20 Great Queer Comic Book Characters, Ranked
- 1664 VOTES
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Since Harley's solo title launch in 2011, and her pop culture takeover thanks to Suicide Squad's success (flaws aside), she's become one of the most identifiable characters in the DC Universe. This is mostly a good thing.
Unfortunately, she's still often recognized as "The Joker's Girlfriend," which takes away from any name she's built up for herself. That's not even mentioning that the Joker is a physically and emotionally abusive partner, and nobody should ever be with him. Harley's relationship with Poison Ivy, by comparison, is significantly healthier and, frankly, adorable.
- 2474 VOTES
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- Marvel
Mystique is an interesting being, to say the least. She's a mutant with the ability to look like anyone she could possibly imagine, and yet she chooses to identify as a biological female who is attracted to both men and women. This is an entirely unique character trait that hasn't been explored in other titles.
Having the ability to literally conform your body to whatever you desire is overwhelming enough. But once you add on the social pressures of conforming to the "sexual norm," and deciding to actively go the other way? Mystique's strength is off the charts at that point.
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- 3446 VOTES
Wiccan
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Billy Kaplan, AKA Wiccan, is the son of Scarlet Witch and Vision who almost didn't exist. Way back in Avengers: West Coast #52, it's revealed that Wanda Maximoff was so desperate to have children, she unknowingly warped reality. She created her twin sons with two fragments of a shattered demon's soul, causing them to vanish when the demon reassembled itself.
Billy was adopted by the Kaplans and was a victim of bullying in his youth because of his orientation. This led to a confrontation with another student, revealing his mutant powers. He becomes a member of the Young Avengers where he meets Teddy Altman, AKA Hulkling, AKA the love of his young life.
- 4378 VOTES
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Northstar holds the title of the first openly gay superhero ever. The late '80s and '90s were a scary time in history. HIV and AIDS were running rampant in the gay community as fear and paranoia ran rampant for the misinformed, uneducated, and willfully ignorant. Casualties of the epidemic didn't stop with men who engaged in same-sex intercourse, it had the potential to infect anyone, including children, due to poor hygiene, blood transfusions, or transmission during pregnancy.
Northstar discovered an abandoned baby girl who was born with AIDS in Alpha Flight #106, and she died weeks later. This prompted him to come out as gay, for the sake of promoting visibility of the community and in the hope it would inspire the public to take more of an interest in HIV prevention.
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- 5469 VOTES
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After decades of speculation, Greg Rucka finally confirmed in an interview with Comicosity that Wonder Woman, Diana Prince, is what most would identify as bisexual. Diana's potential bisexuality has been a subject for speculation for as long as queer people have read comics, dating back to the 1940s with William Moulton Marston's first iterations of the character.
Rucka's take (and Grant Morrison's in Earth One for that matter) on Diana and the rest of the Amazons is logical. A paradise island society inhabited by women for thousands of years, in essence, is fueled by same-sex relationships. And not because of perceived necessity which is often represented in media, where women are forced into mono-gender living situations like prisons, but because of the genuine love and affection that developed between the characters.
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Constantine's had several iterations since his initial 1992 outing as bisexual, and they've alternately ignored and celebrated the spectrum of his sexual identity. Apart from channeling every ounce of beautiful British bad boy that anyone could ever want, Constantine also just happens to be one of the world's most powerful sorcerers.
- 7545 VOTES
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Batwoman was one of the first, and remains to be among the few, queer comic book characters that headlines their own title published by DC. Kate Kane, dishonorably discharged from the military while Don't Ask, Don't Tell was still in effect, finds herself inspired by Batman to take up the vigilante mantle herself after an encounter with some unsavory people. Greg Rucka's Elegy is a gorgeous origin story for her character and definitely a title worth checking out.
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- 8395 VOTES
Hulkling
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Hulkling (Teddy Altman if you're into secret identities), is a shapeshifting half-Kree half-Skrull prince who was taken to Earth for his own protection during the Kree-Skrull war. On Earth, he was raised by a single mother. Apart from that, we don't learn much about Teddy's youth in the pages of Young Avengers, where he's graced the team with his presence since its formation back in 2005. On the team, Teddy meets Wiccan (Billy Kaplan) and starts one of the best romances in comics.
- 9300 VOTES
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One of the more... gritty heroes, Midnighter debuted in 1998 in Stormwatch. Once a regular man, Lucas Trent underwent biological and cybernetic enhancements which effectively turned him into a super weapon, granting powers like an accelerated healing factor, super strength, and heightened reflexes.
While Batman may be the greatest detective of all time, Midnighter reigns supreme as the greatest tactician who's ever lived, thanks to some serious precognitive abilities. While his solo title from the New 52 was canceled before the DC Rebirth launch in 2016, DC published a 6-issue mini series Midnighter and Apollo, giving a conclusion to the New 52 story. A significant portion of the series is dedicated to his relationship with his fellow hero and husband, Apollo.
- 10253 VOTES
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Not the Greek god, but close to it, Andrew Pulaski is one of the more powerful members of Stormwatch and The Authority. Husband to Midnighter, Apollo's powers, as his name might suggest, are tied to his ability to absorb solar energy and convert it into super strength, speed, flight, and energy blasts. He's basically Superman, with the major difference being his wildly disparate moral compass.
- 11278 VOTES
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Once operating under the name Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, our first time meeting Karolina Dean is in The Runaways, an amazing book by Brian K. Vaughn, Adrian Alphona, and Takeshi Miyazawa.
Karolina, unbeknownst to her, is an alien who was brought to Earth when her parents were exiled from their home planet for criminal activities. They're also actors on General Hospital. With powers that allow her to manipulate solar radiation, light, and the ability to fly, Karolina is a force to be reckoned with.
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- 12342 VOTES
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Because X-Men can never do anything simply, in the 2015 run of All-New X-Men, a young Bobby Drake, with the help of a young Jean Grey (oh, and both are from a different timeline than theone they're currently inhabiting) confirms that Iceman, in every reality, is gay.
There's been subtext for years leading up to this revelation, including an awesome story from the '90s where he and Rogue go off on a very revealing walkabout. Eventually, Young Bobby confronts himself, literally, leading to some heartfelt conversations and difficult revelations for both(?) parties.
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The second person to don the mantle of Miss America, America Chavez first appeared in the 2011 limited series Vengance. She later made a splash in the 2013 run of Young Avengers where she gained recognition by being a straight-up badass. Chavez can kick open holes in reality, creating portals which allow people to travel through the multiverse. You can also find her in her own solo series, America.
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- 14252 VOTES
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Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern in comics and the resident Green Lantern of Earth 2, came out as gay in 2012. While this came with the New 52 wave of storyline consolidations and changes across the brand, it can be argued that Scott's revelation was among the largest.
Not only was this a major change to a character who's been around since 1940, but the Green Lantern titles also just came off of one of their most successful runs prior to the New 52's launch. The publicity surrounding headlines reading "The Green Lantern is Gay" created a much needed buzz for some of the less main stream titles released with the New 52, namely Earth 2.
- 15195 VOTES
Kevin Keller
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The first openly gay character in Archie Comics, Kevin Keller exemplifies the ideal coming out experience people want in their youth. It's Riverdale, after all, so everything is basically sunshine and happiness. Seriously, his parents and friends just want him to be happy. Of course, he's met with adversity at times, but Archieverse titles usually manage to address issues in a way that's approachable for kids of all ages.
- 16143 VOTES
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- DC Comics
Coming out to Wally West's Flash in 1991, Hartley Rathaway is one of the Flash's oldest rogues, dating back to the late '50s. After Barry Allen's death in Crisis, Hartley retired from crime and became a social activist, fighting for the poor and underprivileged.
Unfortunately, the Pied Piper suffers from the ever-familiar side character syndrome: tons of potential, but no room for an extensive look into his potentially fascinating stories.
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- 17151 VOTES
Victoria Hand
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- Marvel
Victoria Hand is one of those side characters who just happens to identify as queer, without having making a big deal out of it. Right hand to Norman Osborn, Hand quickly became one of the more powerful political figures in the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D related titles, while also maintaining a high degree of skill in espionage techniques.
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- 18164 VOTES
Cassandra
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Cassandra is one of the main characters in The Wicked and The Divine – a series about spoiled deities – and a critical human journalist who also happens to be a trans-woman. Oh, and later on she becomes a god because comics are awesome. So she's a trans-woman, trans-god who's phenomenally well-written and rendered with gorgeous artwork. Have you bought this yet? If not, you're missing out.
- 19121 VOTES
Zhen
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Zhen is a no-nonsense transgender woman appearing in Trees, a title that revolves around the idea of constant paranoia, fueled by the mysterious monolithic alien spacecraft looming over society. Zhen's experience in the title is remarkable, coupled with the overarching themes of a police state and gender equality, and how she handles it is worth way more than the price of the volumes.
- 20123 VOTES
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Gracing the pages of the gritty Vertigo title, The Invisibles, Lord Fanny, AKA Hilde Morales, is a shaman and a trans-woman. Born a male, Hilde was raised by her grandmother – one of the most powerful witches in her city – who raised Hilde as a girl so her all-female line of witchcraft could continue. This, coupled with experiences following her magical initiation, shaped her persona and led her to join the Invisibles.
