Marvel Comics are planning a special wedding for two of their X-Men characters. Astonishing X-Men #50 goes on sale this week and features the commencement of the tale of Marvel Comics' first same-sex marriage. Jean-Paul Beaubier - whose alter-ego is 'Northstar,' proposes to his boyfriend Kyle Jinadu, meaning that their wedding is due to feature in the following issue, due on June 20, 2012, BBC News reports today (May 23, 2012)

The comic book creators have already broken new ground with Northstar; he has appeared in the comic series since 1979 but 'came out' in 1992. This latest twist comes shortly after the US President, Barack Obama publicly announced that he supported the idea of gay marriage. Marvel's editor in chief said, of the upcoming marriage "The Marvel Universe has always reflected the world outside your window, so we strive to make sure our characters, relationships and stories are grounded in that reality. "We've been working on this story for over a year to ensure Northstar and Kyle's wedding reflects Marvel's 'world outside your window' tradition."

Fans of Northstar and Kyle may like to take heed though; Marvel has hinted that there may not be such a happy ending to this romantic tale. In the official wedding announcement, they asked "Will their path to wedded matrimony in New York City be smooth, or are there hidden dangers around the corner?" Which, in comic book talk, means there almost certainly will be hidden dangers around the corner!