Gay Characters in Marvel Comics... part 3

[fajrdrako]

filkferengi pointed me towards this interesting article: The Spandex Closet: 10 Superheroes Who Need To Come Out. One of the best thing about this article is that it talks about the characters being bi, not homosexual, and I really like that. Implying the fluidity of sexuality, rather than sexual orientation being a polarized dichotomy, or static.

I have no opinion about the DC characters it mentions, except to smile happily at the idea of Tim Drake being bi. Yes, please.

I thought it really, really interesting that it talks about Gambit. Because I always thought Gambit ought to be bi. He's adventurous, flirty, nonconformist, individualistic, an outsider... not to mention funny, smart, acrobatic and sexy.

Here's what the article says:

There's no in-character scene or moment that suggests that Gambit is bisexual, yet every fan I speak to just knows that he is. He has a Casanova quality and a laissez-faire attitude, two traits that combine into the attractive idea of a guy everyone finds sexy, who finds everyone sexy.

Gambit is that rarest of things; a superdude who is deliberately sensual. It's a trait that forthcoming series writer James Asmus happily embraces, and it's a big part of his appeal. His appeal would only be enhanced by establishing his bisexuality. It's an increasingly apparent truth that a lot of women enjoy male/male romances. Whenever we talk about making books that appeal to women, the conversation seems to be about female characters. I'm willing to bet that giving Gambit a tortured same-sex romance would bring in more female readers than changing Power Girl's outfit ever could.

Comics Alliance has this interesting comment from upcoming Gambit writer James Asmus:

CA: Speaking of Gambit's seductive prowess; the character is known for his charm and good looks, and there's room in comics for more male sex symbols. Do you see Gambit filling that vacancy?

Asmus: 100%! Gambit really is one of the few explicitly sexy male characters in mainstream comics, and that's a major part of how I envision this book. Luckily, our artist on the book is Clay Mann. And he completely taps into the easy cool and good looks that help make Gambit such man-candy to his fans.

Man-candy. Heh. I hope they hold that thought.