# Which super hero is most likely to be racist when he's off the clock? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014 "2012-02-16T05:38:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/1 "2012-02-16T05:38:08Z")
(or she) The current Robin is kind of an elitist jerk, but kind of difficult to tell if this transcends to racism. Who do you think might be racist in private in the super hero universe? ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/2 "2012-02-16T05:39:12Z")
Hitler Man. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/3 "2012-02-16T05:42:32Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Hitler Man. You bastard! Ha, I laughed out loud. Too funny. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/4 "2012-02-16T05:54:09Z")
[Dynamic Man](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_Man_(Timely_Comics))…not only plausible, but canonically true. Some that haven’t been shown to be explicitly, but could definitely have the personality. Punisher. Ultimate Captain America (as opposed to the main universe version, who is anything but). Mmm…that’s all I can think of. ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/5 "2012-02-16T05:54:16Z")
I’m pretty sure [Storm Saxon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Saxon) is racist all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/6 "2012-02-16T06:00:12Z")
And, no, Damien’s not racist, at all - sexist, yes, racist, no. ---
**Author:** ![Tixenfleaz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9a140/32.png) [@Tixenfleaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tixenfleaz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/7 "2012-02-16T06:02:56Z")
The **Comedian** is a pretty safe bet, off the clock or on. He also strikes me as the sort who’d drug test welfare recipients with a turkey baster. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/8 "2012-02-16T07:01:01Z")
Of the universally-known ones, I’m thinking Superman - he’s the only one AFAIK who was raised outside a big city (or the surprisingly racially-diverse [Themyscira](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Themyscira.jpg)) - whereas Supes was raised in the rural Midwest, not exactly a hotbed of racial diversity. Plus all the Kryptonians I ever recall seeing are White. Other points - Original Supes was (again, AFAIK) surrounded by a White supporting cast, whereas Bats went so far as to have a non-White girlfriend, Hal Jordan’s best friend was an Inuit, Ditto Tony Stark’s best bud Rhodey was always black, and Spidey’s a liberal college grad 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/9 "2012-02-16T07:05:51Z")
OTOH, it seems Supes isn’t totally averse to having a [Black girlfriend](http://www.millionaireplayboy.com/mpb/index.php/lois-lane-i-am-curious-black/), either…as long as he doesn’t have to [marry her](http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/3/1/7/22317.jpg?v=1) (man, I wish I could read that whole comic) ---
**Author:** ![planetcory](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/planetcory/32/1032_2.png) [@planetcory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/planetcory)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/10 "2012-02-16T07:30:51Z")
Barry Allen. Let’s start with the buzzcut. Also Guy Gardener. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/11 "2012-02-16T09:26:56Z")
Captain America, Wolverine, any other supe with limited or total immortality. Unless they have made concerted efforts to question everything they have ever learned and even their basic personality it is pretty much a given that they have outdated and to modern sensibilities offensive opinions about different races, religions and atheists, sexuality, women, the list goes on and on. They could have been super progressive in their own time, that won’t help them now. The politically correct view is always in flux and things that seem outrageous to modern views were politically correct in their own time(there was a time when Marcus Garvey agreed with “send blacks back to Africa” racists). If you want just a taste of this watch the film Look Who Is Coming To Dinner and remember the father is specifically stated to be a civil rights crusader. Imagine that at the time the film was made even a supporter of the civil rights movement was uneasy about his daughter marrying a brilliant black physician just because he is black. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/12 "2012-02-16T10:29:08Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Hitler Man. His sidekick, Aryan Boy, wasn’t the most welcome dinner guest either. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/13 "2012-02-16T11:09:07Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Captain America, Wolverine, any other supe with limited or total immortality. > > Unless they have made concerted efforts to question everything they have ever learned and even their basic personality it is pretty much a given that they have outdated and to modern sensibilities offensive opinions about different races, religions and atheists, sexuality, women, the list goes on and on. I guess Wolverine’s attitudes gets “reset” with the various memory issues he’s had, though. But Cap is definitely written as a 40’s relict - esp. in the Ultimates, it comes out in his relationship with Wasp. But she is Asian in that… ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/14 "2012-02-16T11:47:33Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Of the universally-known ones, I’m thinking Superman - he’s the only one AFAIK who was raised outside a big city (or the surprisingly racially-diverse [Themyscira](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Themyscira.jpg)) - whereas Supes was raised in the rural Midwest, not exactly a hotbed of racial diversity. Plus all the Kryptonians I ever recall seeing are White. > > Other points - Original Supes was (again, AFAIK) surrounded by a White supporting cast, whereas Bats went so far as to have a non-White girlfriend, Hal Jordan’s best friend was an Inuit, Ditto Tony Stark’s best bud Rhodey was always black, and Spidey’s a liberal college grad 🙂 Superman is a non-starter as a racist. [He took on the Klan in the 40s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Superman_(radio)#.E2.80.9CClan_of_the_Fiery_Cross.E2.80.9D) before it was fashionable. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/15 "2012-02-16T13:03:04Z")
**Lobo** , if you consider him a hero. I agree that The Comedian fits the bill. > [@](#): > > Hitler Man. Have a look at **Hate Monger** (although he’s a villain. He got killed in his first appearance, but still managed to show up later on) > **[Hate-Monger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hate-Monger)** > > The Hate-Monger is the name of several different fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. > The original character first appeared in Fantastic Four #21 (December, 1963) and was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. > The Hate-Monger first appeared in the small fictional nation of San Gusto in South America, and came to the attention of authorities when he took over with the use of storm troopers, hoping to upset the balance of power in South America. The F... ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/16 "2012-02-16T13:09:32Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Superman is a non-starter as a racist. [He took on the Klan in the 40s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Superman_(radio)#.E2.80.9CClan_of_the_Fiery_Cross.E2.80.9D) before it was fashionable. I didn’t know about that one - although radio Supes is a completely different animal, you’ll note I didn’t reference the Smallville continuity, where Supe’s best man friend is Black. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/17 "2012-02-16T13:11:06Z")
[Judge Jury](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratpack_(comics)) ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/18 "2012-02-16T13:40:42Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > I didn’t know about that one - although radio Supes is a completely different animal, you’ll note I didn’t reference the Smallville continuity, where Supe’s best man friend is Black. Superman has also, for personal reasons, always been very senstitve to the plight of immigrants in the US. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/19 "2012-02-16T14:10:51Z")
Does [Popeye](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEK45-_5y0s) count? He does have super powers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014/20 "2012-02-16T14:26:02Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > But Cap is definitely written as a 40’s relict We’re talking about the guy who handpicked a black dude as his replacement in the Avengers back in the '60s – before spending the '70s hanging out in Harlem with Sam Wilson, before spending the '80s dating a nice Jewish girl who was studying to be a lawyer? I think we’ve got decades of evidence that he ain’t exactly the guy in the Ultimates. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-super-hero-is-most-likely-to-be-racist-when-hes-off-the-clock/613014.md?page=2)