17 Times Comic Books Were Progressive Before It Was Cool

Progress can feel clumsy.When Northstarfirst came out of the closet in Alpha Flight pagesAlpha Flightback in 1992Northstar became one of the first openly gay superheroes in mainstream comics. The story was messy: Northstar faced heat from a retired Canadian super soldier because he worried about a baby infected with HIV.

Creators planned Wonder Woman's creation as a subversive attack on what they called the "blood-curdling masculinity" of the male-dominated comic book industry.A renowned psychologist and his wife created her.based the character's look on their shared mistress. Her mythology inverted masculine tropes, trying to show kids women as equal or superior to men. Add some kink, and you get a progressive superhero.

Marvel Universe has many Captain Marvels floating around.The Captain Marvel name's history is tangled., so we skip the deep history. Know this: in 2012, Marvel launched a new Captain Marvel comic.featuring the old Ms Marvel, Carol Danvers.There was muchback-pattingover Carol choosing "Captain" instead of "Ms"." (even though "Ms" referenced the feminist movementof the '70s.)But this ignored the fact that

there already existed a female Captain Marvel.A Black woman led the Avengers, a team of otherwise white, lantern-jawed men in the '80s. A giant corporation ignored the founding work of a woman of color andBack in the '80s, she was Black. She led the Avengers, a team of otherwise white, lantern-jawed men. A giant corporation watched the founding work of a woman of color.ColumbusingShe achieved all of her accomplishments decades later.

The 1960s presented tough times for America.Riots hit the streets, an unpopular war, a president assassinated, and civil rights leaders murderedleftand right. Real life was rougher than movies. Many comics stayed simple four-color distractions for kids. That changed when Green Arrow and Green Lantern teamed up and helped the medium mature.

Tackling issues like addiction, racial inequality, and social injustice of every kind, the billionaire rabble-rouser Oliver Queen—Green Arrow—and his new partner Green Lantern raised the stakes in the content department, opening the door to politically aware comic books.

The Wasp lefta verbally and physically abusive relationship with her ex-husband Ant-Man, then told the Avengers their current plan failed and their leadership was weak. She nominated herself as the new leader; she won by majority vote. As leader, she assembled reserve Avengers to fight the Masters of Evil and rescue the mansion.She assembled reserve Avengers to fight the Masters of Evil and rescue the mansion

In 2015, the U.S senate voted to defund Planned ParenthoodAnn Nocenti first wrote and released "When Medusa Considered Whether To Keep A Pregnancy" in 1988. This targets reproductive rights.Inhumans.graphic novel.By Right of Birth.The book featured a pregnant Medusa struggling over an abortion. It appeared about 30 years early and is more relevant now.

Lord Fanny.was a transgender character in the comic bookInvisibles.Fanny was a complete character, not a stereotype or a joke target. She spoke openly about gender and normality while serving as the team's witch, fighting mystical villains from different dimensions. She also mentored Jack Frost.

This happened in 1994.Ace Ventura.Hollywood and Ace Ventura cast trans characters as villains and clowns.

Before Tumblr, body positivity, or Meghan Trainor, there was this.Meghan Trainor.Meghan Trainor's song "that bass" featured Zephyr.Zephyr.Zephyr, the plus-sized flyer in Harbinger, appeared. In 1992, Jim Shooter created a new cast of heroes for his Valiant comic book company.an all new, different group of heroes for Valiant.Valiant.

Shooter avoided clichés and old tropes. Zephyr stands against the overly perfect female bodies often seen in comics. Zephyr (Faith Herbert) is proud of her body, coming decades before the body-positive movement.

Ororo Monroe leads the X-Men. This is the answer for an African American female without superpowers in the '80s. After Cyclops returns, Storm is not ready to give up her leadership role, even though she lacks power.They settle the issue in the Danger Room through combat. Storm defeats Cyclops and keeps her rightful position.Storm retains her position without weather-controlling powers.

Black Panther came before the Black Panther party. Black Panther premiered one year before the political party.Black Panther was the first major African American character with superpowers to appear in DC or Marvel, let alone get his own comic.He appeared in either DC or Marvel, and he got his own comic.

In 1989, The Negative Spirit inhabited Larry Trainor (a white man) and his doctor, Dr. Eleanor Poole (a Black woman) at the same time. The three became Rebis, a genderless, biracial being.Black woman) at the same time. The three become Rebis, the genderless, biracial being.Rebis rejected racial and gender constructs at the same time.

Rebis had many cool superpowers. It spent most of its time studying race and gender constructs before dropping them and accepting its own complexity.

Silhouette Chord uses her power to "shadow melt" to fight crime and take down New York City gangs.Silhouette Chord.Police shot Silhouette and left her paralyzed from the waist down. She did not stop. After hard physical and mental recovery, she used crutches. Silhouette returned to action with The New Warriors, showing thatParaplegics can take down the White Queen and her Hellions.When Silhouette Fought Crime On Crutches is listed in '17 Times Comic Books Were Progressive Before It Was Cool'.

Batgirl became...gunned down and paralyzed by the Joker in the '80s masterpiece.The Joker became her in the '80s masterpiece.She did not leave the comics. Instead,she beat her trauma and the idea that her paralysis made her less of a hero.. Barbara Gordon became Oracle, the mind behind Batman's Gotham crime fight. From vigilante to survivor to hacker, Barbara Gordon refused to be a victim. She served as a better hero example in a medium focused on male power fantasies.Barbara Gordon became Oracle, Batman's crime war brain in Gotham. From vigilante to survivor to hacker supreme, Barbara Gordon refused the victim role. She served as a more mature heroism example in a medium dominated by male power fantasies.

If the idea of...religious fundamentalism driving radical, exclusionary politics sounds relevant now, it was ahead of its time in 1982. "God Loves, Man Kills" was anThis idea sounded relevant now; it was ahead of its time in 1982. "God Loves, Man Kills" was an...story arc where a pastor used radical Christianity to execute mutants.This story arc showed a pastor using radical Christianity to execute mutants. A long monologue about civil and human rights defeated the pastor, summing up many themes of the X-Men.X-Men., a title obsessed with intolerance and bigotry.

In the 1940s, the...Klu Klux Klan and general racial bigotry did not have the same social or moral stigma today. Some point to theSuperman's radio serial helped fight the KKK's bad influence.The Superman radio serial of that time helped fight the KKK's bad influence.

As early as 1973, Batgirl ran public service ads for an unpopular social issue then: equal pay.The PSAs showed Batgirl urging Batman to pay her the same as Robin.Batgirl fought for the same pay as Robin. This happened decades before today's fight to close the pay gap.

In 2015, Marvel made a big deal about the new characterMs Marvel, promoting her as a breakthrough character: a Muslim teenager with her own comic series. It is a good comic and a progressive move for the House of Ideas. It is just, you know, nothing new.