It's been rumored for weeks - if not months - but finally, after endless speculation, it was confirmed on ABC's The View: in Marvel Comics' Astonishing X-Men #50, speedster mutant Northstar proposes to his long time boyfriend Kyle Jinadu. This marks the first same sex proposal in Marvel history, and as long as they survive an attack by the evil Marauders in this issue scripted by writer Marjorie M. Liu, next month in Astonishing X-Men #51, they'll be the first same sex couple to get married in a Marvel comic, too.
You can even pick up the comic early Tuesday night at most comic book stores (and the rest of them first thing tomorrow - we recommend getting to your LCS early). But to find out more about the big announcement, we chatted with Editors Daniel Ketchum and Jeanine Schaefer about what prompted the decision, concerns about fan backlash, and the surprising inspiration for the iconic proposal page:
MTV Geek: To kick it off, what led to the decision to have Kyle and Northstar get married?
Daniel Ketchum: When gay marriage was legalized in New York state a year ago, we immediately began discussing how that reality could be reflected in the Marvel Universe, as so many of our characters and stories are based in New York City. While deciding which characters might tie the knot, we quickly determined that the development would have been a forced step for many of the possible couples…it wouldn’t have been right for the characters; it would have been the story for the sake of the story. But since their first appearance as a couple in 2009, we’ve watched Northstar and Kyle’s relationship develop. We’ve seen them experience the strain exerted by a long distance relationship, and also the ups and downs of moving in together. Seeing them married is an organic step in their story and opens up so many avenues for the characters in the future.
Geek: I imagine when Obama announced he was for gay marriage, just a few short weeks before this issue was released, there was much rejoicing in the halls of Marvel that day?
DK: In my opinion, Marvel comic books are at their best when they’re exploring the real world through the super hero metaphor. We pursued the story of Northstar and Kyle’s wedding in order to further make the Marvel Universe reflective of the world we live in. President Obama announcing his support of gay marriage was pretty much the happiest coincidence we could have hoped for. It underscored the fact that this issue is topical and this story is more than just relevant. Northstar and Kyle will come face-to-face with those who support their union, but also those who do not recognize its validity—both sides of the issue represented equally and fairly—so that their experience can resonate with the experience of the readers hearing the arguments in real life. It’s that level of authenticity, that emotional truth, that makes a Marvel comic a Marvel comic.
Geek: Was there any concern about fan backlash? Clearly there’s been some sections of the fan population that haven’t responded well to other moves, like Miles Morales taking over in Ultimate Spider-Man – though fans also get upset when a character changes their hairstyle, so I don’t know how much that can possibly factor into things on your end…
Jeanine Schaefer: If we worried about backlash all the time, we’d never get anything done! We don’t do anything lightly, I promise you that (I’ve certainly had enough blow-out arguments with other editors over character choices throughout the years, and have heard plenty of raised voices in the halls over the same), but we can’t let the fact that everyone is going to have different opinions keep us from making interesting choices for these characters. They need to keep moving and they need to be allowed to live through stories that will change them, or they’ll cease being relevant. Read More...
