Trans comic-book hero fights North Carolina’s HB 2

Most superheroes only have to worry about one secret identity. Chalice, the trans-hero from AfterShock’s Alters comic-book series, has to maintain two.

Chalice, aka Charlie Young, is by day a college student at the front end of a transition to life as a woman. Charlie’s parents are unaware of either her super power to manipulate gravity — which enables her to fly, among other things — or her life as a woman.

This week, Bret Parks, owner of Winston-Salem’s SSalefish Comics, announced that he has commissioned a version of Alters No. 1 that will feature a cover illustration of Chalice fighting against North Carolina’s HB 2 “Bathroom Bill,” that among other things limits restroom choices for trans individuals and in fact denies that there even is such a thing as trans people.

Issue No. 1 will see Chalice tearing down gendered bathroom signs and installing unisex ones in the name of freedom.

Parks, a native of NC, said that HB 2 is bad for businesses like his across the state, but until now has stayed out of the fight.

Parks said he will donate 10 percent of the sales of Alters No. 1 to Equality NC.

“I felt a bit helpless until Aftershock Comics and Paul Jenkins requested a conference call with me to discuss Paul’s new book Alters,” Parks said in a press release. “ I believe I can show my support for ENC and take a jab at HB2 but in a way that still allows readers to enjoy Alters as a great story with a unique cover!”

Alters is written by Paul Jenkins (Wolverine, Hellblazer) and illustrated by Leila Leiz (NVRLND). The cover art was done by Richard Case (Doom Patrol, Dr. Strange, The Sensational Spider-Man).

Jenkins and Case will be at SSalefish on Sept. 17 to sign copies of the limited-edition debut.