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This is a list of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender) characters in comics. The portrayal of LGBT characters in comics has been limited in the past by censorship and the belief that such characters are inappropriate in media perceived to be aimed at juveniles. Gay characters were typically only found in underground or "adult" comics. In recent years, the number of gay characters in mainstream comics has increased dramatically.

For much of the 20th century, gay relationships were discouraged from being shown in comics, which were seen mainly as directed towards children. Until 1989 the Comics Code Authority (CCA), which imposed de facto censorship on comics sold through news-stands in the United States, forbade any suggestion of homosexuality.[1] Artists had to drop subtle hints while not stating directly a character's orientation.[2] Overt gay and lesbian themes were first found in underground and alternative titles which did not carry the CCA's seal of approval.

In recent years the number of LGBT characters has increased greatly in mainstream superhero comics, and mainstream comic book publishers have portrayed more of their characters, both protagonists and supporting, as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT). Both male and female gay comic book characters are represented, as are imaginary persons from all walks of life; economic, social, and ethnic. However LGBT characters continue to be relegated to supporting roles, and receive criticism for the treatment gay characters receive.[3]

Lesbian characters

[edit]

A

  • Chelle Archer - Jane's World, Jane's former lover, a mysterious and potentially dangerous former spy? cop? secret agent?

B

  • Bambi - The Invisibles; member of the "Poison Pussies" cell.
  • Barb - Swamp Thing; lesbian lover of Liz Tremayne.
  • Batwoman (Kathy "Kate" Kane) - the fourth lesbian character to act as a lead in a DC Universe title. Debuts in 52.[4]

C

F

  • Fauna - Outsiders; Fauna Faust, daughter of Felix Faust and lover of Syonide II. A member of Strike Force Kobra, later killed by her father.
  • The Flying Fox - Astro City Featured in a story in "Local Heroes", she's out in her private life.
  • Foxglove AKA Donna Cavanagh - The Sandman and the Death comics; writer turned poet turned pop star. Lover of Hazel McNamara and Judy. She has a non-biological son with Hazel.

H

J

K

L

  • Lucielle - Marv's parole officer in Sin City. Lover, Claire is a psychiatrist.

M

O

P

R

S

T

V

W

  • Jane Wyatt - Hapless newspaper editor who has many strange adventures with a large group of friends Jane's World

Z

Gay characters

[edit]

A

B

Name First
appearance 		Year Identified as LGBT:
Issue 		Year Company Note Orientation
Joshua Barbazon Justice League International Annual #1 1989 Justice League International Annual #1 1989 DC Comics Support staff for Justice League International embassy in Australia. Has a spouse named Arthur. Gay
Terry Berg Green Lantern (volume 3) #129 2000 DC Comics Dated a man named David; victim of a brutal gay bashing. Gay
Bloke (Mickey Tork) X-Forcel (volume 1) Annual #117 2001 Marvel Comics Gay
Brain Doom Patrol (volume 1) #68 1964 DC Comics A supervillainous disembodied brain, the Brain is the devoted life partner of Monsieur Mallah Gay
Alex Burgess The Sandman #1 1939 Vertigo A magus and the lover of Paul McGuire. Gay

C

D

E

  • Element Lad - DC Comics' Legion of Superheroes (gay, original continuity - had a relationship with m2f transsexual Sean/Shvaughn Erin, saying "anything we've ever shared physically...was in spite of" the sex change, not because of it) [1]
  • The Enigma - Enigma; apparently a comic book character come to life. Lover of Michael Smith.
  • Larry Evans - Co-lead character in the comic strip "Leonard & Larry", created by Tim Barela.
  • Extraño - member of DC Comics' New Guardians; an effeminate man from Peru, he made references to himself as gay several times, and even references a former lover who had died from AIDS.

F

G

H

  • Bryan Hand - Ms. Tree; In "Skeleton in the Closet", Hand, tutor and bodyguard to Ms. Tree's step-son Mike, comes out to Mike in the course of the investigation of the murder of a student journalist threatening to falsely out Ms. Tree.[5]
  • Hector - The Incredible Hulk; member of the Pantheon, his sexuality is an occasional topic among his colleagues, and one of his brothers disapproves of his homosexuality. During a wedding party, Hector is observed chatting with another gay character, Northstar. [2].
  • Hooded Justice - Watchmen; super-hero.
  • Michael Bernard "Mikey" Hopkins - The Class Menagerie, The Suburban Jungle.
  • Hulkling - Marvel Comics' Young Avengers - Confirmed as being in a relationship with fellow Young Avenger, Wiccan.[4]

I

K

L

[[:Image:ObsidianGay.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Damon Matthews and Todd Rice (Obsidian) share a kiss in the pages of Manhunter]]

M

N

O

P

R

  • Mikhael (Mik) Rasputin - Boy Meets Boy.
  • Hartley Rathaway a.k.a. The Pied Piper - DC Comics' The Flash
  • Timothy Ravenwind - Swamp Thing, Seven Soldiers: Zatanna. Last in his family bloodline of the Ravenwind Witches. He survives the same terminal cancer that killed his older sister Rebecca Ravenwind. Takes a gay lover and has no interest in having children.
  • Rawhide Kid - Marvel Comics' first gay comic-book cowboy, at least in Marvel's Max adult-line title of the same name.[4]
  • Pat Reynolds - Achewood
  • Wally Roo - The Suburban Jungle
  • Arnold "Arnie" Roth - The childhood friend of Steve Rogers. Though in his teenage years he was something of a "Romeo", when he and Steve reunite in Captain America #270, he reveals that he has been living with another man for ten years.
  • RT-5478 (Artie) - Narbonic (gay, at least in human form)
  • Russian - Assassin from the Punisher comic.

S

T

U

V

  • Vivisector (Myles Alfred) - Marvel Comics' X-Statix - Superhero, Role model, Harvard Undergraduate. Began a "fake" homosexual relationship with Phat. It is later revealed that both characters are gay but are not in love with each other. He then went on to date various movie stars.

W

  • Detective Paulie Walters - Preacher; supercop. Investigating the "Reaver-Cleaver" killings.
  • Wallace Wells - Scott Pilgrim; Scott Pilgrim's Gay Roommate.
  • Wiccan - Marvel Comics' Young Avengers - Confirmed as being in a relationship with fellow Young Avenger, Hulkling.[4]
  • Drezzer Wolf - The Suburban Jungle
  • Wulf - Top Ten; expert pilot and former member of the Skysharks squadron. In a lifelong relationship with Steve Traynor.
  • Devlin Waugh - The first openly gay hero in mainstream British comics was Devlin Waugh, who first appeared in 2000AD in 1992. He was created by writer John Smith and artist Sean Phillips. The character's homosexuality is frequently referenced in the strip, and in his first story he attempts to seduce one of the men he is rescuing.

Z

Bisexual characters

[edit]

A

B

C

  • Zoe Carter - Venus Envy. (bisexual, MTF transgender)
  • Margarita Luisa "Maggie" Chascarrillo - Locas, Has had a long relationship with the woman Hopey, as well as with several different men.
  • Chelsea Chattan - Clan of the Cats. Witch and werepanther (and possibly, the avatar of the 'Queen of the Netherworld'); her sexuality is at least in part influenced by the duality of her part-animal nature. It is implied that her sister, Corrine (Melpomene) is bisexual as well.
  • Cherry Poptart - Comedic/pornographic character.
  • Katina "Katchoo" Choovanski - Strangers in Paradise.
  • Cobweb-America's Best Comics. Relationship with male Greyshirt and implied relationship with her female driver.
  • John Constantine - In issue 51 of Hellblazer ("Counting to Ten"), John reveals that he's had "the occasional boyfriend", whilst in issues 170-174 ("Ashes and Dust in the City of Angels" 1-5), he has a homosexual relationship with billionaire Stanley Manor, albeit as part of an elaborate revenge scheme.

D

E

  • The Engineer- Predominantly heterosexual, Angela Spica of the Authority made mention of a lesbian fling in college. (bisexual or bi-curious)

G

H

I

  • Icemaiden - Occasional member of the Justice League (bisexual; dislikes labels)

J

K

L

  • Lightning Lass - DC Comics' Legion of Superheroes (original continuity)

M

N

O

P

R

S

T

  • Elizabeth "Liz" Tremayne - Swamp Thing, former celebrity television journalist and famous writer, suffers abusive relationship with fellow company fugitive Dr. Dennis Barclay, later recovers from recurring post-traumatic stress disorder, begins a sexual relationship with Chester Williams, but breaks up with him when she deeply falls in love with volunteer rape crisis support worker Barb, who is a lesbian.

W

  • Legs Weaver
  • Beatrice Wechsler - Lucifer; waitress at Lucifer's piano bar. Primarily heterosexual but is in love with Mazikeen.
  • Alisin Worthington - Fans!
  • Beryl Wyndham - The Invisibles; occultist from the 1920s, lover of Edith Manning.

V

Z

Transgender characters

[edit]

C

  • Coagula - Kate Godwin. Male-to-female transsexual superhero, member of the Doom Patrol; has the ability to coagulate liquids and dissolve solids at will.

L

M

S

  • Carrie Seitz - male-to-female transgender, appeared in GrimJack #41 (December 1987).

W

Other

[edit]

B

  • Bueno Excellente - Section 8 (apparently pansexual)

C

  • Cutter - Elfquest Confirmed sexual relationship with Skywise (another male elf). According to the creators of Elfquest, Wendy and Richard Pini, all the Elfquest elves are "omnisexual."[7]

D

  • Danny the Street - Doom Patrol; a sentient, transvestite street, usually illustrated by the presence of pink curtains in building. Later transformed into Danny the World. (transvestite)
  • Desire (DC Comics) - In The Sandman series; can appear as either a man or a woman, and does so regularly.

S

  • Shapeshifter – Elementals; As the name indicates, a shapeshifter who generally manifested as female when in human form. She assumed male form and began a relationship with the female Elemental Morningstar, eventually revealing herself in an effort to crush Morningstar emotionally. In an issue set in the far future, which chronicles events that may or may not come to pass, Morningstar and Shapeshifter, in female form, are lovers.
  • Skywise - Elfquest Confirmed sexual relationship with Cutter. (omnisexual)[7]

Z

  • Zsazsa Zaturnnah - Biologically female, whose alter ego, Ada, is a homosexual male. (homosexual, transgender)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Nyberg, Amy Kiste (1998). Seal of Approval: The History of the Comics Code. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. pp. 143, 175–176. ISBN 0-878-05975-X.
  2. ^ Applegate, David. "Coming Out in the Comic Strips".
  3. ^ http://www.afterelton.com/print/2006/10/gaycomics.html
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Colón, Suzan (November 18, 2008). "Don't Mask, Do Tell". The Advocate. pp. 18, Issue #1019. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  5. ^ Collins, Max Allen (Spring 1991). Ms. Tree Quarterly #3. DC Comics. pp. 1–48. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ [http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/display.php?id=159 GayLeague.com; Characters listing:Black Cat
  7. ^ a b mania.com : Comicscape article, August 18, 2004


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