LGBT Character Of The Week: Beast
Well, sort of. In issue #134 of New X-Men, Hank McCoy, aka Beast, gets dumped by longtime girlfriend Trish Trilby, he lashes out by publicly claiming he is gay. This leads to the following conversation with Cyclops.
Beast: What? The gay stuff? Come on, Scott! I'm challenging all kinds of stereotypes here!Cyclops: But you're not gay. I know you're not gay, Hank.
Beast: So? I might as well be! I've been taunted all my life for my individualistic looks and style of dress... I've been hounded and called names in the street and I've risen above it.
Cyclops: Oh, for crying out loud, Hank. I love you, but you're officially on the road to apocalyptic mind loss. No one but you is going to find this funny.
Beast: Come on, I'm as gay as the next mutant! I make a great role model for alienated young men and women. Why not?
However, the topic is never brought up after issue #134, even as a way for them to discuss the issue. Just a one-shot gag.
Sgt. Sausagepants
Posted to Comics on 22 February 2008
· Comments (6)
Other stuff like this: beast, LGBT Character of the Week, X-men
I don't recall... Was Cassandra Nova actively messing with Beast's head at that point?
Well, I've always been of the opinion that the X-Men were a pretty solid allegory for gay life, pretty much the same way Beast just talked about it.
Unfortunately, I have no context for that conversation since I haven't followed XMen in a long time :(
Well... I wouldn't mind having him on my team but it does seem a bit wrong given his back story. I think we have to take this as it reads in the book.
Have we run out of real gay characters already?
I don't think I read this issue, but it doesn't make too much sense for him to be family.
And how would Cyclops be soooo certain... unless they you know, tried it out or something.
He only said it as a way to hurt his ex-girlfriend. There was nothing more to it then that. It even works and she tries to get him back a few issues later, but he turns her down.
Cyclops was "soooo certain" because they've been friends since they were 16.
Yeah, it's like idontlikepie said,
Beast was dating a reporter named Trish Tilbie, but she basically dumps him because tabloids find out and call it beastiality and she can't handle it. It breaks his heart. Later, the school is opened for reporters to tour and while Jean is conducting a well-received tour through the grounds, the Imperial Guard attack under orders by Cassandra Nova. The staff act to protect the reporters and students, and Trish, among the reporters, tries to get back with Hank but he turns her down, telling her that he's gay.
In a later issue (the one mentioned) Beast and Cyclops are investigating a mutant death and the police chief (some dude who credits Hank for delivering his baby) congratulates Hank on coming out of the closet. The conversation between Cyclops and Hank happens.
In a later issue, Emma and Hank are talking and Emma tells Hank to cut the act while reading a magazine with him on the cover with the headline "Yep, I'm gay!" He asks her how she can be so sure and she drolly replies that she's a top-class psychic and it's a no-brainer.
So basically, Hank was faking it to get back at Trish and to perform an amusing social experiment. No harm, no foul, but definitely not gay.