The end is nigh! Heck, it’s here! That’s right, true Q-lievers, to the great relief of one and all, we’ve at last reached the terminal tally of my tedious tabulation of the titans and transgressors who are “that way” in the terrific tales put together by the talented storytellers at Marvel. Can I put away my thesaurus now? TEXAS TWISTER Pencils: Keith Pollard Inks: Josef Rubenstein T is for Twister,A western blowhard!His outfit says “Sister!”,His hairdo, “Spray hard!”. URSA MAJOR Pencils: Ron Wilson Inks: Josef Rubenstein U is for Ursa,A bearable sort!If fur is your fetish,He won’t sell you short! VANISHER Pencils: June Brigman Inks: Josef Rubenstein V is for Vanisher,Dressed in some quilts!After bedding his quarry,He fades as he wilts! WARLOCK Pencils: Jim Starlin Inks: Josef Rubenstein W’s for Warlock,A user of bronzers!Though he hangs out with a troll,He soon gets it on sirs! XEMU Pencils: Rich Buckler Inks: Joe Sinnott X is for  [Continue reading...]

There have been many mysteries in comics. What is Wolverine’s real name? Is Spider-Man or the Scarlet Spider the clone? Who is Donna Troy … this time? But to me the biggest mystery of all is why a straight, Midwestern artist is most responsible for promoting male sexuality in mainstream comics. According to Wikipedia, Mike Grell is a married, straight guy who went to college in Wisconsin and Illinois. But Grell’s willingness to recognize sexuality in the male form in a medium inundated with images of female sexuality is something that makes him stand out among comic artists. Hell, for creating the ever so sexy Cosmic Boy bodice outfit alone, he should be in the pantheon of great comic artists. But today we are looking at possibly an even sexier outfit Grell created, the second Warlord costume. Warlord’s original outfit was pretty sexy. V cut down the navel, sleeveless, pantless, jeweled wrist cuffs, and medallion around his neck that swings almost as much as he does. It’s  [Continue reading...]

Queer Eye writer extraordinaire Ed Natcher puts his spin on the recent Jim Lee redesigned Wonder Woman costume, which he dubs "MakeoverDone!" Enjoy!   [Continue reading...]

Pride Month seems an odd time to reflect upon a comic book story that is possibly among the most chilling of its era, but I think you'll find it apt all the same. In 1987, DC's Batman Annual #11 brought us two stories featuring, as the cover boasts, "Villains In Love!" The second of these, a tale of a misguided Penguin floundering toward redemption, was actually quite charming. The first story was anything but. Brilliant British writer and comic book legend Alan Moore took us on a twisted journey with Clayface, otherwise known as Preston Payne, the man whose exposed, misshapen clay hands could dissolve a man with a touch. Payne's name is all-too fitting both for this story and for the delusional state in which he finds himself. Clayface's story begins directly after a previous tale (uncredited in the captions) in which his hideaway was consumed in flames and the deranged villain is convinced he's lost the love of his life, Helena, who is actually nothing more than a  [Continue reading...]

As promised, I’m back with the third installment of my role call of some of the stellar members of the legion of “left-handed” Marvelites. This time out, I’m concentrating on the beautifully “bent” boys and girls who supplement their income by either delicately dabbling or outright wallowing in “the world‘s oldest profession”. So, hold on to your wallets as we delve into the long hidden roll call of Marvel’s Secret Whores! NORTHSTAR Pencils: John Byrne Inks: Josef Rubenstein Despite the emphasis on Jean-Paul Beaubier’s high-velocity mutant abilities, for many years the super-power that he used most often was his astounding ability to make people forget that he’s a big ol’ queer. It worked especially well on the people writing and editing Marvel comics. Another fact that’s still kept under wraps is that, using his profession of globe-trotting skier as a cover, Northstar has established quite a reputation as a top flight call boy, renowned  [Continue reading...]

When last we left our lively little Pride Month character review, we were talking about rainbow-colored comic book villains. It was all very festive (Go back one review if you missed it). We left off our bitchy recollections with the infamous Doctor Spectrum, who distinguished himself in comic book history not just for the use of his power prism, but also as one of those rare characters who was both a villain and a hero. As discussed last time, Spectrum showed up first as a member of the Squadron Sinister, then later as a member of the Squadron Supreme (pronounced "Oh my God, it's totally the Justice League, I mean just LOOK at them!"). Doctor Spectrum was probably best known, along with the rest of the Squadron, for being mind-controlled every other week and forced into fighting the Avengers. Considering what a big gay fetish mind control stories have become online, I think that says something about the doc right there. Different people (from different earths, even) have donned  [Continue reading...]

When Pride Month rolls around, many of us raise the rainbow flag to show who we are, the community family to which we belong, and of course, whom we love. As comic book fans, it behooves us to reflect on those who donned or employed the rainbow colors—not necessarily to show any kind of pride—but more times than not to bumble into a pathetic attempt at a life of crime. Lets pause for a moment, on this gayest time of the year, to look back on these fashion-handicapped characters. Not to increase our own sense of pride, but rather to give us all a cheap laugh at their expense. To properly kick things off, we simply must begin with perhaps the lamest rainbow-ized character of all time, the dastardly villain Doctor Spectro. This multicolored nutbag first sashayed onto the comics pages back in 1966 in the Charlton comics' Captain Atom #79. In perhaps the worst costume ever seen up until the fan-designed Supergirl outfits foisted upon us in Adventure Comics years  [Continue reading...]

During this month o' Pride, it's worth noting that before the Stonewall Riots, opponents to LGBT rights were the only faction afforded dependable access to the popular consciousness. On the rare occasion that LGBT issues emerged at all during the first half of the 20th Century, those selfsame issues were beat back with a torrent of lies and fear. In their way, then, the Stonewall Riots were about the LGBT pulling its voice from the rhetorical void, pulling it from a sheath of silence, then wielding that voice like a sword. Silence's earliest purveyor, at least where the DC Universe is concerned, is the Silent Knight. The Silent Knight is a pseudo-super-hero who rights wrongs during the earliest, embryonic part of the Silver Age, by way of 6th Century England. The Knight's more talkative, less armored self is Brian Kent, the 15-year-old heir to an Arthur-esque throne which is itself held-in-distrust by the wicked Sir Oswald. Unhappily, Ye Sir Oz suspects that young Brian Kent and  [Continue reading...]