Comic Wednesday: LGBTQ+ Characters

Caitlyn Woodbury

caitlyn.gabsbitesizeblogs@gmail.com

Happy Pride Month, everyone! This month is a time both to celebrate how far we’ve come and to keep pushing for progress. With that in mind, I wanted to write this week’s blog about LGBTQ+ characters in Marvel and DC Comics.

Marvel currently has 77 confirmed LGBTQ+ characters, while DC has 102. These totals include supporting characters and may not reflect how many have stories that focus on their identities. Altogether, that brings the total to 179 characters. While I can’t cover every one of them, I’ll explore a few in more detail.

Tim Drake

As mentioned in a few of my blogs, Tim Drake was Batman’s third Robin, and the first Robin to ask for the job rather than being approached. He has been a recurring character since 1989 and came out as bisexual in 2021 after going on a date with his childhood friend, Bernard. It was an interesting few issues, where we followed Tim’s feelings, discovering them at the same time as him. Whilst Bernard may not be a fan favourite, with many shipping Tim with Young Justice team make Kon-El, the couple are still together and thriving to this day.

Mystique

Alongside Magneto, Mystique is one of the most known X-Men villains (even though she is sometimes their ally). She debuted in 1978 and was quickly a fan favourite for her independence. Whilst not being the greatest person, due to her morals and treatment of her children, many fans still love her and her queerness. Her main partner is Destiny, another mutant who can predict the future. Their “partnership” began in 1989, with them not becoming official until they kissed in 2019. However, when Destiny was killed early in her run, it was obvious to readers their relationship when seeing Mystique’s response. As a shape shifter, she would transform into both men and women with some taking this as a metaphor for being genderfluid.

America Chavez

A newer character, America Chavez, is the definition of badass. Not only does she have super strength, speed and flight, but she can also travel the multiverse through the creation of portals. America being lesbian is a key part of her character, so when it was removed from the MCU, a big difference was seen. Whilst she is not currently in a relationship, she has had girlfriends in the past and is quick to make comments to her teammates.

Jon Kent

To those that recognise the last name, you are thinking right: Superman’s son is in the community, specifically bisexual. This character has an interesting history, after not only having to live up to his father’s legacy but also experienced an accident that made him age up from 12 to 17, making him miss a lot of his childhood. The newest character, he debuted in 2015, and came out in 2021 with his boyfriend Jay, who as far as I am aware are still together.

Loki

The God of Mischief themself! Most people who only engage with the movies and TV shows are unaware of this, as Loki’s genderfluid identity is basically scrapped (or only used to create a love interest for them). But in the comics, Loki uses their powers to take on any form they wish, and it is what it is. Those around them understand and adapt, rather than pushing them to stay in one form. But I mean, they are a god, as if Loki would listen to anyone anyway.

We still have a long way to go. 179 characters out of possibly thousands isn’t the greatest, but the more we celebrate what we have and encourage more, the writers will see the demand. Gay characters weren’t even ALLOWED until 1989, and you can see some writers playing catch up. Whilst I do love my non-canonical ships (I’m looking at you Cherik and Superbat), they mean nothing if we don’t appreciate the beautiful relationships that we have in front of us now.