Fan-Favorite Marvel LGBTQ+ Characters and Couples
From Nico and Karolina to Angela and Iceman, celebrate Pride Month with these heroic love stories!
Happy Pride, everyone!
In honor of the month-long celebrations, we're taking a look at some of the most notable LGBTQ+ characters and relationships across the merry Marvel Multiverse. We’ll cover both longstanding fan-favorites as well as newer characters, noting how they all manage their super-powered lives with their relationships and what they do for one another in the name of love!
So, face front, True Believers—let's go!
America Balances Super Heroics with Dating
America Chavez, AKA America, is a powerhouse that punches holes in reality to travel across the Multiverse. Leaving her home, the Utopian Parallel, she becomes an all-American Hero on Earth to honor her mothers and finds people that love her—despite feeling like a tourist everywhere.
Out and proud, this Latinx hero quests for love—even saves the universe with her date Lisa—as she works alongside teams like A-Force, the West Coast Avengers, the Young Avengers, and even as a leader with the Ultimates!
Nico and Karolina: Pride Kids
When the Majesdanian alien Karolina Dean admits her longtime crush on Nico Minoru, Nico rejects her. Karolina then finds herself betrothed to Xavin, a genderfluid Skrull. But when Xavin transforms themselves to Nico, Karolina admits she still has feelings for her—thinking they are Nico—though Karolina remains devoted to Xavin. Xavin later sacrifices themselves to save Karolina, and eventually Karolina moves on again, dating fellow Super Hero Julie Power. And when a tense situation presents itself, Nico attempts to kiss Karolina but Karolina rejects her to remain faithful to Julie.
Later, Karolina’s relationship with Julie comes to an end, opening the door for Nico to admit her feelings. Nico asks for a second chance and the two embark upon a romantic relationship—finally!
Aneka and Ayo Challenge Tradition
Recruited to the Dora Milaje, the elite task force to protect Wakanda’s Royal Family, Aneka and Ayo find a love they cannot deny despite their commitments to the crown. They have to navigate their life as warriors and end up challenging the traditions of the Dora Milaje, which includes the membership caveat that they are each potential ceremonial wives for the King. Their love for each other leads them to leave the Dora Milaje and become the Midnight Angels, defending those Wakanda has forgotten—namely, women.
Moondragon and Quasar Stick Together No Matter What
Heather Douglas, AKA Moondragon and Phyla-Vell, AKA Quasar share a love story and commitment for the ages—nothing, short of death, not even Moondragon’s transformation into the Dragon of the Moon which prevents her from returning to her human form, could keep these two apart.
Iceman Finds Love
After the time-displaced Bobby Drake, AKA Iceman, comes out, he confronts his older self who is seemingly...not. Young Bobby soon finds out that his older self suppressed his sexuality fearing that the world would have yet another reason, besides that he was a mutant, to be against him. After the older Bobby comes out to everyone he knows, he finds himself exploring his identity and how he fits into the world, while younger Bobby finds an intimate connection with an Inhuman named Romeo as well as a few other dates in his own self-titled series.
Mystique and Destiny Raise Rogue
Raven Darkholme is the multifaceted mutant Mystique who is known for her shapeshifting abilities. She's had a few relationships over the years, but her most consistent one is with her true love and precognitive partner Irene Adler, AKA Destiny.
The first time they meet, they embark on a journey to discern Irene’s diaries which contain her visions of the future, an in trying to manipulate events they fail but also grow quite close. Their companionship continues off and on over the years, both of them having other lovers in between (and even become parents), but later they reunite to form their own Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, a pro-mutant group. During this time they raise Anna Marie, AKA Rogue, as their adopted daughter for about a decade helping her with her powers, and Mystique and Destiny stay together until Destiny’s death.
Darkveil, Drag Queen Super Hero
Darnell Wade, AKA Darkveil, is the queer drag queen formerly known as Shade, and has the ability to open pocket voids with her fan! When she emcees New York’s first Mutant Pride Parade, it’s clear she uses her powers for good by helping other mutants hinder a group of murderous cronies and protecting oblivious partygoers.
Hulkling and Wiccan: Power Couple
Teddy Altman, AKA Hulkling, and Billy Kaplan, AKA Wiccan, bring a whole new meaning to the concept of a "power couple." While they are both super-powered, they share a long intimate relationship and devotion to one another. Their love overcomes all odds including when Wiccan loses his powers and Teddy proposes to him, bringing light to his life again.
They later overcome Loki’s suggestion that Wiccan created Hulkling to fill a void with his reality-warping powers and together defeat Mother, a parasite whose existence threatened the Multiverse.
Angela: To Hel and Back for Love
Aldrif Odinsdottir, AKA Angela the Angel bounty hunter, goes to Hel and back for her love Sera, a rare and wingless angel. Angela loses Sera in a battle against one of their enemies and then the impossible happens: they are reunited for a time but it’s all a farce—Sera is actually Malekith the Accursed who found Sera in Hel suffering eternally cursed with other perished angels.
Their next reunion is in Hel and the only way to bring Sera back to life is to overthrow its ruler Hela. Passing three trials to gain enough power, Angela defeats Hela and becomes Queen of Hel. In doing so, she changes the rules of the realm, lifts the curse on her fellow angels and restores her love Sera back to life.
Rictor and Shatterstar Shatter Expectations
Julio Esteban Richter, AKA Rictor, and Gaveedra Seven, AKA Shatterstar, are teammates that go from flirtatious co-workers to a more serious and intimate partnership. Though their relationship is currently on the outs, they always had each other’s backs, and Rictor certainly still thinks of Shatterstar. Time will tell if they’ll get back together.
Northstar: A Mainstay Super Hero Gets Married
Jean-Paul Beaubier, AKA Northstar, is a busy Super Hero having been a mainstay on the Alpha Flight team of adventurers and later joining the merry mutants on the X-Men. Finding a balance between his heroics and love-life proves difficult with his boyfriend Kyle Jinadu, though they agree to work it out and eventually make history by getting married.
That’s it for now! Have fun celebrating love during Pride month and beyond!
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