Again, I call bullshit.

How about if we get off the PC soapboxes, use langauge as it exists, and tell people who let words hurt them to get over themselves, and stop empowering the very mindset they want to see eliminated.

John, I have to agree with you!

I also have to agree with Bradley - how do statistics affect how homosexuals are presented in comics?

As for Jim Shooter, I've never met the man, nor have I heard him say anything "anti-gay". That Hulk story seems like an attempt at something more "adult" that just happened to have gay people in the aggressive role. I think the story reflects more on what things were like back then in terms of attitudes. It's possible that Jim Shooter had some "anti-gay" feelings, even if he was unaware of it. That is, unfortunately, how things were. I would hope that if this were so, that his feelings have changed. There has been more positive exposure and education about homosexuals in the last 20-30 years. Has anyone bothered to email him and ask?

I never liked Chris Claremont having Kitty ask the man if he was a 'nigger'. Obviously that was cruel and racially insensitive of Claremont to do. Mutants are fiction. African Americans are real and I wonder how many were hurt by those words.  Shooter and politically correct Nocenti had no trouble with that dialogue at all.

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I would hardly call that section "cruel and racially insensitive," Alexsei. In fact, I would argue the opposite - that Claremont was trying to make a point against racial prejudice.

It's all about context and, in this case (as when JB used the same word in the Fantastic Four), the context was appropriate. An offensive word was shown to be ugly and offensive.

However, I think you can argue that using that word might not be appropriate in a comic book aimed largely at a children's audience. That might put parents in an awkward spot. I'm not saying I think what JB and Claremont did was wrong, but I can understand why some folks might feel that way.

Bradley, if the number is 1%, what's the point?

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Well as one of those people, I think the point is that I deserve to have characters I can identify with. We live in a world with homosexuals in it, we deserve to be recognized as portion of society. Characters sexual orientation is a part of who they are and shapes a character, I feel the same should be done for homosexual characters.