November 23, 2004

When you wish upon Northstar

But I Digress...
February 14, 1992

About six years ago, when the Canadian team called "Alpha Flight" first debuted in its own title (and quite a hot property it was at the time), there was a character named Northstar. And there were little, between-the-lines hints dropped by writer/artist John Byrne that Northstar was gay.

But in those days, overt portrayals of sexuality were considered a no-no. It wasn't just limited to homosexuality, either. Over at DC, "Titans" unwed lovers Dick Grayson and Koriand'r were shown in bed together, but at Marvel a similar scene between the married Bruce and Betty Banner was nixed.

As for homosexuality...forget it. The only overt portrayal of gay men in Marvel's history had been the homosexual near-rape of Bruce Banner in a shower at a YMCA, lovingly depicted in the pages of the "Hulk" magazine. Since Marvel's first portrayal of gay men came across as homophobic in nature, it was not a sequence that did much for Marvel, gays, Bruce Banner, or, for that matter, your local "Y."

As for Northstar, well...for a while there, he was actually dying of AIDs, and that the fact that he was gay was going to be dealt with. It was dealt with, all right: The storyline was altered midway by a decree from upstairs. The declaration was subsequently made that Northstar was, in fact, a magical being, and was dying because he was away from his magical homeland for too long. Yes, that's right...he wasn't gay. He was just a fairy. That's muuuuch better. And the protectors of superheroic masculinity breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close one.

But times, as they say, have changed.

The news wires have been burning up the past week as, in the pages of "Alpha Flight" #106, writer Scott Lobdell (with the full support of editor Bobbie Chase and editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco) did away with the sly winks and nudges, and had Northstar hold a press conference in which he came out as being gay. (Or, as one news reporter rather cattily put it, and here you thought comic books were something that were kept exclusively in closets.)

It was, of course, a terrific news story. Over at DC, where sexuality had been an open topic for quite some time, they must have been gnashing their teeth. The Pied Piper casually informed Wally West that he, the Piper, was gay, and then there's the supporting cast over in "Sandman." But none of this caused the sort of stir that Northstar's revelation did.

Why? Because Northstar's a hero, of course. Not only that, but an eminently macho superhero, although I must admit I have trouble relating the beefed-up steroid case rendered by artists Mark Pacella and Dan Panosian to the sleek, limber character first drawn by John Byrne. The Piper doesn't seem remotely macho. Hell, you could even make jokes about how he goes around blowing on long, narrow instruments, and that should've been the tip off right there.

It's the same sort of reaction generated when Rock Hudson or Magic Johnson went public about AIDs. When AIDs was just a dark, loathsome disease that only "homos" got, society felt it easier to deal with. It barely warranted funds to try and cure it. But when the "good guys" got it, well, that was something else altogether.

(Although, on a side-note, I've wondered what the reaction would have been if, in fact, it had been Magic Johnson's wife who had turned up HIV positive, sleeping around while her husband was out on the road. Would she have had books written about her called "The Heroism of Mrs. Magic?" Or would she have been pilloried as being a slut? But that's a whole 'nother discussion in itself.)

So there was Northstar, making startling personal revelations in the middle of a slugfest (which is the customary way that heroes make such disclosures.) For those of you who haven't read it, the story actually doesn't center around Northstar's sexuality, but rather around an abandoned newborn whom Northstar finds in a garbage can. He brings the scrawny infant to a hospital, drawn at times to look like a gymnasium, or perhaps a vacant parking garage...anything but a hospital. (The single stick of furniture in the place is the incubator that the baby's kept in, standing alone, like the Cheese, in an otherwise empty room large enough to field a basketball game.)

Tests reveal the child has AIDs, and the terminal infant's plight becomes a cause celebre...except to one retired Canadian hero who's in-jokingly named Major Mapleleaf (after the sarcastic nickname Banshee gave Vindicator upon his first appearance). Apparently the Major's son died of AIDs, but "because he was gay, he didn't rate." Society's cavalier attitude that gays brought AIDs upon themselves and, therefore, did not deserve sympathy, has stuck in the Major's craw for years.

Rather than seek therapy, the Major misplaces his aggression on Northstar, the fight ranging through a supermarket and winding up smashing into a moving van apparently owned by editor Chase. In the course of the battle, Northstar reveals that he himself is gay, gets lectured about being a hypocrite (while being strangled; a sure way to drive home a point) and, once the dust clears, goes public.

Oh, and as if to assure us that all is "right," the final image in the comic is a pin-up featuring Logan, Puck and Northstar (I think it's Northstar. The way he's drawn, it might also be Dick Tracy) cutting up and being macho guys in a bar, each of them chugalugging what appear to be entire pitchers of beer.) To be fair...it could be a gay bar. Who knows?

It was, as noted earlier, the ideal news story, in our world as much as the Marvel universe. Reporters love stories that can be boiled down to ten words or less. "A Super-Hero announces he's gay! Film at 11!" For some reason I imagined people turning to each other and saying, "I knew it! I knew there was some reason Batman kept hanging out with that kid!" How disappointed the vast majority of Americans must have been to learn it was a super-hero they'd never even heard of.

Not only that, but since "Alpha Flight" is direct-only (a fact that none of the news stories I happened upon ever pointed out) the chances are that Joe Average wouldn't be able to find it. Anyone who's interest is piqued enough to try and seek out a copy would go down to his local 7-11, be told by the guy behind the counter that they'd never heard of "Alpha Flight," and perhaps presume the whole thing was a hoax.

But the question now becomes: What happens next?

Well, frankly, what's happened up until now hasn't been tremendously heartening.

Initial news reports stated that Marvel was offering "No Comment" on their groundbreaking publication. One reporter described Marvel reps as "skittish." No one could, or would, talk for attribution.

The message being delivered to the American public was clear. Someone high up, probably very high up (certainly higher than DeFalco) was extremely embarrassed by the story. Here various news agencies were ready to heap praise upon Marvel for daring storytelling, and the silence of Marvel's response was positively ringing. Not only did Marvel Corporate not seem proud of their achievement, but instead they came across as hoping that it would all die down very quickly.

Eventually a wire service story ran that quoted Marvel reps, but by then it was too late. Rather than seizing the bull by the horns, Marvel had instead let itself get a bit gored by puzzled reporters who couldn't get a quote.

Ah, but what of Scott Lobdell, the gutsy storyteller?

Oh him. He's off the book.

Now I would love to be able to break the story here of how, in retaliation for writing an embarrassing story, Scott was fired. That, however, is not the case. (Indeed, if it were the case, I'd have put it a lot further up in this column...like, in the lead sentence. "Marvel writer fired for having Northstar come out of closet. Film at 11.")

No, Scott's departure occurred a week or so before the brouhaha hit. With Bobbie Chase taking on new editorial assignments (but still holding onto the "Hulk," God bless her) "Alpha Flight" was switched to another editor, and that editor took Scott off the title and reassigned it, for reasons (according to Scott) having nothing to do with the Northstar story. It is certainly not the first time that a new editor has come on and put new creative personnel on a title. However, this particular instance has got to go down in the record books as being one of the most ill-timed such maneuvers in the history of comics.

(For what it's worth, I think a truly professional comic editor is one who is assigned a title and has no other agenda than to make sure good stories are told. Sitting down with a writer and saying, "This story doesn't work for this and this a reason, relating to dramatic structure..." is absolutely proper. To sit down with a writer and say, "You're doing Story Type X, but I don't want to see that, I want to see Story Type Y, so adios..." shows a lack of being able to delegate creative authority. It boils down to "I want to see this book done the way I would do it if I were writing it." That does no service to anyone except an editor who wants to feel totally in charge.)

The question of Northstar's coming out ultimately, then, boils down to this: What next?

It could easily be argued that this was a simple step in Northstar's development, and that the enlightened approach would be not to dwell on it any more than finding out that a casual acquaintance is gay.

However, we do not live in an enlightened society when it comes to homosexuality (witness Marvel's own reaction). Besides, casual acquaintances don't call press conferences announcing their sexuality, offering it up as a way of countering homophobia. No, now that Northstar's made the declaration with a stated agenda, it would be unrealistic not to examine the fallout. (And no, I'm not pitching to write "Alpha Flight." I'm more than busy enough, thank you very much.)

Northstar is a media figure, and sure to become even more so. Will lovers of his who may not want to risk being high profile now shun him? For that matter, let's say you're a friend of his who's straight. How will you feel if your picture is snapped with him in a restaurant and run in a newspaper with the caption, "Northstar and his latest paramour?" Will you take it in stride, laugh it off? Or will you resent the intrusion...perhaps even resent Northstar?

For that matter, can you imagine Northstar fighting a villain who tauntingly shouts, "Look out! Here comes Canada's fighting fag!" Or even better...a villain who automatically assumes that, since Northstar is gay, he probably has AIDs...and surrenders on the spot rather than risk getting into a fistfight? How would such a "victory" make Northstar feel?

Then there's the guy who gets the snot kicked out of him by a group of gay bashers...and goes to Northstar, asking him to go out and beat up the gay bashers because homosexuals shouldn't have to suffer like this. Would Northstar consider it inappropriate to use his powers against mere mortals for the purpose of vengeance? Or would he consider it only fair since the gay bashers have no qualms about ganging up on one gay man?

Possibilities, all sorts of possibilities, which it would almost criminal to ignore. A far cry from the generic "Villain shows up, fights hero, hero ultimately wins, the end." But will Marvel and the new writer and editor pursue those directions? Will there be pressure never to mention Northstar's sexual identity again?

"Alpha Flight" could be pretty darn interesting, depending how things go, and if the seeds that Scott Lobdell has sown are brought to...you should pardon the expression...fruit. A pity that the vagaries of editorial life have dictated he won't be there to do the gardening. Shed no tears for him; he's got other assignments coming up that should also be quite high-profile. Although I doubt that CNN will be calling him to find out about them.

If nothing else, he'll have some impressive clippings for his scrapbook. And Northstar will have...well...who knows?

(By way of the promised update, Peter David, writer of stuff, can now play all the way through "Dragons Lair II: Time Warp," making this the third Don Bluth animated game he's gotten the hang of. The ending sequences are really touching, by the way.)

Posted by Glenn Hauman at November 23, 2004 12:00 PM | TrackBack | Other blogs commenting
Comments
Posted by: Michael Pullmann at November 23, 2004 12:46 PM

"Possibilities, all sorts of possibilities, which it would almost criminal to ignore. A far cry from the generic "Villain shows up, fights hero, hero ultimately wins, the end." But will Marvel and the new writer and editor pursue those directions? Will there be pressure never to mention Northstar's sexual identity again?"

And we all know how that turned out. If it was ever mentioned again, it was in the context of "are you hitting on me?" jokes (with the exception of Jean-Paul buddying it up with the gay member of the Pantheon whose name I can't recall at Rick Jones's wedding). AF was cancelled not long after, and Northstar vanished without a trace...

Until Uncanny X-Writer Chuck Austen brought him back two years ago, did an excellent story where Northstar fals to save a young mutant whose powers are out of control...

And then promptly relegated him to the background, with the only character development being a bit in one issue where he has a crush on Iceman.

*sigh* At least he's still there for Milligan to use if he feels like it...

Posted by: Michael Pullmann at November 23, 2004 12:47 PM

Oh, hey, almost forgot the four issue mini-series where the issue of his being gay never came up. Good call there, Marvel.

Posted by: Matt Adler at November 23, 2004 01:01 PM

Interesting stuff. So that's basically how Lobdell got his start.... capriciously booted off a low profile assignment by Rob Tokar, only to be handed the X-Men goldmine by a sympathetic Bob Harras.

Posted by: Whatever at November 23, 2004 01:30 PM

Whatever!


He was a decent character with enough issues with his sister, then they made a big deal with the Northstar is gay story. A stupid pointless story, but now that I know that it was the only guy that has written more queer cause stories than Winnick that wrote such a stupid story, it makes sense.

Homosexuals can not be heroes.

Northstar is a failure.

Posted by: Tim Lynch at November 23, 2004 01:35 PM

Homosexuals can not be heroes.

Senator Santorum? Is that you? Welcome! And here I didn't even know you were a comics fan...

TWL

Posted by: Craig J. Ries at November 23, 2004 01:44 PM

Sadly, it's easier for Marvel to continue to hide behind mutants and non-existant (in the Real World) castoffs than deal with actual issues.

Sadly, much of the world thinks like this.

Posted by: John at November 23, 2004 01:55 PM

Homosexuals can not be heroes.

Well, they can certainly 'portray' heroes pretty well -- as we saw with such actors as James 'I won't go through life with one hand tied behind my back' Dean.

Posted by: Den at November 23, 2004 02:00 PM

It was an embarrassing story. Not because it was about a gay character coming out, but because it was horribly written.

First, Lobdell introduces a character with a horrible name and sets him up as the Canadian equivalent of Captain America. Then, what's the first thing we see this great character doing? Attempting to smash the incubator of a sick infant. Real heroic.

I remember all the buzz in the comics press about how courageous that story was, but few commented on how awful the story actually was.

Posted by: Travis at November 23, 2004 02:02 PM

Those whom post anonymously and deliberately are inflammatory should be shrouded.

Travis

Posted by: Robin S. at November 23, 2004 02:27 PM

Homosexuals can not be heroes.

Right. Because, of course, all heroes must be entirely perfect.

I assume you believe homosexuals can't be heroes because you think the lifestyle is sinful. I happen to agree. I also think that it's sinful to have premarital sex, lie, be overly lazy, and/or any number of other things that I (and every other human who's ever lived, save one) are guilty of. To judge homosexuals because of their sin and overlook the sins of every other human being is just silly.

If it is your intent to say that no one who is imperfect can ever be a hero, well, I think you're wrong, but that's at least a consistent opinion. If your intent is to say that THIS sin is somehow worse than others, I have to ask why you've got the double standard.

Posted by: Jeff Lawson at November 23, 2004 02:30 PM

I'm with Travis:

DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.

Posted by: Wilt at November 23, 2004 02:41 PM

If it is your intent to say that no one who is imperfect can ever be a hero, well, I think you're wrong, but that's at least a consistent opinion.


Or maybe his intent was to say that anyone who is not actively trying to be the best that the can be is not heroic. If one is actively involved in a sinful or less than perfect lifestyle, regardless of what the sin is, and is boastful about, there is no heroism involved.

If that was his intent, there is no inconsistent stance there.

Posted by: whatever at November 23, 2004 02:41 PM

Homosexuals cannot be heroes.
That is my excuse why I am not a hero.

Posted by: Wilt at November 23, 2004 02:43 PM

be the best that the can be be the best that the can be

Should be:

be the best that they can be

Posted by: 7thunders at November 23, 2004 02:57 PM

Why do I get the feeling "whatever" will never be a hero. sad sad people

Posted by: Ilion at November 23, 2004 03:05 PM

Lobdell is writing the travesty that's the new Alpha Flight series. I'd heard the original series was quite good. It's hard to imagine Lobdell writing Alpha Flight in any decent way having read only the new series.

Posted by: Alexandre at November 23, 2004 03:08 PM

Question: why do we have to have these "possibilities" explored?

OK, it'd be interesting to see the "Canada's fighting fag" thing. But, do we really have to have stories about every "strange" guy around?

Posted by: bryn at November 23, 2004 03:38 PM

I think i must be a little naive, I read Peter's article on Northstar, and didn't expect to find the reactions to a 'gay superhero' among the comments that I found.

How on earth does being gay prevent someone from being a hero?

Also how does being gay make anyone less than perfect - being gay is not an imperfection.

Posted by: Bladestar at November 23, 2004 04:00 PM

DIdn't you know that George W., the President of the United States of Jesus, declared war on homosexuals because they're sinners? (In his sad fucking pathetic eyes at least)

Posted by: Scavenger at November 23, 2004 04:03 PM

Bryn, because the world is full of small minded bigots who for somereason think Jesus is proud that they embrace hatred.

Posted by: Jeff Lawson at November 23, 2004 04:05 PM

Did anybody like the previous Alpha Flight series, written by Steven T. Seagle? I enjoyed it, but it was cancelled after 20 issues or so without wrapping up the "conspiracy" storyline they had going to my satisfaction.

Unfulfilled potential, I think.

What they should do is find a nice, Canadian writer to take the helm, so the team could have adventures in a culturally distinct setting.

Posted by: Michael Pullmann at November 23, 2004 04:43 PM

"But, do we really have to have stories about every "strange" guy around?"

Well, I suppose not. Then again, we don't really *have* to have any stories at all around. But we do, because there are these people who are really good at making them, and the rest of the world enjoys reading them. So as long as we're indulging everyone, why not have as many different types of stories about as many differnt types of people as we can?

Posted by: Michileen Martin at November 23, 2004 04:52 PM

While I agree that it was a bold move on the part of the AF creative team to have Northstar come out of the closet, among all the heroes to choose from, Northstar isn't exactly a completely threatening choice is he? He's a snobbish, arrogant member of one of the least popular superhero teams in Marvel's line-up (no offense to AF fans, but it has been cancelled twice and somehow I doubt the current series will fare any better). And on top of that, he isn't even American (which wouldn't be important if it weren't for the fact that Marvel's titles are dominated by American superheroes, and in fact it seems to me that part of the continuing failure on the part of the marketing team behind AF is that they seem to punctuate "HEY! THEY'RE CANADIAN!" and little else). In fact, correct me if I'm wrong, but he's French-Canadian, the "French" part of that phrase being the most important. Americans have long stereotyped the French as being effeminate, snobbish (and both of these characteristics are seen in our stereotypes of homosexuals), as well as sexually "deviant."

I'm not saying Northstar's coming-out wasn't important. It was. But I see it as an important first step, and I'm hoping we see bigger steps in the days to come.

Posted by: Jeff Coney (www.hedgehoggames.com)) at November 23, 2004 04:54 PM

"Homosexuals can not be heroes"

Hey Whatever forgot to bash, jews, blacks, women, orientals, arabs, .... I'd say Canadians, but I suppose Northstar counts. Kind of a 2 birds with one slur. Did I forget anyone? We dont' want to leave anyone out of being offended!

PS If I did forget, remember White males don't count. Apperently they can be anything they want.

Posted by: Michileen Martin at November 23, 2004 05:00 PM

"Question: why do we have to have these "possibilities" explored?

OK, it'd be interesting to see the "Canada's fighting fag" thing. But, do we really have to have stories about every "strange" guy around?"

Strange?

Define "strange" for me, please.

See, I'm guessing your definition of "strange" must not include people who change into green monsters because the check-out line at the grocery store was too long, or orphans who dress like bats and beat up poor people.

If not, cool, but whatever world you live in that the ranks of comicdom characters existing before and after Northstar's coming-out party don't rate as "strange guys," just stay there and don't let it spill into my backyard.

Posted by: Luigi Novi at November 23, 2004 06:08 PM

I remember first reading this column in the BID collection, and I remember thinking how tame Peter was (understandably so, mind you) in his assessment of how poorly this issue was both written and drawn.

Writingwise, the first thing that jumps out is the way the reader is supposed to understand, from Northstar’s darkened face looking into the incubator after learning it (He? She?) has AIDS, that he has formed a rapport with this baby, and that the audience is supposed to as well.

What bullshit.

How exactly are we supposed to care when we’ve known this baby—essentially an inanimate object, given the way the story treats it—for only several pages, and have not had any time to see how Northstar has become attached to it? What this story should’ve done was have the baby apparently healthy, perhaps on Northstar’s or Alpha Flight’s HQ doorstep, ala Three Men and a Baby, become attached to it over the course of several issues as a background arc, and discover, after the baby showed signs of illness, that it had HIV (not AIDS, since it would’ve lent credence to the notion of it initially appearing healthy). I’m not trying to minimize the tragedy of finding a sick baby, but in terms of characterization and reader emotion, I simply do not buy the portrayal of Northstar being saddened by this kids’ plight one bit. The story never really seemed to care about this kid as anything other than a plot. I mean, did we even find out at the end of the story if the kid died? If we did, it was so forgettable that I don’t remember.

Mind you, I don’t blame Scott Lobdell for this; he was, I think, the first creator I ever met, when he and my mom shared an elevator up to the Marvel offices when I was 17, right after my college interview in New York. He was friendly, and I’ve enjoyed his humorous scripting on titlesExcalibur and X-Men. It’s possible that the quality of this story’s execution may be attributed to editorial forces beyond his control; I wonder if there was in fact some decree from upstairs before the media blitz to trim it in length, or something.

Hell, even improved art would’ve sufficed. Marc Pacella and Dan Panosian were probably, without exception, the WORST artists of the Jim Lee Stardom period, and the worst style copiers ever. When doing portfolio review at conventions (talk about the blind leading the blind), Pacella’s only advice to aspiring artists was to simply ask them what every other previous reviewer had said, offering no original advice except to tell the artist to take artwork of their favorite artists and pin it up around their drawing board to copy what they were doing, arguing that by not doing so (as if there aren’t artists working whose style isn’t a direct imitation of another artist), the aspiring artist would starve.

Between Pacella’s and Panosian’s total ignorance of how to correctly apply cross-hatching (even the cross-hatching of their style emulatee, Jim Lee, while gratuitous and arbitrary in spots, is far better than these two), their insistence on drawing ever single character like a bodybuilder (even PUCK, for crying out loud!), their lack of anatomical knowledge, and inability to convincingly illustrate a setting or convey any sort of life in characters, the books was just awful. If we had gotten at least one well-rendered look at that baby, the reader might’ve been able to empathize.

So between the art, the writing and the company’s skittishness, it was a total waste.

Michael Pullmann: …with the exception of Jean-Paul buddying it up with the gay member of the Pantheon whose name I can't recall at Rick Jones's wedding.
Luigi Novi: Hector.

Travis: Those whom post anonymously and deliberately are inflammatory should be shrouded.
Luigi Novi: I think those who post abusive or vitriolic material should be shrouded. Anonymity, in and of itself, doesn’t cut it.

Posted by: Queen Anthai at November 23, 2004 06:33 PM

Veering over to DC for a moment, I vaguely recall an issue of Wonder Woman where it was strongly suggested that a significant portion of the Amazons on Themyscira were lesbian. (This was back when Perez was writing.) Was there as negative a reaction to that as there was to Northstar's coming out? What other superheroes are gay, anyway? I'm curious as to how other coming-out stories in the comics medium have been handled/received by the public.

Wouldn't it be great to see a really, really flamboyantly gay superhero someday? Like a total Carson Kressley? :)

Posted by: John C. Kirk at November 23, 2004 06:37 PM

I remember that Paul O'Brien made some good comments about Northstar a while back. "Poor old Northstar. There was a time when he was a character, you know, not just The Gay One."

Posted by: TallestFanEver at November 23, 2004 06:45 PM

I might just pick this issue up, cuz I've read several reviews of it. HOWEVER, I must say this below is one of my favourite reviews of "Alpha Flight 106", or possibly one of my favourite comic book reviews I've ever read. (note: its a negative one, but I think its pretty funny read if you're in a savage mood.)

http://www.icomics.com/rev_051600_alpha.shtml

ALPHA FLIGHT #106

Written by Scott Lobdell
Art by Mark Pacella and Dan Panosian
32 pages, color
Published by Marvel Comics

There are a lot of bad comics out there. There's a very special group of comics which stand out above the rest. These aren't vanity projects that had to be self-published because every company in creation turned it down—these stinkers were published by major companies... and are so amazingly bad that they're famous. This week celebrates the sheer awfulness of these. Be warned. You may end up wanting to buy these. Proceed with caution.

Alpha Flight was always one of Marvel's quirkier titles, no matter whom the writer. This is, after all, the book that somehow slipped past the higher-ups such events as Sasquatch becoming an unwilling transsexual and another teammate being the product of a supervillain mind-controlling her mother. The one thing it seemed they weren't able to get past the powers-that-be, though, was Northstar being gay. To be fair, it got by them for some time; the John Byrne era of the book was very subtle, but you could tell where it was going. That all changed when Bill Mantlo took over, with constant comments on Northstar liking men in tights and such. When Mantlo gave Northstar a "sickness", eyebrows were certainly raised, and Marvel informed Mantlo that Northstar having AIDS was right out. Mantlo wrote the character out by revealing that he was sick because he was a fairy (I am not making this up), and that was that. Until Scott Lobdell showed up.

Apparently, the time was right for Northstar to burst out of the closet, both fists swinging. With the help of guest-penciller Mark Pacella (thus letting series artist Tom Morgan avoid getting two entries this week, having done enough damage to Power Pack as detailed in yesterday's review), Lobdell decided to write one of the most abysmally bad coming-out stories in creation. It seems that Major Mapleleaf (I wish I was making this up) is upset about the death of his son, driving him to do things like eat his television set. (Or cry into it. I can't tell with this art.) Meanwhile, Northstar has found a baby in a trashcan (I'm assuming a human baby, despite the art making it clear that this is a baby from some alien planet where mouths and arms are shaped differently than here) who turns out to have AIDS. Major Mapleleaf is upset that the media latches onto the baby's plight and decides it's time to beat the crap out of the baby.

So, of course, Northstar and Major Mapleleaf (do you have any idea how hard it is to type his name when each time produces more and more laughter?) start fighting. Northstar starts off with an attractive jété that many ballerinas would be envious of. Major M's response is to stretch his arms up about nine feet and push them further back than shoulders would allow, in an attempt to kill the baby with his underarm odor. (Meanwhile, we also learn that Major M has "hippo teeth"—all molars!) After dancing through the air at Northstar, the two crash into the frozen food section of a grocery store. It's amidst the flying turkey-bits that we get the following amazing speech from Northstar:

"Do not presume to lecture me on the hardships homosexuals must bear."

"No one knows them better than I."

"For while I am not inclined to discuss my sexuality with people for whom it is none of their business—"

"—I am gay!"

"Be that as it may"

"AIDS is not a disease restricted"

"to homosexuals"

"as much as it seems, at times"

"the rest of the world"

"wishes that were so!"

Then the two strangle each other, Major M accuses Northstar of being responsible for Major M's gay son's death from AIDS because of his silence, Northstar is drawn so hideously you'd think he was possessed by Mr. Hyde (who, now that I think of it, showed up earlier in this issue) and then they cry. Oh, and the baby dies. But lest people thing that Northstar is less of a man, we get a hot bonus pin-up of Northstar at a bar, drinking with the dwarf and the feral madman. Er, that is, Puck and Wolverine.

This comic is so horrendous it's amazing. The writing's bad. The art is worse. Together, it's got the attractiveness of week-old-road-kill. If it wasn't for Marvel's sheer embarrassment over the media attention this book received (their embarrassment was over the attention, sadly, not because they knew what a turkey this was), I'd have expected it to be passed around the office as, "a great way to satisfy people who want characterization without having to give up a single page of fight scene!" It's tough to find a book that hits rock bottom so quickly—and stays there—as this one. Wow.

Posted by: Allen W. Wright at November 23, 2004 07:03 PM

One of my friends used to enjoy mocking that issue. "not that it's anyone's business, but ... I AM GAY!"

It was well-intentioned, and far better than the Mantlo-era "fairy" stuff. But still cheesy. (Even before they changed Northstar into being a half-elf, I thought it wasn't nearly as maturely written as the Bryne hints about Northstar.)

As I recall, there was a big gay and lesbian celebration in Toronto shortly after that issue. (Can't remember if it was Gay Pride or another such event.) They wanted someone to dress up as Northstar and fly in on wires. I thought that would have been cool - justifying the cheesy issue. If memory serves, Marvel wasn't that thrilled with the idea.

Hopefully if it did happen, they used Northstar's cool black costume instead of the maple leaf-inspired look of time. (An artistic decision akin to having all the Avengers dress like Captain America.)

Bryne's Alpha Flight is the only one that felt properly Canadian. Go figure. (g) Well, okay... the special drawn by Ken Stacey had a cool Silver Snail cameo appearance.

Allen

Posted by: Novafan at November 23, 2004 07:03 PM

Bladestar said DIdn't you know that George W., the President of the United States of Jesus, declared war on homosexuals because they're sinners? (In his sad f%$#^$ pathetic eyes at least)

You know what Bladestar, you're starting to sound a lot like Craig. Either you are one and the same person, or you're on the other side of his wall.

Posted by: Bladestar at November 23, 2004 07:10 PM

At least I'm a better human being that you Nova, I let others live their lives without forcing my religion into their lives....

You are a worthless piece of shit. Go drink the Kool Aid

Posted by: Novafan at November 23, 2004 07:58 PM

Bladestar said At least I'm a better human being that you Nova, I let others live their lives without forcing my religion into their lives....You are a worthless piece of shit. Go drink the Kool Aid

At what point did I say you had to follow my religion?

I'm continually nice to you when I respond to your posts and you still hurl insults my way. How intriguing.

Posted by: John Mosby at November 23, 2004 08:21 PM

Personally I welcome any story that's well-written about a character or situation that offers escapism or insight.

If every story featuring Northstar made comment to him being gay it would be as insulting as NO story about him being gay. It would be the same as every Luke Cage story being about him being black or every Nightcrawler story about Kurt being angst-ridden over his faith. I'm not black, but Cage is a good character. I'm not overtly religious, but Kurt's a good character. I'm not gay, but Northstar has as much potential as any other character.

Introducing a controversial back-story is a great opportunity to explore new plots and stories but it shouldn't be shorthand for controversy or stereotypes either.

Kinda like the whole Ellen Dengeneres situation... where being gay suddenly became the ONLY issue for her to talk about and the only thing advertiser didn't - and the audeince was left in the middle going 'Are we the ONLY people who don't care either way?'

John

Posted by: REVERENDSNOW at November 23, 2004 08:27 PM

I've always loved the whole religious angle of homosexuality being a sin. It shows that a lot of people just take bits and pieces of the Bible and use it for their agenda.

Here's a site for you. http://www.fallwell.com/

It's not the end all of the conversation, but I have noticed it helps to quiet down a few ignorant people.(Well actually, some of them it just makes them louder becasue nobody likes to be proven wrong and most of them don't like to think for themselves and make an informed opinion. At least, that's from my experiences.)

Posted by: TallestFanEver at November 23, 2004 08:46 PM

Well, I just read the issue. I totally recommend it to anyone and everybody. Not because its good, heavens no, because it doesn't make a lick of sense. Therein lies the humour. Its like the "Spock's Brain" of Marvel comics. An entertaining train wreck. Maybe well intentioned but it comes off as insanely over the top and melodramatic to the point where it just becomes funny. One of the best moments was where for a single panel it was raining a torrential fury from the heavens and then it stopped raining for no apparent reason the rest of the issue.

The pin up poster at the end does look really gay though, I think that's my favourite part.


thumbs up!

Posted by: WilWats at November 23, 2004 08:47 PM

I think i must be a little naive, I read Peter's article on Northstar, and didn't expect to find the reactions to a 'gay superhero' among the comments that I found.

How can you not think that an article about the first coming out of a fag superhero would not get reactions like this has?

Posted by: mike weber at November 23, 2004 08:53 PM

And leave us not forget Marvel's recent Western travesty along these lines...

The only good part of that was the art.

Over at DC, meanwhile, it appears to be Just Fine for women to be gay -- Catwoman's former grrlfriend Holly and her live-in Karon, for instance.

Posted by: WilWats at November 23, 2004 09:01 PM

Here's a site for you. ">http://www.fallwell.com/

Wow, I would have to say that site did not do much except convince me that the guy that put it together is an emotional nitwit!

Posted by: Malkie at November 23, 2004 09:12 PM

OK. I thought this comment would be about the fact that a perfectly good, fun character like Jean-Paul Beaubier had been taken out of Limbo only to be thrown back there so that the wonderfully over-used Wolverine can be in more comics!
Anyhow, I personally got BACK into X-Men comics because I saw that Northstar had joined the X-Men. I was like "Cool! First openly gay X-man". Unfortunately after some very few issues that were actually interesting, Northstar was reverted to a token gay character. He had to remind us EVERY issue he was in that he was gay and that was his claim to fame. Which just, to me, showed how much Marvel was changing, except.. they really haven't have they? They shoved him into a closet somewhere in the X-Mansion, only to appear when needed.
To add to this, the few other gay characters Marvel has are all mutants, most of them are dead, and were never depicted in a relationship. The lesbian characters, however, have been. There is a wonderful Exiles issue about a relationship between an alternate reality Spider-Girl and Sunfire. The closest the gay men get to that is Phat and Vivisector sleeping together or Vivisector's short lived romance that started in the very last issue of X-Statix, right before he was killed.
That's not really where I wanted to go, sorry yet again. I'm getting off track. So basically I want Northstar back on the X-Men. He belongs there and I think, if Marvel would de-thaw Iceman from his "second mutation" that seems more like he's de-evolving, that they would make a good couple. Jean-Paul is a complete and utter jerk. I'll admit it, but that's part of his charm. He has obviously been hurt before and he uses his personality to keep people from getting too close to him. The only person who ever got really close to him was his sister Jeanne-Marie/Aurora and well that didn't turn out very well.
Iceman, on the other hand, used to be a jovial, trickster. He'd get Jean-Paul to lighten up and stop being such a jerk all the time while Jean-Paul would help ground Bobby and maybe help Bobby act a little more.. mature at times. That's my personal opinion, but anyhow..
Northstar has loads of potential as a character, not just because he's gay. He's also a French-Canadian business man. He's a former member of the now defunct Alpha Flight and he's learning to be a teacher at Xavier's. I think they can do a lot when Jean-Paul counciling and helping students who are having trouble with their identity, not just their sexuality. He teaches flight class, as we know, and I think business as well.
Finally, a little comment about Alpha Flight and issue 106. Alpha Flight started out and was believed to be just another X-Men spin-off title, but it became so much more. The original series lasted longer than some of the other X-Men spin-offs. Of course the later issues were handled badly, some of them were split into two issues and there were too many Flights running around. That is probably why the series eventually died. I don't know about the 2nd one, but this current ALpha Flight series stinks. It's too goofy. As for 106 of Alpha Flight vol. 1, it's an embarassing story. The huge majority of the issue of the issue is about Jean-Paul's adopted daughter. Then the random Major Mapleleaf fight and finally the "coming out" scene which is thrown in the back as a kind of after thought. It's like, "Oh yeah.. that's what i was going to do." The story could have been expanded quite a bit more than it was. It was so wasted. I would personally be embarassed if I wrote something like that and actually tried to pass it off as quality work.

Posted by: Bladestar at November 23, 2004 09:56 PM

By your continual support for an asshole president that seeks to legislate his ignorant religion into law.

You are less than human by your total lack of respect for others.

Posted by: REVERENDSNOW at November 23, 2004 09:58 PM

"Wow, I would have to say that site did not do much except convince me that the guy that put it together is an emotional nitwit!"

Yeah,I figure you should fight emotional zealotry with the same. Hence, me posting.

Posted by: Craig J. Ries at November 23, 2004 10:29 PM

You know what Bladestar, you're starting to sound a lot like Craig. Either you are one and the same person, or you're on the other side of his wall.

Well, see, unlike some, I post with my real name, for starters, which just goes to show that I have no need to hide behind anything (to wit, I give both you, Novafan, and Bladstar the finger in that regard).

As for the wall. Well, wait for the Revolution.

Posted by: Karen at November 23, 2004 10:35 PM

Reverend Snow,
I especially liked the quote by Thomas Jefferson at the bottom of the page.

Posted by: Bladestar at November 23, 2004 10:37 PM

Bite me Craigee.

Go through Identify Theft sometime and get back to me.

Not that I believe Craigy is your name anyway...

Posted by: Novafan at November 23, 2004 10:45 PM

Craig said to wit, I give both you, Novafan, and Bladstar the finger in that regard

Is that the finger I think it is? If so, I'm number 1 in Craig's book instead of Bush. WooHoo!!!

Posted by: Deano at November 23, 2004 10:58 PM

It never ceases to amaze how nothing polarizes and provokes a response out of people like religion,race ,and peoples sexuality.One of which you choose,one you have no control over ,and the other may be beyond your control.
I was never a big Northstar fan,mostly cause i felt he was an arrogant jerk.The gay angle didnt bother me as much as the reference to him being half fairy.I mean come on, doesnt take a rocket science to read between the lines there!!!
His recent run in XMEN was disappointing ,it started out okay then he just disappeared,and vanished with the crush on iceman storyline.
So far the only openly gay male couple i can think of are Midnighter and Apollo in the Authority.
I recall vaguely in the Jim Wilson(think that was his name)AIDS story in the Hulk people assumed that meant Jim was Gay ,I dont think it was ever stated what the exact cause of his infection with the virus was.Please feel free to clarify.
It was also assumed that Jericho in the TEEN TITANS was gay due to his "sensitive,artistic" na
ture,and some assume that Connor (GREEN ARROW's son) is gay due to his percieved uneasiness around women.
Bottomline I dont have a problem with gay characters in fiction but fans and readers really need to get over their preconceptions of what gay people are and writers need to do more research
to portray a homsexual character as a real person and not just a GAY character.An example being the
Willow /Tara relationship on BVS.

Posted by: Kim Metzger at November 23, 2004 11:27 PM

I remember when this comic broke a co-worker who was also a comics fan brought a publication up to me showing me an editorial in it ranting on about how terrible it was to have a gay super-hero and that gays were now going to be cruising comic book stores to pick up boys.

I pointed out to him that the publication was WEEKLY WORLD NEWS and he shouldn't get too upset over anyone who might take anything in that rag seriously.

Posted by: Craig J. Ries at November 24, 2004 12:13 AM

Bite me Craigee.

Go through Identify Theft sometime and get back to me.

Not that I believe Craigy is your name anyway...

Now, I am not sure if you're making a pathetic attempt to insult me because I typoed Bladestar, or if you're just that bloody ignorant?

I'll vote the latter, since this isn't the first time you've done this. Sometimes, I think you have a point (if an odd way of expressing it). At other times, I think you're a complete twit who needs to get his priorities in order.

If you're that afraid of identity theft, do some real research or get off the internet.

Posted by: Jerome Maida at November 24, 2004 12:26 AM

You know, it's funny. When the recent "Rawhide Kid" came out, I did a package for the Philadelphia Daily News about it, about the history of gay characters (for which I got to interview PAD) and a story stating that - once and for all - ROBIN IS NOT AND HAS NEVER BEEN GAY:) (My one editor loved that last one)>
Anyway, in the coursr of my research into the story, I went to Atomic City Comics - the best comic store in Philadelphia - and talked to the two co-owners about the history of gay characters in comics and how they've been portrayed.
they were impressed, they said, with the Pied Piper stories concerning the issue (which I had never read), and said his portrayal was better than the Northstar "fiasco" (their words) in "Alpha Flight" #106 (which I also had never read).
Having liked the character and Byrne and Mantlo's early runs o the book, I was surprised to hear this.
They gave me a reprint so I could read it and judge for myself. I felt there was no way it could be as bad as they had said.
I was right.
It was even worse.
Now understand, at one time I was reading over 200 comics a month. It takes a lot for me not to find something to enjoy about a comic.
This book had a lot. In spades.
The story was incredibly weak, cheesy and illogical. The characters were such in name only. The art was terrible.
And the "big, dramatic" announcement, with Northstar in an incredible battle pose, choosing that moment - and not a quiet or even heated moment with his teammates or sister - to announce "I AM GAY!"
It was laughable at best.
In the present day, Austen's Northstar story with the dying boy he could not say was excellent, and from what understand he had greater plans for the character until Bill Jemas -ahem- "decided" to leave.
marvel has been much more averse to "controversial" material since Buckley took over.
At any rate, PAD has introduced the most homosexual characters in his book, and he definitely combines quantity with quality.

Posted by: Randall Kirby at November 24, 2004 12:49 AM

You can find out about LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered) characters at:

http://www.gayleague.com/gay/characters/index.php

You can find out about LGBT creators at www.prismcomics.org

Also - You know what's a REALLY inflammatory site?
check out www.godhatesfigs.com
Thats right, I said FIGS!

Posted by: Paul F. P. Pogue at November 24, 2004 02:56 AM

Peter:

You are a lying liar who tells only lies! NO ONE in human history has ever finished "Dragon's Lair II: Time Warp"! That game was and remains friggin' IMPOSSIBLE. Anyone who says so is clearly either delusional or lying. Admit it: you did the same thing I did and mucked around with the home edition until you could get it to play the movie files, just to admire the wonderful way Bluth and company render Daphne.

You know it's true.

Paul :)

Posted by: dark schneider at November 24, 2004 05:47 AM

I've read de Alpha Flight series of Steven T.Seagle and I didn't like it, I didn't like Scott Clark work, but Duncan Rouleau made me wish Scott to come back. I suppose Seagle knew Marvel was going to cancel the book, so he could end the conspiracy a few issues earlier.

And Dragon's Lair's good, but Space Ace is better

Posted by: Robin S. at November 24, 2004 08:06 AM

Wilt wrote: Or maybe his intent was to say that anyone who is not actively trying to be the best that the can be is not heroic. If one is actively involved in a sinful or less than perfect lifestyle, regardless of what the sin is, and is boastful about, there is no heroism involved.

If that was his intent, there is no inconsistent stance there.

Fair enough. There's no inconsistency there. It's still a wrongheaded stance, I think, but the inconsistency of it is open to debate.

Bladestar wrote: By your continual support for an asshole president that seeks to legislate his ignorant religion into law.

You are less than human by your total lack of respect for others.

You call my religion ignorant, then accuse others of a lack of respect, Bladestar?

By the way, how, exactly, is Bush trying to legislate his religion into law? Be specific here. Which proposed legislation are you protesting, and exactly how is it a legislation of the Christian faith?

Jeff Lawson said: DO NOT FEED THE TROLLS.

Awww, phooey. You just don't want me to have any fun. (Trolls feed on anger, right? So, if I'm trying to use trollishness to springboard a rationsl conversation, is that still feeding the trolls?)

Posted by: Bladestar at November 24, 2004 08:35 AM

You reeally are that stupid, eh Robin?

Try the proposed amendment to to Ban Gay Marriage for example?

Then again, religion does tend to get in the way of reasonable thought. Since logical thought would cause christians to abandon their silly fairy tale belief structure anyway...

Posted by: Robin S. at November 24, 2004 08:52 AM

If Bush were trying to legislate Christianity, he'd be trying to ban homosexuality altogether, which ISN'T what he's doing. Tell you what, Bladestar. You search the Bible. You find a condemnation of homosexual MARRIAGE, and I'll cede the point.

The tradition of marriage being between a man and a woman is a fairly longstanding one, and it's hardly restricted to the Christian faith (which you're implying it is). Until fairly recently, marriage was almost entirely about the children that could be produced in a union, no matter how much the left would have us to believe otherwise. It's only been in the last century or so (I think) that marriage had more to do with love than it did with children or political alliances.

I understand the desire to protect the current definition of marriage, but that's not to say that the proposed amendment isn't wrongheaded. Given that we have already redefined marriage as a structure centered purely around a fickle thing like love, it makes little sense to decide who is and is not allowed to love one another. It's not as if two homosexuals are going to switch to being heterosexual purely because they can't "marry."

Besides, it's an attempt at protecting a societal institution that is, in this modern time, utterly meaningless. (See: the marriages of Britney Spears and other celebrities)

Posted by: Guido at November 24, 2004 09:16 AM

It's not religion that gets in the way of reasonable thought, it's dogmatic thinking. "This is what we are taught and let no one say different." Which is absolute balls, or we'd still be thinking the Earth was flat in the center of the universe.

Believe what you will, but do not claim it to be irrefutable fact, cause, y'know, we can pretty much refute anything if we put our minds to it.
Act upon your beliefs, but do not force them on others.

That said, the issue of Alpha Flight at hand sucked in the baddest of ways. Crappy art and crappy story-telling joining forces to squash any potential this story might have had. Even Rawhide Kid was better - and not just art-wise. Reading the column, I note that PAD puts forth some intriguing matters, issues and plot points, which kinda scream for a series to explore this.

Oh, and feel free to disagree with what I've just typed. It's all true, of course, but don't take my word for it. ;)

Posted by: Malkie at November 24, 2004 09:43 AM

OK.. Enough about this gay marriage. It's a non-issue at this point and all the other gay people whining about it and acting like it's an important issue that we are going to win are just delusional. There are other more important issues that less people would contend with. For instance, let's try passing laws that make it illegal to fire someone SOLELY because they are gay, lesbian, bi, trans, ect. At this point, unless you are in a particular state that doesn't allow it (and there are few) or working for one of the companies that doesn't allow it.
Besides, whining about how Bush is anti-gay because he doesn't believe that a court has the right to decide with issues about gay marriage is just stupid. If you actually listened to a thing he said, which most of us gay people don't because they've been brainwashed through years of propaghanda that Democrats are pro-gay, Bush has stated that he has NO problems with Civil Unions, which is all Kerry was going to try to offer anyhow. Besides thanks to Bill Clinton and the democrats in the House and Senate, the Defense of Marriage Act passed (very pro-gay) that allows states to defy the constitution and IGNORE gay marriages. The Constitution states that that wouldn't be allowed under the birth/death/marriage certificate clause, but hey.. Democrats were never big on the constitution anyhow. Oh and on top of that, Bill Clinton gave the military a viable reason to kick gay people out of the military with his Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. More people have been kicked out since that stupid policy came into effect than ever before! Don't forget either that it's recently been released that the "first black president" (That's Bill) was actually telling Kerry to declare that he was against gay marriage! Then Kerry, to try to prove that Clinton wasn't being manipulated and controlled by Clinton, despite having almost all of Clinton's election team, said he refused to do it. So there is your pro-gay party that doesn't give a rats butt about anybody, but themselves and getting re-elected.

Posted by: Marionette at November 24, 2004 11:38 AM

Wow. That is truely a horrible story, even by Alpha Flight standards.

Okay, I never read AF that much. After Byrne left I stopped buying it and only picked up an issue when I heard that Bill Mantlo had totally and blatently ripped off the Demon Queen from Redfox to create the Dream Queen. Reading that issue I noticed that Puck had now been retconned to be normal size and the whole dwarf thing was an evil curse.

I never felt the need to read another issue, though I was almost tempted when I heard that they brought back Guardian in almost the same way that Byrne did, except it was done straight. How bad could it be?

So prompted by this discussion I read 106 and find that Puck is now a dwarf again and Northstar is barely recognisable in shape or characterisation. But then neither is anyone else. Most of the team barely get a line, and now they all dress the same it's hard to tell which is which.

I'm amazed the series lasted as long as it did, and I have to assume that there was some decent writing and art inbetween the crap.

None of which is a comment on the gay issue, just an opinion of the comic. In comics, as with real life, I don't honestly see that a person's sexuality is anyone else's business (unless it's a story on the subject, obviously). People don't go around asking others whether they like to be tied up or having their feet licked, so why should it matter whether they like to cuddle up with boys or girls?

Posted by: Andrew Laubacher at November 24, 2004 04:54 PM

Back when Northstar was supposedly from the realm of fairy, what was the explanation for his sister not being sick? Surely she should have been suffering as badly as he was. And was Major Mapleleaf a deliberate parody of Captain Canuck?

Posted by: Somebody at November 24, 2004 06:13 PM

> Back when Northstar was supposedly from the realm of fairy, what was the explanation for his sister not being sick? Surely she should have been suffering as badly as he was.

What's funny is that, when they retconned away the fairy thing, they never actually explained why he'd been sick in the first place...

Posted by: Allen W. Wright at November 24, 2004 07:53 PM

> Back when Northstar was supposedly from the realm of fairy, what was the explanation for his sister not being sick? Surely she should have been suffering as badly as he was. And was Major Mapleleaf a deliberate parody of Captain Canuck?

It was said that living on Earth affected Jean-Paul physically and affected Jeanne-Marie mentally. That's why she had a split personality. (Does this mean that Bruce Banner is also a half-fairy?)

I think Guardian/Vindicator are much more "Captain Canuck" like than Major Mapleleaf. The Major was dressed like a "Mountie" in the classic red serge dress uniform, wasn't he? THere have certain been a few RCMP-type heroes in Canadian comics - like Kip Keene of the Men of the Mounted.

Allen

P.S.: I guess in Marvel continuity, the real world October crisis of 1970 now happened around 1990. Both Northstar and DC's Plastique are tied to the FLQ.

Posted by: Jerome Maida at November 24, 2004 08:09 PM

Yes, I always felt that Marvel missed a big opportunity not promoting Guardian/Vindicator more as a"major" character, and the Canadian equal of Captain America.
As originally conceived, the character had a LOT of potential.

Posted by: Pack at November 24, 2004 11:42 PM

IIRC, there was indeed an allusion made to... well, let's just say that there was a hint made about *why* Wonder Woman always goes around saying "Suffering Sappho!"
It was in an arc of Justice League Task Force featuring only superheroines and for the duration of the story, J'onn J'onzz took on female form. (Which could lead to a whole new interpretation of "Martian Manhunter"...)
Wonder Woman made some remark about how the women took care of each other's "needs" and when she got shocked looks from the other heroes, she said, "Well, after all, it *is* called *Paradise* Island..."
I wish I could recall the writer of those stories but I think he was some obscure hack who never went on to do any work of *real* significance in comics. :)

Posted by: Pack at November 24, 2004 11:50 PM

One of the things I always liked about Northstar was that the guy was always kinda portrayed as an arrogant prick. I know John Byrne as a guy isn't popular on these boards but as a creator, he was on top of his game back then. I thought it took real guts to take a character who was going to "represent" gays in comic books to many people and make him imperfect. It reminded me a little of how Frank Miller was complaining around the same time that he was getting letters from readers spoiled by Claremont's patented uber-women about how the character of Elektra wasn't fair to women. He responded by saying that A) Elektra wasn't designed to be a hero, she was the hero's adversary and B) real women, just like men, have flaws. Just because Elektra was a cold killer didn't mean *all women* were heartless or that Miller couldn't write strong, moral women, Elektra just wasn't one of them.
But back to Northstar, I think that Byrne's portrayal would have made PAD's story suggestions even stronger because now you not only have a character that's the face of the gay community, he would be someone who doesn't want the job and doesn't have the temprament for it. (Kind of the gay superhero equivalent of Charles Barkley...)

Posted by: Dauriel at November 25, 2004 12:42 AM

Alpha Flight was one of my favorite comics when I was a Teen and Northstar was always my favorite team member. This was before I came to terms with my homosexuality and I may have latently picked up on it. When the issues came out wher he was getting sick, I could see where it was going. Much to my disappointment, I hated to see how Marvel "copped out". By the time 106 came out, I had come to terms with who I was and I was slightly disapoointed with the issue and the aftermath. I guess I thought it would have made a bigger impact, but it was a bit of a let down. Then NorthStar disapperaed from the scene. I was happy to see him back a couple of years ago with the X-Men, and I wished he would have stayed with the team. He's still one of my favorite Marvel heroes (current arguement of the definition of hero notwithstanding) and I hope someone who writes him in the future remains true to the character.

Posted by: JamesLynch at November 25, 2004 10:34 AM

For a better treatment of gay characters, check out THE AUTHORITY and DORK TOWER. In both of these comics, we get to know the characters for several issues before discovering that they're gay. (So they become characters who happen to be gay, not GAY characters.) In both, the revelation comes at a more natural time than while fighting with a villain (I believe that Apollo and the Midnighter had a post-action evening together, while Walden's wexuality comes out (so to speak) during a chat with his sister.) They're both natural, realistic opportunities; and neither is the sole focus of the characters, or the book. (My problem with the show ELLEN is that after she came out, every episode revolved around her sexuality.)

Posted by: UX-Gal at November 25, 2004 01:21 PM

Bah.

Let's face it, no one would even care about Northstar if he wasn't gay. Hmmm... yeah, he's gay, so what? He's not interesting and a bit of jerk most of the time. Boring.

Posted by: Jerome Maida at November 26, 2004 03:26 AM

"Homosexuals cannot be heroes"
TIM LYNCH: "Senator Santorum? Is that you? Welcome! And here I didn't even know you were a comics fan..."

You know, as a resident of Pennsylvania, I have heard a LOT of chatter that if Senator Santorum retains his Pennsylvania seat convincingly over what is almost certainly going to be a tough candidate, he becomes one of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination in 2008. His conservative message will play well in the South and he will be able to carry Pennsylvania and turn it red. Honestly, there were "red" areas in the state where he actually helped because many here don't feel Dubya is conservative ENOUGH.
You heard it here, first.

Posted by: Pack at November 26, 2004 07:09 AM

"Posted by: JamesLynch at November 25, 2004 10:34 AM

For a better treatment of gay characters, check out THE AUTHORITY and DORK TOWER. In both of these comics, we get to know the characters for several issues before discovering that they're gay. (So they become characters who happen to be gay, not GAY characters.) In both, the revelation comes at a more natural time than while fighting with a villain (I believe that Apollo and the Midnighter had a post-action evening together, while Walden's wexuality comes out (so to speak) during a chat with his sister.) They're both natural, realistic opportunities; and neither is the sole focus of the characters, or the book. (My problem with the show ELLEN is that after she came out, every episode revolved around her sexuality.)"

________________________________________

Well, I won't argue that those books show better treatment of gay characters (I don't read "Dork Storm" but really, it's just that to my mind it's an interpretation thing.) but since this story took place in Alpha Flight # 106 you really can't argue that you didn't "get to know the character for several issues before discovering that he's gay."
As for "Ellen," well, there's just no pleasing every person. This whole column was about how they never really did anything with the revelation that Northstar was gay. Other people (and you're not the only one I know who's said this) think Ellen did *too much* with the revelation that she was gay.
I imagine part of it was that the show got all this attention (and a boost in ratings) from her "coming out" episode and the thought was probably that since all these people came around to see the "gay episode," they had better provide more of the same to keep the crowd. It was probably also some growing pains. I'm sure if the show had gone on, they would have found a better balance.
But it's an old argument. I remember criticism of "The Cosby Show" because it wasn't "black" enough. I believe Bill Cosby wanted to do a show that portrayed a black family that was the same as any other sitcom family. But then are they portraying the reality of black America's family life?
I think this headache of how to represent any minority character is why most TV shows are about straight white Christians. I doubt it's racism so much as a lack of desire to deal with everybody's sensitivities.

Posted by: russ at November 28, 2004 05:09 AM

What I always thought was funny was that Northstar being gay was never that big a secret. I rememenber WAY back when (it was when John Byrne was writing Alpha Flight, so it was before #28), I bought a copy of some early 80's comic fan magazine (I can't for the life of remember was it was called, but it wasn't a cheap little fanzine, I bought it at a "real" newstand and it had staples and a glossy cover and everything.) Anyway, the feature article that month was "Women Superheroes" (the cover montage featured Wonder Woman, Supergirl and She-Hulk (in her FF uniform if that helps anyone place the time period)) and inside there was a mini interveiw with JB discussing not only the women in comic books, but the women who read comic books. Mr. Byrne states something to the effect that female readers are much more perceptive then male readers and that while most of the male readers were still totally in the dark, most of the females who wrote in had long since figured out that yes, Northstar was gay.
This article must have been published at least 6 1/2 years before Alpha Flight #106 was published. So when that issue came out and I said smugly to friends "I knew he was gay", I meant I KNEW he was gay.
I guess what I'm saying is I never saw what the big deal was. The creator and writer of the character had already told us that 6 1/2 years ago.

Posted by: Jerome Maida at November 28, 2004 04:37 PM

Russ,
The "big deal" is because, well,
1.) Not everryone read the story you mentioned in a cheap comics fanzine and
2.) There's a big diference between a writer and creator acknowledging that a character is gay and havng the character acknowledge it on the printed page.
Stan Lee has said there were some characters he created that he considered to be gay, but when he created them he couldn't actually state it.
There were rumors swirling about Ellen Degeneres the "person" for years, yet it was her "character's" revelation ON THE SHOW that was groundbreaking.
That's why.

Posted by: Hysan at November 28, 2004 07:01 PM

I remember that. There was a character in SGT. FURY AND HIS HOWLING COMMANDOS who was supposed to be gay, I think.

I always sort of wondered about Clay Quartermain in NICK FURY, AGENT OF S.H.I.E.L.D. but that's just me, obviously.

Posted by: Jerome Maida at November 28, 2004 08:04 PM

Hysan,
Yes! The character in "Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos" (the name escapes me) is one of the characters Lee has taled about.

Posted by: The Blue Spider at December 18, 2004 12:22 AM

***sted by Bladestar at November 23, 2004 04:00 PM

DIdn't you know that George W., the President of the United States of Jesus, declared war on homosexuals because they're sinners? (In his sad fucking pathetic eyes at least)***

I didn't know that the POTUS's eyes could F**** people. Isn't that what a person's d*** is for?

Yes, wonderful! Take an old BID article and use it as another opportunity to spew vile venom on the President.

How anonymous and deliberately inflammatory of you.

Posted by: Matt Dow at April 22, 2005 10:55 PM

WHAT ASSHOLE WROTE A STORY SAYING ICEMAN IS GAY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??????????

I HAVE AN AXE, AND I WANT NAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Matt
(I have an article from when northstar "came out", they metiion that the Pied Piper had been gay for a while, and no one cared.)

Posted by: Jerome Maida at April 23, 2005 03:09 PM

Matt Dow,
"WHAT ASSHOLE WROTE A STORY SAYING ICEMAN IS GAY?!?!"

Actually,no one has. Northstar had a crush on Iceman that was not returned. But since you seem to be so irrationally angry about this - and lacking in reading comprehension skills - the next time you want to look at what you accused the writerof such a story of being,you should lookin the mirror.

Posted by: Matt Dow at April 25, 2005 06:23 PM

Dear Jerome Maida,

If I came across in my previous comment as irrational, I apologize.

Reading through the gargantuan list of posts about this topic, I was given the impression by some of the posters that someone (presumably Chuck Austen,) had decided that Iceman was gay.

Iceman is one of the few X-men that doesn’t completely make me want to bash my head against a wall (most of those characters are so mind-numbingly stupid that it hurts my head to think that they are considered by some to be the be-all and end-all of comicbook heroes.) I like Iceman because he was a founding member of the Champions. And I liked the Champions, I wish Marvel would bring them back.

I understand that that is MY opinion and not necessarily an opinion shared by every other comicbook reader in the world. But it IS my opinion.

Likewise the opinion that if a writer was to have Iceman turn Gay, then that would ruin the character. Because, at that point, Iceman would be as poorly used as Northstar is now.

Northstar is poorly used because his only schtick is that he is Gay. Northstar shows up in a story, and says, “I, Northstar, (who loves the cock, just loves it!) shall save the day!” While you could cut out the “(who loves the cock, just loves it!)” part, that doesn’t identify Northstar for the new reader. Other than being Gay, he’s just another mutant hero. In a story, the writer could use Northstar, or another of the many mutants that have the same or similar powers.

Which brings me back to my opinion that the X-Men are mind-numbingly stupid. As an example: Rogue. Rogue’s big schtick is that she can’t touch anyone or else she will absorb their powers and memories. If I remember right, at one point in Marvel history, Forge invented a device that would turn off a mutant’s powers. And if he didn’t, then with his mutant power of being smart he could make one. Or Reed Richards could make one or Tony Stark could. So Rogue’s powers could be turned off until she wanted to use them. But, that will never be written. Because to do so would be to ruin the only thing that makes Rogue different from the other X-Men.

In fact, now that I think about it, most of the X-Men that have the stupid “I can’t control my powers” flaw could benefit from a device that would turn their powers on and off at their command.

Like Cyclops. He has to wear those stupid glasses all the time. Would it not behoove the X-Men (in the interest of not having to worry about when a villain removes Cyclops’s glasses) to make such a device and give it to Cyclops? There’s an idea for the X-Men. They get smart enough to realize that some people have stupid powers that should be turned off.

Matt Dow
(The other reason I was upset about Iceman possibly being Gay is that I created a character that had Ice powers and was Gay. I’m getting tired of the collective unconscious ripping me off.)

Posted by: Luigi Novi at July 27, 2005 08:08 PM

Why has this column entry from November been reposted?

Deano: I recall vaguely in the Jim Wilson(think that was his name)AIDS story in the Hulk people assumed that meant Jim was Gay ,I dont think it was ever stated what the exact cause of his infection with the virus was.Please feel free to clarify.
Luigi Novi: I believe he told Rick that his girlfriend left him when his condition was revealed. I see no reason to assume he was gay.

Posted by: jeanpaul at September 7, 2005 08:54 PM

now they kill the gay character in wolverine. see issue 20-26.