The Man of Steel is coming out as bisexual, DC comic writer Tom Taylor revealed Monday, saying that creating “another straight white savior” would be a “real opportunity missed.”
In the upcoming “Superman: Son of Kat-El,” the current Superman, Jon Kent, starts a gay relationship with Jay Nakamura, and the pair share a kiss in issue #5, IGN reported:
Fans of the series probably won’t be surprised to learn Jon is entering into a relationship with Jay Nakamura, a hacktivist who idolizes Jon’s mother Lois and has already lent his new friend a helping hand. And as this image shows, the two friends will become something more when they share their first kiss in issue #5.
Taylor told IGN that he’s had “queer characters and storylines rejected” in the past but knew he didn’t want another straight white male as his superhero.
“Over the years in this industry, it probably won’t surprise you to hear I’ve had queer characters and storylines rejected. I felt like I was letting down people I loved every time this happened” Taylor told IGN. “But we are in a very different and much more welcome place today than we were ten, or even five years ago. When I was asked if I wanted to write a new Superman with a new #1 for the DC Universe, I knew replacing Clark with another straight white savior could be a real opportunity missed.”
“I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes,” the writer continued. “Today, Superman, the strongest superhero on the planet, is coming out.”
“It is a pretty big deal doing it with Jon Kent as Superman,” artist John Timms told the outlet. “As we have seen Jon grow up in front of our eyes, it will be interesting to see him not only trying to find himself as a person but a global super hero in the complex atmosphere of modern life. On the other hand, I hope this kind of thing will not be seen as a big deal in the future. You could visualize how it could pan in the future when the most powerful man in the world is part of the LGBT community. So many things are on the horizon and beyond.”
“I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes. Today, #Superman, the strongest superhero on the planet, comes out as bisexual,” Taylor posted to Twitter, Monday.
I’ve always said everyone needs heroes and everyone deserves to see themselves in their heroes. Today, #Superman, the strongest superhero on the planet, comes out as bisexual. I chatted to @georgegustines at the @nytimes about what's coming for Jon Kent.https://t.co/rcIYLXl7FB
— Tom Taylor (@TomTaylorMade) October 11, 2021
In another post, he wrote, “Our Superman comes out. Happy Coming Out Day.”
Our #Superman comes out.
Happy #ComingOutDay🏳️🌈.@DCComics @thedcnation @johntimmsart https://t.co/sXD9wBW4A5 pic.twitter.com/vWkiQiuAGs— Tom Taylor (@TomTaylorMade) October 11, 2021
Kent’s character in the comic, IGN explained, “officially inherited the mantle of Superman from his father following the events of the Future State crossover. While Action Comics explores Clark Kent’s adventures off-world, the recently launched Superman: Son of Kal-El focuses on the 17-year-old Jon as he grapples with the biggest responsibility of his young life.”
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