Every Single Comic Book Character That Has Been Retconned To LGBTQ+

John F. Trent |

Jun 3, 2021

Comic book publishers have made it a habit of changing their characters sexuality in recent years and we are going to list them all out for you.

So let’s get to it.

Part 1 1. Iceman

Iceman first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #1 back in 1963. It was rather clear he was interested in women by Uncanny X-Men #7 when he flirted with a coffee bar waitress named Zelda.

Zelda would not be the only woman, Bobby Drake would show interest in. In Uncanny X-Men #52, he shares his feelings for Polaris.

In fact, Drake would go on to have romantic relationships with a number of women including Kitty Pryde, Mystique, and Magma.

However, in 2015 Marvel Comics and writer Brian Michael Bendis made Iceman gay in Uncanny X-Men #600.

This came after a younger version of Iceman was made gay in Brian Michael Bendis’ All-New X-Men #40.

2. Star-Lord

Peter Quill was first introduced in Marvel Previews #4 in 1976. In that first appearance it’s made pretty clear that he is intimate with one of the women who “welcome” him to NASA’s training center in Houston.

By Marvel Preview #11, it’s revealed that Star-Lord’s ship is actually a living-being and that she considers herself his companion.

In Marvel Preview #14 , his ship takes the form of a woman and the two become romantically involved. However, Star-Lord is unaware that his ship took on the human form of Caryth Halyn.

In Marvel Comics Super Special #10, Star-Lord professes his love for the alien Aletha.

He even got engaged to Kitty Pryde.

While the engagement wouldn’t last, he continued to show interest in women, pursuing his fellow Guardian of the Galaxy in Gamora.

However, writer Al Ewing and artist Juann Cabal would depict Star-Lord engaging in a threesome with two alien nomads named Aradia and Mors in Guardians of the Galaxy #9.

3. Kitty Pryde

Kitty Pryde first appeared in The Uncanny X-Men #129. From almost the beginning she’s been interested in men.

In The Uncanny X-Men #139, she flirts with Colossus expressing her concern that he might be injured in the Danger Room. The two would go on to have a couple of lengthy relationships even becoming engaged at one point.

She’s also had a relationship with Pete Wisdom. However, that would end in Excalibur #120 with Wisdom packing his bags and leaving.

And as noted above she’s had relationships with both Star-Lord and Iceman in the past as well.

Kitty Pryde would come out as bisexual in Gerry Duggan and Matteo Lolli’s Marauders #12 in September 2020.

She kisses a tattoo artist in the issue.

4. Alan Scott

Alan Scott was the original Green Lantern and he first appeared in All-American Comics #16 by Martin Nodell under the pen name Mart Dellon and Bill Finger back in 1940.

In All-American Comics #18, he would ask Irene Miller out on a date after helping get her brother out of prison. Miller would go on to be a long-time love interest for Scott.

Scott would eventually marry Rose Canton, who also happened to be the villain Thorn. Together the two would have two children in the superheroes Jade and Obsidian.

Not only would Scott marry Canton, but he would also marry long-time antagonist Harlequin in his later years.

However, in Infinite Frontier #0 in a story written by James Tynion IV with art by Stephen Byrne, he comes out as gay.

5. Prodigy

Prodigy or David Alleyne first appeared in New Mutants #4 in 2003 by Nunzio DeFilippis, Christina Weir, and Keron Grant.

He would later appear in the New X-Men. In New X-Men #1 it’s heavily implied that he’s interested in his fellow classmate Noriko Ashida aka Nori aka Surge. He even asks her to join him for dinner.

By New X-Men #21 the two are clearly in a relationship with their teammates telling them to get a room.

In New X-Men #22, they got a room.

However, in Young Avengers #9 by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie, and Mike Norton, Prodigy comes out as bisexual after kissing Hulkling.

Part 2 6. Robin (Tim Drake)

Tim Drake first appeared in Batman #436 back in August 1989. He would take on the role of Robin in Batman #457 and would subsequently take on the names of Red Robin and Drake throughout his career.

In the six issue miniseries Robin III: Cry of the Huntress by Chuck Dixon, Tom Lyle, and Bob Smith, Drake shows interest in Ariana Dzerchenko. By Robin #1, Drake’s taking Ariana out on his first date. The two eventually develop more than a simple friendship and Ariana becomes Tim’s first girlfriend.

Ariana might have been Drake’s first girlfriend, but she wouldn’t be the last. He would go on to be romantically involved with Stephanie Brown, Cassie Sandsmark, Zoanne Wilkins, Tam Fox, Madison Payne, and Barbara Gordon.

Most recently, Drake was dating Brown, his longtime love-interest and the woman he began dating after Ariana. In fact, after Drake died and returned to life in a recent Detective Comics story arc both he and Brown passionately kissed.

However, this would all be retconned in the recently released Batman: Urban Legends #6 where Drake accepts the offer to go out on a romantic date with his friend Bernard.

7. Harley Quinn

Harley Quinn first appeared in Batman: The Animated Series, but would later be introduced to the DC Universe in Batman: Harley Quinn in October 1999 by Paul Dini, Yvel Guichet and Aaron Sowd.

In Batman: Harley Quinn it’s revealed Quinn is in a deranged relationship with the Joker and finds him irresistible. She tells Poison Ivy, “His charm irresistible! What can I tell ya? The guy just did it for me.”

Quinn would go on to have an on again and off again relationship with the Joker as evidenced in her debut canon issue of Batman: Harley Quinn.

The character would eventually be put in a sexual relationship with Poison Ivy in Harley Quinn #2 by Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, and Stephane Roux in January 2014.

8. The Ray (Ray Terrill)

Ray Terrill first appeared in The Ray #1 back in 1992. He was created by Jack C. Harris and Joe Quesada. In that first issue it’s revealed he’s the son of the original The Ray, Happy Terrill.

Not only does Ray Terrill appear in that first issue, but Ray’s girlfriend Jennifer Jurden also makes her first appearance.

In fact, Jurden actually invites him to junior prom and while there she even leans into him to give him a kiss.

Most of the first issue, sees Terrill discovering that his father is the original The Ray and that he has similar powers that allow him to travel at the speed of light, absorb energy, and fire energy projectiles.

Not only does he discover his father is The Ray, but he also seeks out Jurden, but when he arrives at her place of work, a number of masked and armed thugs kidnap her. Fortunately, he uses his newfound powers to rescue her and save the day.

By Black Canary #8, Jurden is his girlfriend although they aren’t having the best go of it.

The character would be recently retconned in Justice League of America #12, where he is shown on a date with his teammate Xenos.

9. Superman (Jonathan Kent)

Jonathan Samuel Kent is a relatively new character first created by Dan Jurgens and appearing in Convergence: Superman #2 back in 2015.

The character would primarily adventure with Damian Wayne in Super Sons. However, he would be aged up in Brian Michael Bendis’ run on Superman and eventually join the Legion of Super-Heroes.

In the Legion of Super-Heroes #9, Kent and Saturn Girl embrace in a kiss with Saturn Girl asking him, “With the constant romantic thoughts you’ve had toward me since the moment we met?”

Kent eventually takes over the mantle of Superman at the end of Bendis’ run on the character. Writer Tom Taylor would take over writing duties for the character in Superman: Son of Kal-El.

The character is shown kissing a male colleague on the cover of Superman: Son of Kal-El #5.

10. OMAC

OMAC or Buddy Blank was created by Jack Kirby and first appeared in OMAC #1 back in 1974. Blank was originally a factory worker at Pseudo-People, Inc. He was chosen by the Global Peace Agency to become OMAC unbeknownst to him.

After being chosen, Professor Myron Forest would use his advanced satellite known as Brother Eye to perform an electronic surgery that links the satellite with Blank and the two become as brothers with Blank being transformed into OMAC.

Blank was clearly a man, but melded with Brother Eye, he became more of a cyborg.

Different versions of OMAC would be introduced throughout DC Comics continuity with the most recent one appearing in Superman and The Authority #3. However, the character would be revealed as OMAC in Superman and The Authority #4.

Not only is the character revealed as OMAC, but claims to use the pronouns “he, him, they.”