Somehow, between all of that crime fighting and life saving, superheroes find time to fall in love, and every so often, we’re thrilled to see that love turn into marriage, particularly when it’s between a same-sex couple.
Northstar, Marvel’s first openly gay hero, will be tying the knot with boyfriend Kyle Jinadu in the mainstream comics’ first same-sex wedding in Astonishing X-Men, set to hit shelves on Wednesday. The Canadian mutant, whose superhuman abilities allow him to move and fly at supersonic speeds, goes by the alter ego Jean-Paul Beaubier and proposes to his human boyfriend in the issue followed by a marriage in Central Park in front of their X-Men friends.
“When gay marriage became legal in New York State, it raised obvious questions since most of our heroes reside in New York State. Northstar is the first openly gay character in comics and he’s been in a longterm relationship with his partner Kyle so the big question was—how would this change his relationship?” says Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Axel Alonso. “Our comics are always best when they respond to and reflect developments in the real world. We’ve been doing that for decades, and this is just the latest expression of that.”
The X-Men series has always tackled civil rights issues in symbolistic ways—including gay, lesbian and transgender—in their stories. “Here are two people, trying to live their lives—mutant and gay, black and gay—empowered in their own ways, but also fringe-dwellers,” says Astonishing X-Men writer Marjorie Liu. “And they’re making it happen. They’re living life on their own terms. It doesn’t matter that it’s a superhero comic, the message is: You can do the same thing.”
Jean-Paul and Kyle join Archie Comics’ Kevin Keller and Dr. Clay Walker, who wed earlier this year, in gay newlywed bliss.
Photo: marvel.com
