Marvel inducted Shade (now also known as Darkveil), a mutant drag queen hero, as an official member of its superhero roster this month. Set to debut as a full-fledged hero in the Uncanny X-Men: Winter’s End comic on March 15, Darkveil is equipped with the power to use her handheld fan to cast ‘shade’ and open up pockets to alternate dimensions - a play on the drag culture phrase ‘throwing shade’. Darkveil first appeared in the series as she defended attendees at Mutant Pride (parallel to real-world Pride parades) from attack; this defense was meant to evoke the Stonewall riots in the US, where the LGBTQ community faced violence from the police in 1969.

There’s so much we could say about Shade, but here are three quick insights to consider:

Delight in diversity. Drag was traditionally confined to underground clubs, but reality competition show RuPaul’s Drag Race has changed all that. Ru herself might have asserted that drag can never enter the mainstream but she’s certainly brought it close with its multiple Emmy wins. In fact, over 60% of attendees at the RuPaul’s DragCon in LA last year were women, half of whom were straight. Marvel’s creation of Darkveil shows it understands the appreciation all kinds of consumers have for diverse groups.

The right foundation. Marvel’s drag superhero was created by LGBTQ artist Sina Grace, who reported how the company let him to exercise his creative vision. This helped both parties receive positive feedback from fans. It goes without saying that if you’re collaborating with partners from underrepresented groups, you must ensure they have the freedom and support to be authentically inclusive. Or, could you empower your existing staff to take the reins on an inclusivity initiative, as Sephora did with its transgender makeup classes?

Inclusive IRL. But if you read this and think that simply including a [transgender / drag / disabled / etc.] person in your marketing is enough, then STOP. Right now. That might have cut it in 2015. This works for Marvel, because its product is content. But in 2019, the most progressive brands aren’t just showing underrepresented groups in their marketing, they’re taking practical steps to make their customer experience more inclusive. We mentioned Sephora above. Morrison’s ‘quiet hour’ for autistic shoppers. Ford’s wheelchair ramp trunk mat. Your move next?