Marvel Comics Introduces New LGBTQ+ Superhero Somnus for Pride Month

The Marvel universe is getting bigger and queerer all thanks to the newest addition to their comic book roster: Somnus! 

Just in time for Pride Month 2021, the dreamy new superhero is set to make his debut in Marvel's special Voices: Pride #1 issue, a special comic that is celebrating the longstanding comic company's many LGBTQ+ characters and creators! 

Although not much is exactly known about Somnus now, he is described as "a mutant who had an extraordinary impact on an X-Man long ago" with special powers that allow him to "have a total control of people’s dreams" though "he was never able to follow his own." With a costume design by artist Luciano Vecchio, Somnus' backstory in Voices: Pride #1 will be written by Steve Orlando with art from Eisner nominee Claudia Aguirre.

"Somnus, Carl Valentino, is inspired not only by my own family history, but by my experiences with past generations of LGBTQ+ folks from across the country, people I wouldn't have met without comics," Orlando said in a statement about the creation of Somnus. "While there is still plenty of work to do, we've also come a long way as a community. Somnus is a chance to explore how my own late queer relatives may have felt, living in more prejudiced times."

He continued: 

"He's also a chance to celebrate past generations as a whole and acknowledge the strides we've made that they may not have lived to see. And with the Krakoan era being one of relative utopia for mutantkind, Somnus will bring a fresh perspective, and respectful gut check, to the young mutants of the present who may not know just how hard some had to fight for all mutants have achieved. Within the story and without, Somnus will be a new, complex character carrying a message of respect, power, and vision."