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Marvel comics is no stranger to embracing queerness in their superhero characters. Supers like America Chavez, Iceman, Batwoman, and more are widely loved characters in the Marvel Comic Universe. Particularly in the X-Men comic universe, there are superheroes and villains such as Mystique, Northstar, Shatterstar, Rictor, Colossus, Wiccan, Hulkling, and more.
But for the first time ever in the Iceman comic, we’re seeing the MCU’s first ever drag queen superhero. In the fourth issue of the recently launched series, queer comics writer introduces us to Shade, a mutant who has the power to teleport and the power to create and enter a pocket dimension inside her handheld fan. She makes her first appearance teleporting into the inaugural Mutant Pride Parade as the festival emcee.
Considering the way in which we see Marvel mutants situated in society as outcasts and oppressed, it’s not surprising that so many of its iconic characters are queer. The title superhero himself personifies that—his alter-ego, Bobby Drake is an openly gay man. Grace’s exact intention with her writing in the Iceman comics is to further push these perspectives into the forefront.
“I really wanted this series to push readers to new and better stories about the whole queer experience and how it applies to being both a mutant and a superhero,” Grace said in an interview with The Advocate. “There are a million different queer perspectives and we’re only scratching the surface.”
Thankfully, this won’t be the last time we see Shade. She’ll be in Iceman #5 and also appear in X-Men: Winter’s End, a special annual issue that will be out in February.
