10 Progressive Marvel Comics That Pushed Boundaries On Race, Gender, And More

By All That's Interesting | Edited By John Kuroski

Published September 5, 2016

Updated July 24, 2018

Same-Sex Marriage

MarvelThe wedding of Kyle Jinadu (left) and Northstar.

Northstar first appeared as a member of Canadian superhero team Alpha Flight in 1979. However, in the early 2000s, he emerged as one of the only openly gay heroes in mainstream comics, and in 2012 was married to Kyle Jinadu in the first same-sex marriage in the history of either Marvel or DC comics.

In the words of Marvel editor-in-chief, Axel Alonso, upon the announcement of the marriage: “Our comics are always best when they respond to and reflect developments in the real world. We’ve been doing that for decades, and this is just the latest expression of that.”

Muslim Ms.Marvel

MarvelKamala Khan as Ms. Marvel.

In November 2013, Marvel introduced a new Ms. Marvel, Kamala Khan, the 16-year-old daughter of Pakistani immigrants living in New Jersey. Khan replaced Carol Danvers, the original blond-haired, blue-eyed Ms. Marvel.

Khan’s story arc aims at realism under the guidance of creator and Marvel editor Sana Amanat, who herself grew up Muslim in America.

In March 2016, when Amanat was asked to introduce President Barack Obama at a reception for Women’s History Month at the White House, Obama said, “Ms. Marvel may be your comic book creation, but I think for a lot of young boys and girls, Sana’s a real superhero.”

author

Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.

editor

John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.