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Rictor and Shatterstar Have Grown Big Gay Mustaches
Look, I know LGBT issues can be a sensitive topic for some people, and I totally respect that. I’m pro-LGBT all the way, and as a straight male, I’m probably in no position to comment on this or really stomp my feet about this issue. I just think it’s worth mentioning. In case nobody else on the Internet picks up on this and says something, I just want to put this out there for everybody to see.
The last time we saw Rictor and Shatterstar in an X-Men comic, they came out as a gay couple in the pages of X-Factor. Their first kiss back in 2009 was the first ever on-panel male-to-male kiss in the pages of Marvel Comics. It was a big deal.
Then X-Factor came to an end in 2013 and I don’t think we’ve seen either of them since. Rictor and Shatterstar disappeared into the same comic book limbo that claims most B and C-list mutants.
Until this week! Both heroes make their spectacular return in Secret Warriors #3, set during the whole Secret Empire debacle. And, well…as my headline implies…
First there’s Rictor.
Outshining Quake
And then both of them show up on the final page. You’re going to have zoom in for this one, but it’s as plain as that mustache on both of their faces.
Click to embiggen
Look, anybody and everybody is more than welcome to have whatever kind of facial hair they want. But you cannot tell me that those are not stereotypical big gay mustaches. Those are clearly Freddie Mercury mustaches.
I’m not making any judgement calls here. I’m just throwing it out there that I think it’s a little weird that when two of Marvel Comics’ most popular openly gay men make their long-awaited return to comics, they’re both sporting stereotypically gay facial hair.
Someone somewhere clearly made that active decision.
Also, while we’re here, the Strong Guy Watch continues!
Strong Guy also shows up in Secret Warriors #3, and he is still as silent as the grave.
He’s also apparently wearing a giant, badass chain draped off his belt
He appears in several panels, beyond just this big team shot, but he doesn’t say a word. It’s like whatever edict is putting Strong Guy in these comics also states that he must not utter a word. This is fascinatingly weird.
Also, oddly enough, that was totally Strong Guy reacting when Rictor and Shatterstar had their first kiss! Comics are cyclical!
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Strong Guy Watch: Beard Alert!
Welcome back to the Strong Guy Watch! I thought this would just be a funny little zinger during Inhumans vs. X-Men, but then friend of the site josta59 pointed out that Strong Guy has made his epic return in the pages of the new Inhumans series Secret Warriors! And so I thought, why not make this an ongoing feature? I do love me some Strong Guy!
And hot damn he looks good with a beard!
Old Man Strong Guy
That’s his only appearance in Secret Wars #2. It’s the final page cliffhanger. Will he have a bigger role in Secret Wars #3? We can only hope! Tune in to the next Strong Guy Watch to find out!
If you’re unfamiliar with Strong Guy Watch, let me get you up to speed. Strong Guy is one of my favorite comic book characters, in large part because he’s the best friend of my all-time favorite comic book character, Multiple Man. A year ago, in the series Death of X, Marvel up and killed Multiple Man for shock value and cannon fodder. I hate that sort of thing. Ugh.
But then a funny little thing happened: Strong Guy showed up for Multiple Man’s impromptu funeral. Makes sense. They’re best friends, right? But Strong Guy wasn’t in any ongoing X-Men comics at the time and hadn’t been seen in years. So someone somewhere at the X-Men editorial office had the forethought to have Strong Guy show up at the funeral.
Then that forethought continued into Inhumans vs. X-Men, when Strong Guy showed up in the background of fight scenes. When the X-Men went after the Inhumans, Strong Guy clearly wanted some. But he didn’t have any lines. He didn’t play any sort of important role. He was just there — for about half the series. Then he disappeared as quietly as he came.
You can read more on this in my first Strong Guy Watch post.
Now he’s back, with a beard. And Strong Guy Watch is dedicated to whichever Marvel staffer has taken it upon themselves to insist that Strong Guy show up. It’s a Marvelous little thing. I know I’m having fun.
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6 Thoughts on the Third Season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
The latest season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. came to an end last week, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the state of Marvel’s only remaining network TV show. I’ve been an avid watcher since the show started, and I also take in a lot of other superhero TV shows. We are living in a great time for superhero entertainment. Believe me, I’m thrilled.
I kind of want to tell them to stop trying to make Agent Coulson a thing…
I enjoyed Season 3 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I don’t think it has lived up to the promise of a Joss Whedon TV show set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This third season saw the agents team up with a few scattered Inhumans to take on an evolving HYDRA, and we learned that HYDRA’s true purpose was to summon an ancient, Inhuman god back to Earth to rule (I guess Red Skull missed that part?). The agents and their Inhuman Secret Warriors took on this god — named Hive — after he possessed the dead body of former agent Grant Ward. They also visited an alien planet!
It was a solid season, and we’re definitely getting a fourth. So join me after the jump for my thoughts of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! There will be FULL SPOILERS for Season 3!
Henchman-4-Hire 