Dive into stories of heroism, love, friendship, and self-discovery with our top picks of the best gay superheroes, celebrating courage and representation in every panel.
Whilst the first “official” coming out was Northstar, who uttered the words “I’m gay” in 1992, there were plenty of characters suspected of being queer well before that.
Many people believe the first gay characters were Batman and Robin (first published in 1940) due to the homoerotic nature of their relationship. Think about it: a young apprentice who devotes his life to a single, older bachelor… That has gay sugar daddy written all over it. Not to mention Robin’s super flamboyant super tight twink-like costuming!
Yet, due to the Comics Code Authority forbidding the mention of homosexuality in mainstream US comics between 1954 and 1989, gay characters had to be represented subtly.
Fast forward to 1992 when the time came for Northstar to come out explicitly, society had moved on so much that instead of being lambasted, his outing was so successful that the “coming out” issue sold out in just 1 week! A new gay comic book icon was born, and the Gaylactic Hall of Fame was born…
These are some of the best gay superheroes of all time.
1. Northstar
We couldn’t list the best gay comic books without mentioning Northstar, the first comic book character to come out and one of the first openly gay superheroes. However, if you ask us, being gay is a superpower in itself!
Northstar was always intended to be openly gay, even from his inception in 1979 as part of the Canadian superhero team, Alpha Flight. However, due to the reservations *cough homophobia* of Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief at the time, Jim Shooter, Northstar had to wait until 1992 even to utter the words, “I’m gay”.
Turns out, Jim had missed his shot. Northstar’s coming-out issue became a smash hit. Not only did it sell out in its first week of publication, but it also became the only comic book to feature in the Gaylactic Hall of Fame.
And fans got their dream, when he married his lover, Kyle Jinadu, in Astonishing X-Men #51.
2. Extraño
Bit of a controversial one – but there’s no denying that DC Comics’s 1988 magician, Extraño, made quite the impact. Even if it was for all the wrong reasons. He was portrayed as sassy, effeminate, and outrageous, which are all fine things to be, of course. But when that is all he is, it comes off as nothing more than a walking stereotype.
To add insult to injury, he contracted HIV after a battle with the AIDS vampire (yes, you read that correctly!), which killed him. Considering this storyline was printed during an era when there was a high stigma against the LGBTQ community, it did little to portray gay people in a positive light.
In recent years, he has made occasional appearances as the leader of the Justice League Queer, a loose network of LGBTQ superheroes who can call on each other for support. Perhaps the writers were trying to right their wrongs?
3. Green Lantern
Green Lantern won praise for its 2012 issue that depicted an alternative universe where Alan Scott/The Green Lantern was gay and got his powers from being the sole survivor of a train crash.
We must also reference the fabulous Terry Berg, who we first met in 2000. Assistant to the formidable Green Lantern Corps member Kyle Rayner, Berg is portrayed as a loyal and dedicated worker. He becomes close friends with Rayner, who is one of the few people who accept him for his homosexuality.
Fans of the character were heartbroken when Berg and his boyfriend David became the victims of a gay bashing outside of a queer nightclub. The storyline was inspired by the 1998 murder of gay teen Matthew Shepard, which caused a national outcry and a rise in support for more hate crime laws.
Horrified by his best friend’s beating, Rayner hunts down the attackers and attacks them. Now THAT’s what we call true allyship!
4. Apollo and Midnighter
Midnighter and Apollo was a limited series comic issue published in the mid-2010s. It was released following the cancellation of Midnighter, which had marked the first time a gay character served as the protagonist of a major comic book series.
In Midnighter and Apollo, the action follows the pair as they reunite, only for Apollo's soul to be dragged to Hell by a crowd of freakish demons (sounds like the time Seby and I took a trip to a gay sauna in Barcelona…). Midnighter must go to impossible lengths to bring his lover back.
It’s a short but punchy story, with lots of romantic moments and intimate scenes between the pair, which is very refreshing to see in the heterosexual-dominated world of superhero comics.
There’s even a cameo from the gay magician Extraño, who we also included in this list.
5. The Rawhide Kid
In 2003, Marvel’s The Rawhide Kid (aka Johnny Bart) joined the exclusive club of gay cowboys, alongside Brokeback Mountain and that one guy from the Village People.
Having been around since the mid-1950s, Johnny Bart with his tragic backstory and heroic nature has become one of the most beloved Western characters in American media.
So when artist Ron Zimmerman approached Marvel with the idea of depicting Johnny as gay, he knew it would be a long shot. On the one hand, it was bringing the comic series into the modern day, yet on the other hand, they knew it would get tons of backlash from homophobic readers.
As a result, the mini-series where Johnny “comes out” is done through innuendos. In addition, the copies were labeled with a parental advisory warning! So much for progressive action… Regardless, this decision meant Marvel finally got their first gay title character.
6. Batwoman (aka Kate Kane)
Batwoman took to the sky in 2006, appearing in the comic books published by DC Comics. A cousin of the original Batman, Kate Kane is a glamorous heiress who leverages her high social status towards fighting crime in Gotham City. Combining her skills as a gymnast champion with her military training, Kate’s powers are unmatched, making her a kickass role model for all young girls reading the comics.
In the series, Kate is a lesbian who is dating a girl named Maggie. Their relationship is one of our favorites out of any gay comics. Their dynamic is so well-written, with realistic issues most couples would face. Many of their issues surround Kate having to hide her secret identity and never being around due to her dedication to protecting the city.
However, she does eventually disclose her superhero form to Maggie… and proposes to her in the suit! How gorgeous is that?
7. Wiccan and Hulkling (Young Avengers)
It took until 2020 before Marvel finally featured its first superhero same-sex wedding. And boy, was it worth the wait!
Shippers of the Young Avengers couple, Wiccan and Hulkling, were given the ceremony of their dreams, after years of flirting and romantic gestures between the pair.
However, the road to love isn’t as simple as they’d hoped. First, Hulking must protect the Earth in an intense intergalactic battle, with nothing but the promise of marrying his partner to keep him going.
Luckily, Hulking returns home safely to marry his beloved. They exchange loving nuptials in front of their friends at a Las Vegas venue (yes, you read that correctly!) in the issue “Empyre #5”, with Wiccan describing it as the “ultimate drop-everything secret mission.” That may sound dramatic, but to be fair, we tend to use the same words when uploading a new Instagram post…
8. Bunker (Teen Titans)
When creating the character of Bunker, creator Brett Booth said he wanted to highlight “an interesting character whose homosexuality is a part of him, not something that's hidden”. A refreshing approach, especially after years of under-the-carpet innuendos and coded caricatures (yes, we’re looking at you Extraño).
Making his first appearance in the DC Comics Teen Titans, Bunker grew up in an accepting community in Mexico, which supported him during his coming out process. With a lifelong desire to become a superhero, he manifests the ability to create energy constructs with his mind, allowing him to build brick walls, pillars, shields, and giant fists using just his thoughts. He links in with Team Titans to defeat an evil organization known as NOWHERE, and despite being an inexperienced fighter, proves himself to be an invaluable member of the team.
We love how the writers allowed him to form close friendships with other male members of the team, without it being a threat to their own sexualities.
9. Iceman (X-Men)
The X-Men’s key member, the Iceman, was always revered for his sassy tongue and quick wit. So, it came as no shock (at least to us) when he came out as gay in the 2015 issue, of Uncanny X-Men No. 600.
But if you thought his coming-out story was anything but straightforward (badum tss!), you’d be wrong.
To explain, we must go back to an earlier issue, All-New X-Men No. 40, when a time travel kerfuffle results in there being two of each X-Men. Readers learn how the younger version of Iceman reveals he is gay, which comes as quite the shock to the older/present-day version, who insists he is only into girls. It isn’t until much later that the present-day Iceman realizes he has been burying his true self this whole time and is in fact gay – something many people who come out later in life can relate to.
Marvel has spoken about their commitment to showcase more diversity in their comics and have them reflect the real world. And we think they’re doing a pretty darn good job!
10. Rictor and Shatterstar (X-Men)
As a same-sex couple, we can’t help but prowl for a gay subtext in any media we consume. But when it comes to the early days of Rictor and Shatterstar in Marvel’s X-Men, we never had to look too far – and many fans would agree.
The romantic chemistry between the pair was highly speculated upon during the 1990s. So much so, that in 2009 the writers finally caved and wrote in the first male-on-male kiss in Marvel history.
However, the pair weren’t always destined to be together. Shatterstar was originally intended to be an “asexual killing machine”! It was his long-term friendships with his team and his relationship with Rictor that changed him into the loving and affectionate man he subsequently became.
Writer Peter David won a prize at the 2011 GLAAD Awards for the portrayal of their relationship. David commented how he wanted the kiss to not be over-hyped and to feel as normal as a straight kiss… as it should be!
11. Valkyrie
If you also watched the 2022 Thor movie “Thor: Love and Thunder,” you will also have noticed the not-so-subtle queer characters of not only Valkyrie but Thor’s good friend Korg.
Valkyrie is the fearless Asgardian warrior who becomes the true hero in the Thor franchise as she takes over the role of King of Asgard from Thor. For most of the movies, Valkyrie’s sexuality is not referenced at all. Initially, the actress, Tessa Thompson, alluded to the fact that Valkyrie is bisexual. In the 2022 movie, Valkyrie refers to a deceased girlfriend, another Valkyrie, when she is speaking with Korg, telling him that she stopped believing there was still love for her after the death of the love of her life in battle. We also see Valkyrie kissing another woman’s hand in a very sensual manner.
In the same movie, we find out Korg is gay when he is later paired with a male character with whom they create a Kronan baby. Adorable!
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