Sadly, Storm is the only woman of color on this list. This points to the dearth of female characters in general (though this has been increasingly addressed in recent years) and female characters of color specifically. Nevertheless, Storm is an equal to any of her male counterparts – racial factors aside. Splashing on the scene in 1975 in the pages of Giant Size X-Men #1; the X-Men, mutants and the Marvel universe has not been the same since.
Created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, Storm and the new X-Men were replacements for the original team of young mutants. The newer team members were older, experienced, independent and multicultural. Again, Marvel was on the ground floor and running, when it came to confronting social issues. Storm, for her part, would become an integral member of the X-Men for the next 30+ years. Strong, regal (she’s a Kenyan princess on her mother’s side), and loyal – Storm personifies the qualities of a true hero. The interesting thing about Storm is that not only is she black and a woman (two factors that can work against one in this society), but she is also a mutant. In the Marvel universe – that’s like having four strikes against you all at once.
Nevertheless, like many of her mutant teammates, Storm fights against racism and oppression for the betterment of all. As leader of the X-men team, she has consistently shown her strength and dedication to this cause. More recently, Marvel decided to stage their own wedding of the century when Storm and T’Challa – the king of Wakanda (and the Black Panther) married. Now she’s a queen to boot. And true to her character, instead of choosing to be either an X-Man or a queen, Storm chose to do both. As one of the first black characters to have a feature role in comic, and the first woman of color to do so; Storm has represented herself well among the pantheon of heroes.
4. Green Lantern (John Stewart)
The Green Lantern Corps is DC comics intergalactic police force – charged with protecting the known universe. Wielding rings that tap into the emerald energy of will power, these cosmic cops are among the most powerful characters in the DC Universe. Prominent among these Lanterns is All-American Air Force pilot Hal Jordan, who was the titled Green Lantern character.
I love the concept and the character. The primary requirement was that a Green Lantern was a person without fear. Already in love with the mythos and character, I was taken to the next level when DC introduced John Stewart in 1972. Created by Dennis O’Neal and Neal Adams, John Stewart is a former marine and an architect who is chosen as Hal Jordan’s stand-in. A black green lantern! I was blown away. The character was portrayed as somewhat head strong and apt to go against authority in favor of his methods. Yet his motives were always pure. Initially, the character was only used sporadically. Gradually, he has taken on a much more visible role in the DC continuity. He is prominently featured in a lead role (with Hal Jordan) in the current Green Lantern title and other Green Lantern related stories.
He is a key member of the JLA and has been the Green Lantern of choice in the most recent cartoons featuring the team. It’s rare that a character of color (at least among the Big Two) holds the distinction of being one of the most powerful characters. In John Stewart’s case, this fact has been offset by his humanity and strength of character. He makes mistakes (big ones that cost lives) and has battled with self-doubt. He’s been to the brink of depression and yet, he has always fought back. A man who believes in honor and obligation, the character has represented himself well and earned his spot in the pantheon of great heroes.
3. Spawn (Al Simons)
This character is the ultimate anti-hero. He is, after all, an emissary of hell; charged with the duty of leading the forces of evil (literally) against heaven. You can’t get much more “anti” than that. Dark, moody and extremely dangerous, Spawn exploded on to the scene in 1992 in the self-titled book “Spawn” #1. The character was one of the flagship books that launched Image Comics. Created, written and illustrated by Todd McFarlane, Spawn was something no one had seen before. A key theme in the stories is this running battle between heaven and hell, a focus McFarlane (an acclaimed atheist) uses for dramatic effect. Renegade demons, mercenary Angels and the like dominate the book. In the midst of this, Spawn’s only desire is to see his wife again.
Not particularly happy with being a Spawn, upset (to put it lightly) that his wife is now married to his former best friend, and pissed that his life (old and new) seems to be one death match after another – the character is a cauldron of emotional angst. This constant struggle is played out in gripping story lines and capturing visuals (at least when penned by McFarlane). For a flag ship title to feature an African American character, with strong supporting characters of color as well was a major feat – one that has paid off. And the one aspect that is most enduring about the character’s development (for me at least) is that his racial background is not an issue worth bringing up or highlighting. He’s just another “guy” caught up in a mess not of his own choosing. That’s what’s up.
2. Luke Cage (Power Man)
I loved Power Man as a kid. Hey, it was the seventies (a perfectly understandable excuse). Here was a superhero of color, starring in his self-titled book. He was invulnerable (or nearly so) and had super strength. Considering the actual power levels of other heroes of color at the time (The Panther, Falcon and Black Lightning, for example, were fairly benign), – this guy was like a black superman. Created by Archie Goodwin and John Romita, Sr., Cage burst on the scene in 1972 in the title “Luke Cage: Hero for Hire.” Not coincidentally, I’m sure, popular black themed movies (dubbed Blaxploitation) such as Foxy Brown, Superfly, etc. influenced the characters creation. As such, Cage was poor, based in the ghetto, fought cheesy, over the top black villains, and had an Ebonics laced dialect.
Oh yeah, and he had one of those disco, deep v-cut shirts! (Falcon, Lightning, and Tyroc all had one, too), an afro and a tiara!! Honestly, those early stories were great adventures for an adolescent reader, but fail to hold up over time. Still, the character itself is what is so appealing. Cage is the “every man” type of guy. As they say these days, he was always ‘keeping it real‘.”
He paid the bills using the one commodity he had: his powers. (That’s keeping it real). It is this quality that has allowed Cage a longevity that few characters, black or white, experience. From his own title book, to the long running ‘Power Man and Iron Fist’ title, Cage maintained a highly visible presence on comic stands every month for years. Additionally, with stints in the Defenders, the Avengers, and now leader of the Thunderbolts, Cage remains a relative persona in the Marvel Universe. Sweet Christmas indeed!
1. Black Panther
What can be more credible (and cool) than being a superhero AND the monarch of your own nation? And not just some third world, downtrodden country either. Nope, the secluded, African nation of Wakanda is a thriving, technologically superior monarchy. Equally, their king, T-challa, exudes all the requisite characteristics one would expect: bravery, highly intelligent, and in control of seemingly every situation. Upon donning the ceremonial Black Panther garb (the hereditary symbol of Wakadan rulers); T-challa was equally a patriotic defender of his nation, as well as a globetrotting superhero. What else could we expect of a Stan Lee and Jack Kirby creation?
The Panther was the first black mainstream superhero to appear in a comic book (1st appearing in Fantastic Four #52, 1966), beating out Luke Cage, Falcon and John Stewart by a number of years. And to Lee’s and Kirby’s credit, he’s the only black hero who has the term “Black” affixed to his name that actually made sense (Black Goliath, Black Racer, Black Lightning, et al). What really sets the panther apart, however, is the excellent writing that has accompanied the characters journey in various titles throughout the years.
With abilities that were more akin to Batman, a genius level intellect, and a wealth of resources at his support; the character has always been portrayed as a strong man of honor and exceptional capability. This was illustrated most exceptionally in the Panther’s self-titled (vol. 3) (1998) comic book written by Christopher Priest/Mark Tereira. If you want to see the Panther at his best, pick up this series. Still, the Panther continues to be much more than a second tier character for Marvel. His solo adventures continued in successive volumes of books, he married the X-man Storm (an industry wide event), and is a member of the Avengers. Where a few black characters have to deal with a lot of stereo typing, the Panther continues to faithfully portray this character as one would expect of a superhero monarch. Bravo.
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