At AfterElton.com, X-Factor writer discusses the relationship between Rictor and Shatterstar, and recalls the immediate ramifications at Marvel of Northstar's much-publicized 1992 outing:
When you really get down to it, the concept of a fictional character announcing that he’s gay should not be national news. He’s fictional. It’s like Dan Quayle saying that Murphy Brown’s actions are a poor guide to single mothers. She’s fictional. But nevertheless, it wound up making national news and blowback from that came as a result of a major retail chain – and I’m not refusing to name it because I'm trying to cover their asses, I’m refusing to name them because I don’t remember … as they say, “I didn’t know there’d be a quiz.”
This major retail chain informed Marvel they were going to cease carrying – and this just gives you an idea of the kind of homophobia that pervades corporate America – they informed Marvel they were going to cease carrying any mutant toys because they didn’t want to risk being associated with this gay mutant who was being talked about on CNN, which is bizarrely hilarious or ironic or sick, depending on how you want to look at it when many people perceive mutants in the Marvel universe as a metaphor for how gays are treated in the United States of America. Because Northstar outed himself in the pages of Alpha Flight, they didn’t want any mutant-related toys. They wouldn’t sell Wolverine in their stores. They wouldn’t sell Wolverine action figures because of the taint, which was insane. Particularly when you consider there were no Northstar toys at the time.
As we noted earlier this week, Northstar will officially get his first boyfriend -- in the primary Marvel Universe, at least -- with January's Nation X #2. Hey, it only took 18 years ...
