Iceman of Marvel's 'X-Men' to Come Out as Gay

Bobby Drake, otherwise known as classic X-Men member Iceman, will come out of the closet this week. In a collection of leaked panels from All-New X-Men #40, due out tomorrow, Drake finds himself outed by fellow teammate Jean Grey. The revelation makes Iceman one of the most prominent (and powerful) LGBT superheroes in Marvel comics, and is in keeping with the company's push for more diversity among its characters.

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http://www.theverge.com/2015/4/21/8462897/iceman-x-men-gay-bobby-drake-brian-michael-bendis

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I think this is pretty dumb. I'm all for diversity in entertainment, but I hate that they're retroactively changing existing characters. It's like changing Superman into an Asian guy, or making Batman Latino.

Just introduce a new character. This seems contrived and forced.

Also begs the question... If anyone was gay, wouldn't it be the Human Torch? :rofl:

Forced diversity is ruining real diversity.

Scotiabank has a new set of adverts out up here for the Playoffs and they've gone to some serious lengths to avoid white people in any of them.

Are they actually retroactively changing his orientation, or was it ambiguous to start?

iO9 touched on this a bit:

Bobby is understandably a little annoyed at Jean reading his mind, but acknowledges that she’s right, in a revelation may not be all that surprising to X-Men fans who have long speculated about Bobby’s sexuality. The scene continues with Bobby frustratedly acknowledging that his present-day self has yet to come out of the closet (in X-Men continuity, Iceman has in fact dated several women, including Kitty Pryde). Bobby first thinks that he may be bisexual considering his future-selves’ romances, before a little more prodding from Jean leads to him admitting that he’s, in her words, “Full Gay.”

 

Bobby is understandably a little annoyed at Jean reading his mind, but acknowledges that she’s right, in a revelation may not be all that surprising to X-Men fans who have long speculated about Bobby’s sexuality. The scene continues with Bobby frustratedly acknowledging that his present-day self has yet to come out of the closet (in X-Men continuity, Iceman has in fact dated several women, including Kitty Pryde). Bobby first thinks that he may be bisexual considering his future-selves’ romances, before a little more prodding from Jean leads to him admitting that he’s, in her words, “Full Gay.”

 

Marvel’s mutants have long been symbolic representations of minority groups, with stories of discrimination and segregation being core aspects of X-Men stories for years. As LGBTQ rights across the world have progressed and become an important topic for debate, it makes sense that the X-Men have begun to incorporate a diverse roster of gay characters too, especially now that it’s including some of its most prominent members. It’s not the first time the X-Men have been part of the discussion about gay rights either — let’s not forget that the first gay wedding in Marvel Comic’s history was between the mutant Northstar and his partner back in 2012.

http://io9.com/one-of-the-original-x-men-has-come-out-as-gay-1699181445

And the Northstar line is important — he's been openly gay since day one if I recall correctly.

If anyone were gay, I'd think it'd actually be Scott Summers, despite having dated Jean Gray forever. He never sat right with me as her partner. Even as a kid, I never understood it.

Forced diversity is ruining real diversity.

 

Scotiabank has a new set of adverts out up here for the Playoffs and they've gone to some serious lengths to avoid white people in any of them.

My last gig had me doing a lot of work with southern banks who were adamant about portraying "diversity". The joke within the company was that when "diversity" was written in the email, what it really meant was "not white".

"Let's be sure our photography is as diverse as possible!" really meant "Let's be sure our photography has no white people anywhere!"

Well if he dated women, I'd say it's retroactively making him gay.

I mean, I guess? But they can spin it by claiming that he's been "struggling" with the decision the way so many gay men do, where the public perception/expectation is for them to be straight, so try as they may to keep up appearances by doing so, they never feel comfortable, because inside they know it's wrong for them.

I'd call this a success though, regardless. I mean, I haven't read anything Marvel since Civil War, yet here I am kinda curious about swinging by Forbidden Planet on the way home to check this new storyline out. Isn't that part of the point here — to draw in buyers?

I mean, I guess? But they can spin it by claiming that he's been "struggling" with the decision the way so many gay men do, where the public perception/expectation is for them to be straight, so try as they may to keep up appearances by doing so, they never feel comfortable, because inside they know it's wrong for them.

 

I'd call this a success though, regardless. I mean, I haven't read anything Marvel since Civil War, yet here I am kinda curious about swinging by Forbidden Planet on the way home to check this new storyline out. Isn't that part of the point here — to draw in buyers?

I get it, but it still seems forced and contrived. I mean if you asked the creators of X-Men if they always saw him as gay from the minute he was thought up, what do you think they'd say?

Well, now that I think about it...

http://www.uncannyxmen.net/sites/default/files/images/costume/iceman-bigcostume1.jpg

:rofl:

But sometimes you have to change course to align with the times. I mean, not every character can remain truer than true to his or her origins. Look at Wolverine. They've taken him all over the globe, into space, back in time, killed him like six times, brought him back, etc.

Something else we have to remember here is that in this specific line, he's gay, but they may not necessarily hold true of another line going on, or even in previous lines. Reading this specific story, he's gay. Reading Uncanny X-Men from back in the 90's, he was straight.

:rofl:

 

But sometimes you have to change course to align with the times. I mean, not every character can remain truer than true to his or her origins. Look at Wolverine. They've taken him all over the globe, into space, back in time, killed him like six times, brought him back, etc.

 

Something else we have to remember here is that in this specific line, he's gay, but they may not necessarily hold true of another line going on, or even in previous lines. Reading this specific story, he's gay. Reading Uncanny X-Men from back in the 90's, he was straight.

Yes, but those story lines don't change the fabric of the character. I mean, Superman is an illegal alien, but they shouldn't make him Mexican!

Yes, but those story lines don't change the fabric of the character. I mean, Superman is an illegal alien, but they shouldn't make him Mexican!

Well, no, but you could certainly make him appear more Latino-looking in some other story line if you think it'll boost your sales from the Spanish communities. I don't think it'd really hurt the character. Unless you are so bold as to say he's no longer an alien, and was actually a Mexican dude who came out of a Mexican magic cave, and is now Superman. In that case, I'd say you've gone too far off the path.

Well, no, but you could certainly make him appear more Latino-looking in some other story line if you think it'll boost your sales from the Spanish communities. I don't think it'd really hurt the character. Unless you are so bold as to say he's no longer an alien, and was actually a Mexican dude who came out of a Mexican magic cave, and is now Superman. In that case, I'd say you've gone too far off the path.

I just think changing existing characters is forced and contrived.

Just come up with a new guy who's gay. No biggie.

I just think changing existing characters is forced and contrived.

 

Just come up with a new guy who's gay. No biggie.

This is the Bruce Jenner story line.