Northstar | |
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Cover to Uncanny X-Men #392. Art by Salvador Larroca. |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | Uncanny X-Men #120 (April 1979) |
Created by | Chris Claremont John Byrne |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Jean-Paul Beaubier |
Species | Human Mutant |
Team affiliations | FLQ X-Men Children of the Vault HYDRA Alpha Flight Secret Defenders |
Notable aliases | Jean-Paul Martin |
Abilities | Superhuman speed and durability Flight Light manipulation |
Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier) is a fictional character, a superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Through his mutation, Northstar gains superhuman powers, which he uses for the betterment of society. Although originally a member of Alpha Flight, a fictional team of Canadian superhumans, Northstar is later portrayed as a member of the X-Men. He is one of the first openly gay superheroes in American comic books.
Contents |
Publication history
Northstar makes his comic debut in Uncanny X-Men #120, part of the Canadian government sponsored team Alpha flight, who seek to take Wolverine of the X-Men into custody. In 1983 the Alpha Flight team went on to star in their own comic, with Northstar as a charter member. In addition to the Alpha Flight comic and associated annuals, Northstar and other members of the team made numerous guest appearances in other titles, particularly Uncanny X-men and Wolverine. Northstar also featured in limited series, such as two X-Men and Alpha Flight series and Secret Wars II.
Northstar remained with Alpha Flight until the dissolution of the group and cancellation of the title with Alpha Flight #130 in 1994. Directly after this, Northstar starred in an eponymous four issue limited series.[n 1] In 1997 a second on-going series of Alpha Flight was initiated. Northstar was not initially a member of this group, but appeared in later issues searching for his missing sister Aurora. He featured in eight issues before the series cancellation with issue #20.
In 2005, Marvel killed Northstar in three separate continuities within the space of one calendar month. Between February 16 and March 9, 2005, versions of Northstar were killed in the Earth-616-based Wolverine #25, and in X-Men: Age of Apocalypse and X-Men: The End (a possible story of the X-Men's final days; Northstar was one of many to die in the series), both of which were set in alternate timelines.[1] Northstar did not stay dead long in Marvel's primary continuity, however; he is resurrected in Wolverine #26.
Fictional character biography
Jean-Paul Beaubier is born to a French-Canadian family in Montreal, but after his parents die in an automobile accident during his childhood, he and his twin sister, Jeanne-Marie, are separated. Jean-Paul is later adopted, but his adopted parents are killed after only a couple of years. Prior to his debut as a superhero, Beaubier competes as a professional skier. He became an elite level skier during his teenage years, prior to his mutation surfacing. Once he develops his mutant abilities he becomes virtually unbeatable and eventually bored of the sport due to the lack of competition. He becomes an angry and rebellious youth and, as a young adult, joins the Front de Libération du Québec, a terrorist separatist movement organized to win independence for Quebec from Canada. However, he soon becomes disgusted with the group's tactics and renounces terrorism. Beaubier then learns of a superhero group financed by the Canadian government called Alpha Flight. He then reunites with his sister Jeanne-Marie, who takes the name Aurora.
Alpha Flight
Jean-Paul joins Alpha Flight, adopting the codename “Northstar.” It is there that he is reunited with his twin sister Jeanne-Marie (“Aurora”). Northstar makes his comic debut in Uncanny X-Men #120 where he joins Alpha Flight combating the X-Men to capture former teammate Wolverine.
Alpha Flight learns that it is being disbanded and Jean-Paul is shocked when he witnesses his sister’s split personalities. Jean-Paul then encounters his old friend Raymond Belmonde, a man who took him in and mentored him, helping him become comfortable with himself and steering him on the right path. He introduces Aurora to Belmonde only for the twins to be attacked by local crime boss Deadly Ernest, who kills Belmonde. The twins deal with the villain, though their relationship sours when Northstar offends Aurora by asking if she had “romanced her way to safety.” Aurora refuses to speak with him after that and her lover and teammate Sasquatch assists her in altering her powers such that she no longer needs Northstar to generate light. Her attempts to isolate him cause Northstar to quit Alpha Flight.[n 2]
Eventually, Aurora arrives at his doorstep seeking his help. The twins begin to reconcile, but Aurora rejects him again when she discovers Jean-Paul’s past history as a terrorist with the FLQ, telling the other members of Alpha Flight. They cross-examine him about his terrorist activities, though any discussion is dropped due to an emergency.[n 3] When Sasquatch dies, the twins reconcile after Northstar comforts his grieving sister. However, during a confrontation with the Hulk, Northstar and Aurora discover that her power alterations cause the twins to negate one another’s abilities upon touching. After the battle finishes, Northstar decides to rejoin Alpha Flight.[n 4]
While on a skiing vacation, Northstar is forced to publicly expose himself as a mutant to save a woman's life. Spectators accuse the retired skiing champion of using his powers to cheat. Realizing that he could not know if he had subconsciously used his abilities in the past, he relinquishes his medals and bitterly turns his back on skiing forever.[n 5]
The villain Pestilence senses decay in Northstar's body and causes his sickness to grow serious to the point that his wounds no longer heal, slowly killing him. As his illness progresses, Aurora desperately uses her healing light to cure him.[n 6] The twins' later use of their powers on one another stabilizes their abilities back to their original state, also allowing Northstar to generate light independently like Aurora.[n 7]
During another battle, Northstar discovers an abandoned baby girl in an alley. Doctors discover that the baby girl is dying of AIDS, having been infected with HIV in the womb. Jean-Paul adopts her and names her Joanne Beaubier, and he and Alpha Flight performed various events to remind the public of AIDS and the dangers of remaining silent about it. Her death weeks later spurs Northstar to publicly acknowledge that he is gay, hoping that his role as a gay man and a celebrity will increase media attention on HIV/AIDS safety and prevention.[n 8]
Eventually Northstar decides to leave Alpha Flight and writes a memoir about his experience as a mutant and gay man entitled “Born Normal.”[n 9]
X-Men
In the 2001 Eve of Destruction story arc, Northstar is briefly recruited to an improvised team of X-Men by Jean Grey to rescue Professor X, who has been captured by Magneto and is being kept prisoner in Genosha.[n 10] Jean meets Northstar at a book-signing appearance, where he is mobbed. One person in the crowd turns out to be carrying a gun. Northstar foils his own assassination attempt at super-speed. Later, he meets one of the new mutants, an invulnerable young man who goes by the name of Omerta. This man is very homophobic and it leads to an actual fight between the two on the driveway of the X-Men's mansion. Omertà believes his powers will save him, but a couple dozen punches at super-speed seriously rattles him.
At Professor Xavier's request, Northstar then works with the X-Men to save the life of a mutant child who cannot stop exploding. Despite his speed, Northstar cannot save the boy, who perishes simply because of his powers. Soon afterwards, Northstar officially joins the X-Men[n 11] and becomes an instructor at the Xavier Institute, teaching business, economics, and French. He is also shown teaching flying classes. Northstar becomes a mentor to his own squad of young mutants, Alpha Squadron, and forms a close mentor relationship with student Anole. During his time at Xavier's, he forms a close friendship with Annie Ghazikhanian, a former nurse at the Xavier Institute. Annie realizes that Northstar has developed an attraction to Bobby Drake. Bobby remains oblivious, despite Northstar, who was currently sick, saving him from the misguided anger of a jealous mutant.
When HYDRA forms an alliance with the cults the Dawn of the White Light and the Hand, the groups start recruiting new agents from the superhero community by killing, resurrecting, and brainwashing them. The X-Man Wolverine is one of their victims, brainwashed into becoming a HYDRA assassin. He eventually attacks the X-Men and kills Northstar. One of the New Mutants, Elixir, manages to heal Northstar's wounds but is unable to revive him. A few days later a statue of Northstar is created in memory of him and is placed in a garden of statues of various fallen X-Men on the campus grounds. S.H.I.E.L.D. requests that Northstar be decapitated in order to prevent a resurrection, but before anything can happen, Northstar's body is stolen by Elektra, another brainwashed victim of HYDRA. A resurrected Northstar leads an attack with Elektra on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, crippling S.H.I.E.L.D. and putting Nick Fury in critical condition. Northstar also takes the time to kill racists and homophobes all across the country, and makes use of his regained 'flash', the ability to generate a brief blinding light. Wolverine meets Northstar, but is taken prinsoner by the other Dawn of the White Light mutants, all of whom he kills except for Northstar. When Northstar refuses to tell Wolverine the location of HYDRA's command center, Wolverine knocks him out and calls S.H.I.E.L.D. to pick him up and psychologically "deprogram" him. Nick Fury reports that Northstar's body was not found and he is presumed dead, while actually being in S.H.I.E.L.D. custody.[n 12]
Not long afterward, the mysterious group of superhumans known as The Children of the Vault abducts Northstar from the S.H.I.E.L.D. holding facility in order to use him to kill their enemies, Sabretooth and the X-Men. They easily are able to mentally control Northstar due to The Hand's previous mental manipulations leaving his psyche fragile. Under their control he then finds his sister about to commit suicide and stops her so that The Children can mentally control her too. Together they attack the school under The Children's command and make quick work of several X-Men, notably Iceman and Anole, whose encounter with Northstar briefly shakes him from mind-control.[n 13] Leaving Aurora to battle the X-Men, Northstar begins a search for Sabretooth but is stopped by Rogue and Cable. The X-Men take Northstar and Aurora to the S.H.I.E.L.D. heli-carrier in an attempt to fix the mental damage inflicted on the twins. Using their V.R. equipment the X-Men allow the twins to relive their lives at an accelerated pace. The process is interrupted near the end of the session by Exodus, creating a telepathic connection between the twins. Using each other's emotional support they apparently manage to face their inner turmoils. This allows both brother and sister to gain a higher level of control of their powers.[n 14]
X-Men split and reformation
Northstar is later contacted by Cyclops to find Anole, who goes into hiding after accidentally attacking his own father due to post traumatic stress disorder from his time at the X-Mansion. Northstar discovers Anole on a tree limb beside a tree house, the teenager not too happy to see his former mentor. At first, Jean-Paul makes jokes, thinking Victor is having a problem with fitting in, as both a mutant and as a gay teen. Victor explains that his town accepts him for who he is – his problems come from Northstar, along with the other X-Men, for stealing the New X-Men's innocence. Just before Anole departs, he elbows Jean-Paul in the face – similar to how Northstar attacked him in the past – and tells him to tell all of the former New X-Men not to come looking for him.
Northstar and his sister Aurora respond to Emma Frost's telepathic APB and fight alongside the X-Men in San Francisco against the Skrulls when they invade Earth.[n 15] However, Jean-Paul also makes a life for himself outside of superheroics, having returned to being a star at extreme snowsports, as well as starting his own brand of snowsporting equipment and becoming involved in a relationship. Wolverine then approaches him to rejoin the X-Men to help fill a much needed speedster role on the team. After receiving confirmation that he would not be the team's token gay member, he accepts.[n 16]
Later while training Surge in the use of super-speed, Northstar stops to give an interview. During the interview he finds out about Simon Trask's Proposition X. He runs back to the X-Men and threatens to quit and go back to Canada. Later, he and Dazzler take out Pixie and all get drunk. They come back to find Scott sleeping on the couch and he has a word to them about taking out an underage girl when they are attacked by Martinique Wyngarde and Chimera of the Sisterhood of Mutants.[n 17] After the Sisterhood retreat, Northstar and other X-men go to Jean Grey's burial site, taking on Spiral before she teleports off with the remaining members after the Red Queen's defeat.[n 18]
During the protests between anti-mutant and pro-mutant movements about mutant reproductive rights. Northstar is seen during the protests between the groups. He tells Simon Trask to his face that his cause will find no support here and is seen trying to fly away after a fight breaks out between the groups.[n 19]
A temporal copy of Northstar—from a period of time shortly before the apparent death of Guardian at the hands of Jerry Jaxon—was introduced near the end of the third Alpha Flight series, along with an entire team of early Alpha Flight members. This Northstar is last seen with a similarly time-displaced Aurora, still operating in the Earth-616 present.
Powers and abilities
Northstar is a mutant who can move and fly at superhuman speed with the potential of reaching near light speeds. He also possesses superhuman stamina, endurance (both essential to maintain super-speed for any length of time) and reflexes. He can channel a portion of the kinetic energy of the atomic motion in his body's molecules in a single direction, accelerating his body to a velocity in direct proportion to the amount of kinetic energy he has tapped. Northstar also has an advanced equilibrium, and exceptional agility and reaction time, which allows for him to make sharp turns, and run at such speeds without becoming sick. Northstar is also able to punch at great speeds, which grants him the ability to hurt even the Hulk. In an early issue of Alpha Flight Northstar reveals to readers that his sister Aurora can fly greater distances than he can, but that he can fly faster.[volume & issue needed] Northstar can create cyclones by running in circles, can run up walls and across water, and can breathe while traveling at supersonic speeds. However, if Northstar wanted to travel with someone else above 60 MPH, they would need a breathing apparatus to keep from asphyxiating.
As a side effect of partially robbing his molecules of their atomic motion, the binding forces within and between the molecules increase which enhances the sheer toughness of Northstar's entire body. This effect gives his skin enough durability to withstand speeds up to at least Mach 10 without injury, but the upper limit of this ability has not been measured. It had once been theorized that Northstar could fly at 99% of the speed of light: 186,282 miles per second (299,792 km/s),[volume & issue needed] although this has never been attempted because he would do irreparable damage to the environment and wreak havoc on the gravitational forces holding our solar system together. While Northstar can withstand Mach 10 speeds, traveling any faster would carry complications with breathing and damage caused by wind and air resistance to his body. When Aurora, his sister, and Northstar are in contact with each other, usually by holding hands, they can also vary the rate of acceleration of his molecules to release a cascade of photons creating a momentary burst of light equal to one million candela (with one candela equal to the amount of light given off by one candle) which they use to blind their opponents. The only other minor drawback to this ability, other than he and his sister having to be in contact with each other to utilize this gift, is that they are unable to adjust the brilliance of the flash. After being captured by the Children of the Vault in the Supernovas arc of Mike Carey's X-Men, his and Aurora's powers have been enhanced to the point where they can now move at light speed without harm (or harm to the environment, which has not been explained) and can generate explosive thermal energy in addition to light.[2]
Northstar is a world-class professional skier, skilled trapeze artist, business man, and an accomplished novelist. A native French speaker, he is also fluent in English. He is a good hand-to-hand combatant using a style utilizing his superhuman speed, and received coaching from his teammate Puck. After his resurrection by The Hand, Northstar has been trained in the martial arts.[volume & issue needed] Northstar also has peak human strength, but has superhuman strength in his legs.
Northstar wears a costume of synthetic stretch fabric made of special materials for protection from friction and other hazards of superhuman speed.
Sexuality
Northstar was the first major gay character created by Marvel Comics. Comic book writer and artist John Byrne has stated that while planning the Alpha Flight series that was launched in 1983, the characters had little to no depth, and so he decided to flesh them out:
“ | One of the things that popped immediately into my head was to make one of them gay. I had recently read an article in Scientific American on what was then (the early 80s) fairly radical new thinking on just what processes caused a person to be homosexual, and the evidence was pointing increasingly to it being genetic and not environmental factors. So, I thought, it seemed like it was time for a gay superhero, and since I was being 'forced' to make Alpha Flight a real series, I might as well make one of them gay. . . . I settled on Jean-Paul, and the moment I did I realized it was already there. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I must have been considering making him gay before I 'decided' to do so.[3] | ” |
Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter had decreed that there were to be no explicitly gay characters in the Marvel universe.[4] The Comics Code Authority also prevented Marvel from publicly stating Northstar was homosexual.[5] Byrne, therefore, was only able to imply that Northstar was gay.[3]
Creator John Byrne said that Northstar was planned to be gay from his inception in 1979,[6] but although hints about Northstar's sexual identity appeared during 1983 in issues 7 and 8 of Alpha Flight, his apparent lack of interest in women was attributed to his obsessive drive to win as a ski champion.[7]
The character was finally revealed to be gay in 1992's Alpha Flight issue 106,[7][8] the only comic book issue to have been inducted into the Gaylactic Hall of Fame.[9] Criticism has been leveled at the fact that in 30 years Northstar has never been shown kissing another man, although many interactions with other gay characters are shown, as in the Marvel Swimsuit Special, in which he is shown socializing with the gay Pantheon member Hector.[10]
After the cancellation of Alpha Flight Northstar appeared in his own miniseries, which mostly ignored his sexuality, and eventually became a member of the X-Men. During his time in this team he became a mentor to gay teenage mutant Anole, who later became a Young X-Men member along with another gay teen, Graymalkin.[11] Notable also in Northstar's tenure in the X-Men was his death in three separate continuities in the same month.
When Bill Mantlo succeeded Byrne as Alpha Flight writer, he began a storyline in which Northstar became infected with a strange illness. Mantlo intended to reveal that the illness was AIDS and then kill off the character in Alpha Flight #50. However, Marvel's editors intervened and Mantlo was forced to change the ending: instead of dying of AIDS, Northstar was revealed to be a magical being whose illness was the result of prolonged separation from his homeland. Peter David later sarcastically described this incident as "He wasn't gay. He was just a fairy."[12] The fairy retcon was retconned back out by later Alpha Flight writers[volume & issue needed], though what Northstar's original illness had been was not addressed.
In Alpha Flight #106, published in 1992, some years after Shooter had left Marvel, writer Scott Lobdell was finally given permission to allow Northstar to utter the words "I am gay."[13] The event generated some publicity in the mainstream press[14] and Alpha Flight #106 sold out in a week, despite the fact that the series was not a very popular title.[13] Shortly before Northstar admitted he was gay, he was voted Canada's most eligible bachelor, in the Alpha Flight series.
Northstar's coming out was controversial[15] and as a result, little mention was made of his sexual orientation for the remainder of the first Alpha Flight series, which ended in 1994. It wasn't ignored entirely, however; one subplot dealt with his sister Aurora's reaction, in which the "Aurora" personality was accepting, while the "Jeanne-Marie" one was not. A subsequent mini-series starring Northstar also dodged the issue.
While gay secondary characters had been seen earlier in mainstream comics, the characters Northstar, Mystique and Destiny were all created years beforehand. And even though the editors at Marvel would not let it be openly stated, these characters were intended from almost the beginning to be gay/bisexual.[16] The villain Mystique having been in a relationship with the character Destiny, although this was not explicitly revealed until years after the relationship had ended with Destiny's murder.[17]
By 2001, society's views on homosexuality had changed considerably. In that year, Northstar's sexual orientation played a large role in the storyline in which he joined a temporary team of X-Men and faced another recruit, Paulie Provenzano, who was extremely homophobic.[volume & issue needed] Though the two began their mission as enemies, they eventually made peace with one another.[volume & issue needed] Northstar developed the same relationship with Juggernaut, when the two served on the same X-Team.[volume & issue needed]
When Northstar re-joined the X-Men as a regular member in 2002, writers were less hesitant to address his sexual orientation. Northstar even experienced a crush on the long-time X-Man Iceman, though it was a one-sided love.[volume & issue needed] One of his students in the Alpha Squadron, Victor Borkowski, the gay mutant Anole, looks up to him as a role model.[volume & issue needed] When Northstar re-joined the X-Men yet again in 2009, he was revealed to be in a relationship with an African-Canadian man named Kyle who is the events manager for Northstar and Aurora's extreme snow sports company.[18] Their relationship faces strain from the remaining mutants' exodus to the mutant island Utopia, though the two agree to work through their issues.[19]
Other versions
Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of Apocalypse, Northstar and Aurora are part of Mr. Sinister's Elite Mutant Force (E.M.F.) and, as such, are assigned to patrolling the breeding pens. The siblings are rather snotty about their superior status as mutants and seem to take great pleasure in punishing those prisoners who act up or try to escape. When the E.M.F.'s leader, Cyclops, switches sides, secretly helping some inmates to escape, he is caught in the act by the speeding twins. However, both of them are defeated by Cyclops and the prisoner he was helping to escape, which happens to be Polaris. When the series was revisited for the 10 year anniversary, both Northstar and Aurora are later killed by Weapon X (Wolverine) and Kirika (X-23 in the Marvels main universe).[n 20]
Marvel Zombies
In the Marvel Zombies comics set in the universe of Earth-2149 the zombified Alpha Flight attack the X-Men and are eventually killed by Magneto. Northstar is seen in a panel of Marvel Zombies Dead Days attacking the X-Man Storm alongside his sister Aurora. The two are killed by Magneto only moments later.
Ultimate Northstar
In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, his features are similar to his original counterpart, although his ears are no longer pointed. He can also move at super-speed, though he has yet to demonstrate the ability to fly, or any abilities related to light emission.
A student at New York City's Stuyvesant High School, Northstar is kicked off the school's track team for suspected illegal steroid use. In fact, his unnatural levels of speed are actually due to his mutation. When the X-Men reveal to him he is a mutant and ask him to join them, he turns them down, saying that separating themselves from humans is segregation and noting how a student there (Beast) had been recently killed.[volume & issue needed]
Soon after, Mister Sinister, a deranged man who is apparently under orders of Apocalypse to kill several mutants, shoots Northstar. Thanks to his quick reflexes, Northstar manages to survive the attack but is left in a coma. After being hospitalized, he is awakened from his coma by the X-Man Jean Grey. Upon being told that Colossus had watched over him all night to protect him from any further attacks, Northstar asks if Colossus is single, startling Colossus so much that his body involuntarily turns to steel.[volume & issue needed]
Northstar is later recruited by Emma Frost to join the Academy of Tomorrow, a magnet school for gifted children both mutant and human with a more pacifistic and integrationist philosophy than the X-Men. Along with fellow students Lorna Dane and Alex Summers, he completes Frost's Advanced Leadership Workshop, allowing him to make use of his powers performing off-campus community service missions in conjunction with local authorities. When Lorna is framed for murder and imprisoned in the Triskelion (the headquarters of the Ultimates), in an elaborate scheme by Magneto to help him escape the prison, Northstar is part of the group of Frost's students who try to break her out. During a battle with the Ultimates and the X-Men, he shows that he has improved his abilities enough to move faster than the human eye (allowing him to attack without being seen), run across water (though a direct hit from a super-powered person could cause him to sink), and resist gravity (he is able to run up the side of a tall building).[volume & issue needed]
During the battle he shows romantic interest in Colossus, and a week later it is revealed that the two have kept in contact, having exchanged email addresses. Colossus is shown on the phone talking to Northstar, who asks Colossus to be his date to his school's homecoming dance (which he accepts). But the dance is interrupted by the Brotherhood. After the supposed death of Charles Xavier, Colossus agrees to temporarily live with Northstar at his school.[volume & issue needed]
During a softball game between the Academy of Tomorrow and the Xavier School, Ultimate Alpha Flight shows up to kidnap Northstar. Ultimate Aurora makes her debut, revealing herself to be Northstar's sister. She physically takes him against his will.[n 21] Later, Colossus, Cyclops, Rogue, Angel, Dazzler and Nightcrawler break into Alpha Flight's base to rescue him. After they incapacitate Alpha Flight, Colossus finds Northstar overdosing on the mutant drug, Banshee, resulting in him being crippled from the waist down.[n 22]
X-Men: The End
In the alternate future of X-Men: The End, Northstar is one of many members of the staff of Xavier Institute. He briefly survives the destruction of it and several surrounding miles, only to die in Scott Summers' arms. As he passes on, he sees a vision of his Alpha Flight friends, leading is his sister, who encourages him to leave his body.
House of M
In the alternate reality created by the Scarlet Witch known as House of M, Northstar is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, responsible for training a squad of young mutants and super-humans in the agency's junior training squad program. Much like the rest of the super-powered community in House of M, Northstar supported this reality's Magneto and his mutant-supremacy platform.[n 23]
In other media
Television
- Northstar appears in the X-Men episodes "Slave Island", "Repo Man", and "Child of Light". He is voiced by Rene Lemieux. No mention or hint is made of his sexual orientation. In the cartoon Northstar possesses the ability to fly and generate a blinding light when he slaps hands with his sister Aurora. Though he didn't have any speaking role in Slave Island, the episode Repo Man showed the character's origins as he spoke with a French Canadian accent. In "Slave Island" Jean-Paul is a hostage/prisoner of the island nation of Genosha. He, along with many other mutants, provides slave labor for the government using their mutant skills for such tasks as building dams and the like. They wear special collars that restrict them from using their powers to escape and sleep in prison-like cells. They eventually escape Genosha with the help of the X-Men. In "Repo Man", Northstar is shown as part of the Canadian Special Forces team Alpha Flight, which tries to convince former member Wolverine to re-join. Northstar, as well as other Alpha Flight members, make a brief cameo in "Child of Light".
Toys
In September 2007, Hasbro ran a poll with ToyFare magazine of potential Marvel Legends X-Men prototype figurines, one of which was Northstar in his original costume. Aurora was also a prototype.[20] The Northstar prototype placed 7th out of 8 in the final poll results, with Aurora placing 8th.[21]
A two-pack set of mini-busts of Aurora and Northstar were due for shipment in October 2008.[22]
See also
- LGBT themes in comics
- LGBT themes in speculative fiction
- LGBT characters in comics
- LGBT-related comics
Notes
- ^ Northstar #1-4 (April-July 1994)
- ^ Alpha Flight #1, 7, 8, 18
- ^ Alpha Flight #25
- ^ Alpha Flight #29
- ^ Alpha Flight #41
- ^ Alpha Flight #50
- ^ Alpha Flight #85
- ^ Alpha Flight #106
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #392
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #392 (2001)
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #414 (2002)
- ^ Wolverine vol. 3 #31
- ^ X-Men vol. 2 #190
- ^ X-Men Annual #1 (2007)
- ^ Secret Invasion: X-Men #2
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #508
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #509
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #511
- ^ Dark Avengers/Uncanny X-Men: Utopia #1
- ^ X-Men: Age of Apocalypse #2
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #94
- ^ Ultimate X-Men #97
- ^ New X-men: Academy X # 16"
References
- ^ Film producer Perry Moore was so angered by the death of Marvel's most prominent gay superhero at the hands of one of its most popular superheroes that he wrote the novel Hero—about a gay teenage superhero—to present a more positive image of gay superheroes to readers. See: George Gene Gustines, "A Novelist’s Superhero Is Out to Right Wrongs," New York Times, September 3, 2007.
- ^ X-Men #191
- ^ a b Byrne, John. "Frequently Asked Questions: Questions about Comic Book Projects: Was NorthStar always intended to be a gay character?" Byrne Robotics. Accessed Apr. 11, 2009.
- ^ Bartilucci, Vinnie. "One Thin Dime an' Two Thick Pennies" (Jim Shooter interview), Thwack!.
- ^ Nyberg, Amy Kiste. Seal of Approval: The History of the Comics Code (Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1998), pp. 143, 175–176, ISBN 087805975X.
- ^ Haggerty, p.326
- ^ a b Beek's Books - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Superheroes, Rzero.com, http://www.rzero.com/books/gaysuperfull.html, retrieved 2009-03-21
- ^ Colón, Suzan (2008-11-18), "Don't Mask, Do Tell", The Advocate: pp. 18, Issue #1019, http://www.advocate.com/issue_story_ektid63952.asp, retrieved 2008-11-30
- ^ Kelly (2003–2007), 2002 Gaylactic Spectrum Awards, Locus Publications, http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/Spectrum22002.html, retrieved 2008-11-13
- ^ Masaki, Lyle, "Ultimate X-Men": Troubling turns for gay superheroes Colossus and Northstar, AfterElton.com, http://www.afterelton.com/blog/lylemasaki/utlimate-xmen-gay-colossus-northstar-gay-superheroes, retrieved 2009-03-29
- ^ Masaki, Lyle, The new "X-Men" series has two gay characters ... will it amount to anything?, AfterElton.com, http://www.afterelton.com/blog/lylemasaki/young-xmen-two-gay-characters-will-it-amount-to-anything?, retrieved 2009-03-29
- ^ David, Peter A. "But I Digress...: When You Wish Upon Northstar," PeterDavid.net (Feb. 14, 1992). Accessed Apr. 11, 2009.
- ^ a b Furey, Emmett. "Homosexuality in Comics - Part II," Comic Book Resources (July 17, 2007). Accessed Apr. 11, 2009.
- ^ "Op-Ed: The Comics Break New Ground, Again," New York Times (Jan. 24, 1992). Accessed Apr. 11, 2009.
- ^ Masaki, Lyle. "The Seven Biggest Gay Moments in Marvel Comics History," After Elton: News, Reviews & Commentary on Gay and Bisexual Men in Entertainment and the Media (Nov. 15, 2007). Accessed Apr. 11, 2009.
- ^ Ingro, Cheryl. "The Bisexual Mystique," After Ellen: News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media (July 12, 2006). Accessed Apr. 11, 2009.
- ^ Sears, James Thomas (2005), Youth, education, and sexualities: an international encyclopedia, Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 187, ISBN 9780313327544
- ^ Uncanny X-Men #509
- ^ Nation X #2
- ^ ToyFare #124
- ^ '"ToyFare #128
- ^ http://www.wizarduniverse.com/jul084888.html
External links
- MarvelDatabase:Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)
- MarvelDatabase:Character Gallery Northstar (Jean-Paul Beaubier)
- MarvelDatabase:Northstar (Ultimate)
- Northstar Fans Character fan site
- AlphaFlight.Net Alphanex Entry On - Northstar
- UncannyXmen.net, spotlight on Northstar
- Gay League, Profile Page
- MutantHigh, Northstar Profile
- Northstar on the Marvel Universe Character Bio Wiki
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