It’s no secret that neither Marvel nor DC has the greatest track record when it comes to respecting trans people, either in real life or in the stories they tell. But credit where credit is due. This year, DC has been making a concerted effort to expand on the story of one of its most notable trans characters.
In 2022, Jadzia Axelrod and Jess Taylor’s Galaxy: The Prettiest Star won acclaim for its heartfelt, emotional, and, at times, funny story about a trans lesbian alien who risks everything to be herself. Since then, Galaxy has appeared in other Axelrod-penned comics, including Hawkgirl: Once Upon a Galaxy and the holiday anthology I Saw Ma Hunkel Kissing Santa Claus. But Galaxy is making waves in a bigger way this year. Not only is the sequel to The Prettiest Star, Galaxy: As the World Falls Down, being released on May 5, Galaxy and her fellow groundbreaking hero— Dreamer, the first trans superhero to appear on TV back in 2018 on Supergirl–are teaming up in the one-shot Justice League Intergalactic Special. Released last month, that comic leads into the miniseries Justice League: Dream Girls, debuting in June.
Not only is it a good time to be a fan of the resilient and bubbly Galaxy, but it’s also the right moment for curious newcomers to get on board.
Who Is DC’s Galaxy?
Taylor Barzelay is an alien princess known as the Galaxy Crowned. She has a powerful jewel embedded by her heart that’s designed to protect her against the Vane. They are an imperialistic alien race that has already destroyed her homeworld of Cyandii and will stop at nothing to find and destroy Taylor, too.
Taylor and a handful of other refugees retreat to the small American town of Ozma Gap, where she is forced to disguise herself as a human boy to avoid detection by the Vane. This makes Taylor utterly miserable, to the point where she rebels and reveals her true identity to the town.
Beyond that, I don’t want to share too much, because it’s really worth reading The Prettiest Star for yourself. Once you finish, you don’t have to wait to pick up the sequel!
What Is Galaxy: As the World Falls Down About?
The Prettiest Star is a deeply affecting origin/coming-out story–the scene where several girls at Taylor’s high school harass her for trying to use the bathroom is harrowing–but just as important are the stories of what comes after. That’s where As the World Falls Down gets the chance to shine.
No longer is Taylor a shy loner or a struggling outcast. Life isn’t all roses and rainbows, but, as she herself says, things are far better than when she had to hide who she was. We finally get to see Taylor as she always wanted and was meant to be. She has a badass girlfriend! She gets to hang out with other DC heroes, including Big Blue himself! She uses her cool energy manipulation powers and her fire-breathing hacker corgi (it makes sense in context) to defend the Earth against the Vane!
Given that Galaxy is a trans woman striving to be herself and find her place when there’s a whole group of beings out there who want her dead, it is easy to describe As the World Falls Down with adjectives like “timely,” “relevant,” and “empowering.” These descriptors are indeed accurate. The story itself leans into the not-really-subtext with its final battle (no spoilers here!) and Galaxy’s declaration that “being normal is never going to save anyone.”
But it’s more than that. It’s also a good, entertaining story (did you see the bit about the corgi?). It’s about people who don’t fit into the mainstream getting to have awesome adventures on their own terms. That, for me, is a big part of what superhero comics have always been about. For all the wonderful ways Galaxy is different, she is also contributing to a grand tradition that has survived for decades because it is as thrilling as it is comforting, as dynamic as it is hopeful.
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