One of the breakout stars of the new Superman film is the character Mr. Terrific. Even though the character has been in the comics since 1997, most casual fans have never heard of him. Now, casual and hardcore comic book fans are raving about Mr. Terrific, one of many unsung Black comic book heroes.
Over 86% of comic book characters are white males or white. In other words, about nine out of every ten comic book characters are white. That is not a happy accident; that is the result of race politics. Jim Crow was still in legal effect in 1938 when Action Comics #1 had its debut.
No, I’m not saying this to make you guilty. I say it because it is the truth. If Mr. Terrific were not in Superman, he would still be unknown to audiences right now. There are more Black superheroes than Storm, Miles Morales, Black Panther, Black Lightning, and Nick Fury. Most are unknown or forgotten.
Here are eight forgotten or unknown Black comic book heroes who deserve more attention.
1. Lion-Man
Lion-Man is probably the first of the Black comic book heroes to be created. The character is now in the public domain. Marvel’s first black superhero was Black Panther. Black Panther made his debut in 1966, exactly one year after the technical legal end of Jim Crow.
In 1947, a Black journalist named O.C. Evans published All-Negro Comics #1. This comic features the first and only appearance of Lion-Man. Lion-Man, an intelligent Tarzan-like character, has a mandate from the U.N. to protect Magic Mountain in Africa. The mountain is home to uranium mines. His villain is an evil, white colonizer type, Dr. Blut Sangro.
The comic is long out of print. Evans could not publish a second issue during an era of intense and overt racial animosity. However, it is a travesty that no one knows about this creator or this character. The character and creator were too far ahead of their time.
2. Nubia
Nubia, the Black Wonder Woman, is one of those Black Comic Book Heroes that right-wing critics consider “woke.” Or they think that Nubia was created recently to serve an agenda. Nubia made her debut in Wonder Woman #204 way back in 1973. From 1973 through 1979, Nubia was originally the long-lost fraternal sister of Diana.
Now, Nubia is one of her closest allies and a contemporary Amazonian colleague. Nubia is the first black superhero in DC Comics. She was the official Wonder Woman during the 2021 event Infinite Frontier. Nubia was also Queen of the Amazons for a short time.
Nubia & The Amazons is a 160-page hardcover. After the events of Infinite Frontier, Queen Nubis now rules Themyscira. Get it for $9.99 at Amazon now.
3. Green Lantern (Sojourner Mullein)
If you don’t read comics, then you may be unaware that the “Green Lantern” is a title, not a name. They are the police force of the universe. Instead of guns, Green Lanterns wield power rings that use willpower and imagination as fuel to create mental constructs. Sojourner Mullien, a Black woman, veteran, and New York City Police officer, is the newest rookie Green Lantern.
Mullein made her debut in Far Sector #1 in 2019. Mullein operates in Deep Space. She polices a Dyson Swarm with 20 billion citizens known as the City Enduring. Mullein now has to investigate a murder, the first one in 500 years.
Sojourner Mullein was created for DC Comics by award-winning science fiction author N.K. Jemisin and artist Jamal Campbell.
Far Sector: The Deluxe Edition is a 376-page hardcover. It collects all 12 issues of the series and several tie-in issues. Buy it now for $25 at Amazon.
4. Hardware
Curt Metcalf is a genius inventor and engineer. He rose out of poverty by being a child prodigy. Businessman Edwin Alva discovers Metcalf, mentors him, pays his tuition, and employs him. Metcalf creates a lot of new inventions that make Alva Industries, already a wealthy corporation, even richer.
Metcalf discovers that Alva is racist, corrupt, and has connections to crime syndicates. Alva has been using Metcalf since he was 13. So, Metcalf creates the Hardware armor to fight against Alva and crime.
Hardware was the first of the Black comic book heroes from Milestone Media in 1993. He is a landmark character that no one knows about.
Hardware: The Man in the Machine is a 192-page paperback. It collects the first eight issues of the series. Buy it now for $19.98 at Amazon.
5. Doctor Voodoo
Haitian-American Psychologist Jericho Drumm returns to his native Haiti. His twin brother, Daniel, is a local voodoo priest. Daniel dies. Jericho studies under Daniel’s mentor and becomes a houngan, a master of voodoo mysticism. Jericho becomes Brother Voodoo. The spirit of his twin, Daniel, is bound to Jericho’s body, and they can communicate with each other.
Brother Voodoo made his debut in Strange Tales #169 in 1973. Brother Voodoo derives his powers from the Loa, or spirit Gods. Jericho officially became Doctor Voodoo in 2009 when he became Sorcerer Supreme for a while. While Doctor Voodo is popular with niche comic book fans, many casuals have never heard of him.
Doctor Voodoo: Avenger of the Supernatural is a 204-page paperback that collects the first five issues of the series. It also contains Strange Tales #169 and #170, issues which feature the first appearances of the character. Buy it on Kindle for $9 now.
6. Bishop
Aboriginal Australians are called “Black” in Australia, even though they are an indigenous people. Aborigines may have left Africa 65,000 years ago to migrate to Australia, but the exact details are uncertain. While the X-Men Bishop is often seen as one of the Black comic book heroes at Marvel, he is actually an Aboriginal Australian.
Lucas Bishop grew up in a nightmare dystopian future where mutant-hunting Sentinels drove mutants into concentration camps. The X-Men are now only myths and stories people tell each other. Bishop, who has the power to absorb and redirect energy, finds himself in the past and joins the X-Men.
Actor Omar Sy portrayed Bishop in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past. However, the character is virtually unknown to casuals. Bishop made his debut in The Uncanny X-Men #282 in 1991.
X-Men Epic Collection: Bishop’s Crossing is a 512-page paperback. It collects the original X-Men storyline and tie-in issues featuring the debut of Bishop. Buy it for $55 at Amazon now.
7. Deathlok
Colonel Luther Manning is a soldier in a dystopian future. After his death, he is reborn as Deathlok, a disfigured cyborg. Deathlok was a body horror character from the 1970s. The character made his debut in Astonishing Tales #25 in 1974. The second most well-known Deathlok is Michael Collins from the 1990s.
There have been five characters known as Deathlok in the comic books since the 1970s; however, besides a budget-friendly appearance on the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. TV show, Deathlok, is not a well-known character.
Deathlok Masterworks Vol. 1 is a 362-page trade. It collects all the first appearances of Deathlok from the 1970s. Buy it for $17 on Kindle now.
8. Gentle
Nezhno Abidemi is a Wakandan mutant. His mother is Wakandan, and his absentee father is Russian. Since he is half Wakandan, he is seen as an outcast and the subject of abuse by his mother. Nezhno is calm and passive by nature, personality traits that help with his mutant powers.
Gentle, his codename, has the power to increase his body mass and strength at will. He once grew big enough to fight a sentinel robot. Gentle can only use his powers for short periods of time and only uses them for extreme emergencies. He also has distinctive and colorful vibranium tattoos on his body.
The character made his debut in New X-Men #23 in 2006.
X-Men: Messiah Complex is a 254-page paperback. It takes place after the House of M storyline, where Scarlet Witch almost causes the extermination of all mutants. Buy it for $32 at Amazon now.
Black Comic Book Heroes
I’m not implying that you should read a comic book because the character is Black. I’m saying that comic books benefit from diversity. The X-Men were my favorite comic book as a kid. The 1963 team was full of white characters. The original X-Men comic was a failure and was canceled. In 1975, the relaunched Giant-Sized X-Men #1 now had African, Russian, Indigenous American, Japanese, German, Irish, and Canadian members on the team.
White comic book characters are not going anywhere. They are still the majority. However, pretending that there has not been a suppression of the advancement of non-white comic book characters in popular culture, until very recently, is disingenuous at best.
Milestone Media, a 1993 company that sought to launch a majority-Black comic book universe, was influential. Still, most casuals may only know about Static Shock, not the other Milestone characters like Hardware.
There is a rich history of Black comic book heroes that has been forgotten. It is an unfortunate tragedy that can only be reversed by learning more about them.
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