Blacks in Comic Books?

[TheLe]

Hello, I am writing an article about blacks in comic books, but I can't think of many (even though I was an avid comic book reader).

Can you all help me list some? Here is what I have:
James Rhodes (War Machine / Iron Man)
Black Panther (Marvel)
Mr. Terrific (DC)
Tyrese (Walking Dead)
Storm (Marvel)
Joe Robertson (Marvel Spiderman)
Battalion (Storm Watch)
Despot (Battalion's dad in Storm Watch)
Black Manta (DC)
Black Lightning (DC)


Surely there are more out there that I am missing...?

 

[fodigg]

Well, you can always turn to wikipedia, but off the top of my head you forgot the milestone characters like Icon and Static who are currently a big deal in the DC books, and Spawn.

 

[Umbran]

The wikipedia list is a good one, but off the top of my head...

Power Man aka Luke Cage, Hero for Hire (Marvel)

Cloak (from Cloak and Dagger - Marvel)

Falcon (Marvel, one time partner of Captain America)

Nick Fury (Marvel Ultimates version)

 

[Andre]

I remember there were some Green Lantern issues from the 70's where Hal Jordan was training a black guy to be a backup Green Lantern, or some such. The stories weren't very good, and I don't know if they kept the character around.

 

[fodigg]

The wikipedia list is a good one, but off the top of my head...

Power Man aka Luke Cage, Hero for Hire (Marvel)

Cloak (from Cloak and Dagger - Marvel)

Falcon (Marvel, one time partner of Captain America)

Nick Fury (Marvel Ultimates version)

How could I forget these? Luke Cage leads the avengers!

Also, Nighthrasher from marvel. Xavin from marvel's Runaways (who is actually a shape shifter who bounces between male/female but is always black when (s)he isn't green). Connor Hawke (Green Arrow II) who is half black. Blade from marvel (was that mentioned already?). Bishop of the X-Men. Doctor Druid and his son Druid from marvel. Vixen from the JLA. There were finally some in-continuity black Kryptonians (used to be a continent of then in old continuity that was segregated because "no slave trade on Krypton") in DC. I think Aquaman had a half-black son. There's Patriot, the cap America analog in Young Avengers, the grandson of the original, black captain America and nephew of "Jonah X" or whatever that character is named. I know Vertigo's Loveless, a post-civil war drama, has a number of interesting black characters. Caska from the manga Berserk looks black but it's never directly referenced (and Pippen in the same manga is black).

And I can't think of any more at the moment.

 

[fodigg]

I remember there were some Green Lantern issues from the 70's where Hal Jordan was training a black guy to be a backup Green Lantern, or some such. The stories weren't very good, and I don't know if they kept the character around.

Jon Stewart is the official Green Lantern for DC animation. He's still a big deal in the books to. There are five human green lanterns that are currently active: Alan Scott (the Sentinel), Hal Jordan, Jon Stewart, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Cant-remember.

 

[Brown Jenkin]

Maybe it is just me, but I have a harder time with coming up with them because none of them really come off as black superheroes, but superheroes who happen to be black. I prsonally think this is good thing.

 

[fodigg]

Maybe it is just me, but I have a harder time with coming up with them because none of them really come off as black superheroes, but superheroes who happen to be black. I prsonally think this is good thing.

I agree, but not everybody feels that way. When the lineup forthe JLA cartoon was revealed with Stewart instead of Jordan as the GL, and Hawkgirl instead of Hawkman, cries of "WTF-"minoriteam"!" were heard utteredby angry-Internet-mans round the globe. Which is silly.

Also, Steel, a sort of Iron-Man analog in the Superman family was a black hero in two forms: the original, john henry irons, and his daughter, natasha irons, who has gone by other names as well.

 

[Huw]

Do you just want superhero comics?

If not, I suggest you read up on the infamous Tintin_in_the_Congo.

 

[Felon]

Dr. Druid's black???