Manga's First Trans Character Debuted Decades Before Marvel or DC's

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Warning: contains discussions of transphobia

With both Marvel and DC more willing than ever to introduce transgender characters, there have been increasing comparisons to how LGBTQ characters are portrayed in manga. Though it's always tempting to look at popular shonen manga such as Dragon Ball, Naruto, or My Hero Academia and conclude that the medium has far less representation than its western equivalent, that's only taking a narrow view. As a matter of fact, the very first trans manga character debuted in the 1970's, almost two decades before either Marvel or DC's first trans characters.

While it might be tempting to view the emergence of queer characters in western comics as a recent phenomenon, both Marvel and DC had trans characters since at least the mid-1990s. Marvel's first trans character is a minor X-Men supporting character named Jessie Drake who first appeared in 1994's Marvel Comics Presents #150 by Ann Nocenti and Steve Lightle, though she wouldn't come out as trans until one issue later. DC's is a little harder to pin down and largely depends on what is considered a DC Comic. Vertigo had a transgender woman named Wanda premier in 1991's Sandman #32. The first trans character to appear within the main DC Universe though is the Legion of Super-Heroes supporting character Shvaughn Erin who was revealed to be a trans woman in 1992. In contrast, shōjo manga's first trans character premiered all the way back in 1978.

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Riyoko Ikeda's Claudine is a tragedy focussing on a young transgender man named Claude living in early 20th century France. Though Claude is part of a wealthy noble family, his life is filled with heartbreak as his gender