This lesbian kiss has made comic book history
A comic book has included its first lesbian kiss.
The opening edition of The Legend of Korra: Turf Wars showed the titular protagonist, Korra, and her love interest, Asami, finally locking lips.
The pair met each other on the animated TV show of the same name, which was a continuation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, a cartoon about four kinds of superpowered humans locked in conflict.
The last episode of the TV programme ended on a cliffhanger, with the pair going on holiday to the Spirit World, holding hands but never explicitly confirming their attraction.
In the new comic book, the couple is about to return from their travels when Asami takes the plunge.
“Before we go,” she tells Korra, “there’s one last thing I want to do on our vacation.”
And then they kiss.
The TV show’s co-creator Bryan Konietzko had previously confirmed that Korra and Asami’s romantic relationship was canon.
He told fans on Tumblr: “You can celebrate it, embrace it, accept it, get over it, or whatever you feel the need to do, but there is no denying it.
“That is the official story.”
He continued: “Korra and Asami fell in love.
“Were they friends? Yes, and they still are, but they also grew to have romantic feelings for each other.”
As well as Korra, who came out as bi during the TV show, the comic book features two other bi characters.
Kya, the daughter of Avatar’s main characters Aang and Katara, comes out as bi, recalling fondly in the new comic that her father Aang was “nothing but supportive” of her sexuality.
And she in turn reveals that one of the most powerful heroes in the history of their world was also bisexual.
Avatar Kyoshi, who held the most prominent position as defender of the peace before Aang’s predecessor, built a feminist army of Kyoshi Warriors, made up entirely of women.
Kyoshi also defeated a warlord named Chin who was causing death and destruction in an effort to capture her homeland.
She even cut off her Earth Kingdom off from the rest of the mainland to keep her people safe.
And, it turns out, she attempted to spread a message of LGBT acceptance throughout the lands.
But despite trying her hardest, she failed to open the minds of the Earth Kingdom’s close-minded population.
Earlier this year, DC Comics introduced a superhero called Doctor Endless, the first genderfluid person in the new DC Universe.
Marvel has also launched a kick-ass queer superhero to lead her own comic book.
America Chavez, a Nazi-punching Latina teenager with lesbian parents, is the subject of the series America.
And the creators of The Flash and Supergirl have produced a series called Freedom Fighters: The Ray about a gay superhero who leads the resistance against the Nazis.
The show, which is coming this autumn, stars The Ray, a reporter who accidentally gains light-based powers.
