Green Lantern Takes Giant Step

It’s not the most surprising coming out of all time, but it’s definitely one of the biggest. He’s super. He wears a skintight green leotard and a flashy ring. He’s a powerful part of the Justice Society. And yep, he’s gay.



Every superhero has a few reboots in him. The nearly 72-year-old Alan Scott — aka the Green Lantern — has already gone through numerous incarnations in his evil-fighting existence. He’s been married. He’s had kids. He’s inhabited an alternate universe. You know, the usual life stuff. But his much-ballyhooed reinvention in DC Comics’ “Earth Two” No. 2 is a milestone in comics history. Because now the hunky blond is an openly gay man who gets to kiss his boyfriend and propose marriage to him. He’s just your ordinary hero, balancing his private life and the fate of the planet. Hell, yeah.

It’s been a good year to be a gay comic book character. Later this month, Northstar, who made history 20 years ago by becoming one of Marvel’s first gay characters, will marry his partner, Kyle. And earlier this year, Archie Andrews’ compatriot and Riverdale, U.S.A.’s first openly gay citizen, Kevin Keller, married his African-American boyfriend. One Million Moms had a predictable fit. The issue sold out.

If we assume the universe is riddled with both superheroes and regular small-town citizens, why wouldn’t some of them be gay? Because it has taken so long to acknowledge that, there’s nothing to do now but celebrate that it’s finally happening.

It helps that Alan, Northstar and Kevin are all monogamous, decent do-gooders. Imagine how far we’ll have come when gay characters are so commonplace that they can be ubervillans. too. (Though James Moriarty did pretend to be gay in last year’s season of “Sherlock.”)

Meanwhile, simply by being present, by becoming part of the vernacular of comic book culture, the new characters are giving gay readers images to identify with. They’re also sending straight readers the necessary message that gay people are no longer going to be invisible, even in the most fanciful, fictional, two-dimensional places. And though the Green Lantern may exist in an alternate universe, in this one, in his own mighty way, he’s truly a hero.

Earth 2 (2012 DC) #2A

Cover by Ivan Reis (W) James Robinson (A) Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott MR. TERRIFIC - Michael Holt - lands on EARTH TWO! Don't miss the origin of the Earth Two FLASH - and the first time he uses his powers! What could be a bigger threat to Earth Two than APOKOLIPS? Jay Garrick is about to find out!

COVER PRICE: $2.99 USD

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Earth 2 (2012 DC) #2B

Limited 1 for 25 Variant Cover by Ivan Reis (W) James Robinson (A) Nicola Scott, Trevor Scott MR. TERRIFIC - Michael Holt - lands on EARTH TWO! Don't miss the origin of the Earth Two FLASH - and the first time he uses his powers! What could be a bigger threat to Earth Two than APOKOLIPS? Jay Garrick is about to find out!

COVER PRICE: $20.00 USD

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You’re Invited: The X-Men Set To Celebrate Its First Gay Wedding

Northstar, one of a Marvel's first official gay characters, is finally set to wed his boyfriend in what is sure to be an historic upcoming issue of the Astonishing X-Men.

The wedding has been baited in the comic for a few months, but only now are we finding out that it will be of the homosezzual variety. According to Marjorie Liu, writer of issue #51 (which Marvel has promoted with a "Save the Date" notice), Northstar will be a central character in the wedding storyline.

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ALSO:

Astonishing X-Men (2004 - 3rd Series) #48

(W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Mike McKone Marjorie Liu (W) Mike Perkins (A) Cover By Dustin Weave New Creative Team! Best-Selling Author Marjorie Liu And Mike Perkins (The Stand). The X-Men Return To New York City, But It's Not A Social Call. Don't Miss The First Chapter Of What Will Be The Most Controversial Story Of 2012! 32 Pgs./Rated T+ ...$3.99 Cover price $3.99.

Astonishing X-Men (2004 - 3rd Series) #49

(W) Greg Pak (A/CA) Mike McKone The Marauders Are Back! Something From Northstar's Past Has Resurfaced And Is Looking For Revenge. Kyle Goes Missing - How Is He Connected To The Person Behind Everything? Cover price $3.99.

WILL WEDDING BELLS CHIME FOR LIU'S "ASTONISHING X-MEN?"

In comics, weddings never go by without some drama, and this summer, wedding bells are in the air for one of Marvel Comics more dramatically romantic franchises.

The publisher today released a teaser for Marjorie Liu and Mike Perkins' incoming run on "Astonishing X-Men," pointing towards impending nuptials for someone in the cast:

Aside from team leader Wolverine -- who's had some rather interesting weddings in his past already -- candidates appearing in the book include Warbird, Northstar, Gambit, Iceman, Cecelia Reyes and Karma. Of course, possibilities exist within that group for some romantic twists when you look at Gambit's longstanding relationship with Rogue, or Iceman and Reyes' history together, although considering the highly-publicized wedding of Archie character Kevin Keller, it's not unlikely that Marvel and Liu could be booking a reception hall for Northstar and his popular-with-fans boyfriend Kyle.

In a conference call announcing the series last month, Liu said of the book, "We've got Northstar moving back to New York and he's going to be living with his boyfriend, Kyle...Another side of it, we've got characters like Cecelia and Gambit circling each other and [Gambit] moving into his own apartment in Westchester."