The Evolutn of Extraño, DC's First Openly Gay Superhero | DC

Contents:

• GAY SUPERHERO APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER RNE FOR A NEW DC COMICS SERI
• DC COMICS PH GAY PRI ON CHILDREN WH SAME-SEX SUPERHERO COUPLE ‘MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO’
• MIDNIGHTER: DC'S GAY SUPERHERO COULD USE SOME {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY KARMAN KREGLOEJUNE 26, 2007/6:16 PMBY KARMAN KREGLOEJUNE 26, 2007 / 6:16 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"MIDNIGHTER: DC'S GAY SUPERHERO COULD USE SOME RCUG","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-06-26T22:16:19.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-06-26T22:16:19.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"KARMAN KREGLOE","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, WRER WARREN ELLIS AND ARTIST BRYAN HCH CREATED MIDNIGHTER, WHO THIS PAST NOVEMBER BEME THE FIRST GAY DC SUPERHERO TO HEADLE HIS OWN STANDALONE SERI. BUT AS OF JUNE'S ISSUE, MIDNIGHTER'S SEXUALY HAS YET TO BE FULLY TEGRATED TO HIS CHARACTER OR HIS STORY. IN ANTICIPATN OF THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW REGULAR WRER FOR THE SERI, LOOKS AT MIDNIGHTER'S ORIGS AND THE HANDLG OF HIS SEXUALY BY VAR WRERS AND ARTISTS OVER THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}STORMWATCH #4 (WILDSTORM/IMAGE COMICS, VER DATE FEB. 1998) TRODUCED TWO CHARACTERS THAT WOULD SOON BEE SYMBOLS FOR A GENERATN OF GAY ICS FANS: APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER. AT FIRST GLANCE, THE PAIR WERE SEEMGLY ANALOGS OF SUPERMAN AND BATMAN: WHILE APOLLO WAS STRONG, FAST, VULNERABLE AND PENNT ON THE SUN FOR HIS POWERS, MIDNIGHTER WAS CLAD BLACK LEATHER, ULD PREDICT HIS OPPONENTS’ MOV AND LIKED TO FLICT HEAVY DAMAG ON BAD PEOPLE. SO FAR, SO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT OM THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE, SOMETHG WAS UNUAL: THEY WERE SOMETIM SEEN HALF-NAKED, DRSG TOGETHER BEFORE ANOTHER DAY OF FIGHTG, AS YET UNAFFILIATED WH ANY OTHER HERO. (THEY WERE SECRETLY REBUILT AS HUMAN WEAPONS BY YET ANOTHER POWER-MAD CHARACTER, WH NO MEMORY OF THEIR PREV LIFE.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A YEAR LATER, AS THE STORMWATCH SERI MORPHED TO THE AUTHORY (WH THE WILDSTORM IMPRT NOW PUBLISHED BY DC COMICS), THE TWO CHARACTERS WERE CLUD THE EPONYMO GROUP, AND OVER THE URSE OF THEIR 12-ISSUE N, ELLIS AND HCH GAVE MORE AND MORE HTS THAT, UNLIKE SUPERMAN AND BATMAN, THE TWO NEW CHARACTERS WERE, ED, MORE THAN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE TERTG THG IS THAT THE WORD "GAY" WASN'T ED AT THE TIME. INSTEAD, REARS ME TO UNRSTAND WHAT WAS GOG ON THROUGH SCEN SHOWG APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER RG FOR EACH OTHER, AS ISSUE NO. 7 WHEN APOLLO IS WOUND AND MIDNIGHTER HOLDS HIM HIS ARMS. IT WAS SUBTLE (WHICH WAS FELY THE GOAL OF THE WRER, WHO AT FIRST HADN'T EVEN TOLD THE ARTIST THE CHARACTERS WERE GAY), BUT VERY CLEAR. GAY SUPERHERO FANS FALLY HAD AN ENDURG GAY UPLE THEIR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THEN WRER MARK MILLAR TOOK OVER, AND WHILE THE GAY GENIE WAS CERTALY NOT PUT BACK THE BOTTLE, THE SUBTLETY QUICKLY EVAPORATED. MILLAR'S N, WHICH LASTED ABOUT 20 ISSU (CLUDG A FOUR-ISSUE MISERI), WAS FULL OF HOMOPHOBIC SULTS HURLED BY VILLAS, ANAL SEX JOK AND RAP (OF APOLLO, AND THEN OF HIS ATTACKER BY MIDNIGHTER) WH LARGE, TUBULAR OBJECTS, A FATE RARELY, IF EVER, ENDURED BY STRAIGHT MALE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE CHARACTERS WERE MORE OR LS RCED TO THEIR GAYNS, THOUGH THEY ALSO GOT MARRIED AND BEME FOSTER PARENTS OF A YOUNG, SUPERPOWERED GIRL — FELY A FIRST FOR MASTREAM SUPERHERO ICS. AND AT LEAST THEY WERE PORTRAYED AS THE MORE STABLE MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORY TEAM TERMS OF RELATNSHIPS, WHICH WAS A NICE BLOW TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}VAR MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORY ALSO HAD SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS, BUT THEY WERE STRICTLY TEMPORARY AND SHOWN AS BEG MORE ABOUT GOOD SEX BETWEEN IENDS THAN LOVE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE GAY UPLE IS NEVER ACTUALLY PICTED CMPLG THE BED SHEETS, UNLIKE THE STRAIGHT CHARACTERS WHOSE SEX LIV DON'T HAVE TO BE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OTHER MIDNIGHTER CREATORS OF TERT CLU ED BBAKER (STORY) AND DT NGUYEN (ART) FOR THEIR 12-ISSUE THE AUTHORY: REVOLUTN (2005) STORY, WHICH ACTUALLY ED THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO GAY CHARACTERS AS A TALYST FOR THE TEAM'S DISMANTLG. ONLY APOLLO ULD HAVE NVCED MIDNIGHTER THAT DISBANDG WAS A SENSIBLE IA, AND ONLY MIDNIGHTER ULD DO BY JT WALKG OUT ON HIS TEAMMAT WHOUT ANY EXPLANATN. BBAKER CLEARLY UNRSTOOD HOW TO E THE EP LOVE BETWEEN THE TWO MEN, AS WELL AS MIDNIGHTER'S TENNCY TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SOLO SERI, MULTIPLE PROBLEMS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT WAS THE FIRST TIME A GAY SUPERHERO HEADLED HIS OWN SERI (NOT UNTG A 1994 NORTHSTAR MISERI OM MARVEL WHERE THE CHARACTER, THOUGH OFFICIALLY GAY, WAS PLETELY SEXLS), BUT GAY REARS WERE TROUBLED BY ENNIS' CLARATN A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE START OF THE SERI: "I'LL TRY TO MATA AS A SOLO BOOK, WHOUT ANY MAJOR APPEARANC BY THE AUTHORY GENERAL (SUPERTEAM, YAWN) OR APOLLO PARTICULAR (BORG BLOND TWAT)."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ENNIS APPEARED UNTERTED WRG A GAY CHARACTER WHO HAPPENS TO BE LIVG HAPPILY WH ANOTHER MAN AND RAISG A TEENAGE GIRL. OF URSE, SCE ENNIS IS A GOOD WRER, HE GAVE HIS CHARACTER A BELIEVABLE MOTIVATN BY SHOWG HIM THKG OF HIMSELF AS "NOT A LOVER," "NOT A FATHER" AND "NOT A IEND." MIDNIGHTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN PICTED AS A LONER AT HEART, AS WELL AS SOMETHG OF A PSYCHOPATH. AFTER ALL, HE WAS BUILT TO BE A "KILLG MACHE," WHICH WAS THE TLE OF THAT FIRST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT ALSO SEEMED LIKE AN EASY WAY OUT OF SHOWG HIM HAVG AFFECTN TOWARD ANOTHER MAN, WHICH HE NEVER DO DURG THE SIX ISSU WRTEN BY ENNIS. THAT DON'T MEAN ENNIS TRIED TO -GAY HIM EXACTLY. ONCE AGA, VILLAS SULT MIDNIGHTER WH HOMOPHOBIC MENTS ("LTLE U," "TROER-PILOT" — EVERYBODY KNOWS HE'S GAY, APPARENTLY), BUT WE DO GET A ONE SCENE WHERE THE CHARACTER, TRAVELG TIME, LEARNS THAT THE DISTANT FUTURE SEXUAL ORIENTATN WON'T EXIST ANYMORE AND "EVERYBODY JT … DO EVERYONE," WHICH VIGORAT HIM TO NO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WAS NOT SHOWG HIM WH APOLLO A WAY TO MAKE THE SERI MORE PALATABLE TO A LARGER DIENCE? WAS AN EDORIAL MANDATE OR SIMPLY ENNIS' PREFERENCE? IT'S A CUR ISSUE, PECIALLY SCE EVEN THE SIXTH STALLMENT — WHICH PRENTS A TRAGIC LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO JAPANE SAMURAIS WHO LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER — DON'T NTA ANY STANCE OF SAME-SEX AFFECTN. THEY LIE BIS EACH OTHER AT NIGHT BUT DON'T TOUCH OR KISS. MOREOVER, THERE'S THE PROBLEM OF FDAL JAPANE SAMURAIS G WORDS SUCH AS "SODOM" AND GENERALLY BEHAVG LIKE HOMOPHOBIC MIDDLE AG KNIGHTS, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY OUT-OF-CHARACTER FOR PEOPLE OF THAT TIME AND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AT LEAST, THGS WEREN'T AS BAD AS DURG MILLAR'S N BACK 2000, WHEN DC EDORIAL CENSORED A KISS BETWEEN MIDNIGHTER AND HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE SEVENTH ISSUE OF THE NEW SERI, WRTEN BY BRIAN K. VGHAN (WHO'S ALREADY PROVEN HIS GAY-IENDLS HIS EX MACHA SERI, WHERE A MIXED-RACE GAY MARRIAGE TAK PLACE), BEGS WH A CUTE FULL-PAGE KISS BETWEEN THE TWO MARRIED MEN, TH BREAKG THE NO-KISSG TRACK RERD OF THE SERI SO FAR. BUT EVEN VGHAN FALLS BACK ON G A HOMOPHOBIC VILLA HIS ISSUE. HOMOPHOBIA SEEMS TO BE SHORTHAND FOR "BAD GUY," BUT REEKS OF LAZS OM THE WRERS. AFTER ALL, WE DON'T SEE THE OPPONENTS OF FEMALE CHARACTERS ALWAYS BEHAVG A MISOGYNISTIC WAY. IT WOULD QUICKLY GET BORG AND WOULD RIGHTFULLY RAISE A FEW {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE JUNE ISSUE OF MIDNIGHTER — THE MOST RECENT — WRTEN BY CHRISTOS GAGE, HAD ABSOLUTELY NO GAY NTENT. AT LEAST BOASTED A NONHOMOPHOBIC OPPONENT, WHICH WAS SOME {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NEXT MONTH BRGS ANOTHER SGLE-ISSUE STORY, AND FOLLOWG THAT THE SERI WILL WELE S NEW REGULAR WRER, KEH GIFFEN, A WELL-KNOWN AND RENOWNED WRER AND ARTIST CURRENTLY VOLVED DC'S PANY-WI CROSSOVERS. GIFFEN ISN'T PECIALLY KNOWN FOR WRG GAY-CLIVE ICS, THOUGH HE'S WRTEN A FEW GAY-IENDLY SCEN HIS RECENT HUMORO JTICE LEAGUE MISERI. HE'S CLARED HIS PLAN TO LVE EPER TO MIDNIGHTER'S UNKNOWN PAST, BUT HAS STATED NO TENTN OF VOLVG APOLLO. (DC HAS NOT ANSWERED OUR REQUT FOR AN TERVIEW ON THAT SUBJECT.) IT REMAS TO BE SEEN WHETHER HE'LL WRE A MORE WELL-ROUND CHARACTER THAN MOST OF HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE BLACK {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MIDNIGHTER WAS ST THE SAME MOULD AS VLENT SUPERHERO LIKE BATMAN (WHO AT LEAST IS SUPPOSED TO NOT KILL ANYONE), MARVEL'S WOLVERE AND THE PUNISHER. INED, MIDNIGHTER IS VERY MUCH LIKE THEM, APART OM THE FACT THAT HE'S UNASHAMEDLY AND OPENLY GAY — AT LEAST THEORY. TO RCE HIS BEG GAY TO A FEW JOK OR JIB, AS GAY-IENDLY AS THEY MIGHT BE TEND, SHOWS A RELUCTANCE (OR AN ABILY) TO WRE A BELIEVABLE GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}INSTEAD, THE TELLIGENT TEGRATN OF HIS GAYNS IS A GOAL AT BT SPORADILLY REACHED. NOT SHOWG MIDNIGHTER WH HIS LOVER — OR SOME WAY ACKNOWLEDGG HIS SEXUALY — MAK HIM JT ANOTHER BLACK-CLOTHED VLENT HERO, SOMETHG THAT SUPERHERO ICS DON'T REALLY NEED. THE ORIGALY OF THE CHARACTER SEEMS TO LIE THE BALANCE BETWEEN HIS TOUGH BEHAVR AND HIS TENRNS WH HIS MALE LOVER AND HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT WOULD BE NICE IF GIFFEN CID TO SHOW MIDNIGHTER BEG HAPPY WH HIS PARTNER, OR AT LEAST TERACTG AS A UPLE BEYOND A KISS HERE AND THERE (AND WOULD BE NSISTENT WH THE WAY THOSE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN PORTRAYED). AND GIFFEN ALSO NEEDS TO FD OTHER WAYS TO EMPOWER THE VILLAS THAN BY SIMPLY HAVG THEM SULT MIDNIGHTER WH ANTI-GAY RHETORIC. EVEN IF 'S ALWAYS DONE AS AN EXCE FOR THE ANTIHERO TO KICK THEIR ASS (WHICH, AFTER ALL, IS WHAT MOST REARS WANT TO SEE A MIDNIGHTER IC), 'S A SELECTIVE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE HERO'S SEXUALY THAT RC WHAT ULD BE A PLEX, VIBRANT GAY CHARACTER TO A NFLICTED, NSISTENT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OTHER MIDNIGHTER FACTS: {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO IS LLECTED STORMWATCH: A FER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· ALL THE AUTHORY ICS ARE AVAILABLE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· THE FIRST MIDNIGHTER LLECTN, ENTLED KILLG MACHE, WILL BE PUBLISHED BY DC NOVEMBER AND WILL CLU THE SIX GARTH ENNIS-PENNED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ILLTRATNS:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· COVER OF ISSUE #5 OF THE MIDNIGHTER SERI, ART BY CHRIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO, ART BY BRYAN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER KISS, OM MIDNIGHTER #7, ART BY DARICK {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• DC'S MIDNIGHTER & APOLLO JT MA A BOLD STATEMENT ABOUT MASCULY AND GAY SEX
• MARVEL ANNOUNC FIRST GAY CAPTA AMERI
• MIDNIGHTER & APOLLO, GAY SUPERHERO OF COMICS, TO RNE THIS FALL
• DC'S MIDNIGHTER, A LOVE AFFAIR WH GAY HERO, AND THE INIC COUPLE
• MIDNIGHTER IS THE BT PORTRAYAL OF A GAY SUPERHERO MASTREAM COMICS

GAY SUPERHERO APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER RNE FOR A NEW DC COMICS SERI

Set the same Gotham Cy more well-known for ped csars like Batman and Rob, Batwoman is the first superhero TV show whose lead character is an openly gay woman. So when the teen Jean Grey tak the teen Iceman asi 2015's All-New X-Men #40 to reveal that she knows he's gay, there is also an olr versn of Iceman out there the world who has been datg women for his entire adult life.

So was particularly and wonrfully subversive to base the two young gay men on hero — Hulk and Thor — who are known to regularly beat the tar out of one another. From gay martial arts masters and lbian tectiv to badass bisexual antihero and transgenr magicians, the are 52 characters that’ve left their mark and helped change the genre.

Origally troduced 1956 to silence crics who claimed Batman and Rob were gay lovers, Kate Kane was retroduced 2006 as a lbian who beme one of Gotham’s ped crime fighters after her service the U.

DC COMICS PH GAY PRI ON CHILDREN WH SAME-SEX SUPERHERO COUPLE ‘MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO’

The origal Green Lantern troduced 1940, Alan Stt, was reimaged 2012 as an out gay hero who ris an alternate universe known as Earth 2, where he riv his powers om a mystil elemental force named “the Green. The first superhero to utter the words “I am gay” the pag of a mastream ic (1992’s Alpha Flight #106) ma history once more 20 years later when he married his partner, Kyle, Astonishg X-Men #51 — the first same-sex weddg the Marvel Universe. As one of the few out gay teen superhero morn ics, Hulklg (along wh his boyiend and teammate Wicn) quickly beme one of the biggt LGBT ins the Marvel Universe.

MIDNIGHTER: DC'S GAY SUPERHERO COULD USE SOME {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}NEWSBY KARMAN KREGLOEJUNE 26, 2007/6:16 PMBY KARMAN KREGLOEJUNE 26, 2007 / 6:16 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"MIDNIGHTER: DC'S GAY SUPERHERO COULD USE SOME RCUG","DATEPUBLISHED":"2007-06-26T22:16:19.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2007-06-26T22:16:19.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"KARMAN KREGLOE","KEYWORDS":"THE BACKLOT","ARTICLESECTN":"NEWS"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ALMOST TEN YEARS AGO, WRER WARREN ELLIS AND ARTIST BRYAN HCH CREATED MIDNIGHTER, WHO THIS PAST NOVEMBER BEME THE FIRST GAY DC SUPERHERO TO HEADLE HIS OWN STANDALONE SERI. BUT AS OF JUNE'S ISSUE, MIDNIGHTER'S SEXUALY HAS YET TO BE FULLY TEGRATED TO HIS CHARACTER OR HIS STORY. IN ANTICIPATN OF THE ARRIVAL OF A NEW REGULAR WRER FOR THE SERI, LOOKS AT MIDNIGHTER'S ORIGS AND THE HANDLG OF HIS SEXUALY BY VAR WRERS AND ARTISTS OVER THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}STORMWATCH #4 (WILDSTORM/IMAGE COMICS, VER DATE FEB. 1998) TRODUCED TWO CHARACTERS THAT WOULD SOON BEE SYMBOLS FOR A GENERATN OF GAY ICS FANS: APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER. AT FIRST GLANCE, THE PAIR WERE SEEMGLY ANALOGS OF SUPERMAN AND BATMAN: WHILE APOLLO WAS STRONG, FAST, VULNERABLE AND PENNT ON THE SUN FOR HIS POWERS, MIDNIGHTER WAS CLAD BLACK LEATHER, ULD PREDICT HIS OPPONENTS’ MOV AND LIKED TO FLICT HEAVY DAMAG ON BAD PEOPLE. SO FAR, SO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT OM THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE, SOMETHG WAS UNUAL: THEY WERE SOMETIM SEEN HALF-NAKED, DRSG TOGETHER BEFORE ANOTHER DAY OF FIGHTG, AS YET UNAFFILIATED WH ANY OTHER HERO. (THEY WERE SECRETLY REBUILT AS HUMAN WEAPONS BY YET ANOTHER POWER-MAD CHARACTER, WH NO MEMORY OF THEIR PREV LIFE.){BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}A YEAR LATER, AS THE STORMWATCH SERI MORPHED TO THE AUTHORY (WH THE WILDSTORM IMPRT NOW PUBLISHED BY DC COMICS), THE TWO CHARACTERS WERE CLUD THE EPONYMO GROUP, AND OVER THE URSE OF THEIR 12-ISSUE N, ELLIS AND HCH GAVE MORE AND MORE HTS THAT, UNLIKE SUPERMAN AND BATMAN, THE TWO NEW CHARACTERS WERE, ED, MORE THAN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE TERTG THG IS THAT THE WORD "GAY" WASN'T ED AT THE TIME. INSTEAD, REARS ME TO UNRSTAND WHAT WAS GOG ON THROUGH SCEN SHOWG APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER RG FOR EACH OTHER, AS ISSUE NO. 7 WHEN APOLLO IS WOUND AND MIDNIGHTER HOLDS HIM HIS ARMS. IT WAS SUBTLE (WHICH WAS FELY THE GOAL OF THE WRER, WHO AT FIRST HADN'T EVEN TOLD THE ARTIST THE CHARACTERS WERE GAY), BUT VERY CLEAR. GAY SUPERHERO FANS FALLY HAD AN ENDURG GAY UPLE THEIR {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THEN WRER MARK MILLAR TOOK OVER, AND WHILE THE GAY GENIE WAS CERTALY NOT PUT BACK THE BOTTLE, THE SUBTLETY QUICKLY EVAPORATED. MILLAR'S N, WHICH LASTED ABOUT 20 ISSU (CLUDG A FOUR-ISSUE MISERI), WAS FULL OF HOMOPHOBIC SULTS HURLED BY VILLAS, ANAL SEX JOK AND RAP (OF APOLLO, AND THEN OF HIS ATTACKER BY MIDNIGHTER) WH LARGE, TUBULAR OBJECTS, A FATE RARELY, IF EVER, ENDURED BY STRAIGHT MALE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE CHARACTERS WERE MORE OR LS RCED TO THEIR GAYNS, THOUGH THEY ALSO GOT MARRIED AND BEME FOSTER PARENTS OF A YOUNG, SUPERPOWERED GIRL — FELY A FIRST FOR MASTREAM SUPERHERO ICS. AND AT LEAST THEY WERE PORTRAYED AS THE MORE STABLE MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORY TEAM TERMS OF RELATNSHIPS, WHICH WAS A NICE BLOW TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}VAR MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORY ALSO HAD SEXUAL RELATNSHIPS, BUT THEY WERE STRICTLY TEMPORARY AND SHOWN AS BEG MORE ABOUT GOOD SEX BETWEEN IENDS THAN LOVE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE GAY UPLE IS NEVER ACTUALLY PICTED CMPLG THE BED SHEETS, UNLIKE THE STRAIGHT CHARACTERS WHOSE SEX LIV DON'T HAVE TO BE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OTHER MIDNIGHTER CREATORS OF TERT CLU ED BBAKER (STORY) AND DT NGUYEN (ART) FOR THEIR 12-ISSUE THE AUTHORY: REVOLUTN (2005) STORY, WHICH ACTUALLY ED THE RELATNSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO GAY CHARACTERS AS A TALYST FOR THE TEAM'S DISMANTLG. ONLY APOLLO ULD HAVE NVCED MIDNIGHTER THAT DISBANDG WAS A SENSIBLE IA, AND ONLY MIDNIGHTER ULD DO BY JT WALKG OUT ON HIS TEAMMAT WHOUT ANY EXPLANATN. BBAKER CLEARLY UNRSTOOD HOW TO E THE EP LOVE BETWEEN THE TWO MEN, AS WELL AS MIDNIGHTER'S TENNCY TO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}SOLO SERI, MULTIPLE PROBLEMS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT WAS THE FIRST TIME A GAY SUPERHERO HEADLED HIS OWN SERI (NOT UNTG A 1994 NORTHSTAR MISERI OM MARVEL WHERE THE CHARACTER, THOUGH OFFICIALLY GAY, WAS PLETELY SEXLS), BUT GAY REARS WERE TROUBLED BY ENNIS' CLARATN A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE START OF THE SERI: "I'LL TRY TO MATA AS A SOLO BOOK, WHOUT ANY MAJOR APPEARANC BY THE AUTHORY GENERAL (SUPERTEAM, YAWN) OR APOLLO PARTICULAR (BORG BLOND TWAT)."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ENNIS APPEARED UNTERTED WRG A GAY CHARACTER WHO HAPPENS TO BE LIVG HAPPILY WH ANOTHER MAN AND RAISG A TEENAGE GIRL. OF URSE, SCE ENNIS IS A GOOD WRER, HE GAVE HIS CHARACTER A BELIEVABLE MOTIVATN BY SHOWG HIM THKG OF HIMSELF AS "NOT A LOVER," "NOT A FATHER" AND "NOT A IEND." MIDNIGHTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN PICTED AS A LONER AT HEART, AS WELL AS SOMETHG OF A PSYCHOPATH. AFTER ALL, HE WAS BUILT TO BE A "KILLG MACHE," WHICH WAS THE TLE OF THAT FIRST {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT ALSO SEEMED LIKE AN EASY WAY OUT OF SHOWG HIM HAVG AFFECTN TOWARD ANOTHER MAN, WHICH HE NEVER DO DURG THE SIX ISSU WRTEN BY ENNIS. THAT DON'T MEAN ENNIS TRIED TO -GAY HIM EXACTLY. ONCE AGA, VILLAS SULT MIDNIGHTER WH HOMOPHOBIC MENTS ("LTLE U," "TROER-PILOT" — EVERYBODY KNOWS HE'S GAY, APPARENTLY), BUT WE DO GET A ONE SCENE WHERE THE CHARACTER, TRAVELG TIME, LEARNS THAT THE DISTANT FUTURE SEXUAL ORIENTATN WON'T EXIST ANYMORE AND "EVERYBODY JT … DO EVERYONE," WHICH VIGORAT HIM TO NO {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}WAS NOT SHOWG HIM WH APOLLO A WAY TO MAKE THE SERI MORE PALATABLE TO A LARGER DIENCE? WAS AN EDORIAL MANDATE OR SIMPLY ENNIS' PREFERENCE? IT'S A CUR ISSUE, PECIALLY SCE EVEN THE SIXTH STALLMENT — WHICH PRENTS A TRAGIC LOVE STORY BETWEEN TWO JAPANE SAMURAIS WHO LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER — DON'T NTA ANY STANCE OF SAME-SEX AFFECTN. THEY LIE BIS EACH OTHER AT NIGHT BUT DON'T TOUCH OR KISS. MOREOVER, THERE'S THE PROBLEM OF FDAL JAPANE SAMURAIS G WORDS SUCH AS "SODOM" AND GENERALLY BEHAVG LIKE HOMOPHOBIC MIDDLE AG KNIGHTS, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY OUT-OF-CHARACTER FOR PEOPLE OF THAT TIME AND {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}AT LEAST, THGS WEREN'T AS BAD AS DURG MILLAR'S N BACK 2000, WHEN DC EDORIAL CENSORED A KISS BETWEEN MIDNIGHTER AND HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE SEVENTH ISSUE OF THE NEW SERI, WRTEN BY BRIAN K. VGHAN (WHO'S ALREADY PROVEN HIS GAY-IENDLS HIS EX MACHA SERI, WHERE A MIXED-RACE GAY MARRIAGE TAK PLACE), BEGS WH A CUTE FULL-PAGE KISS BETWEEN THE TWO MARRIED MEN, TH BREAKG THE NO-KISSG TRACK RERD OF THE SERI SO FAR. BUT EVEN VGHAN FALLS BACK ON G A HOMOPHOBIC VILLA HIS ISSUE. HOMOPHOBIA SEEMS TO BE SHORTHAND FOR "BAD GUY," BUT REEKS OF LAZS OM THE WRERS. AFTER ALL, WE DON'T SEE THE OPPONENTS OF FEMALE CHARACTERS ALWAYS BEHAVG A MISOGYNISTIC WAY. IT WOULD QUICKLY GET BORG AND WOULD RIGHTFULLY RAISE A FEW {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE JUNE ISSUE OF MIDNIGHTER — THE MOST RECENT — WRTEN BY CHRISTOS GAGE, HAD ABSOLUTELY NO GAY NTENT. AT LEAST BOASTED A NONHOMOPHOBIC OPPONENT, WHICH WAS SOME {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}NEXT MONTH BRGS ANOTHER SGLE-ISSUE STORY, AND FOLLOWG THAT THE SERI WILL WELE S NEW REGULAR WRER, KEH GIFFEN, A WELL-KNOWN AND RENOWNED WRER AND ARTIST CURRENTLY VOLVED DC'S PANY-WI CROSSOVERS. GIFFEN ISN'T PECIALLY KNOWN FOR WRG GAY-CLIVE ICS, THOUGH HE'S WRTEN A FEW GAY-IENDLY SCEN HIS RECENT HUMORO JTICE LEAGUE MISERI. HE'S CLARED HIS PLAN TO LVE EPER TO MIDNIGHTER'S UNKNOWN PAST, BUT HAS STATED NO TENTN OF VOLVG APOLLO. (DC HAS NOT ANSWERED OUR REQUT FOR AN TERVIEW ON THAT SUBJECT.) IT REMAS TO BE SEEN WHETHER HE'LL WRE A MORE WELL-ROUND CHARACTER THAN MOST OF HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE BLACK {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}MIDNIGHTER WAS ST THE SAME MOULD AS VLENT SUPERHERO LIKE BATMAN (WHO AT LEAST IS SUPPOSED TO NOT KILL ANYONE), MARVEL'S WOLVERE AND THE PUNISHER. INED, MIDNIGHTER IS VERY MUCH LIKE THEM, APART OM THE FACT THAT HE'S UNASHAMEDLY AND OPENLY GAY — AT LEAST THEORY. TO RCE HIS BEG GAY TO A FEW JOK OR JIB, AS GAY-IENDLY AS THEY MIGHT BE TEND, SHOWS A RELUCTANCE (OR AN ABILY) TO WRE A BELIEVABLE GAY {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}INSTEAD, THE TELLIGENT TEGRATN OF HIS GAYNS IS A GOAL AT BT SPORADILLY REACHED. NOT SHOWG MIDNIGHTER WH HIS LOVER — OR SOME WAY ACKNOWLEDGG HIS SEXUALY — MAK HIM JT ANOTHER BLACK-CLOTHED VLENT HERO, SOMETHG THAT SUPERHERO ICS DON'T REALLY NEED. THE ORIGALY OF THE CHARACTER SEEMS TO LIE THE BALANCE BETWEEN HIS TOUGH BEHAVR AND HIS TENRNS WH HIS MALE LOVER AND HIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}IT WOULD BE NICE IF GIFFEN CID TO SHOW MIDNIGHTER BEG HAPPY WH HIS PARTNER, OR AT LEAST TERACTG AS A UPLE BEYOND A KISS HERE AND THERE (AND WOULD BE NSISTENT WH THE WAY THOSE CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN PORTRAYED). AND GIFFEN ALSO NEEDS TO FD OTHER WAYS TO EMPOWER THE VILLAS THAN BY SIMPLY HAVG THEM SULT MIDNIGHTER WH ANTI-GAY RHETORIC. EVEN IF 'S ALWAYS DONE AS AN EXCE FOR THE ANTIHERO TO KICK THEIR ASS (WHICH, AFTER ALL, IS WHAT MOST REARS WANT TO SEE A MIDNIGHTER IC), 'S A SELECTIVE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE HERO'S SEXUALY THAT RC WHAT ULD BE A PLEX, VIBRANT GAY CHARACTER TO A NFLICTED, NSISTENT {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}OTHER MIDNIGHTER FACTS: {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO IS LLECTED STORMWATCH: A FER {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· ALL THE AUTHORY ICS ARE AVAILABLE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· THE FIRST MIDNIGHTER LLECTN, ENTLED KILLG MACHE, WILL BE PUBLISHED BY DC NOVEMBER AND WILL CLU THE SIX GARTH ENNIS-PENNED {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}ILLTRATNS:{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· COVER OF ISSUE #5 OF THE MIDNIGHTER SERI, ART BY CHRIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF MIDNIGHTER AND APOLLO, ART BY BRYAN {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}· APOLLO AND MIDNIGHTER KISS, OM MIDNIGHTER #7, ART BY DARICK {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}THE {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Created by ics legend Stan Lee 1955, the Rawhi Kid was reimaged by wrer Ron Zimmerman  the 2003 miseri Slap Leather and was picted as a mpy gay gunslger who viewed the Old Wt through a morn queer lens. A young Bobby Drake om the past, displaced time and fightg crime the prent day, was revealed to be gay after his psychic teammate Jean Grey read his md and nonted him about his sexualy All-New X-Men #40.

Though DC Comics was unable to explicly scribe Extraño as gay when he first appeared Millennium #2, the Hispanic magician was d wh many stereotyp that have been associated wh gay men to signal rears that the first gay hero the DC Universe had arrived. We’ve put together this list to troduce some of the most fluential gay superhero, rangg om groundbreakg figur like Marvel’s Northstar to characters like Harley Qun who only me out the past few 12 most inic gay superhero1) Wonr WomanDiana of Themyscira has a long and storied history as a queer in. (CC-BY-SA)2) MidnighterPossibly the bt-known gay superhero ic book circl, Midnighter was created as a parody of Batman, startg off the adult-rated Wildstorm ic Stormwatch.

DC'S MIDNIGHTER & APOLLO JT MA A BOLD STATEMENT ABOUT MASCULY AND GAY SEX

Thanks to the X-Men ics’ love of time travel hijks, there are actually two versns of this character at the moment: A teenage Iceman who realized he was gay after Jean Grey read his md, and an adult versn who stayed the closet and dated women for years, but me out after beg nonted by his younger self.

MARVEL ANNOUNC FIRST GAY CAPTA AMERI

The recent Iceman solo seri foced on his life after this revelatn, earng a mixed rponse bee while ’s great to see a gay character gettg their own ic, his emotnal arc is a rather old-fashned g-out story. She first appeared as Batman’s love tert the 1950s, shortly after the publitn of Sctn of the Innocent, a book that acced Batman of homosexual propaganda.

In recent years she was rewrten to be gay herself, a ntroversial cisn that led to some problems of s her ic’s creators wanted her to marry her girliend, DC nixed the cisn by sayg hero “shouldn’t have happy personal liv, ” a dub statement that sounds pretty ridiculo the ntext of, say, Superman.

MIDNIGHTER & APOLLO, GAY SUPERHERO OF COMICS, TO RNE THIS FALL

DC Comics is phg gay pri on children wh a new stallment “Midnighter and Apollo, ” the same-sex superhero uple who fight crime by day and get on the sack at night. The new story is part of DC Pri 2023, the publisher’s latt gay superhero anthology that featur numero gay and transgenr storyl, cludg a lbian relatnship between Poison Ivy and Harley Qun.

Almost ten years ago, wrer Warren Ellis and artist Bryan Hch created Midnighter, who this past November beme the first gay DC superhero to headle his own standalone seri. )A year later, as the StormWatch seri morphed to The Authory (wh the Wildstorm imprt now published by DC Comics), the two characters were clud the eponymo group, and over the urse of their 12-issue n, Ellis and Hch gave more and more hts that, unlike Superman and Batman, the two new characters were, ed, more than tertg thg is that the word "gay" wasn't ed at the time.

Gay superhero fans fally had an endurg gay uple their wrer Mark Millar took over, and while the gay genie was certaly not put back the bottle, the subtlety quickly evaporated.

DC'S MIDNIGHTER, A LOVE AFFAIR WH GAY HERO, AND THE INIC COUPLE

Millar's n, which lasted about 20 issu (cludg a four-issue miseri), was full of homophobic sults hurled by villas, anal sex jok and rap (of Apollo, and then of his attacker by Midnighter) wh large, tubular objects, a fate rarely, if ever, endured by straight male characters were more or ls rced to their gayns, though they also got married and beme foster parents of a young, superpowered girl — fely a first for mastream superhero ics.

On the other hand, the gay uple is never actually picted cmplg the bed sheets, unlike the straight characters whose sex liv don't have to be Midnighter creators of tert clu Ed Bbaker (story) and Dt Nguyen (art) for their 12-issue The Authory: Revolutn (2005) story, which actually ed the relatnship between the two gay characters as a talyst for the team's dismantlg. Bbaker clearly unrstood how to e the ep love between the two men, as well as Midnighter's tenncy to Seri, Multiple Problems It was the first time a gay superhero headled his own seri (not untg a 1994 Northstar miseri om Marvel where the character, though officially gay, was pletely sexls), but gay rears were troubled by Ennis' claratn a few months before the start of the seri: "I'll try to mata as a solo book, whout any major appearanc by The Authory general (superteam, yawn) or Apollo particular (borg blond twat).

MIDNIGHTER IS THE BT PORTRAYAL OF A GAY SUPERHERO MASTREAM COMICS

Once aga, villas sult Midnighter wh homophobic ments ("ltle u, " "troer-pilot" — everybody knows he's gay, apparently), but we do get a one scene where the character, travelg time, learns that the distant future sexual orientatn won't exist anymore and "everybody jt … do everyone, " which vigorat him to no not showg him wh Apollo a way to make the seri more palatable to a larger dience? Moreover, there's the problem of fdal Japane samurais g words such as "sodom" and generally behavg like homophobic Middle Ag knights, which is absolutely out-of-character for people of that time and least, thgs weren't as bad as durg Millar's n back 2000, when DC edorial censored a kiss between Midnighter and his seventh issue of the new seri, wrten by Brian K.

Vghan (who's already proven his gay-iendls his Ex Macha seri, where a mixed-race gay marriage tak place), begs wh a cute full-page kiss between the two married men, th breakg the no-kissg track rerd of the seri so far.

It would quickly get borg and would rightfully raise a few June issue of Midnighter — the most recent — wrten by Christos Gage, had absolutely no gay ntent.