Resum
Between 1988 and 1994 American comic books engaged the politics, problematics, and
crises of the AIDS epidemic by inserting the virus and its social, cultural, and epidemiological
effects on gay men into the four-color fantasies of the superhero genre. As the comic-book industry
was undergoing major internal changes that allowed for more mature, adult storylines, creators
challenged the Comics Code Authority’s 1954 sanction against the representation of
homosexuality to create, for the first time, openly gay characters. Creators’ efforts were driven by
a desire to recognize the reality of gay men’s lived experiences, especially crucial in the epidemic
time of the AIDS crisis. Through mainstream superhero comic books a small body of conscientious
writers and artists confronted stereotypes and misinformation about HIV/AIDS, championed gay
men’s rights, and fought homophobia. Comic-book creators developed a complex, sustained, and
lively conversation about HIV/AIDS, gay men, and PWAs that was unprecedented both in the
history of comic books and of other forms of popular culture.