I read Skottie Young’s run on New X-Men 100 million years ago. The only things I really remembered were that Pixie and Anole were the two standout characters, and I honestly couldn’t say why. My memory is awful. Um… Anole looks cool and was kinda fun to draw.
So there’s usually a backlash against “legacy” characters. New faces behind the masks of established characters, particularly when those newer characters could be derogatorily labeled as “diversity hires” of sorts. For me, the only one I dismiss is Jaime Reyes as Blue Beetle, but just because Ted Kord got ground into the fucking dirt in order to make that happen. Not in my household, friends.
I do truly think the best one has been Renee Montoya taking over as The Question. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Vic Sage version (in most iterations), but I thought the transfer of the mantle was done brilliantly and deftly. The most disappointing part about it is that Renee really never got to shine in the role, and… um… does she even exist now? Even as just Renee Montoya, GCPD? I know she was in the Birds of Prey movie, but that’s not comics, which is all I care about (seriously, I think I’m done with live-action superheroes. But that’s a rant for another day).
I asked the patron if she’d be okay if I made it weird and creepy. I hope I pulled it off.
I honestly don’t have a ton to say.
Listen, I know Warren Ellis has been cancelled for being a creep. It’s kinda not surprising that he’s a creep. Sadly. But, he’s still a guy I think we should respect the work he did at the top of his game. Among those, The Authority essentially redefined superhero comics for nearly a full decade, and we’re still seeing the ripples from its influence. I’d like to the think that the creation of Apollo and Midnighter, and the nonchalant “no big deal” way they were outed inspired the creation of many of today’s LGBTQ characters, and that for some maybe less-than-open minded comic fans of the time (possible myself included), it was kind of a revelation, like “oh, this is fine. Totally fine.”
It didn’t hurt that Apollo & Midnighter kicked a ton of fucking ass. The (at the time) WildStorm Universe version of Superman & Batman, a loving couple who didn’t mind murdering the absolute fuck out of everyone who needed a good murdering. Their intro in StormWatch was one of the best storylines of that series after Ellis took over, and when he transformed the book into The Authority, they became the highlight of that series too.
And then Mark Millar happened and carried the book and team forward with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer with racist and homophobic tendencies, ruining all those characters forever.
Every Apollo (and Midnighter) costume has sucked since the start of The Nu52. But I do kinda like the sun rays coming off the symbol, so I combined it with his old costume. Gave him a haircut too. Long hair is so 1998.
Oh, Northstar. Where to start? Not the first gay superhero to come out, but perhaps the first to be created AS gay? At least according to legend. John Byrne, in a seriously rare moment of progressiveness – who had created Northstar and the rest of Alpha Flight as basically punching bags for the X-Men – decided to make Northstar a homosexual as he had to eventually give Alpha Flight lives and personalities to carry their own book. While Marvel EIC Jim Shooter wouldn’t allow an out gay character, Byrne and subsequent creators hinted and danced around it without ever full-on revealing it.
Then there’s Alpha Flight #106.
In an absolute over-the-top, early 90s, cheesy, ham-fisted way, written by a legendary scumfuck of the comics industry, drawn by the worst of the Liefeldian clones in worst Liefeldian way, Northstar finally comes out.
It’s kinda glorious.
So Northstar is arguably the most famous superhero coming out story, and the first that got major media attention. It was a huge deal in 1992. Definitely not the best, though.
I actually really like Northstar. Oddly, I was reading Alpha Flight when this comic was released, but because it became so hard to find and sold-out all over, I never got a copy, and I basically stopped reading Alpha Flight (this was at a time where my LCS was actually just the convenient store around the corner from my parent’s house, and my subscriptions/pull-list were whatever they had available. About once every 2-3 months, I maybe could convince my dad to drive me to a comic shop for an hour or so, as long as there was a bar nearby).
But I loved his arrogance and shittiness. He’s definitely a mutant who was one solid agreement away from joining the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. But he was still heroic and compassionate. Just a real asshole about it though. I never understood the pointy ears, though, until I realized something that FUCKING NO ONE TALKS ABOUT!
He’s Zan from the Wonder Twins! Aurora is Jayna! They’re the fucking Wonder Twins! John Byrne spoofed the Wonder Twins! Why does no one talk about this?! Ugh!
Don’t know much about her, but I read the recent America Chavez: Made in the USA and it’s a “your whole life is a lie!” plot. Which is not great for even the most well-established of characters, and kinda worse for characters barely a decade old. Anyhoo. I like the simplicity of her look, she’s Puerto Rican, and she was enjoyable in the Dr. Strange 2: The Strangening.
Confession, I really don’t care for grown-up/college-age Jon Kent. He should have remained a kid. He’s a good foil for Damien Wayne. I’ve read a handful of issues of Superman: Son of Kal-El, and I just don’t enjoy it. I loved the Nightwing cross-over, but Jesus, Tom Taylor is SLAYING on that book. I think I’m just more disappointed that his Superman isn’t on the level of his Nightwing work. Don’t get me wrong, there are hints to the potential of it, but Nightwing has been such an emotional rollercoaster, and Superman is just so… mediocre. But, the moment when Jon comes out as bi to Lois… that got me. And Lois’ reaction. Christ. (Also the recent issue when Batman has a heart-to-heart with Jonathan Kent [Clark’s dad]… for fucksake. THAT is what I want from the rest of Son of Kal-El!)
Also, Jon’s Superman costume kinda sucks.
Not the best sketch.
Anyhoo, back in 1991, I had a friend… it was either James or Preston. I’m leaning toward Preston. We were talking about the brand new TV sensation called The Flash. You’ve heard of it. Lasted 14 seasons. John Wesley Shipp became the biggest star in America.
Anyway, James/Preston was schooling me and fueling me in a future hatred of Barry fucking Allen. He was telling me how even though Barry was The Flash on the TV show, the REAL Flash was Wally West, and all the best parts of Barry’s personality and powers on the show were actually cribbed from Wally. And you know what I’d say to 13 year old Eric? Hashtag Always Wally, motherfucker! And you know what 13 year old Eric would say to me? “What’s a hashtag? Why did we go bald? Why are you so mean?”
Life, kid. Life.
But I digress. Preston/James decided I needed to be initiated into the cult of Wally, and handed me a relatively recent issue of The Flash. It featured a Superman/Flash team-up and possible race, I think. But that’s not the part that stood out to me. No, the part that I still remember to this day was the opening scene of Wally hanging out with his friend, The Pied Piper – a former BarryFlash villain. Because, everyone should be Barry’s villain. He’s a terrible character. Fuck Barry.
So Wally & Pied Piper are just chillin’ on a rooftop, shootin’ the shit, as superheroes do. The conversation turns to potentially homosexual supervillains, and Piper outs himself to Wally. It’s quiet, it’s subtle, it’s also totally 1990s hamfisted & awkward. Wally behaves like an idiot, as most straight white dudes would at the time and also in the now, probably. But also through his adventure with Superman, learns (maybe) that the power of friendship is the most important power there is and accepts and loves Piper for who he is… a reformed villain.
So that was the first comic I ever read featuring Wally West, and also the first time I was aware of a gay character in a comic book (at least a non-cartoonish stereotype). And here I am 30 years later, still fondly remembering that comic except for the bulk of which featured that Superguy no one’s ever heard of or seen since.
(Flash #53)
