Once upon a time in a mystical land, there lived a young and enchanting princess named Isabella. She possessed an extraordinary power, the ability to bring love and happiness wherever she went. Isabella's kingdom was in a constant state of despair, as a deep sadness had settled upon its people. Legend had it that only true love's kiss would awaken the kingdom from its sorrowful slumber. Isabella, who longed to bring joy back into the lives of her people, embarked on a journey to find her one true love. Little did she know that destiny had other plans for her.

Wiccan and Hulkling: Queer and Immigrant Utopia in Young Avengers

This blog post is based on a book chapter written by the author, with the publication available here .

Imagining futures that are founded on equity and justice is an exercise that is fundamentally about hope. What is sometimes forgotten, however, is how marginalised communities navigate that sense of hope in context of their existing struggles. It is not that these futures cannot be fantastic, but they are inevitably informed by practical concerns. Utopias are not dreamed into existence in a vacuum; they are innovative alternatives to socio-political issues. Or, as theorist Lucy Sargisson posits, utopias are means of responding to contemporary problems in order to come up with radical solutions.

When José Esteban Muñoz conceptualised his queer futurities in texts like Cruising Utopia and Disidentifications – the latter actively engaging with both queerness and race as marginalisations – his central point was in how queer bodies create spaces of radical hope through dissent. They exist within structures and societies that are inherently cisheteronormative – that is to say, a society that is created and lived on the assumption that the default experience is that of individuals who are cisgender and heterosexual – and often patriarchal, and there are aspects of life that involve assimilation as a means of survival. At the same time, they disrupt the status quo in acts both personal and political. This intimate link between lived identities and their politicisation is what makes characters like Wiccan and Hulkling from Marvel Comics’ Young Avengers series such a fascinating embodiment of queer immigrant utopias. Wiccan (whose abilities include reality alteration) has a complicated and fantastical parentage but part of his heritage lies in having Romani roots, which makes his superhero alias both a form of reclaiming a spiritual practice and also a commentary on appropriation in Western spiritual spaces. Hulkling (a super-strong shapeshifter), meanwhile, is the child of two warring alien races raised on earth, thus making him an immigrant to the entire planet and not just the USA.

The two are a couple and deal with both homophobia and xenophobia in-universe and in the real world . It is important to note here that the characters have been centred in a major comic book arc at Marvel in 2020 (titled Empyre ) which really shows the potential that queer immigrant (and interracial) love has in envisioning radical and hopeful futures. However, this blog post focuses on their character development in prior storylines; their ongoing development being left for a renewed analysis and possibly even a revisit of the argument presented here. (Re)Claiming Camp In the early years of their storylines, Wiccan and Hulkling both had a difficult time coming to terms with their identities. Wiccan is shown to deal with bullying at his school and has had subsequent struggles with mental health and paranoia. Hulkling, meanwhile, was closeted both in terms of his sexuality and his alien heritage, using his shapeshifting abilities to stay under the radar and not draw attention to himself. However, since coming out, joining the Young Avengers superhero team and, most importantly, finding companionship in each other, both characters have displayed a much more obvious comfort in their true selves. On the one hand, this has manifested in visual cues and evolving character designs. In Wiccan’s case, this has meant a move towards clothing that is more flowy and explicitly more eye-catching and individual. Additionally, he changed his alias to Wiccan (from Asgardian) as part of the discovery of his pagan heritage. For Hulkling, the visual design has been an interesting exploration of queer archetypes. As a muscular blond jock, he displays the idealised body seen in much of mainstream white gay culture. Yet, he has added personal touches over the years, such as earrings. Most importantly, he has become more comfortable displaying his naturally occurring green skin even outside his superhero persona, thus displaying a comfort he did not have in his younger years. This outward expression of self-comfort is also reflected in their growing connections with queer culture and iconography. In a humorous scene, Wiccan has to craft disguises for his team when they visit Europe and he instinctively gets inspired by his love of musicals like The Sound of Music . The pair are seen in queer nightclubs, they display a large rainbow Pride flag in their window, and they make constant references to modern queer pop culture.

This is not just meant to be a tongue-in-cheek reference to their youth and cosmopolitan personal lives. Culture and symbols play a huge role in creating a sense of community for queer individuals. When the topos of the queer utopia is so thinly spread out – and often restrained by access to resources – even a small point of belonging, such as connecting through the mutual love of an iconic film or being able to openly display a flag, is an entry point into the comfort of the community. I take a moment here to refer to the seminal queer theory text, Susan Sontag’s Notes on Camp . For Sontag, the poetics and visuals of camp are a statement of intent and liberation, not just an example of being different for the sake of being different. Thus, the campiness of Wiccan and Hulkling’s lives goes beyond being a simple aesthetic mode. It is an identifier and a political act of connecting with a wider, radical movement that unsettles the cisheteronormativity of broader society. In doing so, the pair become not only a part of Muñoz’s queer utopia, they actively embody it. Assimilating for Safety Despite the openness of their queer camp lives, Wiccan and Hulkling also take careful steps to fit in. Wiccan is raised in a suburban Jewish household that is implied to be white (despite his roots being more complex). As for Hulkling, his adoptive guardian also has the outward appearance of a suburban white housewife and, for most of his childhood, he is careful to never display his green skin. It is notable that these households are explicitly shown to be in a fictional USA that nonetheless has the same level of racial tensions as its real-world counterpart. For instance, the characters have had run-ins with a white supremacist group – who took issue both with their immigrant roots and their queerness. This makes their outward appearance an exercise in both survival and privilege. On a superficial level, both can pass for white and are implied to have the financial stability that is available to the middle class. Yet, as has been shown time and time again, whiteness can be made conditional depending on the desirability of the body in question, doubly so if said body is an immigrant. Anti-Semitism already has a contentious relationship with the ethnic ambiguity that is imposed on white Jews like Wiccan’s family, and his Romani links explicitly connect him to an oppressed and oft-misunderstood minority community. The challenges Hulkling faces as an immigrant are more metaphorical given the fictitious nature of his parentage, but they are no less potent in making the point.

In this case, the characters have to assimilate for the safety of their loved ones – and also a means of expressing the cultures of their families in a personal way (such as the symbolism of their wedding in the 2020 Marvel series Empyre ). As with the analysis present in Kenji Yoshino’s Covering , the American Dream becomes less an aspiration and more a necessity for outsiders. Yoshino considers the impact that multiple identities can have on being queer, making individuals who are at this intersection having to choose when it comes to overtly displaying one part of their identity while discreetly embodying another. A Thoughtful Navigation It is easy to think, therefore, that Wiccan and Hulkling are not actually all that utopian. Indeed, it would not be too much of a stretch to think that they are simultaneously the “Unhappy Queers” and “Melancholy Migrants” of Sara Ahmed’s The Promise of Happiness . But that is too simplistic a reading of the Young Avengers texts. The reality is that they inhabit a real-world space in which queerness is made to be unhappy and migration is made to be melancholic, but they defy both of those expectations. Their queerness is joyous and open and emancipatory, a point of overt radical difference. Their immigrant heritage, meanwhile, is more subtle and careful, but, crucially, it is normalised. While it may be discreet, it is never denied. Thus, they are much more akin to Ahmed’s revolutionary killjoy, whose communal strength is derived from undermining the oppressive joy of the status quo. Wiccan and Hulkling are complex, human characters, whose struggles are both sobering and messy. And utopian hope in these circumstances is never a clean and smooth experience. Its radicalism lies not just in uncritical idealism, but in balancing potential with pragmatism. Struggles are not to be cast aside or ignored but taken methodically and – this point is vital! – in the interests of communal joy. Thus, assimilation coming into play when it comes to the safety of loved ones, and open campiness being the standard otherwise. As a queer immigrant of colour myself, I find this approach to utopia more nuanced because it allows me room to breathe and find moments of self-care while still subverting oppressive norms in personal and intimate ways.

Muñoz, J. E., 1999. Disidentifications: Queers of Color and the Performance of Politics . University of Minnesota Press.

Muñoz, J. E., 2009. Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity . New York University Press.

The Wedding Issue: Hulkling and Wiccan

Aside from “Who would win in a fight?”, no debate gets comic fans more heated than the question of whether or not superheroes should marry. In this special revival of their popular column, Rebecca Henely-Weiss and Kayleigh Hearn take a trip to today’s spinner racks and look at the most recent times comic companies took the plunge and got their characters hitched! Did we like the couple? Did we like the tuxes? And more importantly … will the marriage last? Today we look at the wedding of Hulkling and Wiccan.

The Couple: Billy Kaplan and Teddy Altman
The Issues: Empyre #5 and Empyre Aftermath: Avengers #1
Published: August 12 and September 9, 2020
Today: So far so good … Hey! What are these ominous storm clouds on the horizon? Is this foreshadowing?

Spoilers Ahead!

Rebecca: Hey, everyone. Gotta say, it’s a bit bittersweet to be back here. Kayleigh and I ended this column shortly after her wedding last year, and you don’t need me to describe how much things have changed since then. While not being able to hold traditional weddings is hardly the biggest tragedy in our world today — especially since those who do defy the warnings have sometimes found their Special Day has become a deadly superspreader event — I have to admit it’s sometimes been a bit sad to remember my wedding just a few years ago and imagine being faced with the prospect of either cancelling or severely reducing it due to COVID-19.

Still, this is a period of time where to stay safe but still live our lives we make do the best we can with what we have. Weddings may only be taking place over programs like Zoom and Google Hangout right now, lavish receptions with our families and friends becoming a dream that may not come true for months or years. But what better way to remember the warmth of marital bliss than with one of Marvel’s most beloved couples in recent years: Hulkling and Wiccan?

Kayleigh: Wow! It’s weird to write about weddings now! With my anniversary approaching, I must admit that this hasn’t been quite the first year of marriage my spouse and I anticipated, but I can’t imagine running this gauntlet with anyone else. We were tremendously lucky to celebrate our wedding with our friends and family in attendance, but there is a bittersweet heaviness to those memories now, knowing we won’t be together like that again for the foreseeable future. My wedding didn’t have a talking raccoon in a little suit, though. I would have liked a talking raccoon in a little suit.

“Call your folks, they’ll want the live feed” hits different now. Also, hi Allan Heinberg and Jim Cheung!

Rebecca: I’ve never been a big Young Avengers fan. I read the original Allen Heinberg/Jim Cheung run and thought it had a lot of clever ideas for characters but didn’t make those characters incredibly distinct. So to me, Teddy Altman and Billy Kaplan have been cute but … not much more than that. I’m glad they exist as a functional, happy gay couple in the Marvel Universe but I never could love them the way a lot of fans clearly did. Despite that, I didn’t really want to go into this special edition of The Wedding Issue just feeling “meh,” so I read the beloved Kieron Gillen/Jamie McKelvie run of Young Avengers as well as main Empyre storyline so I could go into this with a more positive attitude.

Kayleigh: I’m on-record calling the Young Avengers “narcs,” so no, I wasn’t a fan of their original run. (Look, if I had to pick a mid-aughts Marvel teen team book, I’m Team Runaways all the way.) The Young Avengers finally clicked for me when Gillen and McKelvie left their star-shaped mark on the team. As for Hulking and Wiccan, I’m trapped in that weird pocket dimension where I recognize how important it is that a gay couple is the center of a star-crossed, universe-saving love story, but I personally find them too pretty, too polished, and too perfect to be invested in them as characters. Also, I’ve been watching a lot of Hannibal in lockdown and have no idea what good, healthy relationships are anymore.

Rebecca: Hulking is a major figure in Empyre but also a pretty passive one. Having once been the victims of a genocide at the hands of the Kree (due to a contest run by the Skrulls), the plant-like alien race Cotati — headed up by “Swordsman” (a Cotati wearing the body of the former Avenger) and Quoi (his son with Mantis) — have waged war not only on their former, now allied oppressors but also all “animal” life on Earth and throughout the galaxy. Meanwhile, Hulkling — who has both Kree and Skrull ancestry — sits on the throne of the new alliance as Dorrek VIII. But the alliance is really run by Kl’rt, better known as the Super Skrull, and the Kree warrior Tanalth the Pursuer — who unbeknownst to everyone is actually Hulkling’s Skrull grandmother Emperess R’Kll.

In Empyre #4, as the Cotati invade Earth, Hulkling consents to potentially activating The Pyre — a device that will explode the sun and destroy the Earth — in an effort to stop the Cotati before they spread across the galaxy. After a skirmish, Hulking has the court magician remove Captain Marvel and the Human Torch from the Kree/Skrull Flagship … but she sends them to Billy Kaplan’s apartment. Wiccan reviews their memories and concludes that the Hulkling who ordered the Pyre activated “is not the man [he] married.”

The next issue opens with Billy narrating a flashback of how he and Teddy had a quick wedding in Las Vegas before Teddy ascended the throne (their Young Avengers allies were able to teleport to the ceremony last minute — you totally want friends like that). Wiccan uses the power of love — er, I mean, magic — to retrieve Hulking from the brig on the Flagship where he’d been locked away. The Dorrek VIII that ordered the Pyre activated was actually R’Kll — and Wiccan has to spirit Captain Marvel and the Human Torch to the sun to help set things right (which they do, with the help of the rest of Hulkling’s royal guard). The day is saved and the happy couple gets a grand royal wedding in space in Empyre Aftermath: Avengers #1, but an imprisoned R’Kll warns that Teddy may not always be able to play the peaceful ruler, and in an ominous future flash-forward in the last few pages, he admits she may have been right.

The “shock ending” to Empyre #4.

Kayleigh: Billy’s going to have one hell of a post for r/JUSTNOMIL. But I don’t think we can talk about modern comic book weddings without talking about the way they’re marketed. For the Big Two, superhero weddings mean big PR pushes–most infamously, Marvel and DC both leaked to major newspapers that two heavily-hyped weddings would not be happening, only weeks apart. That big Empyre #4 cliffhanger? The official solicitation for this issue promised a “shock ending,” which, in superhero-speak, usually means something catastrophic like a major character death. Something good happening to our heroes instead is a genuine twist. Though I was initially cynical about a same-sex wedding being sold as a “shock,” Al Ewing’s storytelling is sincere. This is a love story.

Rebecca: While these issues definitely don’t take place in a COVID-19 world (I guess for all our problems it’s good we’re not being invaded by sentient alien plants), this dual ceremony does feel appropriate for the new wedding landscape. Billy’s parents even have to watch a live feed of their Earth wedding! Speaking of which, I really dug that flashback. It’s cool to show a man proposing to another man in a scene that’s clearly meant to be post-coitus and have it be no big deal, and while I usually don’t get the appeal of Las Vegas weddings, Billy and Teddy keep their lighting-fast ceremony cute. I like the decorations with the flower garlands and the Pride flag in the background, and I also like how all of their friends are basically wearing stealth formal cosplay of their superhero uniforms. Sure, the grooms’ suits are nice, with the gray and white contrasting colors and the pink ties … but I got to give it up for Kate Bishop’s purple dress, Patriot wearing a blue suit with a red-and-white striped tie and star cufflinks/lapel pin and … well, just America Chavez’s everything (but that girl always looks good).

Kayleigh: It took seven years for Billy and Teddy to kiss on panel, so the fact that we’re now in a place where a sensual scene of them in bed can be casually dropped into the climax (yes) of a major Marvel crossover event is a big deal. Sometimes comics are good, actually! And whew, Valerio Schiti sure can draw some handsome men, dressed or undressed. (Teddy’s green freckles are especially cute.) The Young Avengers all look like they’re dressed for completely different events, which is a nice touch, given how short notice the Vegas wedding was. Speed looks exactly like Evan Peters as Quicksilver, and I love it.

Rebecca: The space wedding is pretty nice, too. It’s really cool and personally validating to me that almost all of the weddings we’ve covered contemporaneously on this column have been Jewish — and this one had a particularly beautiful chuppah with gold hangings. (I love that the SFX of Billy breaking the glass was in rainbow colors, too. Nice touch!) But what I also like about the space wedding is that the creative team invented a Kree/Skrull ceremony that named Billy the Prince Consort/Court Wizard. It’s not quite the same thing but it reminded me of the hint of alien wedding traditions in the Scott Free/Big Barda wedding — and I liked Billy’s joke about being like Merlin. It seems like Billy’s parents got to show up in person for this one, but of all the superheroes who came nobody wore reception clothes, though, which was a bit of a bummer. Except for Rocket Raccoon wearing a tux…

Kayleigh: Valerio Schiti does phenomenal work illustrating two very different weddings. The space ceremony is a lovely combination of terrestrial and extraterrestrial customs–there are the chuppah and gold hangings, as you mentioned, along with some eerily beautiful alien flowers. Schiti also makes some subtle, impressive choices with body language. Compare their “first” kisses and note that Billy and Teddy’s hand and arm placements switch when they embrace, mirroring each other. Marte Gracia’s warm, cosmic swirls of color also amplify the artwork, making it bright and bold and clear. As for the guests, I’m surprised that Billy’s family, particularly Scarlet Witch and Vision, aren’t a bigger focus, but considering that Aftermath #1 takes pains to remind us that Teddy’s entire family (minus one evil grandma) is dead, acknowledging Billy’s four parents and twin brother might have been rubbing it in. (Poor Speed really is the “And the rest!” of the family.)

Rebecca: I can’t say these issues rank among my favorites that we’ve covered. It’s hard to luxuriate in the happy couple when so many other things are going on — and while I did like Empyre in general, the main plotline did seem to hint at significant subplots occurring in other tie-in books a lot (some of which may not have even come out due to the pandemic) even for an inter-company crossover. (When I saw Spider-Man and Wolverine show up in their Fantastic Four variant uniforms I was just like, “You know what? I don’t care to research why they’re dressed like that. Moving on.”) We’ve unfortunately found a trend in covering the gay couples in this column where their ceremonies just get swallowed up in extraneous drama and this one is no exception. Still, I’m glad the “other stuff” in this case was the fate of the galaxy and not, like, another character’s heterosexual love triangle.

Kayleigh: Notice how we’re not even mentioning that someone smacks the shit out of Captain Marvel at the reception! But, yes, while I am an old cynical hag who wants to sit Billy and Teddy down and say, “Look, kids, go to college and fuck around first,” they do seem like very nice boys! Their scenes are very sensual and loving and romantic–they feel like an epic couple in a way that many pairings we’ve covered here haven’t. They’re made of stardust and dreamy sighs and hearts doodled in notebooks. And now that they’re reigning over a galactic empire, it’s time for them to take a bigger role in the Marvel Universe that’s long overdue.

Rebecca: I also like how, for better or worse, this does seem like a plot development that’s going to take Wiccan and Hulkling in a genuinely new and exciting direction. There’s always been a bit of a too clean and generic sheen to the characters (to the point where Gillen and McKelvie made Hulkling wonder if he was a figment of Wiccan’s imagination because he was the “too perfect” boyfriend), and while I don’t want to see the couple break up, I do wonder about the future storylines that might take them into a murkier, darker direction. I’m excited to see the Young Avengers grow up a bit.

Hulkling and Wiccan Balancing Follow Up

Balance Team here with another update, this time on Hulkling and Wiccan! We recently went through our internal process for evaluating their performance over the last few months and have the following to share with y’all:

Little did she know that destiny had other plans for her. Meanwhile, in a faraway realm, there was a courageous and kind-hearted prince named Alexander. He too possessed a unique power, the ability to see the true essence of every person he met.

Hulkling

So far we’re happy with how Hulkling is performing in the Battlerealm! Hulkling was designed to be a Cosmic bruiser, with access to consistent damage as long as you can trigger his Pierce and Fury buffs. In Alliance Wars, we’re seeing him match up well against some of his intended targets such as Peni Parker, while also doing well in other matchups where you can utilize his Immunities. All in all, we’re happy with where Hulkling has landed and will be leaving him as is.

Yet, despite his charm and good looks, Alexander had never truly experienced love. Fate brought Isabella and Alexander together on a fateful day when their paths crossed in a remote forest. Their eyes met, and they instantly felt an undeniable connection. Overwhelmed by emotions they had never felt before, Isabella and Alexander began to spend every moment they could together, exploring the expansive realm they inhabited. As their love blossomed, the people of the kingdom took notice and hope was rekindled. The once dreary streets became vibrant with color, and laughter filled the air. It seemed that Isabella and Alexander's love had the power to heal all wounds and melt even the coldest hearts. However, their love was tested when the evil sorceress Viviana discovered their enchanting bond. Consumed by jealousy, she cast a wicked spell on Isabella, rendering her powerless and trapped in a deep sleep. Alexander, refusing to accept defeat, embarked on a treacherous journey to find a way to break the spell and awaken his true love. With the help of a wise old wizard, Alexander learned of an ancient prophecy that foretold the union of love and sacrifice. In order to wake Isabella from her slumber, Alexander would have to give up his own life force, a selfless act that would prove his unwavering love. In a breathtaking climax, Alexander raced against time to perform an ancient ritual that would save Isabella and their kingdom. As the sun began to set on the day of reckoning, Alexander's love shone brighter than ever before. In a dramatic and magical twist, a powerful wave of love swept through the kingdom, breaking Viviana's spell and bringing Isabella back to life. The kingdom rejoiced, celebrating the return of their princess and the enduring power of love. Isabella and Alexander stood hand in hand, forever united by their unbreakable bond. Their love story became a celebrated legend, enchanting generations of romantics to come. In this magical love drama, true love proved to be the ultimate force capable of conquering even the darkest and most powerful of magic. Isabella and Alexander's tale serves as a reminder that love has the power to transform, heal, and bring happiness to all who embrace its magic..

Reviews for "In the Realm of Enchantment: A Magical Love Drama"

1. Emily - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Magical love drama". The plot was predictable and cliché, and the characters were one-dimensional. I couldn't connect with any of them or invest in their love story. The dialogue felt forced and cheesy, and the acting was subpar. Overall, the movie lacked depth and originality, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for a compelling love story.

2. John - 1 star - "Magical love drama" was a complete waste of time. The storyline was confusing and poorly developed, leaving me feeling disconnected and uninterested. The special effects were cheesy and laughable, making it impossible to take the movie seriously. The acting was mediocre at best, with the actors delivering their lines in a wooden and unconvincing manner. I was highly disappointed with this film and would not recommend it to anyone.

3. Sarah - 2 stars - I really wanted to like "Magical love drama" since I enjoy romance movies, but it fell flat for me. The pacing was slow, and the plot was overly simplistic. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to care about their love story. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unconvincing, leaving me feeling disconnected from the movie. Overall, "Magical love drama" failed to captivate me and left me disappointed.

4. Michael - 1 star - I can't believe I wasted my time watching "Magical love drama". The storyline was incredibly cheesy and unrealistic, and the acting was simply terrible. The actors lacked chemistry and failed to bring any emotion or depth to their characters. The film felt like a poorly executed attempt at a romantic fantasy, and I couldn't wait for it to be over. I would strongly advise against watching this movie if you're looking for a compelling love story.

The Mage's Heart: A Magical Drama Unveiled