Almost since the beginning, Kyle has been the victim of one enemy or another. There was the Purple Woman and the Unity Party over in Alpha Flight. Then there was Karma's wicked half-sister and the Marauders and now the Friends of Humanity. I'm thinking he needs to take up Tae Kwon Do or Judo or touch a radioactive meteorite or something. That way, he might stand a chance next time one of Northstar's enemies comes knocking!
Much of the issue dealt with Northstar and Kyle feeling torn between heroic obligations, a desire to be left alone, and worry that they rushed too fast into marriage. Most of the X-Men told Kyle that everything would be fine. Gambit, on the other hand, gave some interesting advice to Kyle: Run! Kyle and the readers were reminded that pretty much every mutant marriage has ended in tragedy or divorce. If Kyle wants to break the cycle, it might be in his best interest to pull Jean-Paul off the team. Is this romantic angst and tension, or creative foreshadowing?
I wish we'd see more family from the other Astonishing X-Men. I would love it if Karma's little brother and sister hung out with the group, for example. Or maybe we could learn a little bit more about Dr. Cecilia Reyes. Maybe we could finally learn how Dr. Reyes survived and escaped from the Neverland mutant concentration camp.
As stilted and forced as that original "coming out" story reads (and keep in mind that subtext regarding Northstar's homosexuality had existed for pretty much most of his creative existence), it's definitely led to much progress. Ten years earlier, Marvel Comics had a policy that homosexuality officially did not exist (following the attempted shower rape of Bruce "the Hulk" Banner at the YMCA -- don't ask). Twenty years after he came out, Northstar got married at Central Park and there are tons of openly gay and lesbian heroes in the Young Avengers, in the X-Men and at the Jean Grey School, and at Avengers Arena. Heck, there was even a gay wedding in an Archie-frickin'-Comic last year.
These are exciting times for comic book fans who appreciate stories involving gay and lesbian heroes. It's just good to remember that this current crop of stories got seeded by ALPHA FLIGHT #106.
