Art by Phil Jimenez
Brian Augustyn, Mark Waid, and Howard Porter created Triumph though writer Christopher Priest may be the name most associated with the character because of his four-part mini series. The character was revealed to be a founding member of the Justice League via a ret-con as shown in a three-part story that ran in Justice League #92 – 94 as part of the Zero Hour event.
Triumph (Will MacIntire) is included in this list because of statements made by writer Christopher Priest. On Priest’s website, the writer mentions that many fans and DC staffers alike hated the character for being inserted into the JLA’s origin story. What wasn’t apparent to readers at the time was that Priest viewed Triumph as gay. Priest also shares how the late Neal Pozner, DC’s director of Creative Services, served as inspiration for some of “Triumph’s energy.”
“Triumph was gay, something probably only Brian and I knew since we didn’t have an appropriate storyline to deal sensitively with that issue, but that was my subtext for his emotional center: how out of place and out of sync Triumph was with the DC
Universe.”
While Priest viewed the character as gay, this notion did not affect Brian Augustyn writing a short story involving a girlfriend named Melissa in Showcase ’94 #12 or heterosexual romantic elements with Gypsy and later Fire that Priest himself wrote. Further evidence that DC considers Triumph to be heterosexual, or at least ignoring Priest’s view, appeared in Brave and Bold #17 and 18 vol 2 (2008). Marv Wolfman reveals Triumph to be the long lost father of his villain du jour.
On an ironic note, Phil Jimenez and Mike S. Miller, once controversial for his views toward gay people, have drawn Triumph. Jimenez work appeared in Justice League International #68 and Miller was the artist on the mini series.
Please refer to Wikipedia’s Triumph entry for an informative character bio. Anyone interested in a full list of appearances for Triumph or other characters should consult the Comic Book Database. Priest’s scripts for the Triumph mini series can be read at this link. Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed also wrote about Priest’s plans here.
Triumph first appeared in a brief cameo in Justice League International #67. Created by Brian Augustyn, Mark Waid and Howard Porter, though the character is primarily associated with writer Christopher Priest.
© and ® DC Comics. Used without permission.
Mayer was brother to publicist Myndi Mayer, one of the early supporting characters of the revamped Wonder Woman by George Perez. We learn about Kevin through reminiscenses with Wonder Woman at Myndi’s will reading. He shares that Myndi’s and his rebellious spirits made them especially close and that he benefited from Myndi sticking up for him when their father and other sister Lili rejected Kevin for being gay.