It’s a bird, it’s a plane... it’s a bisexual superhero
As Superboy assumes his father’s powers, man of steel gets makeover with a romantic male interest
‘We are in a very different and much more welcome place today than we were ten, or even five years ago’
A DIRECTOR once described Superman as the “most heterosexual character”. But that view is evidently not one shared with the writers at DC Comics who have given the all-american superhero a male love interest.
The bisexual “man of steel” has been given a modern makeover in upcoming comics, with foiling school shootings and refugee deportations among the challenges confronting the great American superhero.
In the new Superman: Son of Kal-el series of comics, Jonathan Kent, the son of Lois Lane and Clark Kent who has disappeared off into deep space, assumes the protagonist role and begins a romantic relationship with a male friend.
Superman’s coming-out, announced yesterday by DC Comics, will appear in the new issue of the sequel released on Nov 9, as Jon Kent progresses from Superboy to Superman and assumes his father’s powers.
Tom Taylor, the writer of the sequel said “everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes”. “The idea of replacing Clark Kent with another straight white saviour felt like a missed opportunity,” he told The New York Times. “[A] new Superman had to have new fights – real world problems – that he could stand up to as one of the most powerful people in the world,” he added.
Since the Superman: Son of Kal-el series made its debut in July, Jon Kent has been deployed to battle several contemporary issues including wildfires sparked by climate change.
A trailer for the upcoming comic says that “just like his father before him, Jon Kent has fallen for a reporter”, as the plot charts his friendship with Jay Nakamura, a budding journalist, blossoming into a same-sex relationship.
“Following a scene where Superman (Jon Kent) mentally and physically burns out from trying to save everyone that he can, Jay is there to care for the Man of Steel,” the description reads.
Artwork for the comic by John Timms shows the pair embracing in a passionate kiss, with Superman donning his blue-and-red uniform.
The diversification of the iconic superhero comes amid a broader shift in the comic world towards 21st century social and cultural challenges.
In August, DC Comics also revealed that Batman sidekick Tim Drake, one of several Robins, would get a boyfriend, while a new Aquaman comic stars a gay black man who is set to become the hero.
The mastermind behind the sequel, Mr Taylor, added: “Over the years in this industry, it probably won’t surprise you to hear I’ve had queer characters and storylines rejected. I felt like I was letting down people I loved every time this happened.
“But we are in a very different and much more welcome place today than we were ten, or even five years ago.”
He said the relationship was portrayed as “really equal” and “supportive”, with Jay developing special abilities and being awestruck by Lois Lane when meeting Jon’s parents.
Speculation about Superman’s sexuality has long been rife. In 2006 amid rumours that Superman would be gay in Superman Returns, the film’s director Bryan Singer insisted that he was “probably the most heterosexual character in any movie I’ve ever made”.
Portrayals of secondary LGBT characters in comics stretch back decades. In 1992, Northstar, a Marvel hero came out and DC Comics made Batwoman a lesbian socialite. In 2018, a TV adaption for CW, a US channel, saw Batwoman become the first live-action superhero series with an openly gay lead character.