One of the more interesting things to transpire while adapting popular comic book heroes for TV or film is the resulting conversation about just how closely the feature resembles the original product.

Fanboys waxed nostalgic about Superman killing in “Man of Steel,” citing passages from decades-old comics wherein it clearly states the Son of Krypton does not do that.

The Penguin is suddenly gay and in love with the Riddler.

Hearty debate ensued after filmmaker Sam Raimi decided to have his big-screen Spider-Man (played by Tobey Maguire) actually produce webbing internally after he was bitten by a radioactive spider. In the original comic book, he makes his own web-spinning device. And Joel Schumacher incited debate when his Batman donned a costume with nipples.

Even “Smallville,” the WB hit about Superman’s pre-hero life as a Kansas boy that ran for a record 10 seasons, incurred the wrath of fans who didn’t like the idea of Clark and Lex Luthor being the same age, let alone friends in their youth.

How, then, must these fans feel now that, say, the Penguin (originally brought to the TV screen back in the ’60s with Burgess Meredith in the role) is quite suddenly gay and in love with the Riddler? Or that the big screen’s Wonder Woman is not only pansexual but has her sights set on Halle Berry? Oh, haven’t you heard? The actress playing the Amazonian warrior, Gal Gadot, has been pressed about the character’s burgeoning bisexuality so much so that she recently told a reporter she had seen Halle Berry lately and would love to see her play the eventual female love interest.

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Over on the CW’s “Supergirl,” things aren’t all that different. The lead character’s tough-girl sister Alex spent much of last season leading her unit into battle with aliens, while simultaneously defending them. She also bemoaned her static love life (she would often say she needed a boyfriend) — only to abruptly fall for a female cop addition to the cast this fall, once the show’s move from CBS was complete.

Why all the pandering? Ostensibly, it’s to hit quotas. Recently, GLAAD released statistics that show LGBTQ representation on broadcast television has hit a zenith in the 12-year history of the organization’s tracking of regular characters on prime-time shows. On cable shows, there are 92 LGBTQ characters (up from 84 last year).

Yes, someone keeps track of this sort of thing. And while that isn’t so surprising, the fact that all of these longstanding superhero properties have been targeted is. The unsuspecting audience is largely composed of lifelong fanboys and the offspring they’re hoisting their favorite characters on, and pre-teens with superhero fantasies.

The “Alex” character’s revelation that she is gay was at least addressed, if not actually handled deftly (she addressed why she has spent her life sabotaging relationships with men and didn’t know why). Over in “Gotham,” a legendary Batman villain spontaneously falling in love with another of the same gender reeks of shock value — and little more.

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One can only imagine what we will get once the CW gives us “Riverdale,” where Archie, Betty, and Veronica have lived for well over 50 years, as a mid-season replacement. Jughead, be worried.