Bendis has long been one of Marvel's top writers (he created Jessica Jones, who makes her Netflix debut later this month), and in 2012 introduced the idea of bringing the original X-Men (Beast, Iceman, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Angel) back to the present day. Iceman's coming out is actually the end of a complicated story, and the end of writer Brian Michael Bendis's run on the X-Men. Iceman's sexuality and where he goes from here is just the latest chapter. The X-Men story has always and will always be imbued with the fight for civil rights.
But Iceman's coming out is also an homage to the X-Men's legacy. This editorial move makes one of Marvel's most iconic and high-profile heroes a gay man - a testament to the company's ongoing mission to include more diversity and make sure its comic books reflect the real world.
600 (a follow-up to last April's reveal that a younger version of the character was gay - more on this in a bit). And on Wednesday, November 4, he came out as a gay man in the pages of Uncanny X-Men No. His sense of humor has made him a major fan favorite. Bobby Drake, is one of the team's powerhouses. And for all those years, he's been living in a closet. For the past 52 years, Iceman has been a stalwart member of the X-Men.
