As we celebrate Black History Month in North America and the United Kingdom I was inspired to think about my favorite African-American superheroes. While these fictional characters are not as important as civil rights leaders, boundary breaking athletes and artists or scientists who made a powerful contributions to our world I think seeing diversity in comic books makes an impact…on everyone.
Before I reveal my top 10 I want to say this was tough and I know some of you have your favorites like Steel aka John Henry Irons, Batwing, Shadowhawk, Spawn, Photon, Static and not to mention non-superhero characters like Michonne and Tyreese of The Walking Dead, but these are the ten characters (+ one because I just couldn’t leave her off!) that I’ve loved and stayed with me.
11 Vixen Mari Jiwe McCabe grew up in remote village in the fictional African country of Zambesi. Mari’s family were holders of a mystical totem but he uncle killed her parents and stolen the totem. Mari moved to America, became an international supermodel, built a fortune and traveled to her homeland to take back her family’s totem and became known as Vixen. With the totem Mari can mimic the abilities of any animal on Earth. Mari a member of the Justice League. In the DC Comics New 52 relaunch Vixen was injured but recently seen as one of the possible new recruits Cyborg will call on to join the new Justice League.
10 Spider-Man Miles Morales became a media sensation when Marvel revealed the new Ultimate Spider-Man was of African-American and Latino descent. Like Peter Parker, Miles is a science nerd bitten by a radioactive spider but his powers are slightly different. Miles recently met the Peter Parker of “our” Marvel Universe in the crossover smash, Spider-Men.
9. Patriot Elijah Bradley is the grandson of Isiah Bradley, the first Captain America. (Isiah was among the black men who served as test subjects before the Super Soldier Serum was given to Steve Rogers. This story was told in the series Truth: Red, White & Black.) Eli became a founding member of the Young Avengers. These teen heroes wanted to fight crime and carry on the legacy of the Avengers who had disbanded at the time. I don’t want to give away the secet of Eli’s powers (told in the Young Avengers series) but his is a great story of young man trying to do right and honor his past. Eli is a great leader and strategist in the tradition of Captain America. A brand new Young Avengers series just relaunched but Eli is not on the team. I’m hoping Patriot will soon be appearing in the Marvel Now, maybe even joining the main Avengers?
8. Falcon Sam Wilson was the first mainsteam African-American superhero and the first African-American hero to not have the world black in his code-name. Stan Lee and Gene Colan co-created Wilson as a partner for Captain America but the Falcon would became a popular member of the Avengers and star in his own series. Wilson grew up in Harlem and adopted a falcon he named Redwing. Falcon is a member of Jonathan Hickman’s recently relaunched Avengers comic book series. Anthony Mackie will play Wilson in the upcoming sequel Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
7. Misty Knight Mercedes “Misty” Knight was a NYPD officer seriously injured in a terrorist attack. Tony Stark gave her a bionic arm giving her super strength. Misty and her best friend, Colleen Wing, formed Knightwing Restorations private detective agency. The duo became recurring characters in the X-Men and Power Man and Iron Fist (her ex-lover) series. Misty has been a member of the Daughters of the Dragon (she’s a skilled martial artist) and led a Heroes for Hire team. Misty and Valkyrie are starring in a brand new Marvel Now series, Fearless Defenders.
6. Cyborg After the X-Men my childhood comic book heroes were the Teen Titans and I thought Cyborg was so cool looking. Victor Stone’s genius parents turned their son into a half-machine man in order to save his life after a horrible accident. What I love about Victor was he had issues but when he joined the group of outsiders and kindred spirits in the Titans he found friends and learned to cope with his disfigurements. Victor became an inspiration to younger kids with prostetics. In the DC Comics New 52 relaunch Victor became a founding member of the new Justice League.
5. Green Lantern John Stewart is a major recurring hero in the Green Lantern mythos. A U.S. Marine veteran, Stewart was chosen by the Guardians to become protector of the Earth sector when Hal Jordan quit. Stewart starred in his own series and became a member of the Justice League. John was a lead character in the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series. John is currently co-starring in the Green Lantern Corps series.
4. Blade Before X-Men and Spider-Man it was Blade that relaunched the modern Marvel Comics movie dynasty! Wesley Snipes brought the badass, burdened vampire hunter to the big screen. Legendary Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan created Eric Brooks as a supporting character in Tomb of Dracula but Blade soon starred in the Nightstalkers and his own series. Blade recently allied with the X-Men in a fight with the heirs of Dracula. Snipes would be hard to beat but I hope the Blade movie franchise gets an afterlife!
3. Black Panther T’Challa was the first black superhero in mainstream American comics. Legendary Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created T’Challa as an ally of the Fantastic Four. T’Challa became an Avenger and later King of his African homeland, Wakanda. He’s an expert fighter, scientific genius, and feared leader. Black Panther is the central character in Jonathan Hickman’s relaunched New Avengers series. T’Challa has recruited Marvel’s biggest brains to fight a cosmic threat to the entire Marvel Universe. With T’Challa back in the Avengers comic books I’m hoping he could be joining Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in an Avengers sequel. (Idris Elba, please!)
2. Luke Cage Power Man (his real name is Carl Lucas) was a creation of the 1970’s blaxploitation era. A kid from the mean streets went to prison for a crime didn’t commit then an accident gave him impervious skin and super strength. Power Man and Iron Fist were the heroes for hire in the 70’s then off and in various attempts to restart the series. Brian Michael Bendis made Luke the romantic leading man of action for private eye Jessica Jones in Alias and later Captain America recruited him for the New Avengers. During Bendis’s 8 year run he made Luke and Jessica my favorite Marvel super couple. Luke recently left the Avengers to devote more time to being a husband and dad but hinted as restarting Heroes for Hire.
1. Storm Mutant. X-Man. Avenger. Queen. Goddess. I fell in love with Ororo Munroe when I first fell in love with comic books. Uncanny X-Men #116 was my very first book and I was mesmerized by the beautiful, powerful windrider. Ororo was the daughter of African-Americans but through a series of tragedies ended up on the plains of Kenya when Professor X recruited her for the X-Men. Sometimes I don’t think we realize how significant it was in the 1980’s when an African-American woman became the leader of the most popular group of super heroes on the planet. Even when Storm lost her powers she defeated Cyclops for leadership of the X-Men. In the 21st century Ororo was reunited with her lost love, T’Challa. Storm and the Black Panther became THE Marvel power couple even replacing Reed and Sue in the Fantastic Four. Storm was recruited to the Avengers. Ororo and T’Challa have separated after the events of Avengers vs. X-Men. Storm just began teaching at the Jean Grey School in Wolverine and the X-Men when she decide to revisit her wild side. The mohawk is back and Ororo is starring in a new Uncanny X-Force and will soon be part of the all-female X-Men series in April. I’m hoping Halle Berry will reprise her role as Storm in the upcoming X-Men: Day of Future Past movie.
Thanks for reading and sharing your favorite characters.
By Editor