The X-Men are probably the most famous superhero team to work as an allegory for minority groups. Although the original intentions are sometimes embellished, it is easy to see by the 80s Chris Claremont had turned the X-Men into a diverse and relatable team.
Honestly, most groups could find something to love about the X-Men. They were outcasts trying to navigate a world that hated and feared them. Most teenagers feel like this at some point or another.
But for minorities, people who rarely saw themselves in comics, the X-Men just hit differently. As a nerdy Black kid, I was hooked. Although the cast was mostly White, the stories often felt very Black in a way I didn’t quite understand. For most of the 80s and early 90s, Storm, a Black character, was a leader of the team and for about a decade, she was the protagonist of the series.
The LGBT community also latched onto these comics. Chris Claremont wrote many gay characters despite not being able to explicitly show them as gay on the page. Even as a straight child, I knew Juggernaut and Black Tom were giving a vibe. It was clear Mystique and Destiny loved each other as more than friends.
Mystique and Destiny, one of the oldest relationships in X-men lore, were finally able to kiss on a panel in 2019. I don’t remember much backlash from this, but a recent story brought out the anger and homophobia.
Who’s your daddy?
Like many X-men, Nightcrawler’s parentage was a mystery through much of publication. It was revealed relatively early that Mystique was his mother, but who was his father?
According to Chris Claremont, his original plan was for Destiny to be Nightcrawler’s mother and for Mystique, a shape changer, to be Nightcrawler’s “father.”
In other words, Nightcrawler would have two biological mothers.
Claremont was never able to do this, so in 2003, Chuck Austen wrote a story in which Nightcrawler was revealed to be the son of Azazel, who is basically one of Marvel Comics’ versions of the devil.
However, last week this storyline was retconned to align closer to Claremont’s vision. According to comic lore, Nightcrawler officially has two biological mothers, Mystique and Destiny.
Of course, people were pissed.
Backlash
The post above by Jake Peralta captures what comes across as homophobia. The image implies Nightcrawler being the son of the devil is more “wholesome” than Nightcrawler being the son of two women.
The hatred for LGBT relationships in a comic book world shows just how ridiculous these people can be. They are legitimately able to accept the most bizarre stories.
People with unexplainable powers just exist on the street. Characters travel across time and space. People go to different dimensions like they are visiting a different city. Bruce Wayne is a billionaire but is also somehow considered a hero for fighting crime in a costume.
Destiny can see the future.
Mystique can change into anyone she wants (and was actually Sherlock Holmes in the Marvel Universe).
Both have died and returned.
Why are the fans able to accept all of this but they can’t believe these women created a child together?
Although many of them will argue it logically doesn’t make sense or it is bad writing, there is only one real answer.
To describe a relationship with someone who identifies as the devil more “wholesome” than a lesbian relationship does nothing but expose their bigotry.
Even though these people pretend to be thoughtfully critiquing the writing, attempting to engage in any meaningful way just brings out hatred. Racist and homophobic slurs are hurled without hesitation. Fans and creators need to remember this is just a very vocal minority.
It is a sad reminder such volatile hate still exists, but most of it in these types of fandoms can be dismissed as white noise.
Read what you love. Ignore the rest.