In 1979 Marvel created the mutant hero Northstar, who was part of Canada's Alpha Flight team and would also work as part of the X-Men for a period of time. His character was intended to be gay since his inception, but was not explicitly revealed to be so until 1992's Alpha Flight #106 (by Scott Lobdell and Mark Pacella). He went on to be a part of the first same-sex wedding in mainstream comics. His character, superhero abilities and his place in the LGBT+ community make him an important hero. As a representative of the demographic, it is important to see him thrive on his own.
Born Jean-Paul Beaubier, the French-Canadian hero first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 (by Chris Claremont and John Byrne). In this issue, he and his Alpha Flight team fight the X-Men to capture Wolverine. Beaubier is a mutant who can move and fly at superhuman speed, approaching that of light. His powers also include superhuman stamina, reflexes, and endurance. Northstar also possesses advanced equilibrium, agility, reaction time and coordination, meaning he can make sharp turns while he is traveling at super speed without suffering ill effects.
Northstar officially came out as homosexual in 1992, years after his character initially debuted. In Alpha Flight #106, Northstar finds and adopts a baby girl who is revealed to have AIDS and dies by the end of the issue. While she is still under observation, a superpowered individual called Major Mapleleaf attacks the hospital, upset that the baby girl is receiving aid and attention as a AIDS victim. He proclaims that his son died of the disease the year before, and he finds it unfair that he wasn't given the same treatment.
A fight ensues between Major Mapleleaf and Northstar, who exclaims to the stranger that he doesn't need to be lectured on the plight of homosexuals, as no one knows them better than he. In these few pages, there is a social commentary that discusses the AIDS crisis and the politicians who failed to adequately address it. During this time period, the disease was misunderstood, and Northstar addresses this by explaining that it is not exclusive to gay people. In a way, the Major is pleading with Northstar to use his status as a superhero and ex-Olympian to be an advocate and representative for homosexuals.
During his time with the X-Men, Northstar became the mentor of Anole, a gay teenage mutant with reptilian powers who later became a member of the Young X-Men alongside another gay teen, Graymalkin. Northstar had a close relationship with Anole and helped him come to terms with his sexuality. In 2012 Northstar married his partner, Kyle Jinadu in Astonishing X-Men #51 in the first same-sex wedding published in a Marvel comic. With his history as an amazing superhero and as an ambassador for his sexuality, Northstar is a pioneer and deserves a bigger platform.
Northstar was the first major character to be openly gay in the Marvel Universe, and he was also part of the first same-sex marriage depicted by the publisher. With society becoming more and more accepting of the sexualities and identities of individuals, it's important to have fictional characters who serve as role models to young people who are trying to come to terms with themselves. Northstar having his own series (possibly set at an earlier time when homosexuality was less accepted) could do a lot of good for people dealing with their own identities.