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Today, an updated version of Marvel Comics' Rawhide Kid series will hit comic book stores. The gunslinger, who first made his debut 48 years ago, comes out of the closet. When Marvel first announced the Rawhide Kid's return and "coming out party" in December, several reports called him the first gay character in comic books. Some called him the first gay lead character in a comic book. But neither of those "firsts" is true. The Kid may be the first gay lead character in a Western saga, but outwardly gay characters in comic books have been around for at least...

Excerpt: NEW YORK (CNN) -- Marvel Comics plans to break new ground in the comic book industry by introducing the first openly gay title character in a comic book. The character will appear in a revival of the 1950s title, "The Rawhide Kid." Marvel expects a February debut. The new series pairs the original artist, John Severin, now 86, with Ron Zimmerman, a writer for the "Howard Stern Show." The Rawhide Kid has been a Marvel character since the 1950s both as a main and a secondary character. However, it was not until Zimmerman approached Marvel with his idea of...

MARVEL COMICS IS ON A ROLL. First there was the blockbuster "X-Men" movie that generated almost $300 million worldwide. Then came "Spider-Man," which grossed more than $800 million. Coming in February, Ben Affleck will star in "Daredevil." In that same month, Marvel will be bringing back to comic book stores a cowboy hero known as the Rawhide Kid. From 1955 to 1979, Rawhide Kid battled the outlaws of the Wild West as part of a Western-themed series that included other heroes like the Two-Gun Kid and Kid Colt. At the time, nobody ever asked if Rawhide Kid dated any girls,...

Old-time comic book hero Rawhide Kid always dressed much better than the other cowboys and never had a girlfriend.

<p>NEW YORK (CNN) -- Marvel Comics plans to break new ground in the comic book industry by introducing the first openly gay title character in a comic book.</p> <p>The character will appear in a revival of the 1950s title, "The Rawhide Kid." Marvel expects a February debut.</p>

<p>NEW YORK (CNN) -- Marvel Comics plans to break new ground in the comic book industry by introducing the first openly gay title character in a comic book.</p> <p>The character will appear in a revival of the 1950s title, "The Rawhide Kid." Marvel expects a February debut.</p>