# Why Aren't There More Black Superheroes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 20, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682 "2009-07-20T22:08:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/41 "2009-07-21T17:03:17Z")
There was also a [black Captain America](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Bradley), Isaiah Bradley, and his grandson Eli Bradley, [Patriot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_(comics)) of the Young Avengers. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/42 "2009-07-21T17:15:38Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Here’s a shortlist of black superheroes, just off the top of my head: > > Not a complete list by any means. Feel free to add to it. Bloodwynd ---
**Author:** ![cckerberos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@cckerberos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cckerberos)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/43 "2009-07-21T17:23:16Z")
He’s pretty dark, but I’ve never thought of Sunspot as being black ('cept when he’s powered up, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/44 "2009-07-21T17:41:57Z")
> [@cckerberos](#): > > He’s pretty dark, but I’ve never thought of Sunspot as being black ('cept when he’s powered up, of course.) He’s supposed to be mixed-race. White mom and black(or very dark South American) father. Colorists tend to color him far too light skinned nowadays. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/45 "2009-07-21T18:14:25Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > It’s simple. The fanboys who read comic books are the same white, angry, overprivileged, undersocialized, suburban neckbeards who populate Internet message boards, and they don’t want to see black people in their comic books. I remember the outrage and blatantly racist griping by the same fanboys when it was announced that GTA:San Andreas would have a black protagonist. Mainstream comic books are, by and large, made by Angry White Males for Angry White Males. They like their male superheroes authoritarian and mesomorphic, their female superheroes underdressed and overmammaried, and their black superheroes… absent. Surprise surprise. Bigotry and stereotyping, couched in the righteous armor of anti-bigotry and anti-stereotyping, from a guy who writes “Amerika” and whose username is “SmashTheState.” These guys are a dime a dozen at any university; they always have scraggly goatees, hipster glasses and tight pants, and they always raise their hands a million times during class and make “challenging” remarks about everything. Great job, man; you’ve got a totally unique persona and a real individualistic attitude. For what it’s worth, my favorite superhero, starting from when I was 10 years old, has always been SPAWN, who was black. Well, at least he was black before his face was burned off and everything, but the character of Al Simmons was always explicitly black. When my dad always made fun of my Spawn obsession, I used to use the exact same lines on him: “you just think that there can’t be a black superhero!” The difference is, I was ten years old. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/46 "2009-07-21T18:16:21Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > Mal Duncan (Alternately ‘Hornblower’ or ‘Guardian #2’ in the original Teen Titans series.) > Bumblebee (Mal’s g.f. Joined original TT shortly before the series was cancelled.) They’re married, now. > [@](#): > > Amazing-Man (from “All-Star Squadron”, retconned into Golden Age DC history.) There’s a new Amazing-Man - his grandson. There was a second Amazing-Man in between the two - also the original’s grandson. More additions - the current Tattooed Man is black, and recently had a heel face turn. Connor Hawk, the second Green Arrow is mixed race - his father’s white, his mother was mixed race (black/asian). The Milestone characters were a rather racially diverse bunch…the black characters included (but were not limited to - these are the ones I’m most familiar with and are, not coincidentally, getting a push since DC licenced them for the main universe) Icon, Hardware, and Static. Xavin of the Runaways is a Skrull, but defaults to black while in human form. Empress (of Young Justice). Crimson Avenger II. Since Latino characters were also mentioned in the OP, a brief, non-comprehensive, off-the-top-of-the-head list: Blue Beetle III (Jaime Reyes) El Diablo II (Rafael Sandoval) El Diablo III (Chaco Santana) The Question II (Renee Montoya) Victor Mancha (Technically an android, but, raised as a human.) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/47 "2009-07-21T18:17:56Z")
Sometimes, mind you, an ethnic hero catches on. Mostly because of outstanding writing, good concept, and a ton of heart. I can’t imagine any _other_ reason Jaimie Reyes became successful. Costume design looks like a mid-90s horror, replacing a _seriously_ beloved (if C-list) hero, and yet another in a series of ‘oh, it’s a hero spun out of a Big Event’. But the new Blue Beetle has legs, folks. Even if his own title folded, he’s staying around in Teen Titans, he’s showing up frequently in the animated Batman: Brave and the Bold show, and he’s got a strong fan following. I think it’s his family and friends that does it. (Milagro, the One True Future Green Lantern! Paco and the Stick!) That, and the _really_ modern attitude he brings to crime-fighting. (Compassion, empathy, big guns when needed… but find out if there’s another way besides punching people in the face, first.) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/48 "2009-07-21T18:20:09Z")
Renee Montoya’s another good example of someone who caught on. She predates the Animated Series, as does Harvey Bullock, but they both got a big boost from it. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/49 "2009-07-21T18:25:11Z")
E-Sabbath: > [@](#): > > But the new Blue Beetle has legs, folks. Even if his own title folded, he’s staying around in Teen Titans, he’s showing up frequently in the animated Batman: Brave and the Bold show, and he’s got a strong fan following. He’s also the backup feature in Booster Gold’s comic now. ---
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/50 "2009-07-21T18:31:48Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Renee Montoya’s another good example of someone who caught on. She predates the Animated Series, as does Harvey Bullock, but they both got a big boost from it. That’s _technically_ true but Montoya was originally conceived of and designed by Paul Dini for use in the animated series. The editors at DC got wind of the character and were intrigued. They asked if they could incorporate her into the Batman comics before the show debuted. Montoya made her comic debut in May of '92 and her animated debut later that year in September. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2009, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/51 "2009-07-21T18:37:47Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Renee Montoya’s another good example of someone who caught on. She predates the Animated Series Although she was actually created for the series, and only ended up in the comics first due to different lead times. [See the last entry here.](http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2005/10/27/comic-book-urban-legends-revealed-22/) ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/52 "2009-07-21T18:54:51Z")
Two as-yet missed Marvel characters: Cloak (of Cloak & Dagger) and Goblyn (of Alpha Flight). I don’t know the current status of either. ---
**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:** [July 21, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/53 "2009-07-21T19:02:46Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Two as-yet missed Marvel characters: Cloak (of Cloak & Dagger) and Goblyn (of Alpha Flight). > > I don’t know the current status of either. Cloak and Dagger are currently in the Dark X-Men (uuuuugh…a fate worse than death or obscurity). Goblyn, I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/54 "2009-07-21T19:35:12Z")
What bugs me isn’t so much the relative lack of black characters, but the fact that so often, their blackness is a significant part of the basis of the character. Nobody would ever create a character called “White Goliath”, or make a character who was “the white Frozone” the way Nubia is “the black Wonder Woman”. It smacks of tokenism: You’ve got a strong guy, and a flying guy, and a guy who shoots energy bolts, and a fast guy, and a black guy. I think this is getting better with modern characters, but it still bugs me. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/55 "2009-07-21T21:19:00Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Funny, he doesn’t _look_ krypto-Jewish. Kalel? With the dark wavy hair? Whose parents were named “Kent” (:cough: Cohen)? Nah, he’s a White Anglo-Saxon Methodist, that’s the ticket. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/56 "2009-07-21T21:23:19Z")
What about the Brown Hornet? I loved the Brown Hornet as a kid. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/57 "2009-07-21T22:12:11Z")
> [@SmashTheState](#): > > It’s simple. The fanboys who read comic books are the same white, angry, overprivileged, undersocialized, suburban neckbeards who populate Internet message boards, and they don’t want to see black people in their comic books. I remember the outrage and blatantly racist griping by the same fanboys when it was announced that GTA:San Andreas would have a black protagonist. Mainstream comic books are, by and large, made by Angry White Males for Angry White Males. They like their male superheroes authoritarian and mesomorphic, their female superheroes underdressed and overmammaried, and their black superheroes… absent. That was awesome! Next can you do the one where Superman is the symbol of Caucasian exceptionalism? Though perhaps your time would be better spent picketing the headquarters of Marvel and DC. Please be sure to post updates on how effective your efforts are. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/58 "2009-07-21T22:56:03Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What bugs me isn’t so much the relative lack of black characters, but the fact that so often, their blackness is a significant part of the basis of the character. Nobody would ever create a character called “White Goliath”, or make a character who was “the white Frozone” the way Nubia is “the black Wonder Woman”. It smacks of tokenism: You’ve got a strong guy, and a flying guy, and a guy who shoots energy bolts, and a fast guy, and a black guy. > > I think this is getting better with modern characters, but it still bugs me. Has this really been an issue in the last twenty years? At least for black characters? I feel like Latinos still get the short end of the stick here. ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/59 "2009-07-22T00:29:40Z")
Has anyone mentioned [ICON](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icon_(comics)) yet? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682/60 "2009-07-22T00:45:06Z")
Jack-in-the-Box of _Astro City_ was/is black; all three heroes who have used the name. There were some others in the Astro City universe as I recall. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-arent-there-more-black-superheroes/503682.md?page=4)