3) Apollo & Midnighter
Midnighter is currently enjoying success with a solo comic book series helmed by Steve Orlando, but it’s impossible to discuss him without also referring to his long term partner, Apollo. Originally conceived as an inverted take on the relationship between Batman and Superman, Midnighter and Apollo have since transcended these origins to become popular characters in their own right.
When they were first introduced in the Wildstorm comic Stormwatch, readers had no idea that Midnighter and Apollo were actually a couple until Warren Ellis had already established them both as an extremely dangerous and formidable pair. Until their sexuality was openly discussed, readers simply assumed that Midnighter and Apollo were straight. By avoiding homosexual stereotypes and cliches, Ellis crafted a believable couple who quickly became firm fan favourites.
Later, the pair became founding members of The Authority, a super team who used their abilities to take over the planet in an effort to keep them safe. An R-rated cinematic adaptation could explore the political implications of such an act while also providing the opportunity to portray a unique homosexual relationship on the big screen.
