Marvel Comics
Chalk this one up on the record books.
After destroying the blockbuster with its record-breaking summer movie The Avengers, Marvel is set to unleash another groundbreaking move. Its comic division announced on Wednesday, May 22 that it will be hosting a same-sex wedding - the first ever in comic book history.
Yes, a gay wedding. Marvel's first gay superhero Northstar will wed his long-time boyfriend Kyle Jinadu. The tying of the knot will be covered in "Astonishing X-Men No. 51, which will come out in the U.S. on June 20.
Northstar, whose real name is Jean-Paul Beaubier, first came out on April 1979 in the "Uncanny X-Men #120" issue. He then "came out" as gay in "Alpha Flight" No. 106 in 1992.
Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Axel Alonso said: ""When gay marriage became legal in New York State, it raised obvious questions since most of our heroes reside in New York State. Northstar is the first openly gay character in comics and he's been in a long-term relationship with his partner Kyle so the big question was - how would this change his relationship?"
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"The Marvel Universe has always reflected the world outside your window, so we strive to make sure our characters, relationships and stories are grounded in that reality," he added.
Astonishing X-Men writer Marjorie Liu said: "The story of Northstar and Kyle is universal, and at the core of everything I write: a powerful love between two people who have to fight for it against all odds."
"This is the quintessential Marvel story, one that blends the modern world with the fantasy of superheroes in order to tell an exciting story that begins with a wedding and continues in ways you can't imagine," she added.
The wedding will mark the first time that an event like this happened in the Marvel Universe. The event coincides with the recent pronouncement of United States President Barack Obama regarding his support for same-sex marriage.
