That was an interesting article, but do you know the first mainstream Trans-gender comic character? The first one I can think of is Masquerade from the Blood Syndicate (Milestone Comics)

It’s a bit muddled because;

1) So many characters have been trans only in an allegorical or fantasy sense, like, say, Martian Manhunter, who can technically change genders. I believe many of these were simply appropriated because trans characters were so scarce, BUT some clearly WERE intended to be symbolic stand-ins for trans characters, and should not be forgotten or pushed aside.

2) Many of the most notable examples were not in mainstream DC or Marvel superhero comics, which was the point we had been trying to make when the Alysia news broke. A character in, say, a Vertigo book, or some other publisher, that would be kind of a different thing.

The problem is, those characters were important and groundbreaking, and the focus on Alysia as ‘the FIRST’ trans character in comics (which was partly our fault, but a LOT the fault of journalists who chose that focus) sidelines those other characters, which is wrong and unfair.

So it’s a bit muddy for me, I would have a hard time picking the first trans character in comics because the definition of what is a trans character (symbolic? fantasy-based?) is different for everyone.

But I stick by the idea that it’s not a competition…we wouldn’t put various black characters against each other, we would hopefully be happy that there IS more than one to love and follow.