First thing first, before we discuss any Black Superhero we MUST pay respect to our Black Superhero the Late Great Dwayne McDuffie. One of my favorite comic book writers and screenwriters. I am forever grateful for the impact that he had on comic book culture. He made sure our people were seen, heard, and properly represented in comic books.
He’s also responsible for some of the BEST storylines on Justice League, Justice League: Unlimited, AND one of my favorite Justice League animated movies of all time – Justice League Doom.
Thank you for EVERYTHING, Mr. McDuffie! 💖
You guys know how much comics are dear to my heart. Since it’s Black History Month, I figured I’d share a few of my favorite black superheroes. Even though Batman is my absolute favorite superhero of all time when I first saw or read about these superheroes I was able to see myself, my family, and friends in them. A quick note before we start, in addition to being black and beautiful, these heroes also made my list because they had some pretty dope storylines as well. A few of them are some definite must-reads.
Now, I’m not going to go in order of favorites, however, I will start this list off with the first Black Superhero that changed my life. I HAD to get that comic with her on it, once I did it was game over. I’d like to introduce you to:
Goddess Ororo Monroe aka Storm: Talk about Black Girl Magic, OKAY! Her powers and hand-to-hand combat make her one of the most powerful mutants in the Marvel Universe. Two of my favorite comic book runs with Storm are Storm’s origin story by Chris Claremont and Goddess of Thunder.
Adam Brashear aka Blue Marvel: Listen to me when I tell you, the day I see the Blue Adam on the big screen I’ll faint in the movie theater 😩😩. I ABSOLUTE LOVE THE BLUE MARVEL, OKAY (sorry for yelling, but I needed y’all to know). According to ‘Marvel’ history (not actually marvel history but you know it the comics) Adam was actually Marvel’s first black superhero, however, his legacy was covered up by the U.S government since they were not ready to let the world know that their savior was a black man. I consider him to be stronger than Superman (hey he’s antimatter energy) and smarter than Reed Richards, Tony Stark, and the Black Panther. So, you guys can pretty much see why I went crazy a little bit earlier😉.
Isaiah Bradley aka the Black Captain America: If there is any storyline on this list that is a must-read for Black History month it’s Truth: Red, White, and Black. This takes place during World War II, and during this time the government was testing out the super-soldier serum on African American soldiers (pretty much mirroring the real-life Tuskegee Experiments), many of them ending up dying in the process. However, Isaiah lived and ended up gaining the strength of Captain America. Man, y’all got to read this story!
John Stewart aka the Green Lantern: Say it with me, “In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power, Green Lantern’s light.”
John is the ONLY Green Lantern that says this line with all his heart and soul😩. You can watch any Justice League animated series or movie and see for yourself why he’s one of my favorites.
Mari Jiwe McCabe aka Vixen: Since we brought up her Boo, it’s only right I follow up with my girl Vixen. I first found out about her when I watched Justice League: Unlimited. I loved the fact that she’s a supermodel and superhero, now that’s a powerful combo that I would LOVE! She has the ability to mimic any animal she chooses and had John Stewart wrapped around her finger UNTIL Hawkgirl’s return 😩😩😩🤣. I hope one day James Gunn sees my tweets and includes her in the next Suicide Squad 🙏🏽.
Virgil Hawkins aka Static Shock: I just loved seeing this little guy and his best friend Richie in action each weekend. Static Shock the animated series will always hold a special place in my heart, it was one of the few shows (probably the only one) that highlighted a widowed black father doing his best to take care of his family. My favorite episodes of course are the ones where Static & Richie teamed up to help the Justice League.
Miles Morales aka Ultimate Spider-man: Ok he’s Afro-Latino, he’s from Brooklyn and he’s Spider-man…nothing else really needs to be said except Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli, I will forever love you guys!
Monica Rambeau aka Captain Marvel: So little known fact, before Carol Danvers took on the title of Captain Marvel there was my girl Monica Rambeau. She was actually one of my first comic book heroes with a SUPER DOPE AFRO, okay! That’s probably one of the things that made me love her most, aside from her being able to convert her body into pure energy and control cosmic rays, electricity, ultraviolet radiation, and light. She later changed her identity to Photon, which is how the Marvel Cinematic Universe will introduce her. However, if she happens to become Captain Marvel in the upcoming Captain Marvel 2 movie: The Marvels, I may just faint in the theater…😩😩😩
Benjamin Turner aka Bronze Tiger: hands down one of the greatest martial artists in the DC Universe. Sigh, and yes he once beat Batman! So, that should tell you how dope Bronze Tiger is. He actually used to date Vixen as well (she definitely has great taste 😩😩😩). He’s another member of the Suicide Squad that I’m hoping James Gunn will introduce if he ever decides to make another one.
Riri Williams (Ironheart): Of course, I saved Baby Girl for last, she’s pretty much the newest member to my list. She actually made her first appearance in 2017, so she isn’t as well known as she should be, YET! This super-genius created her own hi-tech armored suits at the age of 10! By the time she hits her teens, she gets the attention of Tony Stark aka Ironman, which leads her to the path of being a superhero. I’m extremely excited to see her debut in Black Panther 2 and I’m even more excited for her upcoming series on Disney plus.
I hope you were able to discover a few new superheroes, share your favorites below. And don’t forget to support your local comic book store.
xo
Tiffany the "Glamour Geek" 