Comic Watch Pride: Astonishing X-Men (2004) #51: The Lifechanging Wedding Issue

Normally, I would begin any review by talking about the plot or the narrative, the way a story is told. But this time I need to remind myself that comics are culture, and culture is defined by its impact as much as by its content. This issue is magnificent in form and script (and I will get to it later, including its risky points), but it mostly is a testament that long needed to be done. With the Comics Code Authority explicitly prohibiting any mention of homosexuality in comics from 1954 to 1989, and this code still being used by Marvel and DC until the first years of the 21st century, LGBT+ representation was literally forbidden for most of what we call the Golden and Silver ages of comics and beyond. Most LGBT+ relationships had to be subtextual or queercoded (that is, painted as villains, in a way that didn’t “normalize these activities”). Comics have always prided themselves in being progressive and handling social issues (specially X-Men comics), but the truth is, for many years, they remained either explicitly homophobic or depicting very subtle stories with tons of problematic outcomes.

The truth is, even if Marvel hadn’t been using the Code for 12 years by this issue, most LGBT+ relationships had been extremely secondary or villanized, probably as a result of the influence of years and years of this narrative in comics, combined with the unconscious biases of its creators. Not only did Astonishing X-Men #51 change that but it also opened the door to not only romance but big capital, celebrated, first plane, L O V E. It also inspired thousands of gay weddings to happen in the same week of its release. And most remarkably, it opened up that door with criticism (we have at least 3 characters being openly homophobic in this issue) and with an interracial couple (another theme considered somewhat controversial in comics).

Alongside the political big step this issue is, it is also and mostly an exuberant one. This step is taken with an in-detail pictured invited cast, with some of the most beautifully coloured and drawn version of a lot of X-Men (what an amazing depiction of Rachel, Glob, Laura…), and a fittingly magnificient and to-be-remembered cover art, in what feels like a great celebration of both LGBT+ and mutant happiness. There’s some really bittersweet moments, like Rogue wondering if her mothers ever thought of marrying in their time in an ongoing confirmation of Mystique and Destiny romance, which was greatly mistreated by the Code. And those beautiful panels with Jean-Paul and Aurora flying together and her making sure her brother is certain and safe about his last steps, with the beautiful surprise of Kyle overhearing the sweetest part in that conversation (as opposed to the usual trope of romantic misunderstandings caused by overheard insecurities). It is noticeable that, both narratively and in the evolution of the art, the story encapsulated here has perfectly advanced from a dark and difficult place (where it was left in #50) to a colourful setting with blue skies and green landscapes, all filled with joy.

Now, this issue has some really harsh moments, and some of them make this big step credible and make contrast as a way of showing this doesn’t mean total safety or that problems have gone away. One of them being Karma’s absence. Not only she couldn’t make it to the wedding (and even thought to be dead), but her shadow inhabits the story to a point that the joy it exudes feels too easily threatened. This is, of course, an on-purpose narrative, since the next issue is going be entirely centered on Xi’an, and this comic wants to keep proving the point that happiness for a mutant (and for an LGBT+ person) comes with the thought on the back of your mind that you and everyone you love could be in danger. But I also sometimes wish for a more stable place for all of them and for Karma to have suffered, survived and centered first and later been able to enjoy this celebration, especially since she’s a lesbian.

Even if the darkness populating the story sometimes bugs the mind, I did appreciate the other intentional lows of the issue: the homophobia of Warbird, Havok and Puck. Warbird outright refuses to attend the wedding, clearly because she doesn’t agree with two men marrying, and both Havok and Puck complain about it in their macho camaraderie over bigotry. These are clever moments where the writing and the visual narrative get together and point out some things are deeply wrong with the environment around Jean-Paul and Kyle, even if it seems accepting overall.