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With increasing acceptability towards the LGBTQ+ community among Marvel and DC fans, comics have come up with diverse trans superheroes and side characters. While many of them play pivotal roles, others have a relatively minor contribution in their storylines. However, the diverse portrayal helps readers understand that the creators of these comics have no biases.
Some exclusively transgender characters have now started making waves, as they are getting the spotlight, such as the recent edition of Marvel Voices: Pride, which features Escapade, the mutant superhero who is transgender. More such trans characters are compiled in this article.
Disclaimer: This list is arranged in no particular order.
Escapade, Charlie, and 18 other Marvel and DC characters who are trans
1) Escapade
As mentioned above, Shela Sexton, better known as Escapade, is a mutant with the power to switch physical locations with another person. This Marvel superhero can also trade any specific physical or abstract attributes such as possessions, organizational status, skills, superhuman powers, and even situations.
2) Nia Nal/Dreamer
Nia Nal is a superhero with the power of oneiromancy, or dream-reading. A member of the Legion of Superheroes, she uses a dreamer’s gauntlet to channel her powers. Other special strengths of this DC superhero are energy projections, astral projections, oneiric travel, and precognition.
3) Jess Chambers
Jess Chambers is the first non-binary superhero in DCU’s contribution, DC Pride #1. Also called Kid Quick, they are the latest Flash, ready to fight the Mirror Master and his students. Besides most of the Flash's powers, they can also phase through matter by vibrating their body at the right frequency.
4) Coagula
Kate Godwin is a DC superhero with the power to control and manipulate the state of matter. Born as Clark Godwin, who became Kate later on, Coagula became a member of the Doom Patrol to help them come to terms with their outcast status. She joined Doom Patrol after being rejected by Justice League.
5) Dr. Victoria October
Another DC superhero, Dr. Victoria October is a transgender with the power to control the weather. She considers herself a post-human bioweaponry. As a member of the A.R.G.U.S., she contributes to containing and researching the remains of Monstertown.
6) Charlene McGowan
Charlene McGowan is a Marvel superhero with the power to create force fields. A brilliant scientist, she was employed under US Hulk operations. She was involved with black-market operations of hormones for the transgender community and was also seen with a Pride flag for Captain America.
7) Shvaughn Erin
Shvaughn Erin is a DC superhero who is a Science Police liaison officer. A member of the Legends of Tomorrow, Shvaughn, who was born a male but identified as a female, struggled with gender dysphoria and had to go through gender change through medications, as per Bifrost Database.
8) Danny the Street
Danny the Street is a genderqueer and sentient transvestite street with the power to teleport. He is a member of the Doom Patrol in DC Comics and shows. In an interesting concept of a sentient being, Danny grew as Danny the World and lived smaller as Danny the Brick.
9) Alysia Yeoh
Alysia Yeoh is a non-binary character of Singaporean origin from the DC universe. She is a friend and ex-roommate of Batgirl Barbara Gordon. Though initially dating Barbara’s brother James, she eventually marries Jo Munez. She uses a bat as a weapon and her abilities also includes dancing.
10) Jacob Williams
Jacob Williams, a gender-bending mutant from Krakoa, was punished for bullying younger mutants by Magik. They later joined the special team of "Marauders" who were assigned the task of saving the environment and the workers from an oil rig. Their chief power is "botanopathy" by which they can connect to plants and change them.
11) Sera
A gender-bending Marvel character, Sera was born as a male wingless angel named Anchorite. After their friendship with Asgardian warrior Angela, Sera could change their form to the woman that she wanted to be. The MCU may introduce Sera and Angela in future.
12) Koi Boi
This Marvel boy is a fan of Namor the Sub-Mariner and is an aquatic superhero. He features in the enjoyable child comic Squirrel Girl. This representation is rare in comics but the creator confirmed that Koi Boi is a gender-bending character. He is an Asian American college student who talks to fish.
13) Leonara Eng
Leonara Eng, or Leo, is a gender-bending woman of Chinese origin. Belonging to Krakoa, she was a teenage mutant who later joined the "Lost Club." The powers of this genius mutant from Marvel include telekinesis and telepathy. Her history includes being an inmate in Danger Room Prison Complex.
14) Lord Fanny
DC’s superhero, Lord Fanny featured in The Invisibles series, is a gender-bending woman and a shaman too. Born in Brazil as a boy named Hilde Morales, he was brought up as a girl by his grandmother for initiation into witchcraft. Joining the freedom fighters' group, The Invisibles, they move on to get magical powers from various gods and goddesses.
15) Jules Jourdain
DC has introduced a trans-masculine superhero, named Jules Jourdain with the moniker Circuit Breaker. He is an actor who can control and manipulate Still Force energy and is poised to act with the Doom Patrol. He can drain energy and absorb it or transfer it at will.
16) Ystin
Shining Knight, or Sir Ystin, is a gender-bending DC superhero who came out after a few editions when they declared – “I am both…I was born this way”. While biologically female, they identify as male. They belong to Arthurian times, born around 8000 BC, knighted by King Arthur.
17) Brilliance
Brilliance, also named Justine, is an adversary of the Wasp and is confirmed as transgender by the creators. As a member of the AIM, this agent has fought both Wasp and the Mockingbird using a gelatinous monster, Gooey Gary. She planned to mend her ways and can be a great addition to MCU.
18) Jessie Drake
Jessie Drake is the first trans character from Marvel to openly come out with her preferences when she was saved by Typhoid Mary. While holding the power of imitating the physical features of people near her, she became a transwoman by choice. Her powers include empathic metamorphosis.
19) Jake Young
When a Super Soldier experiment meant for women was implemented on transman Jake Young who had been on hormone therapy, he developed combustive fire powers. As Hawkeye rescued the subjects of the project, he took Jake as his assistant to bust the experiment and even to fight the villain.
20) Tong
According to a charming Marvel story, Tong is a Moloid and was officially genderless. However, after being rescued by The Thing of the Fantastic Four, Ben Grimm, they rediscovered themselves as a girl. An outcast from the Forgotten City of the High Evolutionary, Tong joined Future Foundation to restore the Multiverse.
These are just a few of the many gender-bending characters that exist in the Marvel and DC universes. These characters are important because they provide representation for trans people and help to break down stereotypes.
