# Existing "major" DC superhero to come out of the closet - Who will it be? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 23, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794 "2012-05-23T05:24:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/1 "2012-05-23T05:24:28Z")
I doubt they will mess around with franchise characters like Batman and Superman, so who will it be? [Is Batman gay? Major DC Comics character to come out of the closet](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2147928/Is-Batman-gay-Major-DC-Comics-character-come-closet.html#ixzz1vfQs3x00) ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/2 "2012-05-23T05:28:17Z")
Um…is it too obvious a joke to ask “You mean which one ISN’T gay?” 😛 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/3 "2012-05-23T06:10:24Z")
Robin! Oh, wait. He’s not even a boy anymore, is he? I get so lost. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/4 "2012-05-23T06:13:49Z")
The even money is on Aquaman. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/5 "2012-05-23T06:33:59Z")
IMHO: it’s going to be Hawkgirl. It won’t be one of the male characters (don’t want to alienate the fanboys), and Wonder Woman is too prominent. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/6 "2012-05-23T07:46:00Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Robin! > > Oh, wait. He’s not even a boy anymore, is he? I get so lost. Robin’s currently a boy again: Bruce’s son Damian – I think he’s about ten? I can’t say he seems likely, really; he’ll have to learn to be human first. Just going by [this article, though,](http://www.comicsalliance.com/2012/05/11/spandex-closet-gay-superheroes-need-come-out/) one of the previous Robins – Tim Drake, currently Red Robin – seems like a plausible, and perhaps even popular, choice. Though given DC’s history of “creative re-imaginings” it’ll probably be someone like Guy Gardner. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/7 "2012-05-23T07:47:37Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > IMHO: it’s going to be Hawkgirl. It won’t be one of the male characters (don’t want to alienate the fanboys), and Wonder Woman is too prominent. But that would make Hawkman never to have been her one true love anymore, wouldn’t it? Am I wrong in that that is a very important part of her backstory? Is there no other female character that could work, one who has not had her identity tied so much in having a relationship with a man? ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/8 "2012-05-23T08:02:24Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > But that would make Hawkman never to have been her one true love anymore, wouldn’t it? Am I wrong in that that is a very important part of her backstory? > > Is there no other female character that could work, one who has not had her identity tied so much in having a relationship with a man? I’ve never heard of Power Girl getting it on with anybody. Also, last time I checked the DC Universe, the new female The Question and a new Batwoman were both gay. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/9 "2012-05-23T08:50:14Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Is there no other female character that could work, one who has not had her identity tied so much in having a relationship with a man? What about Supergirl? She’s currently alive, isn’t she? According to Wikipedia, her closest romantic relationship was with Jerro the Merboy. And if dating a guy who doesn’t have a penis isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/10 "2012-05-23T10:00:09Z")
> [@WotNot](#): > > Robin’s currently a boy again: Bruce’s son Damian Batman has a son? Wow, things change so fast. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/11 "2012-05-23T10:32:27Z")
[Hmm.](http://www.mindonfire.com/images/RobinWhatHaveIDone.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/12 "2012-05-23T10:36:30Z")
[Hmm again.](http://www.wwcomics.com/images/large/Sup_12_45.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/13 "2012-05-23T11:04:39Z")
Latest word at [Newsarama.com](http://Newsarama.com) is, the character is (a) male, (b) “iconic,” and (c) not yet seen since last September. My money is on Orion of the New Gods. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/14 "2012-05-23T11:33:12Z")
DC _already_ has a female gay character that has her own title, and _Stormwatch_ has a male gay couple on the team. Given the clues from post #13, my guess for the upcoming major gay character would be Wally West. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/15 "2012-05-23T11:39:26Z")
It’s a cop-out. They’ve said (cites below when I look them up) it’s a character (note–they didn’t say “Super-hero”, they said “character”) that hasn’t appeared since the Flashpoint Reboot, so it’s not any of the big marketing characters (Superman, Batman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter or Robin). They’ve also said it’s a man. We can assume it’s not a villain because during GLBT Pride Month, DC doesn’t want to say “Hey troubled gay teens, the first character we’ve had come out of the closet since Pied Piper 20 years ago is The Joker! :)” Therefore, I’m assuming: Wally West (Kid Flash) Plastic Man Ryan Choi (The Atom) and most likely IMO, Alan (Green Lantern Earth-2) Scott. My money’s on Alan Scott. His first appearance post Flashpoint is…hey, June, when the big Coming-Out party is, he’s in a book written by James Robinson, so Robinson can crank the angst level to 11, and his costume is…um…exuberant? Fabulous? Green aviator/horse-riding pants (the ones that get poofy at the thighs), lace-up knee-high red boots with yellow straps, a red shirt and a green/lavander reversible cape? He could be in a Pride Parade. [He _is_ the rainbow.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:All-American_Comics_16.jpg) 😉 ) Anyway, if it’s not one of the “Big 8” it’s a cop-out as none of the others (and probably not Martian Manhunter) are “Iconic” in the sense that the average guy on the street would recognize him) and really, DC’s kinda lost me with the Flashpoint reboot anyway–this has the pathetic smell of desperation. [Cite](https://twitter.com/Ssnyder1835/statuses/204929227454300161)–this guy writes Batman, says character has not appeared since Flashpoint. [Cite 2](http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/05/comics-cliffhanger-as-unnamed-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-closet/) Some DC flack says ““One of the major iconic DC characters will reveal that **he** is gay in a storyline in June,” Courtney Simmons, DC Entertainment’s senior vice president of publicity, confirmed to ABC News.”(bolding mine) ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/16 "2012-05-23T11:44:30Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > But that would make Hawkman never to have been her one true love anymore, wouldn’t it? Am I wrong in that that is a very important part of her backstory? > > Is there no other female character that could work, one who has not had her identity tied so much in having a relationship with a man? IMHO, the most interesting take on Hawgirl was in the early issue of JSA when she was not interested in Hawkman. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/17 "2012-05-23T11:49:30Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Batman has a son? Wow, things change so fast. Talia al Ghul bore Batman a son in a comic published in 1987. So it’s not do fast. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/18 "2012-05-23T12:06:07Z")
Batman: Son of the Demon. (Oh, and \*\*Fenris \*\*- the poofy pants are called jodhpurs.) ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/19 "2012-05-23T12:11:33Z")
Given current continuity, [this](http://comicbook.com/blog/2012/05/21/gay-dc-character-shazam/) seems to be one of the likeliest candidates. It would make sense. They’ve been trying to find a successful angle with him for years. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794/20 "2012-05-23T12:13:20Z")
> [@planetcory](#): > > Given current continuity, [this](http://comicbook.com/blog/2012/05/21/gay-dc-character-shazam/) seems to be one of the likeliest candidates. > > It would make sense. They’ve been trying to find a successful angle with him for years. He’s appeared since the reboot. Last three issues of JLA. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/existing-major-dc-superhero-to-come-out-of-the-closet-who-will-it-be/622794.md?page=2)