Gay Superhero Talks Doping In 1991

Though disappointing, word that sprinter Tyson Gay failed a drug test is nothing new. It has become increasingly, woefully common for sports stars to let down their fans and disgrace their sports with performance enhancing drugs. Lance Armstrong of course springs to mind, as does Marion Jones. And those with longer memories will recall that Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson gave back his bronze and gold Olympic medals after testing positive for illegal steroids in 1988.

It was on that very subject that fictional Olympian and Marvel superhero Northstar spoke in the 1991 edition of Marvel Illustrated. This was just one year before Northstar, always intended to be gay but kept in the closet by Marvel editors, came out in a 1992 edition of Alpha Flight, so no word on how he feels about gay athletes, but this is still a great read for those into sports, superheroes, obscure comic book references, and doping controversies.

"They are only cheating themselves," says the make-believe French-Canadian of steroid-using athletes in this "interview" with Marvel writer Fabian Nicieza.