Hero’s one of the female characters in Y: The Last Man, who starts out as straight, only to become a lesbian out of neccessity. (Especially since the only man alive is her brother, Yorick Brown.) However, Hero’s journey is more about her redemption and struggle for her humanity than her new sexuality.
Hero Brown
Hero starts off as something of a lost character. She’s working as a paramedic in Boston; though she seems to be preoccupied with following her libido. Her world’s immediately crushed when all the men die. She ends up joining the Daughters of the Amazon, who believe that the Y chromosome was a stain on the Earth and the plague was the Earth cleaning itself.
As part of the Amazons, Hero cuts off her breast in initiation. (Said to mimic what the Amazon women did to better use a bow-and-arrow.) She then follows them on their sprees of burning sperm banks, destroying patriarchal institutions such as churches, and generally spew hate at anyone who misses men, including killing the transgendered. Hero is also part of a group that goes after Yorick, to kill him. Instead, she avenges the death of the Amazon’s leader Victoria by killing her murderer Sonia. Yorick witnesses this, disowns his sister, and has her locked in prison. Hero breaks out to jail and goes to visit her mother to seek her redemption.
Jennifer and Hero talk about her time with the Amazons.
Slowly, Hero turns her back on the Amazons and her hate as her mother, Representative Jennifer Brown who’s serving as President of the United States, talks Hero into helping Yorick. Hero forgives Yorick, but it takes some time for him to forgive her.
Hero on the search for Yorick.
Hero believes that saving Yorick, who she believes was kidnapped by Agent 355, will redeem what she has done. She does a very good job at tracking just where Agent 355, Doctor Allison Mann, and Yorick have been. Hero finally catches up with them in San Fransisco, in a confrontation with Agent 355 and another group who wants Yorick dead. It’s not until she sees Yorick again, and he strangles her with hatred, that she finally destroys the last of the Amazons’ brainwashing.
Dr. Mann’s the one who gives Hero her next mission, to take a sample of Ampersand’s feces back to Kansas now that they’ve isolated the Y chromosome killing plague. On her way back, Hero stays with Beth II on Yorick’s suggestion, and Hero brings her a supposed Dear John letter from him. (The letter actually asks Beth II to take care of Hero on her journey.) Hero finds Beth II about eight months pregnant with Yorick’s daughter, Beth Junior.
Of course, they are ambushed by the Catholic Church who believes Beth II’s having a virgin birth and blessed by God. (Beth II’s been hiding in a church.) Hero shows her wits by convincing the church she and Beth II are lovers and she impregnated Beth II from a sperm bank the Amazons’ destroyed. The church then lets them go, especially after the child is declared to be a girl. Hero and Beth II take off together to complete Hero’s mission.
Interestingly enough, Beth becomes the protector of the women with children in this tale. While she has none of her own and is, at some points, jealous of the mothers, she sees the children as the future. She goes on the run with them from Kansas to France to avoid the Israeli army (another plot thread). They all end up staying in Paris to wait for Yorick.
Hero: Aunt and Babysitter
In the future, Hero’s seen by Yorick protecting the last of the lionesses in Africa. Yorick wanders off when Beth Deville (Beth I) shows up. Hero and Beth are show to have a romantic relationship together and both seem very happy with their lives.