Daredevil: Ladies' man or womanizer?

Stan Lee’s fun loving, blind superhero Daredevil (Matt Murdock) went from sensitive, romantic action hero to promiscuous, violent crimefighter. Every time Daredevil got a new writer, Matt also got a new love interest. Here’s a run-through of his history with the ladies.

When Marvel Comics launched the Daredevil series in 1964, the concept seemed to be “superhero action spiced with romantic drama.” A love interest for the handsome redhead Matt Murdock was set up in the very first issue with the introduction of his secretary Karen Page. The blind lawyer Matt was immediately smitten with Karen, thinking that “her voice is like music” and “I KNOW she’s lovely.”

Matt’s attraction to Karen was reciprocated in the very next issue where she thought to herself: “Poor Matt Murdock. He’s so handsome… so intelligent… so doggone WONDERFUL! I’d marry him in a minute, even though he’s blind… if only he’d ask me!”

By issue #3, Matt had trouble believing that Karen might really be into him, but after getting kidnapped by the criminal Owl and getting rescued by Daredevil, Karen was sure that she was falling in love with Matt who reminded her of Daredevil.

Obstacles to true love

Matt realized in Daredevil #4 that his law firm partner Franklin Nelson, nicknamed Foggy, also had feelings for Karen. “Now that I know how FOGGY feels about her, I must never reveal my OWN feelings!” he thought. “It… just wouldn’t be right!”

And so, a love triangle was set up that got played out during the many next issues of Daredevil with Matt and Karen secretly yearning for each other while Foggy yearned for Karen. By issue #14, Foggy had realized that it was Matt that Karen was interested in, thinking, “the way she’s LOOKING at him! If only she’d look at ME like that.”

When Daredevil’s superhero colleague Spider-Man mistakenly assumed that Foggy was Daredevil in issue #17, Foggy decided to use this to his advantage in trying to win the attention of Karen. In Daredevil #18, he even dressed up as Daredevil, pretending to be him, but in issue #19, Karen learned that Foggy was not Daredevil and felt relief. Overhearing their conversation, Matt was relieved to hear that Karen thought Matt was “the most wonderful man I’ve ever known,” so he decided to concentrate his attention on her.

But of course, things got complicated once again when in issue #22 Karen began to suspect that Matt was Daredevil. In order to prevent his secret from getting revealed, Matt invented a fake twin-brother Mike in issue #25, pretending to be Mike himself and saying that Mike was Daredevil. The gullible Karen now had two suitors once more: Matt and his brother Mike, never suspecting they were one and the same person.

Kept apart by Daredevil

Foggy found himself another love interest, but although Karen was deceived by Matt, she never really did feel attracted to his Mike persona. Her love for Matt stayed true and he discarded his Mike act in Daredevil #41, pretending that Mike had gotten killed in action and that someone else then picked up the Daredevil identity.

Things still did not end happily for Matt and Karen, though. In Daredevil #43, they had a falling out because Karen felt that Matt let his blindness keep them apart. Matt assumed this was for the best in order to keep his Daredevil identity a secret. But, of course, even though she was gone, he longed for her in subsequent issues and finally, in issue #48, she came back and they kissed for the very first time.

Still, Matt’s Daredevil identity continued to keep them apart until issue #57 where he decided to simply reveal to Karen that he was Daredevil. Then they planned a life together – Matt would retire his Daredevil identity and she would marry him. But of course, Matt changed his mind about retiring his Daredevil identity and so Karen left him once again in the very next issue because it was either Daredevil or her – she just would not accept that her boyfriend was also Daredevil.

By then, Roy Thomas was writing the series, and in issue #63 Karen quit her job as Matt’s secretary and left on a plane for Los Angeles, hoping in vain that Matt would change his mind and come running after her at the last minute which of course his Daredevil activities prevented him from doing.

Exit Karen, enter Natasha

In Daredevil #64 in 1970, Karen Page refused to take Matt’s phone call, and in the next issue, she had started an acting career in Los Angeles. When Daredevil looked her up, she told him that she went to L. A. to find herself and sort things out and that until she had succeeded, they’d better go their separate ways. She refused to go back to New York with Daredevil in issue #67, instead feeling the lure of becoming a famous Hollywood actress.

When Karen Page went to New York on a press tour in Daredevil #77, fate – and new writer Gerry Conway – continued to keep her and Matt apart, even though Karen had regrets about leaving Matt in issue #79.

Daredevil was rescued from drowning by the superheroine Black Widow in Daredevil #81 from 1971 and they teamed up against the supervillain the Owl while Karen Page comforted her broken heart in the arms of her agent Phil and in the very next issue it was implied that they had slept together and Phil was now in love with Karen.

Meanwhile, Daredevil and the Black Widow got deeply involved in each other’s lives and by Daredevil #84 they were kissing in their civilian identities as Matt Murdock and Natasha Romanoff, but when Karen ran into Matt in Daredevil #85, they kissed in front of both Phil and a teary-eyed Natasha with whom they had just been smooching. Embarrassing.

But then, in the very next issue Matt and Karen realized they had both moved on from each other and Karen let go of Matt who was lucky that Natasha welcomed him back in her arms.

Breaking up with the Black Widow

Matt and Natasha were quick to move in together - they did so in Daredevil #87 in 1972 – and in San Francisco of all places. By issue #92, the series was retitled Daredevil and the Black Widow and then writer Steve Gerber took over with issue #99 from 1973 in which the Black Widow’s ex-boyfriend Hawkeye of the Avengers turned up and wanted her back. Of course, this resulted in Daredevil and Hawkeye fighting over the lady until the Widow pointed out that it was her decision who she wanted to be with. In a crossover with Avengers #110, she decided to join the Avengers but returned to Daredevil in #101.

Then, in Daredevil #108 in 1974, Matt Murdock felt strongly attracted to guest-star Moon Dragon, but she did not reciprocate his attraction and then he returned to New York where his friend Foggy had been shot and was in the hospital. Natasha assumed he wouldn’t be coming back to her. “It’s OVER between us. I KNOW it is,” she said.

In New York, Matt met Foggy’s sister Candace Nelson who made a play for him in Daredevil #109, but nothing serious developed between them. Meanwhile, the Black Widow kept pining for Matt and in Daredevil #116 they were kissing again. Their reunion was short-lived, though, as in the very next issue Natasha decided against moving to New York with Matt and they kissed each other goodbye.

Unfortunately, new writer Tony Isabella brought the Black Widow back as a love interest for Daredevil in issue #120, but his run as writer was brief and then the series’ editor Len Wein wrote the Widow out yet again in issue #124 in 1975. He used the excuse that the Black Widow wanted to be her own woman and not stand in Daredevil’s shadow.

Girls throw themselves at Matt

It didn’t take new writer Marv Wolfman long to introduce a new girlfriend for Matt Murdock. Heather Glenn’s ex-boyfriend used to live in the apartment now inhabited by Matt, and in Daredevil #126 in 1975 she just barged in using a spare key and started kissing on Matt, saying: “I kinda think you’re CUTE.” Matt obviously liked Heather throwing herself at him, deciding against changing the locks to keep her out of his apartment.

The very next issue, Heather was back and kissing on Matt again, saying: “I know you probably think I’m PUSHY - but mom always said, “if you like someone – GO FOR BROKE, KID!””

In Daredevil #128 Heather tagged along with Matt to a meeting with Foggy Nelson after which she and Matt seemed to be a couple. In Daredevil #130, Foggy’s sister Candy Nelson also threw herself at Matt, kissing him in front of Heather, but Matt stuck with Heather. When he and Foggy became Attorneys-at-Law partners again in Daredevil #131, it appeared that Heather was now their secretary – taking on the job previously held by Karen Page.

By Daredevil #134, Matt realized that Heather’s “craziness” was just what he needed to loosen up and that she wasn’t just a distraction after the break-up with the Black Widow, but that he really cared for her. After rescuing his ex-girlfriend Karen Page in Daredevil #138 and Ghost Rider #20 and realizing nothing had changed about the reasons for their break-up, Matt and Heather’s romance heated-up and then, of course, obstacles to their love appeared. Heather’s father Maxwell Glenn’s company Glenn Industries was involved with some shady business that Daredevil took a personal interest in investigating just as new writer Jim Shooter took over.

Three women to choose from

Jim Shooter had Maxwell Glenn confess his guilt in Daredevil #147 in 1977, but Maxwell was really under the influence of the villain Killgrave, the Purple Man, but neither Matt nor Daredevil could prove his innocence, so Maxwell still went to jail. Heather then left Matt in Daredevil #148 because her life was falling apart, and he didn’t seem to care. When Matt tried to patch things up between them in the very next issue, the rift between them only grew larger and things only got worse in Daredevil #150 and 151 when Maxwell committed suicide in his cell and Heather walked in on Matt wearing his Daredevil costume without the mask.

Heather was heartbroken to learn that Matt was Daredevil who had arrested her father and that her father was now dead. She blamed Matt for the death of her father and screamed at Matt that she hated him and told him to leave which he did.

Enter new writer Roger McKenzie and Heather Glenn was back with Daredevil in issue #154 and the very next issue the Black Widow was also back in his life. In Daredevil #157 the Widow kissed Daredevil in front of her fellow Champion Hercules with whom she had been romantically involved, but Daredevil was more interested in patching things up with Heather. The two women met in that very issue, both thinking they had a date with Matt, and it was revealed that his wheelchair bound secretary Becky also had the hots for him, but she didn’t stand a chance against the other two. Matt decided to go with Heather and in Daredevil #165, the Widow left New York.

Breaking up with Heather

Enter new writer Frank Miller and a never-before heard-of girlfriend from Matt Murdock’s past showed up in Daredevil #168 from 1981. She was Greek and her name was Elektra Natchios and Matt had fallen for her while studying pre-law at Colombia University. After her father was killed, she left Matt and returned to Europe. And just like Matt had become the costumed Daredevil, she had now become the costumed Elektra. But there was a catch: She was now a psycho bounty-hunting, ninja killer bitch and found herself at odds with Daredevil, going so far as shoving him out a window when he tried to rekindle their romance in Daredevil #175.

And why should Elektra want to reciprocate Daredevil’s interest? He already had a girlfriend, Heather Glenn and in Daredevil #171 he made love to Heather in a public park. So, Elektra accepted an offer from Daredevil’s enemy the Kingpin to become his assassin and then she battled Daredevil in issue #179 before getting killed off by a rival hitman in Daredevil #181. Daredevil was in denial about her death and went so far as to dig up her dead body in issue #182 to make sure she was dead because “I LOVED her.” And then he asked Heather to marry him in the very next issue.

However, Matt and Heather’s relationship remained troubled and strained and by Daredevil #189 Heather had started drinking. Now just a friend, the Black Widow was back for a visit with Matt and she conspired with Matt’s best friend Foggy Nelson to put an end to the misery and break up Matt and Heather by forging goodbye-notes for the both of them.

Adult relationships

Enter new writer Denny O’ Neil and in Daredevil #197 from 1983 Daredevil met the Japanese girl Yuriko. He slept with her the very next issue even though she had a boyfriend she was reunited with in Daredevil #199. Later she would become a major foe of the superhero Wolverine by the name of Lady Deathstrike.

Then, in Daredevil #205, Daredevil met the Irish photographer Glorianna O’ Breen who became a house guest of Matt Murdock without knowing he was Daredevil. By issue #216 Matt and Glorianne were dating.

Meanwhile, Matt’s ex-girlfriend Heather’s drinking problem had escalated, and she turned to Matt in her loneliness in Daredevil #220, but he turned her down. Then she committed suicide and Matt blamed himself but decided to just go on living at the end of the next issue.

In Daredevil #226 Glorianna started dating Matt’s recently divorced friend Foggy Nelson instead of Matt because Matt’s secret Daredevil identity made him seem unreliable to her.

Then, in 1986, writer Frank Miller returned for a story-arc that set Matt’s love life back on track with his original love, Karen Page. Following her last appearance in Daredevil #138, Karen had now become a drug addicted porn star who sold out Daredevil’s secret identity for a fix in Daredevil #227. She had second thoughts, though, and began a journey back to New York that culminated in Daredevil #231 where she had a very emotional reunion with Matt. He had been through hell because she sold him out, but he forgave her for everything and helped her go cold turkey in the very next issue. In Daredevil #233, they rose from the ashes of their wrecked lives to build a new life together at last.

Cheating on Karen

With Daredevil #236 in 1986, writer Ann Nocenti began a lengthy run on the series. To keep things interesting between Matt and Karen, she had Karen having to come to terms with her boyfriend having a violent side, beating up villains and coming home hurt afterwards. The storyline ran from Daredevil #242 to 244.

Then Ann Nocenti decided to shake up the status quo by introducing the schizophrenic Typhoid Mary in Daredevil #254 in 1988. Typhoid Mary was hired by Daredevil’s archenemy the Kingpin to destroy Daredevil. She approached the job by introducing her other personality called simply Mary into the life of Matt Murdock and seducing him. When battling Typhoid Mary as Daredevil, Matt never suspected that her and Mary were one and the same person. When Karen realized in Daredevil #263 that Matt had been two-timing her with Mary, she ran off.

His life once again in ruins, Matt embarked on a journey that literally took him to Hell and back in atonement for his sin of infidelity. It wasn’t until Daredevil #284 that he returned to New York, regressing into an amnesiac state of denial about what had happened and adopting his father’s name, Jack. In the next issue he hooked up with the homeless woman Nyla Skin until he regained his memory and broke up with her in Daredevil #289.

New writer D. G. Chichester came onboard with Daredevil #292 in 1991 and got to wrap up Ann Nocenti’s storyline. Matt learned in issue #294 what had become of Karen Page. She was now making a stand against pornography and was mad at Matt for what happened with Mary, but she gradually warmed up to him, meeting with him again in issue #297.

Daredevil set out to take down the Kingpin’s mistress, Typhoid Mary, that very same issue. He did so by seducing her instead of battling her. After he slept with her, she reverted to her Mary personality and Matt reported her to the Department of Social Services who took her in for a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation.

Marrying a blind woman

Matt Murdock and Karen Page got back together and remained in a solid relationship until the series ended with Daredevil #380 in 1998. When the series was relaunched as Daredevil vol. 2 by writer Kevin Smith that same year, it was decided that Daredevil should be single, and Karen Page was killed off in issue #5.

This made Matt available to fall in love with writer David Mack’s Elektra and Typhoid Mary rip-off Echo in the next story arc beginning with Daredevil vol. 2 #9. Echo fell for Matt Murdock in her civilian identity as Maya Lopez while fighting Daredevil as Echo orchestrated by the Kingpin. When she realized in issue #15 that Matt Murdock and Daredevil were one and the same, she turned on the Kingpin and left town.

Writer Brian Michael Bendis settled in for a lengthy run beginning with Daredevil vol. 2 #26 in 2001. It wasn’t until Daredevil vol. 2 #41 in 2003 that he introduced his idea of a perfect woman for Matt, though. She was a blind woman named Milla Donovan whom Daredevil rescued from being run over by a truck. Having heard the then public rumor that Daredevil was in fact the blind lawyer Matt Murdock, Milla showed up at his office the very next issue to thank him. Although initially denying that he was Daredevil, Matt couldn’t fool Milla in issue #43. Feeling mutual attraction, they started dating in subsequent issues and were in bed together by Daredevil vol. 2 #48.

Cheating on Milla

Having found happiness with Milla Donovan, Daredevil turned down Echo upon her return in Daredevil vol. 2 #52 and then it was revealed in issue #57 that he had married Milla. However, when Matt’s friend Foggy told Milla of Karen Page in Daredevil vol. 2 #59 she feared that Matt only married her because he had a nervous breakdown following Karen’s death. Milla then left Matt in issue #60 and filed for an annulment of their marriage the very next issue which he agreed to in issue #64.

Milla returned to Matt in Daredevil vol. 2 #76. She had not filed the divorce papers and by the very next issue they were back in bed together. Milla admitted she had been jealous of Karen Page’s ghost and now she missed Matt. He said he hadn’t seen anyone else because “I’m married.”

Enter new writer Ed Brubaker with Daredevil vol. 2 #82 in 2006. Daredevil’s relationship with Milla Donovan was recapped in Daredevil vol. 2 #94 before she got driven psychotic and was left in an institution to be cared for by professionals in Daredevil vol. 2 #105. Thinking he ruined her life and forbidden to visit his wife because his visits upset her, Matt comforted himself by sleeping with private investigator Dakota North in Daredevil vol. 2 #111 in 2008. Afterwards he had some regrets about it and then Milla Donovan’s parents showed up in issue #114, wanting custody of their daughter and to file the divorce papers Matt had signed in issue #64 but which Milla hadn’t filed. They had pictures of Matt and Dakota in bed together taken by a private investigator if Matt decided to take the case to court. Matt didn’t want to let go of Milla, so Dakota left him in issue #117.

Goodbye to Daredevil’s promiscuous ways

In Daredevil #500 from 2009, Matt finally let go of Milla and then he was free to pursue new love interests when the series was relaunched as Daredevil vol. 3 in 2011. New writer Mark Waid introduced his idea of a fitting love interest for Matt Murdock in the very first issue. Her name was Kirsten McDuffie and she was the assistant district attorney of New York. That didn’t stop him from making out with his friend Spider-Man’s love interest the Black Cat as Daredevil in issue #8, though. That was so not cool. Goodbye, Daredevil. Goodbye. Matt Murdock. Who knows who you’re sleeping with now? Who even cares?

When writers Brian Michael Bendis and David Mack wrote their idea of the final days of Daredevil in the 2012 mini-series Daredevil: End of Days, they summed it up perfectly: Matt Murdock died a single man who left behind five children with four different women.

He was not the kind of man you’d want to fall in love with and marry after all. If loving him didn’t get you dead, he cheated on you. Sad but true.

Captain America's unattractive gay friend

The Marvel Comics universe is populated by sexy ideals of men and women – the stuff of which romantic dreams and sexual fantasies are born. So, when Captain America writer J. M. DeMatteis introduced Steve Rogers’ gay childhood friend Arnold Roth, why did he have to be a balding, fat man with a pathetic personality instead of a dreamboat hunk like the rest of the male Marvel universe inhabitants? Maybe it was to avoid straight readers feeling intimidated by his sexuality? Or maybe Arnold was simply DeMatteis’ personal idea of what gay men were like – sad and pathetic creatures? Certainly, it was discrimination.

Arnold Roth first appeared in Captain America #268 in 1982 where he recognized his childhood friend Steve Rogers who was walking the New York city streets with his girlfriend, the Jewish Bernie Rosenthal. The bi-sexual Steve who had previously been involved with Rick Jones, Sharon Carter and Sam Wilson, was now repressing his desire for men and was seeing Bernie exclusively even though a female agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. by the name of Gail Runciter also had the hots for him.

In Captain America #270, Arnie worked up the nerve to approach Steve and Bernie and then Steve went for a stroll with Arnold, reminiscing about their shared past. They had been childhood friends prior to Steve’s transformation into Captain America. Arnold had protected the frail Steve from the playground bullies, and Steve had been a welcome guest at Arnold’s home. As they became young adults, Steve didn’t share Arnold’s interest in girls and they drifted apart. Arnold joined the navy and became a homosexual, while guessing that Steve had become Captain America due to the changes in Steve’s physique. Then, Steve disappeared, lost in hibernation following World War II, and now, the two of them met again without Steve having aged like Arnold.

One moment of glory

A teary-eyed Arnie told Steve that despite his “swinging” youth, he never got married, because it never seemed like “the right thing” for him. Instead, he had been living with a man – his “best friend” and “roommate” Michael. This was, after all, 1982 and homosexuality could only be hinted at. The word “gay” was forbidden by the Comics Code Authority.

Steve didn’t mind Arnold’s revelation at all, and when he learned that Michael had been kidnapped by a crime syndicate in order to force the gambling addicted Arnold into paying his debts, Captain America set out to go to the rescue. But then Arnold admitted that while drunk, he had bragged about knowing Captain America, and that Michael had really been taken to force Arnold into delivering Captain America into a trap. Of course, Captain America managed to liberate Arnold’s “roommate” – who was a lot more masculine-looking than Arnold, and a teary-eyed Arnold was reunited with his Michael in a happy hug.

How fat loser Arnold had landed a hunk such as Michael was beyond the understanding of readers, and their relationship didn’t last long, anyway. In Captain America #275 both were kidnapped by the villainous Baron Zemo and used as hostages against Captain America. He managed to rescue Arnold, but he failed to prevent Michael from getting killed in issue #277. Arnold initially blamed Cap for the death of “my Michael”, but in the next issue he came to his senses and even had a moment of glory: Knocking Zemo out.

Goodbye to Michael and hello to Jack

In Captain America #279, 1983, Steve Rogers was comforting Arnold by Michael’s grave. “He was all I had – all I wanted. He was… everything to me,” Arnold said before giving Steve a pep-talk about appreciating the good things in life and stop “chasing a dream” of “a normal life.”

While out with his girlfriend Bernie in Captain America #281, Steve was once again recognized in the street – this time by Jack Monroe who was Bucky in the 1950s and had also spent years in hibernation, staying young. He worked up the nerve to look Steve up in the very same issue and he quickly got taken in as Steve’s roommate and became Captain America’s new sidekick Nomad the very next issue. And so, the gay vibe was back in Steve’s life when he and Jack changed clothes together in issue #284, but Steve seemed able to resist his young roommate’s good looks, focusing his attentions on Bernie instead. Why, when the fat and old Arnie introduced himself to the young Adonis Jack at a party, Steve seemed pleased and thought “Arnie and Jack could BOTH use a friend right now! I hope they’ve each found one!”

But then, in Captain America #290 it was revealed that it was naturally his sexy, but romantically unavailable roommate and superhero mentor Captain America that had won Jack Monroe’s heart, while Arnold was still recovering from the death of his “roommate” Michael.

Forced to admit the truth

In Captain America #292, Arnold attended Steve and Bernie’s Christmas party before getting kidnapped by Baron Zemo again in issue #295 and being used to lure Captain America and Nomad into a trap set by Cap’s archenemy the Red Skull. Arnie was dressed up as Zemo by the bad guys, so when Cap and Nomad entered the scene, Cap beat him senseless, not even realizing that “Zemo” looked fatter than usual until Nomad told him to stop and pulled the Zemo mask off Arnie. Then the three of them were taken prisoners.

Steve’s girlfriend Bernie and ex-lover Sam Wilson were also taken prisoners of the Red Skull, making it evident that writer J. M. DeMatteis had created a circle of friends for Steve Rogers that consisted of everyone his Nazi arch-villain the Red Skull despised: Jews, gays and blacks.

Then, in Captain America #296 from 1984, Arnold was dressed up as a “pansy” Master of Ceremonies and sent out on the stage of a 1930s Berlin styled club  - like something out of the movie Cabaret, and forced to admit to the captive audience of one – Captain America himself, every truth readers were thinking about him already - that he was “a fat little sloth” and “a pot-bellied, bald-headed wretch.” Then he went on to question why Captain America treated him with respect and compassion when most people hated men like him – was it because, deep inside, Cap was gay himself?

Admitting the truth about himself made Arnold’s mind snap while Cap insisted that Arnold was “as good and decent a man as I’ve ever known,” and that the “lies” about Cap as spoken by Arnie couldn’t corrupt his love for Bernie.

A sad and pathetic embarrassment

Following the Red Skull’s defeat in Captain America #300, new writer Michael Carlin had the weak-minded Arnold admitted to a mental clinic where he recovered from shock until issue #306 where he was written out of the series. Naturally, the new writers had no interest in using DeMatteis’ ridiculous and stupid character, so Arnold went to stay with an uncle in Florida for a rest cure recommended by his doctors. He left without an opportunity to say goodbye to Steve.

In Captain America #298, the Red Skull had asked Captain America: “You do perplex me! How can so SUPERIOR a man SURROUND himself with such trash? Jews! Fops! Blacks! Children! What is the fascination these creatures hold for you?”

The unspoken answer was of course that Captain America was a very tolerant and open-minded person where the Red Skull was a Nazi bigot. And to accept the “fop” Arnold – to not mind being seen with him in public - Cap HAD to be very tolerant. Because as gay role models go, Arnold was just an offensive embarrassment to gay men who longed to see positive gay role models representing them in Marvel Comics. The character seemed born out of ignorance and prejudice about what gay men were like in real life and only served to damage the public perception of homosexuals. Thank God Arnold reportedly died from cancer in Captain America #443 in 1995 so that shameful blot on gay comic book history will never appear again.

Shatterstar and Rictor: A bromance turned into a sexy relationship

When Mexican mutant Rictor from Marvel Comics’s X-Factor series fell in love with the other-dimensional warrior Shatterstar from Marvel’s X-Force series, the couple made comic book history by sharing the first on-panel gay kiss in mainstream superhero comics. But being boyfriend with the adventurous Shatterstar wasn’t always easy for Rictor.

Although neither character was originally conceived by their comic book creators as being bisexual or gay, it just seemed like a natural progression of their character development as their lives continued to evolve within the pages of Marvel’s line of X-Men related titles. Finally, writer Peter David made it official that the two close friends Rictor and Shatterstar were actually lovers and wrote them that way when they both co-starred in his X-Factor series beginning in 2009.

Rictor, whose real name was Julio Esteban Richter, first appeared in 1987 in X-Factor #17 by Louise and Walter Simonson and Shatterstar was created by artist Rob Liefeld in New Mutants #99 in 1991. Both characters ended up in the X-Force series in the mid-90s written by Fabian Nicieza and a friendship began to develop between the two young men. In X-Force #34, Shatterstar had gone to the effort of learning Rictor’s native language, Spanish, so they could speak privately on topics of a personal nature without their teammates listening in. But Shatterstar had also confided in Rictor that he had a “wife” waiting for him back on the other-dimensional Mojoworld he came from. What was a guy to think?

A sexual awakening

In X-Force #43, Rictor and Shatterstar went to a nightclub and Rictor encouraged the grim Shatterstar to loosen up and party. While Rictor was dancing, a girl came onto Shatterstar, who was so overwhelmed by the experience he left the club. When Rictor caught up with him, Shatterstar admitted that he was a virgin and that the stirrings the evening had awoken in him had scared him. Rictor admitted that he was a virgin too and asked Shatterstar flat out if he even had “what it takes.” Shatterstar said he was “bioengineered to fully simulate physical human interaction,” but that he didn’t have “the emotional requirements… attached to such actions.” Rictor promised that they would work it out together.

But then writer Jeph Loeb started out on X-Force with the very next issue and due to a difference of opinion with team leader Cable, Rictor decided to take some time off from the team and go be with his family in Guadalajara. Shatterstar objected, telling Rictor that he needed him because he was his best and only friend. Rictor said that he’d always be there for Shatterstar, “all you gotta do is ask.” In Cable #22, Shatterstar went to the airport with Rictor to see him off and pleaded with him to the last to “please change your mind.” When Rictor had left on his plane, the empathic Cable felt Shatterstar’s pain of the heart.

Happy reunions

Jeph Loeb wrote a story about Shatterstar’s origin in X-Force #59 to 61 that left a lot of questions unanswered. The main point was that Shatterstar was killed by his arch-villain Mojo and then reborn in the body of a comatose mutant named Benjamin Russell. Anyway, Rictor returned to X-Force to see his best friend through this crisis and Shatterstar was happy to have him back. Then, in X-Force #70 written by John Francis Moore, Shatterstar decided to leave X-Force and go with Rictor to Mexico and help end Rictor’s family’s black market business.

In X-Force #76, the villain Arcade had trapped Shatterstar and Rictor, holding Rictor hostage to force Shatterstar to fight his old teammate Domino. When Shatterstar lost, Rictor was released and the combatants let go, because it was all just a test for Mojo to evaluate Shatterstar’s capabilities. A further adventure of Shatterstar and Rictor was chronicled by writer Fabian Nicieza in X-Force ’99 Annual. In it, the two friends were offered individual accommodation but preferred to share a room.

After that, Shatterstar appeared without Rictor in a few X-Force and X-Men miniseries. And then a now powerless Rictor joined the cast of Peter David’s X-Factor series with Shatterstar following suit in issue #43 in 2009.

Making comic book history
In X-Factor vol. 3 # 45, Shatterstar was mind-controlled by a villain into attacking Rictor and his teammate Guido, but as soon as the mind-control was broken, Rictor and Shatterstar re-united with a kiss. It was the second on-panel gay kiss in Marvel comics history, but the first high-profile one. The kiss was repeated in #46 and in #49, Rictor explained to Guido that although he had been dating female X-Factor member Wolfsbane, he had been involved with Shatterstar long before her. Guido was amused that Rictor seemed to “swing both ways” while Shatterstar told Rictor that he came back for him, because “my thoughts kept returning to you. To our friendship. It meant a great deal to me.”

“The main reason I introduced Shatterstar into the series was to give Rictor somebody to play off of,” writer Peter David told Justin Gilbert Alba of Comicsverse.com in September 2018. “When I brought him in, I had them face to face with each other for the first time. I thought to myself, “You know what? This is the 21st century. We’ve been hinting about this for years. Why not just be upfront with him?” So, I had the two of them kiss. You have to understand that to me it was no big deal. It was, in fact, panel five of a six-panel page. It was not like this was a full-page thing and, “Oh, my God, they’ve kissed,” and all that kind of thing. It was, to me, a throwaway moment. It didn’t really mean much, but it meant a lot to a lot of people, obviously. It, I mean, meant so much that I wound up reading Google notices about it in Russian newspapers. I’m seeing the stuff that’s written in Cyrillic, and I can make out, “Peter David and Shatterstar,” and the rest of it’s in Russian. It just had a huge impact, and I was very pleased with it.

“Honestly,” X-Factor editor Jody Leheup told Dailyxtra.com in January 2010, “we knew this was going to be a cool moment for the fans, but it hadn’t really occurred to us that it would be so important to gay — and heterosexual — comic fans as a whole.”

“There was absolutely no trouble getting it approved at all,” Peter David added to Dailyxtra.com. “As for fan opinion, it was certainly the storyline that I got the most requests for. It seemed to me that the time was right.”

Controversy

Shatterstar’s creator Rob Liefeld was very critical of his character being turned gay. In 2009, Liefeld wrote on his message board that he had "nothing against gays, I have gay family, nuthin' but love here. Ditto gay characters if that's what their true origins are. As the guy that created, designed and wrote his first dozen appearances, Shatterstar is not gay. Sorry. Can't wait to someday undo this. Seems totally contrived.” Then he added: “Shatterstar is akin to Maximus in Gladiator. He's a warrior, a Spartan, and not a gay one."

“The only person who gave me serious pushback was Rob Liefeld, God bless him,” David told Comicsverse.com, “because the story broke, and it had a news cycle, and that was fine, and it was all wearing down, and then Rob Liefeld came forward and said, “No, no, no. Shatterstar is not remotely gay. He’s like an ancient Greek warrior.” We’re going, “Dude! If you had the slightest knowledge of history, you were aware of what the Greek warriors did before they went into battle. They banged the young boys who accompanied them.” Of all things for Rob to say. Apparently, 99% of comic book fandom was aware of Greek history, something that apparently Rob didn’t know about, and so it suddenly had this massive resurgence as everyone is piling on poor Rob. I mean, I felt bad for him, to be honest. But other than that, no, I didn’t really get a negative reaction from fans.”

Peter David told Dailyxtra.com that he “was saddened” by Liefeld’s comments, because “I thought it brought out all the worst possible sentiments. First there were the Liefeld fans who believed that I “made” Shatterstar gay because I was trying to somehow hurt Rob. It just goes to show you how people view someone being gay; that it’s some sort of insult.”

In X-Factor #200, the controversy inspired David to include a scene of Shatterstar and Rictor watching the movie Gladiator and Shatterstar saying that apparantly he liked gladiator movies.

Relationship troubles

Dailyxtra.com wondered how long it would take before David threw a wrench in the relationship between Shatterstar and Rictor. “I think it’s far too premature to speculate what Rictor would do should he and Shatterstar break up,” David said. “The more interesting dynamic will stem from the fact that Shatterstar, who spent most of his life having no interest in or concept of sexuality, is now the equivalent of a kid in a candy store. Here’s Rictor, fully prepared to commit seriously to this relationship, and there’s Shatterstar, who wants to explore all manner of possibilities and wants Rictor to be his companion and guide in that regard because he loves him and trusts him. To some degree, I’m keying his personality off Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood: Swashbuckling, enthusiastic and sexually curious about anything with a pulse.”

And so, in Nation X: X-Factor #1 in 2010, Rictor stopped Shatterstar from flirting with the gay mutant Northstar, who didn’t think Shatterstar was his type anyway. Shatterstar told Rictor that “jealousy doesn’t become you” and Rictor said he wasn’t jealous, but just didn’t want him making an idiot of himself before then stopping him from making a pass at Iceman, who would come out as gay years later. Shatterstar concluded that Rictor seemed insecure about their relationship before running into former X-Force teammate Boom Boom and giving her a kiss in front of Rictor.

In X-Factor #207, Rictor got fed up with Shatterstar’s adventurous attitude to sex and told him to go to hell. Shatterstar insisted that he wanted Rictor in his life to share all his sexual experiences with, but Rictor did not want an open relationship. Shatterstar once again insisted that he needed Rictor as an emotional anchor for everyday life, and the two guys ended the argument with a kiss and Rictor yielding to Shatterstar’s need. But just as they were about to have make-up sex, Rictor’s ex-girlfriend showed up looking very pregnant.

Crazy ex-girlfriend

Wolfsbane accused Shatterstar of having turned Rictor gay and pushed him out of a window in her anger in X-Factor #208. The half-naked Shatterstar seemed mostly amused by her accusations of him mind-controlling Rictor, teasing her with comments like “it WAS what you thought. Happy? I know I was…” But when things calmed down, Wolfsbane let Rictor believe that he was the one who had gotten her pregnant and Shatterstar no longer seemed amused.

While Rictor was tending to the pregnant Wolfsbane, Shatterstar went wild and crazy in Las Vegas from X-Factor #209 to finding out in issue #212 who the real father of Wolfbane’s child was, the Asgardian wolf-prince Hrimhari. When Shatterstar returned to Rictor in X-Factor #213, the two guys agreed to support Wolfsbane rather than disown her for leading them on, but their teammate Monet did urge Shatterstar to “stake out your territory” in X-Factor #216. And so, in X-Factor #220, Shatterstar had a heart-to-heart chat with Wolfsbane and concluded that her lying about Rictor being the father of her child had been a tactic to win Rictor back from Shatterstar, and Shatterstar the warrior could respect tactics of war.

Wolfsbane flashed Shatterstar her naked, pregnant body in X-Factor #221, and then he ended up having to defend her from mythic creatures who wanted her baby. In X-Factor #222, Wolfsbane and Rictor had an argument about her ways of getting people hurt that ended with Wolfsbane slapping Rictor and Shatterstar telling him: “I can see why you two were lovers. She has a great deal of fire. Plus, she looks GREAT naked.”

Their fate: Left in Limbo

Wolfsbane’s child was born in X-Factor #224 in 2011, and then in issue #225, Shatterstar seemed a little hurt when Rictor had good news about getting his powers back and couldn’t wait to tell… Wolfsbane. The next issue, Shatterstar tried to hook up with teammate Layla in retaliation, but she turned him down while their teammate Siryn told Rictor, that she had noticed that Shatterstar and Rictor hadn’t been spending much time together lately.

In X-Factor #238, Shatterstar and Rictor were back together and eager to accompany Wolfsbane on a search for her lost child. After completing the mission, the two guys returned to X-Factor in issue #245. Their last appearance together was in X-Factor #259 in 2013 where they were travelling in time on Mojoworld. Shortly after, the series was relaunched as All-New X-Factor without any gay characters on the team.

Shatterstar appeared in a Deadpool: Bad Blood miniseries in 2016 by his creator Rob Liefeld. The inclusion of Shatterstar caused some fans to worry considering the changes made to the character since Liefeld's departure on X-Force and his comments on the matter. “Please don't worry. Shatterstar's sexual preferences are not my concern and will not be changed,” Rob Liefeld commented on Twitter on 13 November 2015.

Since then, Rictor appeared in the 2017 Iceman series written by Sina Grace. In issue #9 Rictor told Bobby Drake that he and Shatterstar were on a break – maybe for good, so in Iceman #11 they went on a date only to have Rictor realize he still only had eyes for Shatterstar. If they hooked back up is unknown at this time of writing.