<i>Astonishg X-Men</i> Creators Dish on Marvel's Historic Gay Weddg | HuffPost Voic

Contents:

• MARVEL COMICS HOSTS FIRST GAY WEDDG ‘ASTONISHG X-MEN’
• X-MEN GAY WEDDG "CREATE-YOUR-OWN WEDDG" VARIANT UNVEILED
• <I>ASTONISHG X-MEN</I> CREATORS DISH ON MARVEL'S HISTORIC GAY WEDDG
• MARVEL'S GAY WEDDG, DC SUPERHERO OUT OF THE CLOSET
• COULD THE NEXT X-MEN MOVIE FEATURE A GAY WEDDG?
• MARVEL COMICS X-MEN GAY WEDDG SPARKS FIERCE DEBATE
• MARVEL COMICS HOSTS FIRST GAY WEDDG ASTONISHG X-MEN

MARVEL COMICS HOSTS FIRST GAY WEDDG ‘ASTONISHG X-MEN’

Back 1992, Marvel Comics ma headl by revealg that Northstar, a Canadian superhero associated wh Alpha Flight and the X-Men, was gay. “When gay marriage beme legal New York State, raised obv qutns sce most of our hero ri New York State.

Northstar is the first openly gay character ics and he’s been a longterm relatnship wh his partner Kyle so the big qutn was – how would this change his relatnship?, ” says Marvel Comics edor--chief Axel Alonso.

“Here are two people, tryg to live their liv – mutant and gay, black and gay – empowered their own ways, but also ge-dwellers, ” says Liu. The tensns will rm Liu’s Astonishg X-Men stori gog forward, but Alonso says the uple will also have to nont homophobia om Northstar’s teammat. Specifilly, 's the weddg bells of Marvel's first gay marriage between longtime X-Man Northstar and his civilian boyiend, Kyle.

X-MEN GAY WEDDG "CREATE-YOUR-OWN WEDDG" VARIANT UNVEILED

The ic dtry's number-one publisher has always reflected Ameri's cultural and polil velopments, and wh Print Obama's recent public support of gay marriage, an official marriage uldn't have e at a better time. Jean-Pl Bebier, this jt the latt velopment his posn as Marvel's premiere gay superhero.

<I>ASTONISHG X-MEN</I> CREATORS DISH ON MARVEL'S HISTORIC GAY WEDDG

The character also adopted a baby wh AIDS, mentored a gay mutant named Anole, and even wrote a book about his experience as a gay mutant, tled Born Normal; 's hard to image how this guy ma time for fightg, the creative mds behd the weddg of the -- Axel Alonso, Edor--Chief of Marvel Comics; Jeane Schaffer and Daniel Ketchum, Astonishg X-Men's -edors; Marjorie Liu, wrer of Astonishg X-Men; and Mike Perks, penciller of Astonishg X-Men -- dish on why they're hostg the weddg now, the divisive reactn wh the Marvel Universe, and the endls storytellg possibili that this latt evolutn holds.

MARVEL'S GAY WEDDG, DC SUPERHERO OUT OF THE CLOSET

Alex Alonso: When gay marriage beme legal New York State, raised a qutn, sce most of our hero ri that state: How would Northstar, the first openly gay character ics, rpond to this new velopment?

Whereas foistg this story upon another character would have been a forced step their progrsn, we've been buildg toward this exact place wh the two for about a year now, sce gay marriage was legalized New York State, makg a natural velopment. And, lookg ahead, the marriage of two gay characters opens a number of avenu for future stori, and Northstar and Kyle are the characters bt sued to explore every proment same-sex uple ics has been between two members of the superhero muny, but your first gay marriage is between a superhero and a civilian. Alonso: Recent events North Carola and Print Obama's statement of support for gay marriage unrsre that this is a topil -- and ntroversial -- issue.

COULD THE NEXT X-MEN MOVIE FEATURE A GAY WEDDG?

Will we see any reactns om other gay upl like Hulklg and Wicn or Rictor and Shatter Star? As Marvel, and the ics dtry general, has troduced an creasg number of gay characters, how do you feel the fans have generally reacted? Gay marriage is legal New York State, most of our characters live New York State, and a percentage of them are gay, so we'd be remiss not to nsir how would affect them, their iends, fai, and teammat.

Ketchum: If nothg else, the historil precence of the X-Men servg as a metaphor for margalized muni giv extra clout to a gay-marriage story an X-Men tle.

MARVEL COMICS X-MEN GAY WEDDG SPARKS FIERCE DEBATE

Marvel has a long and proud tradn of reflectg the world all s diversy, and this is jt one more example of you foree an crease gay upl or characters throughout the rt of the dtry as a rult?

MARVEL COMICS HOSTS FIRST GAY WEDDG ASTONISHG X-MEN

This morng, the ladi of The View nfirmed a long-mored weddg announcement: An openly gay member of the X-Men will propose to his partner, wh the marriage schled to take place Astonishg X-Men #51.

The French Canadian superhero Northstar beme Marvel's first openly homosexual superhero 1992, and although took nearly two s for the guy to get a boyiend, give Marvel cred for divg headfirst to the gay marriage bate, even at the risk of a stern blog post by Bristol Pal.