Heroes Hitting Homophobes

Some scenes from Marvel and DC comic books depicting gay bashers getting punched or kicked by superheroes:

Shatterstar (X-Force 49, 1995): Witnessing the beating of a gay guy in an alley, Shatterstar is taunted by the attackers (“This your girlfriend, Mary?”). He quickly knocks them out without using his bladed weapons. Last year, it was revealed that Shatterstar, like his X-Factor teammate Rictor, is bisexual.

Northstar (Uncanny X-Men 392, 2001): Openly gay mutant hero Northstar is repeatedly insulted by an unabashed homophobe, new teammate Paulie Provenzano. Paulie’s invulnerable, but hyper-fast Northstar soon punches him into unconsciousness. Later, Northstar saves Paulie’s life during a mission, and the latter becomes less antagonistic.

Green Lantern (Green Lantern 154, 2001): An enraged Kyle Rayner pursues three homophobic thugs who beat up and severely injured his assistant and friend Terry Berg; Green Lantern breaks one guy’s wrists and pummels the others soundly.

The Spectre (Spectre 45, 1996): While not a superhero in the traditional sense, the Spectre is a godlike entity that punishes wrongdoers. In this issue, he fights and defeats a gay-bashing pseudo-angel, actually Reverend Dinswoode, who encourages his followers to inflict violence on gay people. He brazenly proclaims himself “God’s good right arm.” The Spectre’s powerful punches disarm the deluded bigot.