A Response to Perry Moore’s “Who cares about the Death of a Gay Superhero Anyway”

I recently discovered Perry Moore’s Who Cares about the Death of a Gay Superhero Anyway. I read the information Moore presents and found it rather hyperbolic in some areas. When I showed it to others, they commented similarly and stated that it was sad because such a list WAS so filled with inaccuracies and over-exaggeration. So, I’m trying to do something similar but more factual (like Gail Simone‘s “Women in Refrigerators“). I shall try my best to be objective (as Moore’s clearly ISN’T). I also would like to keep this as updated as possible, that being said.. I DO NOT read every comic. I do not have the time and while I love comics, I don’t love all comics. I shall try to do my best and I ask that YOU respond with thoughts, updates, and characters I’ve missed.

A quick aside about the name. I have struggled with names for this blog for a while. I had Rainbow Masks, which I never liked, but I kept coming back to one idea.. the DC super villain, Prometheus, recently killed the Australian hero, Tasmanian Devil. Tasmanian Devil, as many of you may have known, was a well known gay hero in the DC Universe for a long time, anyhow, when Prometheus was done with our hero, he skinned the Hugh (Tasmanian devil) alive and now the pelt of our hero is now a rug for Prometheus. It’s a rather shocking image and well, it sucks that DC allowed that to happen to a gay hero, so that’s what inspired the name. Hope you like it!

So all that said, let’s get the show on the road!

As an aside, the title, like this blog is a Work in Progress. It may change as I’m not a huge fan, but I’m not witty like Gail Simone and I wanted something simple.

Marvel Comics

Black Cat: originally heterosexual, revealed to be bisexual despite years of heterosexual relationships, trained to be a fighter after being raped, then tries to break her father out of prison, falls for Spider-Man, sent to a mental institution, dates Flash Thompson, given powers, then depowered, opens her own detective agency, forgets that to join a group of heroes that fight loser villains, dating Spider-Man now that Spider-man no longer has a wife, currently appearing in her own mini series again.

Beast: originally just a large guy with large hands and feet, turned blue and furry through self-experimentation, gets super strength that causes him to lose his vast intelligence, becomes vastly more cat-like after a second mutation, always depicted as being heterosexual, comes out for a single issue in New X-Men to hurt his ex-girlfriend, reveals that he lied and states: “Come on, I’m as gay as the next mutant. I make a great role model for alienated young men and women. Why not?“- New X-Men vol. 1 #134.

Bloke: first openly gay character on X-Force/X-Statix, killed shortly after the series started.

Cloud: a sentient nebula cloud that possesses the body/memories of two people, a male and a female, first appears as a woman, later transforms into a man to be with Moondragon, last seen in New Defenders and never heard from since.

Iceman: fell in love with fellow New Defenders member, Cloud, told Cloud that he loved him/her no matter what form Cloud took (man or woman), forgotten by all writers and never mentioned again.

Northstar: Member of Alpha Flight and X-Men, overly obsessed with twin sister, has major anger and patience issues, has trouble getting close to people except his sister, major trust issues, had a eluded that he may have had a relationship with adopted/foster father, revealed to have a long time crush on Sasquatch, which is why he disagreed with his sister dating Sasquatch, sister rejects him, changes her powers so they lose their powers whenever they touch,  a member of Alpha Flight until they disband, adopted an AIDs baby which forced him to come out, joins the X-Men as a teacher to help gay students, reminds everyone constantly that he is gay except apparently Iceman who he has a crush on, killed and decapitated to prevent resurrection, body stolen, fights the X-Men while brainwashed, also aids in the brainwashing of his sister, becomes good again through VR, leaves X-men, comes back to find young gay teen Anole, hit in the face by Anole, goes back to normal life, gets a boyfriend, leaves that all when Wolverine, the man who killed him, asks him to rejoin the X-Men since they need a speedster, currently a member of X-Men and best pals with Dazzler, former disco queen.

Phat: Member of X-Force/X-Statix, lies about his past to make himself more interesting, comes up with the idea to pretend to be gay, shows he has trouble controlling his powers, is killed protecting the most hated member, Henrietta Hunter, as part of a mission to get her killed.

Vivisector: member of X-Force/X-Statix, most academic character on the team, pretends to be gay to get press, finally admits he is openly gay with member Phat, they date briefly, becomes infatuated with El Guapo, chooses to “cure” himself of his mutant powers, regains them and kills his replacement, has a brief relationship with a gay Hollywood star, eventually he is killed along with the others members of his team, is last seen in the Dead Girl mini with the few characters Marvel has actually left dead.

DC Comics

Amazons (Various): Once a peace loving race of women that had various interests that viewed men as violent and the cause for war, today they are rugged warriors that go to war rather often, they have been used typically as canon fodder in various story lines and once disappeared all together, leaving the world of men behind forever,  it was revealed that the Amazons court each other in a love ritual, the number of actual Amazons that are dating or have dated each other is unknown, but it is enough to warrant an actual ritual.

Batwoman II: Originally a reinvented version of Kathy Kane, the original Batwoman, now both exist, also originally depicted as being a rich heiress to the Kane fortune, a fortune that rivals the Wayne fortune, and as DC put it, a “lipstick lesbian”, when given her own series becomes the daughter of an ex-colonel, tried to join the military, but was kicked out because she was a lesbian, lives with her father and step mother, dresses in a tux to meet new girlfriend dressed in exactly the same tux, shown as being rather irritated that her father remarried and relies on her father for advice/help/orders during her tenure as Batwoman.

Creote: ex-Russian KGB, completely in love with Savant, kidnaps Black Canary, breaks her legs, is beaten by Canary, later joins the Birds of Prey with Savant, fakes his death after Savant is “dead”, finally admits his love for Savant, but is unsure if Savant will remember due to his condition.

Element Lad: implied during 5 Year Gap Legion, accepts Shvaughn Erin’s retransformation to Sean Erin, very supportive of the change, but shown as being a lover of change, not necessarily Sean.

Frostbite: A frost elf from the far reaches of Canada, almost immortal, shown as being heterosexual and completely infatuated with Bonfire during the series, at the end reveals that he is bisexual, last seen in Young Heroes in Love One Million.

Grace Choi: originally depicted as being heterosexual with a long line of lovers including Plastic Man, Arsenal, and Green Arrow, she joined the Outsiders as their strong woman, her origins have never fully been disclosed but it’s implied that she might be an Amazon, suddenly reveals a secret relationship with Anissa Pierce (Thunder), sneaks said girlfriend back onto the Outsiders team without Batman’s permission, leaves the Outsiders as a new team replaces them.

Hero Cruz: member of Superboy and the Ravers, tries to date female member Sparx briefly, becomes companion to Rex the Wonder Dog, dates an alien briefly, sent to space to be forgotten, comes back to briefly appear in a very short lived Titans L.A.

Knockout: a former villain to Superboy, named Knockout for both her strength and her appearance, was one of Darkseid’s Female Furies, pretended to be a member of the Society for Scandal, joined the Secret Six and was a member until she was murdered by Infinity-Man as were all the New Gods.

Obsidian: Overly obsessed with his twin sister, originally had an explosive anger, gone crazy a couple times, tried to kill his father and sister on at least 2 occasions, taken over by powers of darkness, finally finds love and stability with his boyfriend, Damon Matthews, picks up his entire life and moves across country to be the security guard to the Justice Society of America, no reason given.

Off-Ramp: member of a race of travelers that can travel through space, time, and dimensions, chooses for unknown reasons to stay on Earth, is the only member of Young Heroes not to date anyone or show attraction to anyone until near the end where he implies that Frostbite wants to sleep with him, they date after the series is canceled.

Pied Piper: born practically deaf, originally a rich brat using a pipe to control people, turns to philanthropy and helps the homeless, befriends Wally West (The Flash), and changes from villain to hero, has one boyfriend that he rescues, boyfriend is forgotten after that, his parents are murdered and he is sent to jail for their murder, is forced to believe he murdered his parents, is taken out of jail to help new friend the Trickster stop Flash’s Rogue’s Gallery, rejoins the Rogues after Wally leaves, helps in the “murder” of then Flash, Bart Allen, goes on the run with Trickster, causes the death of Trickster, is forced to cut off Trickster’s arm, discovers he was manipulated by Darkseid’s master of torture, Desaad, revealed to have the all powerful Anti-Life Equation that allows him to manipulate just about anything even machinery, helps the Rogue’s kill Inertia, currently in jail for the murder of Inertia and possibly Bart Allen, even though Bart is alive again.

Ramsey Robertson/Manhunter VII (Possible): Son of Kate Spenser, current Manhunter, hurt in a blast from Manhunter’s staff, has a robotic dog, shown to be Manhunter in a future storyline, dating a guy who can change sizes named Justin, graduates from college, has various super-powers, apparently can fly, given the Manhunter costume and apparently trained by his mother to be the next Manhunter.

The Question II: Former alcoholic and detective for the Gotham PD, consistently shown as a great cop while on the force, outed by a major villain (Two Face) and framed for murder, becomes obsessed with a crook, eventually resigns due to corruption in the department, trained by Victor Sage (the original Question) to be a top notch martial artist, becomes the new Question, discovers former lover Kate Kane is the new Batwoman, is rendered immune to the Anti-Life Equation, revealed to be a member of the “Global Peace Agents”, breaks up a child pornography ring, discovers that former Nightwing is now Batman, briefly fights Shiva, learns to over-come emotion to become invisible to the Black Lanterns (zombies who see emotions and eat them).

Savant: rich genius,  has a mental condition that causes him to remember things in a non-linear fashion, becomes black-mailer, kidnaps and tortures Black Canary, defeated by the Birds of Prey, joins them and helps them, is kidnapped and tortured on a couple of occasions, fakes his own death, attacks Oracle, is forced to relive his last torture over and over again in his mind.

Scandal Savage: former leader of the Secret Six, long time girlfriend with Knockout, becomes depressed after Knockout is killed, given a stripper by her male teammates, the stripper has now become her new girlfriend, has issues with both her biological father, Vandal Savage, and her new “father figure” on the team, Bane, their relationship is often depicted as complicated, but not sexual in nature as Bane gets very angry if anyone implies they are together, Bane stole leadership from Scandal supposedly for her protection, Scandal still allows him to act like her father despite.

Shvaughn Erin: During the 5 Year Gap, revealed she was born a gay man Sean Erin, took a special pill (Profem) to change into a woman, when pills rain out, changed back to a man, eventually becomes head of Science Police as a man.

Tasmanian Devil: member of both the Global Guardians and the Justice League International, leaves and rejoins both teams multiple times for really no reason, makes various cameo appearances after that mostly at funerals, joins the short lived Ultramarine Corps (after leaving the JLI the last time because of lack of desire to be with such a small, unestablished group), used as “bait” against OMAC, rejoins the Global Guardians again, killed and turned into a rug for the villain, Prometheus.

Terry Berg: young gay kid whom befriends Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern), is beaten by homophobic people while his boyfriend escapes, is outed to the entire world, but becomes an advocate for gay people everywhere (thanks partly to Kyle Rayner), briefly given a Green Lantern ring solely to bring Kyle Rayner, who was inside the ring, is completely forgotten by his friend Kyle after Kyle brings back the Green lantern Corps and is elevated to Honor Guard.

Thunder: originally depicted as being heterosexual, tried to be a solo hero, but joined the Outsiders instead, had lungs transmuted to water by Shimmer, kicked off the Outsiders by Batman as not being good enough, was snuck back on the team by her new girlfriend Grace Choi, sent into a coma by an explosion, may or may not still be in a coma.