Northstar's Never Been Kissed - A Challenge To Marvel
[Editor's note: Marvel has been kind enough to open a dialogue with us and let us know that Northstar's current state is entirely coincidental in its timing to Pride Month. It is not intended to be a commentary on LGBT individuals or Pride Month. We have been assured that the current Ultimate X-Men writer, Aron Coleite, is also very LGBT friendly and everyone is encouraged to keep reading the story arc for its intended conclusion.]
Last week I profiled Northstar as the LGBT Character of the Week.
This week I am not doing a new Character of the Week. In the spirit of gay pride month, I want to discuss Northstar some more. Join me after the break, and be warned there will be spoilers of the recent Ultimate X-men #95, which concern Northstar.
I like the X-men, but I am more of a DC fanboy, so for Northstar I had to do a bit of research for last weeks post to get familiar with X-history, and something bothered me. Northstar is one of Marvel's most prominent gay characters. In fact, he's probably one of, if not the most prominent gay character in all of comics.
So why was I unable to find an image of him kissing another man?
As far as I can tell, while Northstar has had several crushes in the past, on teammates mostly, and is even dating Colossus in the Ultimate Universe, we've never seen him kiss another man. I realized I'd been thinking about this since I read Perry Moore's "Who Cares About The Death Of A Gay Superhero Anyway?", which, while a bit vitriolic, was correct. He's never even been shown holding hands with a romantic interest. In fact, he's been treated rather shabbily.
I should clarify, there are two current versions of Northstar, the normal 616 universe, and Ultimate Northstar from the Ultimate universe. 616 Northstar, as far as I can tell, has NEVER been on a date that we've seen evidence of, and the gay mutant he was mentoring (Anole, while not a love interest, was at least another gay mutant) has told him and the X-Men to get lost. (so that's another gay character gone) Ultimate Northstar is ultimate dating Ultimate Colossus. (Ultimate!)
The relationship with Colossus in Ultimate X-men may be over for good, however, as it looks like Ultimate Northstar may in fact be dead, via drug overdose. It's a bit too soon to tell, as they could always say he was just very sick and have Colossus nurse him back to health, (laying the ground for an English Patient style romance), but we won't know until the next issue of Ultimate X-men. Never mind the indignity of having a gay character overdose on drugs during pride month, of all times, regardless of whether he is dead (this would be death #4 by the way).
We can't just judge a character by their sexuality, nor should storylines involving a character only revolve around their love life. There is more to Northstar than being gay. But still, isn't it about time?
So I'm issuing Marvel Comics a challenge. If Northstar doesn't kiss another man in the next year, I'm declaring him a fake homosexual. 'Gay for pay'. I don't just mean a peck on the cheek either. I mean a kiss. Ultimate or 616 Universe, I don't care.
Am I overreacting here? Probably. Maybe Marvel has it already written into Ultimate X-men and I'll look silly for it. I'd be ok with that. Will I actually change anything with this? Doubtful. But it seems important to me that I do it, especially considering the recent treatment of the character. It's your biggest and first gay character Marvel, give him some love.
Sgt. Sausagepants
Posted to Comics on 24 June 2008
· Comments (18)
Other stuff like this: Challenge, Marvel, Northstar
I looked through some Ultimate X-Men trades after we talked about this on Saturday and didn't immediately find anything in them. I could have sworn there was a kiss, but I definitely could be mistaken. Looking through them, it looks like I am. :P ;)
I defenitly don't think this is an overreaction.
In fact, I would advise you to contact other of the well known comics sites and blogs as well as gay ones like After Elton and such and direct them to this (because frankly, I doubt Marvel keeps up to date with Pink Kryptonite) so that this will get some gravity.
Couldn't agree more with this post! It's just like in the recent Young Avengers one shot where Hulkling and Wiccan TALK a lot about being in a gay relationship but never, ever, show it. No hugs, no kisses, just a nice handshake. HELLO??
Here's hopping now that the X-Men are moving the San Francisco they will be able to not only bring back Northstar but feature a few homos as well! It's San Francisco afterall, how can they not?
Well Brian, I actually think they are doing a good job with Wiccan and Hulkling. They ARE kids.
Maybe a hug between them would be nice but really, they are pretty young characters and they shouldn't be rushed.
I think you're conflating a whole bunch of issues, and rushing to judgment.
From broadest to narrowest:
- Has Marvel been gunshy in the extreme about PDAs between gay characters? Absolutely. And do I think they're being overly cautious about public reaction? Absolutely. I understand the basis for their position -- DC is a small publishing arm of a company that has a wide range of entertainment and communications products of which DC is just somewhere in the middle of the maturity continuum, while Marvel is one company whose intellectual property depends significantly on family interest -- and, while I don't agree with it, I think it's much more properly labeled as "overcautious" than "homophobic."
- Is it unfortunate that this came out during Pride Month? Absolutely -- but knowing the way that books, especially the Ultimates line, have been scheduled, it's just that: unlucky. You can be sure that nobody said "let's schedule this for June," any more than anyone would say "let's kill Ororo for Black History Month."
...BUT...
- This rush to judgment feels to me to be just another over-the-top rush to judgment -- the cliffhanger involving the imperilment of the queer Young Avengers and Runaways -- which turned out to be, at worst, the use of three of the best characters who happened to be queer, and at best, an eventual triumph for them.
- Given the fact that this is Aron Coleite's second issue of the book and the beginning of a storyline, and the fact that he was the main guy who fought for one of his characters on HEROES to be gay (only to be sabotaged by the actor), I think we should see how this plays out. I have a decent amount of faith in most of the writers who have come in from the Hollywood side of the world, and I suspect there's more here than meets the eye. (After all, characters are in danger. Characters die. Sometimes, characters come back. It's comics, not a tea party.)
- I wouldn't write off any character who's off-camera today -- these things, too, change over time. Do you really think we'll never see Kitty Pride again? That's what we all said about Colossus...
Aren't they like 16 or something? 16 year olds kiss. I'm sure I've seen plenty of kissing in New X-Men (not the first one, the one with Anole in it) between the straight kids.
@Nexus - Yes, but I like that they aren't rushing into it. (ironic given my stance on Northstar,I know) And given how little we see the Young Avengers atm, I can assume there will be more coming. Especially given how involved Teddy is with the Skrulls and all. I'll start nagging Marvel about those two when it's been more than 10 years and they've never been seen kissing, but for now I'm patient.
@Roger - As I said in the article, Ultimate Northstar's status is vague right now, although it looks really bad to me. I'm waiting for the next issue to see what the result is. Also, as you can see from the edit that went in as you posted, you were correct on the unfortunate but unintended timing.
I don't mean to imply that Marvel is homophobic in any way, and it's not like DC and the other minor publishers are out there gaying it up all over the place. But Marvel IS a bit behind the curve on this. That's what the challenge is all about. I think it's time for this one thing, for a character who has already broken so much ground.
It reminds me of the stuff that came up when the soap As the World Turns had the guts to create a core gay character (like All My Children also did on the lesbian side) but then seldom showed Noah and Luke being in a relationship
What was it - something like a year between kisses between two gay teens - really? And then only after they got a ton of bad press from the motivated fans demanding equal footing.
I get walking slowly through story telling but not if Marvel or anyone else is trying to have their cake (being inclusive to the LGBT) and eat it too.
I would think - and maybe I am being way to over positive - that the readership they might lose from conservative comic reading fanboys would be replaced by gay comic reading fanboys eager to see a REAL relationship between two gay superheroes.
And when you add to it the double standard that is afford the lesbian characters in comics - because straight fanboys love lesbian loving...
well then...
I think the drug overdose was just bad timing since Banshee seems more like commentary on performance enhancing drugs used in sports, and how teen athletes are using them.
Sgt. Sausagepants said - Yes, but I like that they aren't rushing into it.
It's been three years since they've started dating. How much slower are they going to take it? Especially after all the "I've got the best boyfriend in the world." effusiveness in Young Avengers Presents. Is holding hands "rushing it"? Have they even said "I love you" yet?
I'm not saying that Marvel is homophobic, but my goodness, "and they call themselves writers! Here's a situation pregnant with opportunity and all they can say is 'holding hands is a step too far.'"
It's been three years but the Young Avengers series was plagued with delays and has been put on hold at least once I believe, while waiting for the creators to free up time from other projects. (busy guys)
But you do raise a point there. I think they are due for a school dance scene or something :)
I'm not saying Marvel should show Hulkling and Wiccan totally boning each other.
But heck, why not a hug? Or even a kiss on the cheek? They barely even touch in any comics they've appeared in. Yeah they're kids and stuff, and they're gay, so I understand the caution, but can't Marvel throw us even a little bone (I said bone again, tee hee!).
Even manly men embrace in comics after all. Time to get with the times. Heck Buffy spent most of an entire issue in bed with her lesbian lover. Hello? Not fair!
Brian Andersen said, "I'm not saying Marvel should show Hulkling and Wiccan totally boning each other."
oh, gods above! now i have visions of skrulls having sex with their stretchy, plasticky parts penetrating unsuspecting human orifices in ways they've never been penetrated.
"secret invasion", indeed!
Haha! Now that's my kind of invasion, secret or otherwise!
I think your challenge is completely reasonable. and after going back to read "who cares about the death of a gay superhero" for the second time I'm reminded of how shafted JP has been. If they actually gave us a kiss or too it would be beyond amazing.
... hell, they could always give JP an ex-boyfriend or two in the 616 universe.
I'm not coming back to marvel (ultimate, 616, whatever!) until I see him again, that's final (hell, he IS/WAS my role model and I'm 19!)... but lets hope they accept your challenge! I don't think it even is healthy to live so long without at least a small relationship to keep ones mind a little stable (he does get a little out of it for some time... though I know the lack of afective relations wasn't the reason)... if he never kissed ultimate colossus (which is what is looks) then their relationship was somewhat cold...
I've shown some non-comic-fans the "who cares about the death of a gay superhero"... they got very sad for me (trying to be polite here). As for me? Just can't read it anymore, I think I pretty much know it all by heart now...
Lets hope marvel reads this article of yours.
Ha!
Now I guess I know who the poster I quoted got his information from!
Thanks for the good post, Goblin.
D'oh!
I saw Goblin link to the post, I thought Goblin wrote it.
Sorry, Sgt. Sausagepants!