Who was Marvel’s first gay superhero?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Christopher Reeve as Superman flies over a city at night, wearing a blue suit with a red cape and yellow belt, from the 1978 film Superman. — Superhero Christopher Reeve in *Superman* (1978).

Marvel’s first gay superhero was Northstar, who was created by writer and artist John Byrne in 1979 as a member of the team Alpha Flight.1

Following his introduction, other gay characters were featured in Marvel comics, such as Hulkling and Wiccan in the Young Avengers series. The inclusion of these characters reflects the broader evolution of the superhero genre, which has increasingly incorporated cultural and social diversity to mirror changing societal mores.1