Warning: contains spoilers for Exceptional X-Men #1Queer identity and politics have been an integral part of the X-Men mythos for nearly 50 years. Still, for much of that time, this queerness was relegated to subtext and fan headcanons. Thankfully, in recent years, a major increase in LGBTQ+ representation at Marvel Comics has seen beloved heroes like Iceman, Magik, and Kitty Pryde confirmed as queer. While Kitty’s queerness was canonized during the Krakoan Age, her new starring role in Exceptional X-Men may finally allow the beloved hero to explore her sexuality.
After the fall of Krakoa and Kitty Pryde’s murderous time spent as Shadowkat, Kitty decides to formally leave the X-Men and move back to Chicago… where she has begun trying to live a “normal” life as a bartender.
Exceptional X-Men #1, by writer Eve Ewing and artist Carmen Carnero, sees Kitty getting ready for a date, who she thinks stood her up, before confirming that the love interest she was meeting is a woman, confirming once again that Pryde is at the very least bisexual.
Kitty Pryde May Finally Be Allowed To Explore Her Bisexuality
The iconic hero deserves the chance to come out of the closet
Kate Pryde – now going by Kitty once again – has a long and complex history of relationships with men, mainly men named Peter. The phasing superhero has dated Pete Wisdom, Peter Quill, and her longtime love interest, Piotr Rasputin. All of these relationships ended, and her almost marriage to Colossus was particularly disastrous. Over the years, there have been plenty of hints surrounding Kitty’s queerness, like her extremely intimate friendships with both Illyana and Rachel Summers, and her almost kiss with Karma in Mekanix. However, it wasn’t until Marauders (2019) #12 that Kitty canonically kissed a woman, her tattoo artist, on panel, fulfilling decades’ worth of queer subtext in one simple frame.
Since that time, Kitty had not been afforded the opportunity to explore her queer identity on panel, most likely because she was busy with the constant crises that Krakoa experienced… basically every day. Now that Kitty is not as burdened by the stressors of the Quiet Council and the Marauders, it would be really lovely if Marvel allowed her to get into a relationship with a woman. Her relationships with men always felt a bit off to readers – especially with Colossus who she met as a minor – and it would be beautiful to see her really get to express her full self in her dating life. Sadly, Kate messed up her schedule and got the day of her date wrong, so readers will have to wait for a future issue to hopefully see her actually go on a date with a woman.
The Beloved Iceman Could Offer Kitty Some Queer Support
The two used to date which could make for some adorable interactions
Since Kitty Pryde does not have a lot of experience with non-superhero dating, or dating as a queer person, it would be lovely if she had another member of the queer community to help support her exploration. Thankfully, that is where Iceman comes in. Not only is Bobby Drake famously a gay man, but he also used to date Pryde, right before he came out publicly. Their breakup was awkward, and their friendship has never truly been the same since. The end of Exceptional X-Men #1 teased Bobby’s travel to Chicago, hopefully joining up with Kitty and Emma Frost, and it would be truly adorable to see the two iconic queer X-Men have a night on the town together.
It is very exciting that Kitty Pryde’s queerness was cemented on-panel in the first issue of this new series (thank you, Eve Ewing!), since she has such a long history of queer subtext, especially during the beloved Claremont era. Hopefully, Kitty’s newest era post-Krakoa will give her time and space to explore her sexuality and potentially even get into a relationship with a woman, a development that would interest fans everywhere.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
Exceptional X-Men #1 from Marvel Comics is available now in stores.
