So So Gay
Regulars at Circa bar in Soho would have noticed something a bit different on Tuesday night: a stand selling comics and a big creamy wedding cake. Which can only mean it was the second of the Orbital comics gay wedding events to hit London, following the Dan Parent exhibit of Archie comics.
On Wednesday 20th June 2012, the big day finally arrives for X-man Northstar and his non-mutant boyfriend Kyle in Marvel’s Astonishing X-men issue 51. To celebrate the gay, inter-racial, inter-species marriage, Orbital comics got their hands on the issue a day early (and therefore so did I – you’re all jealous). But not content on just selling the thing, we were treated to a wedding reception at Circa, complete with cocktails and a giant wedding cake. Of course So So Gay were invited to the real wedding too, but not possessing super-sonic flight (or plane tickets to New York), we had to pass.
Northstar was introduced to the Marvel universe in Uncanny X-men in 1979 as part of Alpha Flight. Throughout the 80s creator John Byrne hinted at the superhero’s sexuality, but was restricted from being explicit by the Comics Code Authority and Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter’s policy on openly gay characters. It was almost revealed that Northstar had AIDS, but that was quashed, and in 1992 he was finally allowed to come out – making him one of the first major openly gay characters in comics. Although his sexuality was discussed in storylines such as his crush on Iceman, and serving as a role model to young gay X-man Anole (don’t laugh at the name – it’s a lizard), it wasn’t until rejoining the X-men in 2009 that his partner Kyle was introduced as a continuing love interest. Kyle is not a superhero however, but a sports company’s events manager – which must appeal to Northstar because he’s a champion skier.
We wouldn’t want to give too much away about the latest issue, because hopefully you’ll all go out and get it (we are pretty sure it will be worth something in a few years anyway), but we here at So So Gay can say that they make it to the altar, and the after-party kicks off with a big bang…
