Black Representation in Comics

Yo, yo, Nerd Stickers family! Chaene Da Gama here on the keys. I truly hope everyone is doing well. Today, I want to talk about representation and the power that this word holds, especially when we talk about “Black Representation” in comics, series, movies, and beyond.

We all know that the fight for equality and equity has been going on for a long time, and although we have, in some ways, achieved certain improvements, we are still far from the ideal. That’s why we need to have conversations, adopt behaviors, and take affirmative actions to combat racism and all forms of prejudice every single day. This shouldn’t be just my fight or yours, but everyone’s fight, as a society. That would be the first step in changing this perspective.

So, where am I going with this? I’ll tell you! When I was a kid, like 10 years ago (okay, add another decade to that lol), I used to save up coins to buy comic books. I remember my brother and I had loads of Marvel and DC comics, and we loved all of it—actually, everything that involved nerd and geek culture back in that distant time when the internet barely existed and wasn’t used by everyone. We watched a lot of TV, which, by the way, was still black and white (color TVs were expensive, man!). Every time we played superhero with the kids from the neighborhood, there was always that thing where I couldn’t be Superman because I didn’t look like him, or Batman, or Captain America, Spider-Man, etc. So what then?

Even though kids don’t realize this, and their innocence and naivety mean it’s not necessarily malicious behavior, that child who doesn’t look like a certain hero will always remember that. That’s why it’s so important to have heroes from different ethnic backgrounds. Fortunately, major publishers have started considering this. Until the ’90s, being into comic books wasn’t really mainstream. Honestly, it still isn’t, right? It wouldn’t be wrong to say that “mega blockbusters” based on comics helped to popularize the heroes we admire even more.

In this text, we’re going to talk about some Black heroes who have always been powerful representations in comics and on screen.

Falcon

Sam Wilson was Marvel’s first African-American hero, making his first appearance in Captain America #117 in September 1969. Created by the legendary Stan Lee—“Excelsior” as always!—he has been a loyal friend to Steve Rogers from the start. In the comics, unlike in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), he not only had wings but also the ability to communicate with birds. Initially introduced as a villain, he worked for Captain America’s arch-enemy, the Red Skull. Years later, he rebelled against him and became Rogers’ disciple, specializing in hand-to-hand combat and gymnastics. His winged suit was a gift from another great friend—Black Panther.

In the cinematic version, he is portrayed by actor Anthony Mackie and was introduced in the second Captain America film, The Winter Soldier, considered one of Marvel’s best movies. In the film, his backstory is slightly different—he is a former soldier who works in a support group for veterans. Willing to return to action with his flight equipment, he becomes a great ally and friend of Captain America and, of course, an Avenger.

It’s worth noting that Sam has returned to screens via Disney Plus, starring in the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Given that Captain America retired and entrusted Falcon with his shield and the responsibility of carrying on his legacy after the events of Endgame, this also mirrors what happened in the comics. I have to admit, I’m hyped to see how the series unfolds—it premiered on March 18. Just think about the significance and weight of having a Black Captain America!

Black Panther

King T’Challa, also known as Black Panther, is by far one of the Black heroes with the greatest reach and representation in comic books. Another creation of the brilliant Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, his first appearance was in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966—almost at the same time as the founding of the Black Panther Party, which fought against racial violence during that era. The success of the character and the inevitable comparison with the movement led Marvel to temporarily change his name to “Leopard”, but by then, it was too late—Black Panther and the Black Panthers had already made history.

Unlike other Black heroes from the publisher, he is also the first with African origins and ancestry. As the sovereign of Wakanda, heir to King T’Chaka, the throne is passed down within the royal family, just like in a monarchy. However, it must also be earned through trials and challenges, since the king also takes on the mantle of Black Panther and gains enhanced strength through an ancient tribal ritual.

Wakanda is the most advanced nation in the world, mainly because it is home to the largest reserve of Vibranium on the planet. Vibranium is one of the most powerful metals in the universe, having arrived on Earth after a massive meteorite containing the element crashed into Wakandan lands centuries ago. The tribe studied the metal and evolved light-years ahead of the rest of humanity. Vibranium is a massive energy source, and Wakanda’s entire technology—including Black Panther’s suit and claws—is made from it. This also makes him one of the wealthiest characters in comics, with a fortune estimated at around $90 trillion.

In the cinematic version, King T’Challa was masterfully portrayed by actor Chadwick Boseman, alongside a stellar cast. The film was a milestone for Marvel and superhero movies, receiving critical and public acclaim. It grossed over $1.3 billion at the box office, introducing the hero and Wakanda to a massive global audience.

Breaking numerous records and paradigms, Black Panther won multiple awards and was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture. Tragically, Chadwick Boseman passed away last year from colon cancer. Even while battling this terrible disease in silence, he filmed eight movies during his treatment, reaching peak physical form to portray the Avenger and King, T’Challa. This year, he has been posthumously nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Marvel has confirmed the sequel to Black Panther and announced that they will not recast the role with another actor. They also confirmed that they will not use special effects to recreate Boseman, leaving us all to wait and hope that everything turns out well.

Black Panther, as I said, made history—not just in comics and cinema, but far beyond that. A true cultural icon.

#WakandaForever

Spawn

This is definitely one of the Black anti-heroes that stands out the most for its context, violence, and originality. I vividly remember being in school when he started dominating comic book stands—with his brutal cape and design, he was a defining figure of the ’90s. Big shoutout to my friend Constantino, who, just like me, was obsessed with the story and lent me all the issues.

Al Simmons was a CIA agent, a top-tier assassin who once saved the President of the United States from an assassination attempt.

As time passed, he began to question his missions, which angered his superiors. They set him up and killed him. Due to the countless murders he committed during his lifetime, he was sent straight to Hell, specifically to the Eighth Level, where he made a deal with the demon Malebolgia to return to Earth and see his beloved wife, Wanda Blake, again.

To make this happen, he had to become a Spawn, a Hellspawn soldier, wearing a symbiotic suit and serving the demon’s army, preparing to lead it when Armageddon arrived.

Five years after the pact, Al—now Spawn—returns to Earth, only to find his beloved wife married to his best friend and raising a beautiful daughter. On top of that, his real body, without the armor, is completely disfigured and burned.

His suffering seems endless. However, as he wanders through New York, he finds refuge in the “City of Rats”, where he befriends the homeless community living there. From that point on, he fights his own demons and Malebolgia’s minions, sometimes even protecting humanity while seeking revenge.

Created by Todd McFarlane, Spawn made his first appearance in 1992, published by Image Comics, which was still an independent publisher at the time. It was truly groundbreaking and revolutionary. Actor Michael Jai White portrayed Al Simmons on the big screen, making Spawn the first Black superhero to have a movie.

The comic set a record for longevity—even though Black heroes from Marvel and DC had existed longer, their solo comics didn’t last as long.

If you haven’t read Spawn: The Hellspawn Soldier, start today!

John Stewart

“In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight.” Who hasn’t heard this iconic oath spoken only by members of the Green Lantern Corps? Yes, “Corps” in plural, because there are many soldiers. Several individuals in the DC Universe have taken on this responsibility, as each sector of the universe has its own ring bearer. These rings were forged by the Guardians of the Universe, ancient and powerful beings responsible for intergalactic peacekeeping.

Every Green Lantern wields a power ring that grants them their abilities. The stronger the willpower of the user, the greater their power, variety, and strength as a warrior.

Many humans from Earth have been Green Lanterns. Alan Scott was the first human to be incorporated into the Corps, while Hal Jordan is undoubtedly the most well-known. Others include Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, and more recently, Simon Baz (an Arab-American) and Jessica Cruz (a Latina). But today, we’re talking about John Stewart, the first Black hero to appear in DC Comics, created by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams.

The fourth Green Lantern from Earth, John Stewart, was introduced in Green Lantern #87. He was chosen by the Guardians to replace Guy Gardner, who had been selected to succeed Hal Jordan. John was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and wasn’t initially comfortable with the idea of being a Green Lantern. From the very beginning, he chose not to wear a mask, stating that he had nothing to hide. His constructs are considered some of the strongest in the Corps, as he was also an architect. Initially intended to be a sidekick and apprentice to Hal Jordan, John’s popularity skyrocketed, leading him to receive his own storylines and a prominent role in the Justice League.

In the 2001 animated series Justice League, John Stewart was one of the founding members alongside Flash, Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl. The series even aired in Brazil, further cementing his popularity.

There was once a project to bring John Stewart’s Green Lantern to the big screen, but it was canceled after the failure of the first Green Lantern movie starring Ryan Reynolds. The role of Stewart was supposed to be played by rapper Common.

The fact remains—John Stewart is an extremely important character for DC Comics and deserves far more recognition. Honestly, a “Green Lantern Corps” movie featuring Kilowog, Sinestro, Hal, and John would be absolutely insane!

Storm

Ororo Munroe, better known as Storm, is one of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men Universe. She descends from an ancient tribe of African priestesses, where all women have white hair and blue eyes. Extremely badass, she was recruited as a child and trained by Professor Xavier, becoming part of almost every team formation, even serving as leader.

Created by Len Wein and Dave Cockrum, she made her first appearance in 1975 in Giant-Size X-Men #1. Her abilities consist essentially of controlling weather conditions and the atmosphere—pretty basic, right? Well, that alone makes her one of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men universe.

Storm has been a member of both The Avengers and the Fantastic Four. However, she does have one weakness: claustrophobia—a deep fear of small spaces. This stems from her childhood trauma when she was trapped under the rubble of her home in Cairo after an attack, forced to watch her parents’ dead bodies for days.

It’s also worth noting that Storm is considered by many mutants and humans alike to be a “Goddess among mortals.” At one point in her journey, she even married King T’Challa—yes, she was once Black Panther’s wife.

In the X-Men cinematic universe, Storm has been portrayed by Halle Berry in her older version and by Alexandra Shipp in her younger version.

Static Shock

Before talking about the story of Virgil Ovid Hawkins, we need to discuss Milestone Comics and its significance to the African American community—and, in fact, to the Black community worldwide. Founded in 1993, Milestone was created with the goal of introducing and giving more visibility to Black superheroes. According to Dwayne McDuffie, Michael Davis, and Derek T. Dingle, this space was severely lacking in mainstream comics. With that in mind, they founded their own publishing company and, consequently, their own heroes, focusing on characters that would better represent marginalized communities.

Some of Milestone’s most well-known comics include the multi-ethnic group “Blood Syndicate”, the African American heroes Icon and Hardware, the Asian hero Xombi, and of course, Static, known to us in Brazil as “Super Choque”. Created in 1993, Static became a major success in comics and, seven years later, had an animated series produced by Warner Bros., which was especially well-received by Brazilian audiences.

Virgil was a regular kid living in Dakota. He loved skateboarding and lived with his father and two siblings. However, despite seeming like an ordinary boy, he was a victim of bullying at school. One day, he decided to get revenge on those who constantly mistreated and attacked him.

During a gang fight, Virgil saw his chance to act. However, when the police arrived, they used a new type of tear gas containing a mutagenic compound. It was designed to simply incapacitate anyone who inhaled it, but instead, it killed many of the youths involved, while those who survived developed different mutations, creating what became known as the Metahumans.

Virgil developed electrical powers and decided to use them to help people and fight other Metahumans. Despite facing many powerful enemies, both the comics and the animated series depicted the real-life struggles of a young Black boy, tackling racism at school and in his everyday life.

In 2008, DC Comics officially announced that Static Shock was incorporated into its main universe, after partially acquiring the rights to Milestone’s characters.

Last year, actor Michael B. Jordan announced that he would be producing a live-action Static Shock film alongside Warner Bros. and DC. Fans are eagerly awaiting its release, as both the comics and the animated series remain fan favorites.

Once again, family, thank you so much! There’s definitely room for another article featuring more characters who are equally important for Black representation in comics: Miles Morales, War Machine, Blade, Ironheart, Cyborg, Vixen, Black Lightning, Luke Cage, and many more.

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