In 1982, Camelot 3000 Broke Barriers with Its Portrayal of a Trans Character
When it was first published in 1982, DC Comics’ Camelot 3000 was already notable for a number of reasons—it was the first maxi-series; the first printed on Baxter paper; it featured not superheroes, but ancient knights awakened from slumber; it was British artist Brian Bolland’s first major work in the U.S.; and, of course, it was a success, leading to the publication of more maxi-series.
Camelot 3000 Deluxe Edition
Hardcover
$31.49
$34.99
Camelot 3000 Deluxe Edition
By
Mike Barr
Illustrator
Brain Bolland
Hardcover
$31.49
$34.99
Today, parts of it seem dated, especially the very 1980s costume designs (and the women’s haircuts). The storytelling is straightforward, fast-paced, and fun, but lacking some of the depth we’ve come to expect from modern 12-part stories, but there is one story element that is absolutely relevant to today’s readers: one of the lead characters is a trans man, and not only that, his story’s end is a happy one.
I’m not sure the ending would be a satisfying one for trans readers, as the attempt to be positive about a female-female relationship kind of muffs the trans issues.
In the tale, as Earth is invaded by alien forces, a young man, Tom, awakens King Arthur. Happily, Excalibur works as well against alien tech as Saxon swords. Merlin soon joins the fold and magically awakens all of Arthur’s trusted warriors, including his Queen, Guinevere. A rich businessman becomes Lancelot. Guinevere is a leader of Earth’s defense forces. Sir Percival is a mutated monster with a kind soul.
But Tristan has been reborn into the physical body of a woman. He does not accept his new gender, knowing his true self to be a man. He refuses to answer to a female name, and insists on being addressed as “Sir Tristan.” It’s clear he feels his body has horribly betrayed him, and he’s bereft that he can never again properly love Isolde, reborn as a woman still.
Tristan rejects all advice, especially from young Tom, that he accept being female. Tom is in love with Tristan—or at least in lust with his female body. The story sees this as a negative, and makes it clear that Tom goes too far. Isolde, on the other hand, is accepting of Tristan’s physical form and vows that it should never stand between them.
Tristan’s greatest test comes when the villain Morgan Le Fey offers him a chance to change his physical form to male again so he can be with Isolde once more, an offer he rejects after much anguish. He can’t betray his true self to change his form.
In the end, Tristan tells Tom that they can’t be together and chooses to be with Isolde, and they receive their happy ending.
Except…Tristan “accepts” his new physical form as a woman and wears a white dress at the end (signaling his commitment to Isolde). In a scene that seems to be one of acceptance of a lesbian relationship, Tristan says it doesn’t matter that they’re both female.
The creators meant well. In 1982, showing a happy, fulfilling lesbian relationship, especially one chosen over a conventional male-female pairing, was radical. But by doing so, it seems to have flubbed the story in relationship to trans individuals. If Tristan believes his true gender is male, he’d be more likely to today simply live as a man, and not accept that, well, he’s female, and can be a lesbian.
In the end, I’m not sure how to judge Camelot 3000: does it deserve a “good try” for its portrayal Tristan, given the era in which it was published, or is its handling of a complex issue misguided? Either way, it was huge success at the time, and perhaps, even flawed, offered some hope for real-life Tristans born into the wrong gender and wishing for their own happy ending.
Today, parts of it seem dated, especially the very 1980s costume designs (and the women’s haircuts). The storytelling is straightforward, fast-paced, and fun, but lacking some of the depth we’ve come to expect from modern 12-part stories, but there is one story element that is absolutely relevant to today’s readers: one of the lead characters is a trans man, and not only that, his story’s end is a happy one.
I’m not sure the ending would be a satisfying one for trans readers, as the attempt to be positive about a female-female relationship kind of muffs the trans issues.
In the tale, as Earth is invaded by alien forces, a young man, Tom, awakens King Arthur. Happily, Excalibur works as well against alien tech as Saxon swords. Merlin soon joins the fold and magically awakens all of Arthur’s trusted warriors, including his Queen, Guinevere. A rich businessman becomes Lancelot. Guinevere is a leader of Earth’s defense forces. Sir Percival is a mutated monster with a kind soul.
But Tristan has been reborn into the physical body of a woman. He does not accept his new gender, knowing his true self to be a man. He refuses to answer to a female name, and insists on being addressed as “Sir Tristan.” It’s clear he feels his body has horribly betrayed him, and he’s bereft that he can never again properly love Isolde, reborn as a woman still.
Tristan rejects all advice, especially from young Tom, that he accept being female. Tom is in love with Tristan—or at least in lust with his female body. The story sees this as a negative, and makes it clear that Tom goes too far. Isolde, on the other hand, is accepting of Tristan’s physical form and vows that it should never stand between them.
Tristan’s greatest test comes when the villain Morgan Le Fey offers him a chance to change his physical form to male again so he can be with Isolde once more, an offer he rejects after much anguish. He can’t betray his true self to change his form.
In the end, Tristan tells Tom that they can’t be together and chooses to be with Isolde, and they receive their happy ending.
Except…Tristan “accepts” his new physical form as a woman and wears a white dress at the end (signaling his commitment to Isolde). In a scene that seems to be one of acceptance of a lesbian relationship, Tristan says it doesn’t matter that they’re both female.
The creators meant well. In 1982, showing a happy, fulfilling lesbian relationship, especially one chosen over a conventional male-female pairing, was radical. But by doing so, it seems to have flubbed the story in relationship to trans individuals. If Tristan believes his true gender is male, he’d be more likely to today simply live as a man, and not accept that, well, he’s female, and can be a lesbian.
In the end, I’m not sure how to judge Camelot 3000: does it deserve a “good try” for its portrayal Tristan, given the era in which it was published, or is its handling of a complex issue misguided? Either way, it was huge success at the time, and perhaps, even flawed, offered some hope for real-life Tristans born into the wrong gender and wishing for their own happy ending.