Is Stonewall our big gay powerhouse?
(7 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
Loading ...From Jerry Sledge’s introduction (he was in jail for some trouble that involved a date and a cop when Daisy found him), we know he has a story to tell. But we didn’t hear any of it in the 1st issue of Secret Warriors.
They took the “Strong Silent Type” thing a little TOO seriously. He didn’t utter a word in the issue – not even a battle quip. Everyone ELSE had a few lines, even Phobos who was off playing video games. But maybe that’s a good sign – most gay characters in comics tend to be a bit invisible anyway. Look at Obsidian if you can find him now that Manhunter is canceled.
I’d been anticipating the first issue of Secret Warriors since we were first introduced to Jerry Sledge as we were clued into Nick Fury’s plan against the Secret Invasion. If the name Stonewall were not enough to make me suspect him as a “friend of Northstar“, advance shots of him in costume (shirtless muscle hunk tough guy with leather opera gloves) definitely had me thinking/hoping he’ll eventually be revealed as gay.
Why isn’t there ever a gay male powerhouse? Sure we’ve have some power kickass lesbians…(Knockout, Scandal, Question, Batwoman, Phyla, Moondragon). Wouldn’t it be nice if for a change the gay GUY isn’t someone who can fly away real fast (Northstar), someone who turns invisible (Anole) or someone who is completely powerless in direct sunlight (Graymalkin).
What if the gay character on the team was the big bad tough guy?!?!?! What if someone created such a character and stuck with him, making him a real part of the continuity of one of the big two and not just a token character tossed into group battles during crossovers? Might a new generation of straight comic readers see past stereotypes? Might a new generation of gay comic readers have a strong role model?
The closest we’ve seen to this type of character is Hulkling or Apollo and the Midnighter from The Authority. Thus far Hulkling’s portrayal has been good (and I love that we have portrayals of young gays coming out and falling in love, but would like to see some new gay characters outside the recently popular teen demographic. Even a gay character as powerful as Apollo still ends up beaten, raped and left a victim. Midnighter is really the closest we have to a true gay badass, but a rolemodel? I don’t think so.
Lets hope that the powers that be at Marvel know what they are doing. And that they remember Stonewall is more than a lame character from the Freedom Force.
02/10/2009 at 7:46 am
don’t forget Colossus in the Ultimate XMen, big gay powerhouse! of course, he has his themes of vulnerability and drama drama drama..
02/10/2009 at 10:23 am
Ultimate Colossus may be big and gay, but he ISN”T a powerhouse. They made him gay and then took his super strength away, instead making him a junkie who needs an MGH type drug to even be able to move without his powers. Junkie gay rolemodel? I think not.
Don’t get me started on my beefs with Ultimate X-Men – oh too late. Then they take the Ultimate version of the 1st gay superhero ever introduced and they CRIPPLE him! A speedster! That is a fate WORSE than death for someone with super speed. I dropped the book and will not buy another issue.
Even if he was Colossus at full strength, I consider making a character gay in the Ultimate universe but not general continuity a cop out.
Ultimate Colossus simply doesn’t count as our gay powerhouse. So we continue to wait.
07/05/2009 at 1:06 am
What about Hulking – pretty strong. And Wiccan's not to shabby w/ his powers.
07/05/2009 at 7:56 pm
Hulkling DEFINITELY has the potential to grow into a big gay powerhouse, but as much as I LOVE Hulking he is still a boy. the kind of character I'm talking about needs the assured self-confidence of an adult seasoned with his abilities. As for Wiccan, he is going to grow into the kind of Sorcerer who could give Doc Strange a run for his money… but as great as that is, it is a gay character with great physical strength and power that I want to see. Like Apollo, but in a universe that matters. We've seen physically strong Lesbian characters like Knockout (who of course was killed), but gay male characters tend to have more passive powers or have ridiculous weaknesses – Like Graymalkin who is strong and invulnerable – but ONLY IN THE DARK.
10/18/2009 at 6:50 pm
Why not create your own big gay powerhouse?
10/18/2009 at 10:29 pm
I would but Stonewall is already wearing the outfit i would put him in. Seriously – the character needs to be seen, so he would have to be part of a hit comic for a major publisher. If Hulkling keeps showing up over in Mighty Avengers he could be the big gay powerhouse I think we need. That character hasn’t been used to its fll potential as of yet.