Sexualized Saturdays: The Queering of the X-Men

The other week, I went to Steel City Con, the Pittsburgh Area’s valiant attempt at a comic con. Lots of vendors, bunch of B- and C-list TV celebs, usually two or three A-listers (last year I got autographs from Shannen Doherty AND Holly Marie Combs!!!), and of course: tons of passionate, weird, lovable pop culture junkies, God love ’em. As I went through through my loot, I realized I had had a gay ol’ time. My two biggest gems? Action figures of Willow and Tara, and All New X-Men #17: aka newly-out Iceman’s first, big (I’m talking full-page panel) gay kiss. This is exceptional, you guys: Iceman has been part of the X-Verse since its very beginnings in 1963, one of the original five X-Men. So how did we get to this place fifty-four years later? It’s the long line of the quirkiest comic team family expanding its inherent diversity. Let’s take a look.

From my personal collection. After searching all the comic vendors at Steel City Con, my efforts were rewarded. Makes my gay, mutant-loving heart so happy!

Throwback Thursdays: Meet The New Mutants

You guys, I am so excited about my topic for this post. For today’s Throwback Thursday, I am throwing it way back, about thirty years, to be precise. Join me as I turn back the clock. The year: 1983. The place: Charles Xavier’s mansion in Westchester County, New York. That’s right, the home of… The New Mutants! Did you think I was going to talk about the X-Men again? Not quite; today I will be talking about the original New Mutants, the first spin-off X-title. The new students were the second group of inexperienced teenagers to make their home at the X-Mansion after the original class aged into adulthood and had been joined by even more adult members. It is my duty and my pleasure to make sure everyone knows about this greatly overlooked and under-appreciated team.