Exploring the past, present and future of queer and trans representation in the comics, TV shows and films
BY NIC CROSARA, COVER BY JAN BAZALDUA/MARVEL
Like many LGBTQIA+ folks born in the nineties, the 20th Century Fox X-Men film series were a huge part of my formative years. I remember watching Bobby Drake (aka Ice Man) coming out as a mutant to his parents in the X2 film. Even before I understood the significance of it, it resonated with me deeply. While my family probably thought I couldn’t take my eyes off of Halle Berry’s Storm because it was empowering for me to see a Black superhero on screen (true!), it was also due to my big fat secret crush on her. Storm was far from my only crush within the franchise. Jean Grey, Rogue and (especially) the shapeshifting Mystique all made me blush.
There have been many LGBTQIA+ actors – such as Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Alexandra Shipp – who have taken on roles in the franchise. And the queer subtext is hard to miss. I knew that there were some canonically LGBTQIA+ characters in the comics, but I had no idea just how queer the X-Men truly are. And then I married my wife, a massive Marvel fan, and my eyes were opened to the wonderfully queer history of the X-Men.
These characters don’t just speak to LGBTQIA+ people, but to all marginalised and oppressed people. I wasn’t surprised to learn that when Stan Lee created the X-Men in 1963, he confirmed that it was partly inspired by the civil rights movement in the US at the time. Professor Xavier (aka Professor X) and Magneto have different approaches to the liberation of mutants. Professor X believes that mutants and humans can live together in harmony. Magneto thinks mutants should overthrow their oppressors. Reading and watching these two characters debate their approaches has often left viewers thinking about how oppression manifests in their own lives.
In the nineties, many queer folks felt the comics spoke directly to their experiences, and for good reason. This was when the “Legacy Virus” storyline began. It was evidently an allegory of the HIV/Aids crisis. For those not in the know: a terrible illness seems to infect only mutants. It’s not until a human character is eventually diagnosed with the virus that those in power rush to find a cure. In the same decade, Marvel also introduced its first openly gay character, Northstar. He’s a mutant superhero who went on to join the X-Men in the early noughties.
And two years before same-sex marriage was legalised in the US, Marvel comics featured its first same-sex superhero wedding which saw Northstar marry his partner Kyle Jinadu. And in the same year that same-sex marriage was legalised (2015), the previously mentioned Bobby (Ice Man) came out as gay (yay!) after being outed by Jean Grey (boo!).
And the comics have since served up lots of lesbian and sapphic representation too. When Destiny (Irene Adler) was introduced in the eighties, it was heavily implied that she and Mystique had a romantic relationship. However, due to the code that comics had to follow at the time, the writers had to rely on coded dialogue and references to get this across to readers. In 2019, the two finally got to share a romantic kiss on the page and a year later, their long-rumoured marriage was made canon. And during Pride Month in 2024, Marvel published its X-Men: The Wedding Special #1, which allowed fans to see their wedding on the page. It’s great to see the way the comics depicted Destiny as a lesbian and Mystique as genderfluid and queer.
Today there is a plethora of canonically LGBTQIA+ characters in the X-Men world. And thanks to the existence of alternate universes, even those who are not canon in the main universe (616 universe) can be openly-queer in alternate ones. There’s the shapeshifting mutant, Jessie Drake, Marvel’s first transgender character. The foul-mouthed Deadpool (technically a Mutate, not a Mutant) is pansexual. Shela Sexton (aka Escapade) was introduced in 2022 and is a transgender mutant who can switch locations, possessions and abilities with anyone close enough to her. (Hooray for a trans+ superhero who doesn’t have shapeshifting powers!). And when it comes to sapphic characters, Destiny and Mystique are far from the only ones to turn to to feel seen. Rachel Summers, Betsy Braddock, Kitty Pryde, Karma, Bling! and Tempo are all canon as well. This is far from an exhaustive list of all the LGBTQIA+ characters across the X-Men franchise.
While the comics have provided lots of overt LGBTQIA+ visibility, the shows and films have historically relied on subtext. This is why it was great to see Morph confirmed as non-binary in the first season of the X-Men ’97 series. With the second season coming out today (1 July), I can only hope it delivers even more overt queerness and transness. And yes, I will be booked and busy tonight (see: binging the entire season with my wife).
The X-Men have always resonated with our community. Their experiences speak to many of ours. It’s great to see how LGBTQIA+ representation has evolved in the X-Men throughout the decades. I hope that its future is even gayer (especially on screen). What do we want? A lesbian mutant wedding on the silver screen. When do we want it? Now!
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