“There will be no gay heroes in the Marvel Universe.”
Those are the words of Jim Shooter, Editor in Chief of Marvel Comics in the 1980s. Although Shooter doesn’t identify as homophobic, he acted in accordance with the Comics Code of Authority. The CCA deemed certain material, including homosexuality, inappropriate for people under 18 years of age.
Shooter didn’t lift a finger to change this policy or the disenfranchisement of gay people in comic books. Not surprisingly, times have changed and the CCA has fizzled into non-existence. Ever since then 25 gay heroes have “teleported” into Marvel Comics.
Still, Disney has bought Marvel Comics for $4 billion dollars. Will Disney’s famous sugar-coated heterosexism kill Marvel’s burgeoning representation of homosexuality?*
Plattsburgh State professor Jessamyn Neuhaus, who specializes in history and pop culture, doesn’t believe there’s a clear answer.
“Well, Disney’s enormous,” said Neuhaus. “It’s a huge organization. It’s got its eye on profit… It’s got brand and part of that brand is wholesomeness.”
Donn Sica, the owner of Fantastic Planet, a comic book shop, doesn’t think Disney will change the quality of Marvel Comics.
“They (Disney) have several divisions, like Miramax,” said Sica. “They bought it (Marvel Comics) because they like what they saw. They appeal to boys and girls at a certain age… They want to put out many platforms.”
Jack Pneuman, President of S.O.U.L. (Sexual Orientation Ubiquity League) and PSUC student, suggested there’s no easy way to foretell what will happen.
“If they (Marvel Comics) change the producers who make the storyline, it’ll (gay heroes in the comics) change,” said Pneuman. “I don’t know of homosexuality in Disney. But I don’t Disney’s completely homophobic, because they have ‘gay day’ at Disney land. There must be some acceptance.”
Gary Marsh, the president of entertainment for the Disney Channel, threw in his two cents about how his company represents homosexuality.
“There have been characters on Disney Channel who I think people have thought were gay,” said Marsh. “That’s for the audience to interpret… What we’re about is telling a great story, a relevant story, a story that addresses the needs, concerns, dreams and aspirations and hopes of much of our audience.”
Surprisingly enough, some writers at Marvel Comics don’t share Marsh’s viewpoint about their own gay hero characters. In June of this year, Shatterstar and Rictor shared their first on-screen kiss in issue #45 of X-Factor, a spin-off of the X-Men franchise. Rob Liefeld, the writer who created Shatterstar, voiced his discontentment about the storyline.
“As the guy that created, designed and wrote his first dozen appearances, Shatterstar is not gay,” said Liefeld. “Sorry. Can’t wait to someday undo this. Seems totally contrived. Shatterstar is akin to Maximus in Gladiator. He’s a warrior, a Spartan, and not a gay one.”
Peter David, the writer of the issue, responded to Liefeld’s attitude and said: “When you put forward comments that begin with, essentially, ‘Some of my best friends are gay and end with ‘I can’t wait to undo this,’ you have to be screamingly naïve to not realize you’re going to come across as a raging homophobe.”
Pneuman, who’s also a comic book fan, applauded the representation of marginalized groups in the X-Men franchise, in spite of Liefeld’s promise to undo the first on-screen gay kiss in X-Factor #45.
“Part of what made Marvel Comics so good, particularly in things like X-Men, was the wide-variety of characters they had,” said Pneuman. “They’re able to represent every demographic, if they choose. This allows readers to identify with the characters. Obviously, you don’t want to exclude any of your demographic because some of them are gay.”
Neuhaus thinks fans, like Pneuman, ultimately decide what the attitude toward homosexuality is in the comic book industry. She said comic book fans can make or break a movie. The growing gay rights movement loosely affected the mindset of Kitty Pryde, a fictional character in the X-Men franchise.
Pryde said the following in response to a social outcast, who committed suicide due to being a mutant, in New Mutants #45:
“Who was he, then, that we gather to mourn him? Who am I? A four-eyed, flat-chested, brat, chick, brain, hebe, stuck-up Xavier’s snob freak! Don’t like the words? I could use nicer. I’ve heard worse. Who here hasn’t? So often, so causally, that maybe we’ve forgotten the power they have to hurt. Nigger, spic, wop, slope, faggot, mute—the list is so long. And so cruel. They’re labels. Put downs. And they hurt.”
Sometimes it takes a mutant superhero girl to speak indirectly for gay rights. Even in Marvel Comics. Even in America.
*Neither Marvel Comics nor Disney could be reached for comment.
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