Entertainment
Superman artists call police after ‘receiving death threats’ over character’s bisexuality
Superman is now bisexual by the way (Picture: DC Comics)
The creators behind the latest Superman comic are reportedly being targeted by angry fans and have received police protection.
In the latest issue of the long-running DC Comics story, Superman – whose cape is now being worn by Clark Kent’s son Jon – comes out as bisexual.
The studio announced the news last month, also releasing some teaser images of the superhero kissing his friend Jay Nakamura.
This new turn for Superman, who runs his affairs very differently than his dad, fighting wildfires caused by climate change, thwarting a school shooting and protesting against the deportation of refugees, is part of a story titled Superman: Son of Kal-El.
The announcement was welcomed positively by fans, and DC Comics has seen an ‘unprecedented’ number of orders, with the issues hitting shelves next week.
However, it also encountered anti-LGBTQ+ backlash, with artists and staffers becoming the target.
Jon Kent has taken over the Superman mantle from his dad Clark (Picture: DC Comics)
Superman’s sexuality is having real-world consequences (Picture: DC Comics)
According to TMZ, police was dispatched to the homes of some of the artists that worked on the comic after they received death threats over Superman’s sexuality.
Sources told the publication that the studio contacted Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) as they were concerned about the staff’s safety and requested for patrols to be dispatched to their headquarters.
It was also said that none of the threats resulted in any action or harm to any workers and that ‘the situation has since settled down’.
Superman’s sexuality did not please some of its fans (Picture: DC Comics)
Superman’s new love interest is Jay, a young reporter with pink hair and glasses who he befriended earlier in the series.
DC Comics previously revealed that Jon would fall into Jay’s arms after ‘mentally and physically burns out from trying to save everyone that he can’.
Series writer Tom Taylor told the BBC that his goal was to portray ‘what Superman should be today’.
‘It struck me that it would be a real missed opportunity if we replaced Clark Kent with another straight white saviour,’ he said.
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Before he could pitch the idea of making this new iteration of Superman bisexual, Taylor was surprised to discover that the studio was already considering the idea.
‘There’s been a real shift over the last few years – 10 years ago, five years ago this would have been more difficult, but I think things have shifted in a really welcome way.’
Metro.co.uk reached out to DC Comics and the LAPD for comment.
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