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Queer Superhero History: Queering the Justice League - CtrlF.XYZ

Queer Superhero History: Queering the Justice League

1 year ago 114

Jessica Plummer has lived her full beingness successful New York City and yet someway inactive hasn't been asked to articulation the Avengers. When not astatine her world publishing time job, oregon trying to marque each movie into a philharmonic done sheer unit of will, she bakes, cleans her flat obsessively, and writes feverishly into the night. She blogs astir superhero TV, tween popular culture, and Disney astatine Jess's (Somewhat) Grown-Up Type Blog. She knows an unnecessary magnitude of things astir Donald Duck. Blog: Jess Plummer Twitter: @Jess_Plummer

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In caller years, mainstream comics publishers similar DC and Marvel person made large strides successful expanding the LGBTQ+ rep successful their universes, though they inactive person a agelong mode to go. But getting present was a dilatory and gradual process, with galore notable landmarks — and immoderate admitted missteps — on the way. In Queer Superhero History, we’ll look astatine queer characters successful mainstream superhero comics, successful (roughly) chronological order, to spot however the scenery of LGBTQ+ rep successful the genre has changed implicit time. Today we’ll beryllium looking astatine the archetypal queer members of the Justice League: Tasmanian Devil and Icemaiden/Glacier!

Content Warning: Discussion of real-world kid intersexual maltreatment worldly (CSAM) and pedophilia.

Before I speech astir the characters successful today’s profile, I request to code a superior contented regarding 1 of the creators down galore of these comics. All of the comics involving Icemaiden’s clip successful the Justice League were written by Gerard Jones. Twenty years later, successful 2016, Jones was arrested for possession and organisation of CSAM, a complaint to which helium pled blameworthy successful 2018. According to Bleeding Cool, helium served a small implicit 4 years of his six-year condemnation earlier being released early, successful December of 2022.

Icemaiden was and remains a groundbreaking character, and Jones’s Justice League comics are an important portion of queer comics past — not conscionable for Icemaiden, arsenic we’ll see, but for the mode these comics began to research the sex and sexuality of a fig of characters connected the team. There’s nary denying that they helped pave the mode for greater inclusion and diverseness successful the industry, and that should beryllium celebrated. But it would beryllium irresponsible to speech astir these comics without disclosing Jones’s transgression record. It’s an unfortunate information that portion of studying the past of decades-old and inactive precise overmuch surviving franchises similar DC and Marvel’s superhero universes is that sometimes important comics volition beryllium created by radical who person done unspeakable things, and reconciling those facts is ne'er elemental oregon easy.

And speaking of reconciling facts: I shouldn’t adjacent person to constituent this out, but Gerard Jones wrote groundbreaking comics with queer characters, and was jailed connected CSAM charges, and those things have thing to bash with each other. We unrecorded successful a infinitesimal wherever bigots are anxious to fling baseless accusations of pedophilia astatine LGBTQ+ radical successful a hopeless effort to warrant their bigotry. The information that Jones (who arsenic acold arsenic I’m alert is heterosexual) wrote immoderate comics that were progressive for the clip successful regards to LGBTQ+ issues is wholly unrelated to the quality of the charges against him, and frankly, the information that that adjacent needs to beryllium said is appalling.

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Okay. Now let’s speech astir superheroes.

All of the characters I’ve covered truthful acold connected Queer Superhero History person been reasonably obscure, but with today’s profiles, we are yet talking astir that astir lofty of superhero teams: the Justice League. And yes, okay, Tasmanian Devil and Glacier are not precisely household names. (Well, not DC’s Tasmanian Devil.) But they were inactive connected the Justice League, and during a clip erstwhile the League seemed overmuch much unfastened to queer identities than it had ever been earlier — oregon since, honestly.

Both of these characters archetypal debuted successful Super Friends #9 (December 1977) by E. Nelson Bridwell and Ramona Fradon. As the rubric suggests, this was really a tie-in comic to the Super Friends animated amusement and wasn’t portion of the mainstream DC universe. Taz and Icemaiden appeared successful a storyline successful which the Justice League teamed up with assorted planetary superheroes, ranging from “mildly cringey nationalist stereotypes” to “extremely cringey nationalist stereotypes.”

Three panels from Super Friends #9. Panel 1 is from a antithetic leafage than 2 and 3.

Panel 1: Green Arrow and Tasmanian Devil look disconnected against a pinkish monster with tentacles. Tasmanian Devil is simply a elephantine furry biped, with achromatic fur, pointy ears, crisp teeth and claws, and a large achromatic T connected his chest.

Narration Box: "But that won't hap if GA and the Devil bash their job..."
GA: I'll spot however my arrows bash against these nasties -- Hey! What's happenin', Devil? Are you truly gettin' bigger?
Taz: That's just dinkum, cobber!* In a crisis, I get stronger and faster!
Narration Box: *That's right, pal. - The Big E.

Panel 2: Icemaiden pulls a ligament retired of a instrumentality and presses a button. They person airy bluish tegument and hair, a darker bluish mask, and a bluish costume trimmed with achromatic fur.

Icemaiden: There - that should bash it!

Panel 3: A monster turns transparent down Icemaiden arsenic Green Arrow and Green Lantern ticker successful surprise.

Icemaiden: It did! Not lone is the weaponry harmless - the aerial is returning to mean somesthesia - and the beasts are vanishing!
GA: Holy Hannah! Norwegian Blue pulled it off!

Taz and Icemaiden arsenic they archetypal appeared, positive the astir gobsmacked Green Arrow of each time.

In the precocious ’80s, these stereotypes were folded into mainstream DC continuity arsenic a squad called the Global Guardians, who mostly served arsenic supporting characters to the Justice League International. The JLI was a fan-favorite iteration of the League that started successful 1987, beloved for character-driven wit and zany shenanigans, though by the mid-’90s, it was precise overmuch past its prime. It was made up of a clump of overlapping titles, including Justice League Quarterly, an extra-long publication that came retired — you guessed it! — 4 times a year.

Tasmanian Devil, AKA Hugh Dawkins, is fundamentally a were-Tasmanian devil. He appeared sporadically crossed assorted JLI titles for a fewer years, but helium was small much than furry musculus until Justice League Quarterly #8 (Autumn 1992). In a communicative written by Kevin Dooley and drawn by Andy Smith, Hugh mentions being cheery successful a speech with immoderate different Guardians.

One sheet from Justice League Quarterly #8. Hugh, whose fur is present brown, is successful a room with Seraph (Chaim), a antheral successful a biblical-ish toga.

Chaim: How are you, Hugh?
Hugh: Better, Chaim. Things aren't arsenic hateful for gays successful immoderate places. The Justice League are great. I conjecture being a leader means mounting yourself supra prejudices. That's portion of wherefore I bash it: to acceptable an example. What astir you, Chaim? Why bash you bash it?

This sheet would not beryllium acknowledged again successful a DC comic until 2006, erstwhile Hal Jordan claims Hugh utilized to person a crush connected him. I’d similar to deliberation Hugh has amended taste.

To adhd immoderate discourse to this 31-year-old panel, homophobia successful Tasmania was peculiarly virulent successful the aboriginal ‘90s, sparking protests against wide constabulary harassment and abuse. It was astir this clip that the Tasmanian Parliament rejected a measure to decriminalize homosexuality, and Tasmanian LGBTQI+ activists really went to the UN to use planetary pressure. I’m guessing that’s what Dooley had successful caput erstwhile helium wrote Hugh’s enactment astir immoderate places being hateful, and it’s apt that galore readers would person understood it successful that light. That context, I’d argue, reframes this precise quiescent outing of a precise insignificant quality arsenic a governmental statement, and 1 that would person resonated with queer readers, peculiarly Tasmanian ones. (Homosexuality was not decriminalized successful Tasmania until 1997.) It’s besides a pointed measurement guardant for Dooley after the awkward tangle helium got himself into talking astir Extraño successful missive columns conscionable 3 years prior.

Unfortunately, though Hugh past went connected to beryllium a subordinate of Justice League International (second volume) for its full 18-issue run, his sexuality is ne'er referenced but very obliquely. Of course, being cheery shouldn’t beryllium the entirety of his character, but to relegate it to a azygous solitary sheet is disappointing, to accidental the least.

After the JLI disbanded, Hugh spent the adjacent decennary oregon truthful arsenic an occasionally-seen Z-lister. When helium yet showed up successful comics again successful a important way…it was lone portion of him. In 2009’s wide reviled Justice League: Cry for Justice, it was revealed that the villain Prometheus had skinned Hugh and turned him into a rug. Luckily, a one-off contented of Starman/Congorilla 2 years aboriginal revealed that someway this hadn’t killed him and helium was good now??? There were a batch of talking gorillas involved. I can’t explicate it immoderate much coherently than that, I’m sorry.

Glacier was besides introduced successful Super Friends #9, utilizing the codename Icemaiden (sometimes rendered arsenic Ice Maiden) and she/her pronouns. We were fixed small accusation astir them too the information that they were Norwegian, they had crystal powers, and they had bluish skin. An introduction successful Who’s Who successful the DC Universe (1985-1987) revealed that their sanction was Sigrid Nansen.

A fewer years later, Green Flame (Beatriz da Costa) and Icemaiden of the Global Guardians joined the Justice League International. The 2 adjacent friends soon changed their codenames to the matching “Fire and Ice,” and were mainstays of the squad for galore years. But this Icemaiden was named Tora Olafsdotter, and she did not person bluish skin.

The enigma (well, the continuity error) wasn’t solved until aft Tora died successful conflict successful 1994. A “new” Icemaiden appeared: Sigrid, who explained that they had been the original Icemaiden connected the Global Guardians, but had stepped speech erstwhile Tora appeared due to the fact that Tora was truthful overmuch much almighty than they were (Sigrid’s powers were the effect of a subject experiment, portion Tora is simply a literal crystal goddess). Now they had returned to the League to grant the fallen Tora — specifically the subdivision featured successful Justice League America, which coiled up being astir arsenic queer arsenic a mainstream comic could get successful 1996.

Bea, Tora’s grieving champion friend, instantly latched connected to Sigrid, trying to replicate the intensely codependent relationship she’d lost. Sigrid went on with it for a while, but the queer subtext yet came to a caput successful Justice League America #103, erstwhile Sigrid confronts a distraught Bea.

In an intensely — and deliberately — homoerotic scene, Sigrid strips down to uncover Tora’s costume (!) and coaxes Bea to confess what she’s been hiding — what she really wants. Bea confesses that she’s ever been confused and “afraid of being punished,” and Sigrid offers to be Tora for her if that’s what Bea needs. All the while, the lighting successful the country plays with what we’re allowed to spot — is Sigrid wearing Tora’s costume oregon thing astatine all? Is their tegument bluish oregon white?

Two panels from Justice League America #103. Bea and Sigrid are successful a dimly lit room, bathed successful shadow.

Panel 1: Sigrid opens their coat.

Sigrid: It's acheronian successful here, Bea. We're each alone. We tin beryllium honorable with each other.
Bea: Sigrid...
Sigrid: When we're successful grief, everyone ever says: "Move on, fto spell of the past..."

Panel 2: Sigrid strips disconnected their coat. Because of the heavy shadow, they look to beryllium bare underneath. Bea puts a shocked manus implicit her mouth.

Sigrid: ...but possibly we don't person to, Bea. Maybe we don't person to.

Just gals being pals.

Bea yet makes the steadfast prime — to cull what Sigrid is offering successful favour of treating Sigrid similar their ain idiosyncratic and not a replacement for her dormant person — which is what Sigrid wanted.

But this series isn’t conscionable astir titillation (though let’s beryllium honest, that’s a large portion of it). Shortly afterward, Sigrid’s teammate Nuklon asks them out, telling them that helium thinks they person a batch successful common. Sigrid agrees: “We some similar girls.”

Nuklon is confused due to the fact that Sigrid has dated men before. Sigrid agrees that they are attracted to men and women, with a penchant for women, but they cull the word “bisexual,” oregon immoderate different label. Nuklon asks what’s going connected with them and Bea, and Sigrid says Bea is inactive figuring immoderate things out. Later, Bea admits that she’s inactive confused, but acknowledges that her feelings for Tora were much aggravated than for immoderate man. (As of 2023, Tora has been backmost from the dormant since 2007, and yet she and Bea are still doing the queerbaiting dance. It’s exhausting.)

Three panels from Justice League America #111. Sigrid and Nuklon are connected a spaceship.

Panel 1: An outer changeable of the ship.

Narration Box: Of course, there's ever a refuge from the hate...
Nuklon: But...but Sigrid, haven't you...

Panel 2: Sigrid squats adjacent to a seated Nuklon, their manus connected his shoulder.
Sigrid: Yes, I've dated men, and been attracted to them...fell successful emotion with 1 once...but I'm much than attracted to women. I consciousness specified assemblage with women, specified validation...
Nuklon: Then you're truly bisexual...?

Panel 3:

Sigrid: Do you person to enactment maine successful a box, Albert? People similar nice, neat boxes successful confusing times. But the information is, you conscionable are who you are and you similar who you like.

This mightiness beryllium the archetypal usage of the connection “bisexual” successful a DC comic, I’m not sure.

I mentioned earlier that this epoch of Justice League America was astir arsenic queer arsenic a mainstream comic could get successful 1996. Aside from Sigrid being canonically queer and Bea being intelligibly questioning, this lineup besides has Obsidian, who didn’t travel retired until 2006 and truthful volition beryllium getting his ain nonfiction further down the line, but there’s a beardown lawsuit to beryllium made for considering him canonically queer this aboriginal — helium is precise obviously, explicitly successful emotion with his champion person Nuklon, and similar Sigrid, refuses to enactment immoderate labels connected his sexuality, including “straight.” (Rejecting labels is evidently a valid choice, but having some Sigrid and Obsidian bash it successful backmost to backmost issues is simply a spot annoying, since it’s besides precise overmuch a ’90s-era media stereotype for bisexual characters.) Oh, and the squad lineup besides includes an alien quality called the Yazz, who uses non-gendered pronouns due to the fact that they are the past of their contention and privation to correspond each of their people.

And yes, each of these characters are incredibly obscure, I know. I americium precise alert that the Yazz is not going to beryllium appearing successful a large diagnostic movie anytime soon. But Sigrid coming retired was groundbreaking connected its own. Taken arsenic a whole, the wide queerness of the publication is adjacent much singular — particularly erstwhile you see that determination wouldn’t beryllium a queer quality connected immoderate mentation of the Justice League again until 2009 — and that was the aforementioned profoundly reviled Justice League: Cry for Justice lineup, which hardly counts.

The JLI, successful each of its branches, was disbanded soon aft Sigrid came out, and similar Hugh, Sigrid was relegated to occasional cameos for years and years. And similar Hugh, they came to a gruesome, ignominious extremity of a benignant successful JSA: Classified #19-20, erstwhile it was revealed that their “alabaster” tegument (another continuity mistake — remember, Sigrid is blue) had been surgically removed to beryllium worn by a villain obsessed with being beautiful. Sigrid someway survived this process but ended up comatose successful a hydration vessel astatine STAR Labs. It’s very, precise weird that some queer members of the Global Guardians had their skins stolen but didn’t die. Also, I hatred this.

Basically each erstwhile Global Guardian was erased by the New 52, but Hugh yet reappeared successful 2017’s Midnighter and Apollo #6, wherever it was revealed that helium is present joined to Extraño, DC’s archetypal retired superhero, and they unrecorded successful Lima with their daughter. I emotion this arsenic overmuch arsenic I hatred the skin-stealing thing, which is to say: a lot.

Since then, Gregorio and Hugh person go mentors and elder statesmen to immoderate of DC’s younger queer characters (sometimes semi-officially referred to arsenic the JLQ). They were astir precocious seen successful this relation successful 2021’s ‘Tis the Season to Be Freezin’, which besides brought Sigrid backmost to the DCU.

In a communicative by Andrew Wheeler and Meghan Hetrick, Sigrid is captured by a villain called Minister Blizzard, who has successful immoderate unexplained mode rescued them from the STAR Labs hydration tank, and plans to usage their powerfulness to bring eternal winter, starting by attacking the JLQ. Sigrid is lost, feeling mistreated and abandoned by the radical who tried to alteration them — they namedrop Bea and Nuklon present — but a young magician named Syl manages to scope retired to them with compassion, helping them to interruption Minister Blizzard’s control. Sigrid announces that they are defining themself from present on, and that their caller codename is Glacier. The last leafage of the communicative uses they/them pronouns for Sigrid, and Wheeler confirmed connected Twitter that Sigrid is nonbinary.

Dear Meghan Hetrick: This plan for Sigrid is dope.

Again, Tasmanian Devil and Glacier are not precisely flagship Justice League members — but they were Justice League members, during a clip erstwhile DC was intelligibly becoming much comfy making statements successful solidarity with LGBTQ+ rights movements and letting galore characters question and reconsider their sexualities. That was a large measurement forward, and it was beauteous to spot Hugh and Sigrid getting to hug it retired each these years aboriginal — forgotten for a while, yes, but not forever. DC has promised that the JLQ volition return, and I for 1 look guardant to seeing them — and seeing Hugh and Sigrid blessed and comfy successful their (not stolen) skins.

One sheet from 'Tis the Season to Be Freezin'. Syl and Extraño ticker the JLQ astatine a party. Hugh and Sigrid are hugging successful the distance.

They’re tiny, but that’s Hugh and Sigrid hugging connected the right. Aw! In the foreground is Syl and Extraño, and to truly bring it backmost to the Justice League America days, that’s Obsidian successful the elf costume.

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