay character?
Could it be Superman? Green Lantern? Maybe not even one of the actual superheroes, but a prominent cast member?
Would a heroine coming out as a lesbian be too much of a cop out for the male-dominated world of comic books?
Female superheroes, though fictional, have become real role models for women. Would a lesbian superhero become a role model for other gay women, or would a lesbian Wonder Woman turn a beloved heroine into a sex object feeding into male lesbian fantasy?
There are so many questions revolving around the announcement that the new gay DC character is an existing, and allegedly prominent, character, that the speculation on the web is delving into decades-old storylines and whether or not current male-female relationships will be broken up.
The storyline revealing the gay DC character will release in June, so it’s only a matter of weeks before we get the answer.
Meanwhile, Marvel made the official announcement on ABC’s The View that Canadian superhero Northstar will propose to his long-term partner Kyle in Astonishing X-Men #50, in stores tomorrow, and their wedding will happen in Astonishing X-Men #51, out June 20.
