45 Important Black Comic Book Superheroes

Comics
Written By Chris Well

“It was a metaphor for our experiences in the comic industry as Black creators.”—Denys Cowan

While producer Kevin Feige was first planning out the big picture for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his boss—the previous owner of Marvel Comics—was against any films where the lead character was black or a woman. Fortunately, once Disney bought Marvel and reorganized Marvel Entertainment—so that Feige could speak directly with the new owners—he was able to follow through with the movies Black Panther and Captain Marvel.

Before the MCU introduced Black Panther onscreen—with the Marvel Comics character making his debut in Captain America: Civil War and leading up to the Black Panther movie that brought his world to the big screen—superheroes were almost always white.

Granted, that has also been in problem in comics publishing over the decades. But there are Black characters who have made an impact.

Below, find many examples of ethnic superheroes who have made an impact in comics. This includes Marvel Comics characters (like Black Panther, the new Captain America, and Moon Girl), the characters from Milestone Media (including Hardware, Rocket, and Static), DC Comics characters (including Green Lantern John Stewart, Vixen, and hardline boss Amanda Waller), plus Spawn, Quantum, and more. Below, we also have links to articles that explore the history of black characters in comic books more deeply…

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 Important Black Comic Book Superheroes

 #1 Black Panther

A masked powerful warrior, Black Panther is the heroic name for T’Challa—king of the secretive and highly advanced African nation of Wakanda. Making his Marvel Comics debut in Fantastic Four #52 (1966), Black Panther was created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby. Along with possessing enhanced abilities achieved through ancient Wakandan rituals of drinking the essence of the heart-shaped herb, T’Challa also relies on his proficiency in science, expertise in his nation’s traditions, rigorous physical training, hand-to-hand combat skills, and access to wealth and advanced Wakandan technology to combat his enemies.

The Black Panther’s name predates the October 1966 founding of the Black Panther Party. Co-creator Lee said that the name was inspired by a pulp adventure hero who had a black panther as a helper.

Black Panther has made numerous appearances in various TV shows, animated films and video games:

For a period of time, Black Panther was married to Storm (who we talk about later in this list). Their romance story—and the fact that Black Panther and Storm broke up—inspired author N.D. Jones to write paranormal romance adventures for African and African American characters. (We talk with her about that here: N.D. Jones interview: “Black love matters, dammit!”)

Black Panther collections

Related links:

#2 Hardware

The first Milestone Comics title to launch, Hardware #1 (1993) introduced genius inventor Curtis Metcalf—who, as Hardware, uses a variety of high-tech gadgets to fight organized crime. The hero was created by writer Dwayne McDuffie and artist Denys Cowan.

An irony of the series—which Metcalf totally is aware of—is that his employer, corrupt businessman Edwin Alva, is actually the crime boss that Hardware is trying to bring down.

Hardware co-creator Cowan talked to Syfy about how the Curtis vs. Alva struggle also represents some of the frustrations behind the creation (and fate) of Milestone Media. (Keep in mind that one of the painful moments in comic book history is how Milestone Media was swallowed up—and shut down—by DC Comics.)

“It was a metaphor for our experiences in the comic industry as Black creators,” Cowan said, “which is not to put anybody down, but it’s really to tell the truth as we saw it about the glass ceiling that existed, about the way we were treated, and about exploitation and about, you know, using one’s talents and abilities to one’s best advantage. All those things are the core of the characters, so they’re all still the same.”

As the Milestone characters are being revisited all these years later—which, frankly, should have happened years ago—Cowan wonders whether the creators are still bringing that same kind of anger to the books now.

“I’m a different person in a way than I was 30 years ago,” he told Syfy. “So the things that made me mad then just make me madder now [laughs]. So yeah, we are bringing the same things back. Until society changes, we’re going to still talk about all this stuff, right? Because it all means something. It’s all important. So, while I find myself not looking at some things the same way, I look at some of the things in a much sharper way. So it makes drawing his book as vital as ever, because all those things that made Dwayne and I so upset still exist, in society and in the comic book world.”

Hardware comics collections

 #3 Green Lantern John Stewart

The Green Lantern Corps are galactic law enforcement officers—and multiple characters bear the cosmic power rings that weaponize their imaginations. John Stewart, one of the characters who has served as a Green Lantern, was the second African-American superhero to appear in DC Comics. Created by Dennis O’Neil and Neal Adams, Stewart first appeared in Green Lantern (Volume 2) #87 (1971). Stewart’s original design was inspired by actor Sidney Poitier.

In the comics, the John Stewart Green Lantern has rotated with the several other Earth people who also serve as members of the Corps. This version of Green Lantern has appeared many times on TV and in animated projects. As the Justice League’s GL on the animated shows Justice League and Justice League Unlimited, he was voiced by Phil LaMarr.

Green Lantern John Stewart comics collections

#4 Green Lantern Sojourner Mullein

Another member of the Green Lantern Corps is Sojourner “Jo” Mullein. The first Black, queer woman to ever serve as a Green Lantern (well, that we’ve seen on the page), Sojourn was created by Hugo Award-winning author N.K. Jemisin. Mullein first appeared in the 12-issue comic book sci-fi murder mystery Far Sector, which kicked off in 2019.

Far Sector follows Jo—a rookie, experimental Green Lantern—assigned to the distant City Enduring. The expansive high-tech planet has had emotion removed from all of its citizens and hasn’t seen a murder for half a millennia. However with violent crime suddenly on the rise, it’s Jo who has been tasked with uncovering the truth behind it. And despite being a newbie, she’s perfectly suited to the task.

Her own experiences, trauma and beliefs shape her into the right woman arriving at the right moment. When a protest impacts the day-to-day business of the City Enduring, the city’s law enforcers are ready to shoot on sight. But Jo’s own previous life means she knows what the police killing the people they are meant to serve means for a society. She uses her Lantern powers to protect the protestors, creating a shield to safeguard rather than a weapon to attack.

Far Sector won the 2022 Hugo Award for “Best Graphic Story or Comic.” In fact, the Sojourn story has been told by one of the first all-Black creative teams to serve a Green Lantern title—with author Jemisin joined by Jamal Campbell and Deron Bennett.

Mullein has since started showing up in mainstream Green Lantern comics, starting with Green Lantern (vol. 6) #2.

Green Lantern Sojourner Mullein comics

Find Far Sector (collects issues #1-12) on Amazon

#5 Storm from X-Men

Mutant Ororo Munroe—also known by her superhero codename Storm—is a famous member of the X-Men who uses her psionic abilities to control the weather. Storm was created by writer Len Wein and artist Dave Cockrum for Giant-Size X-Men #1 (1975). Descended from a long line of African witch-priestesses, Storm is a superhuman mutant who can control the weather and atmosphere. She is one of the most powerful mutants on the planet—and one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe.

Storm has made numerous appearances in other media, including several live-action X-Men movies. She was played onscreen by actress Halle Berry and by Alexandra Shipp. Storm was also part of the X-Men cartoon series, including X-Men animated television series, X-Men: Evolution and Wolverine and the X-Men. She has been in several video games.

As we mentioned earlier, Storm was—for a time—married to another Marvel superhero, Black Panther. Author N.D. Jones told us how their story—and how it disappointed her—inspired her to write paranormal novels with positive, sexy, and three-dimensional Black characters as soul mates, friends, and lovers.

“As an African American woman and fan of X-Men’s Storm, I was intrigued enough to buy all the comics leading up to their marriage,” Jones said. She was disappointed when Marvel Comics dissolved the marriage between Storm and Black Panther. “Worse, there was no comparable comic I could turn to to get that particular enjoyment fix. So, for me, what makes my brand of romance special is that I write what I see as a dearth in the paranormal romance genre—African/African American love with a paranormal twist.”

Check out our interview with Jones.

Storm comic book collections

 #6 Icon

An almost two-hundred-year-old alien named Arnus, Icon has reinvented himself throughout the centuries and emerged as a hero in the Justice League and Shadow Cabinet. Taking on the form of an African American man, Arnus has powers nearly identical to those of Superman.

For years, he chose to hide his abilities and live as a normal man, only occasionally using his powers in secret to help others. Barely aging over a century, “Augustus Freeman” would change his identity every few decades, posing as his own son.

Now known as Augustus Freeman IV, a “by-the-book” city lawyer, he used his powers for the first time in decades on a gang of home intruders—an event that was witnessed by a young, idealistic girl named Raquel Ervin. After seeing Augustus in action, she convinced him to become a superhero so he could serve as an “Icon” to millions who need inspiration. Raquel eventually became his sidekick, calling herself Rocket.

One of the headline characters introduced by Milestone Media in the 1990s, he was created by Dwayne McDuffie and M.D. Bright. Debuting in Icon #1 (1993), his super powers include super strength, super speed, superhuman agility, super senses, flight, invulnerability, healing factor and energy manipulation.

Icon comic book collections

#7 Rocket

The young sidekick of Icon, Rocket—Raquel Ervin—is a Milestone Comics superhero whose powers come from her inertia belt. This belt gives her super strength, and allows her to manipulate kinetic energy and create a kinetic force field. Ervin is also a voracious reader and a gifted writer. Excellent at hand-to-hand combatant, she’s agile with quick reflexes.

Rocket first appeared in Icon #1 (1993). She was created by Dwayne McDuffie (writer), Denys Cowan, and Mark Bright. The Milestone Universe merged with the DC Comics universe in the late 2000s.

Rocket has appeared several times as part of the animated TV series Young Justice. Rocket appears as a playable character in Young Justice: Legacy, voiced by Cree Summer.

Rocket comic book collections

#8 Blade

Marvel Comics’ first big hit movie starred a character a lot of people don’t realize came from the comics: Vampire hunter Blade (Eric Cross Brooks) made his debut in The Tomb of Dracula #10 (1973). Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan as a supporting character for the series, Blade later went on to become a star. He has since crossed paths with other Marvel characters Ghost Rider, Morbius and Captain Britain, among others.

Blade has shown up in various media, including movies, TV and video games. Blade was portrayed by Wesley Snipes in the films Blade, Blade II and Blade: Trinity. Mahershala Ali has been cast as the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for a movie that’s still in the works.

On TV, Sticky Fingaz starred as in the live-action show Blade: The Series. For cartoons, J.D. Hall voiced Blade in Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and Terry Crews voiced Blade in Ultimate Spider-Man and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.

Blade comic book collections

#9 Black Lightning

Academic by day, urban avenger by night, Jefferson Pierce—known as the superhero Black Lightning—has fought all levels of crime and corruption as a solo hero, as a member of the Justice League, and as a member of the Outsiders. Created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, the hero first appeared in Black Lightning #1 (1977).

While some vigilantes just want to stop crime or punish criminals, Black Lightning helps communities become stronger. As a superhero, he shows people that they can fight back against predators and opportunists. As an educator, he teaches kids that who they are in life is their own choice, regardless of circumstances.

Black Lightning has proven a popular character for DC Comics and was ranked 85th overall on IGN’s “Top 100 Comic Books Heroes” list in 2011. He has been appeared in various media, including TV shows and video games. On the live-action Black Lightning TV series (2018-2022), the character was portrayed by Cress Williams, who also made appearances as Black Lightning in crossovers episodes of The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow.

Speaking of “Black Lightning on TV,” there was a knockoff character on Super Friends in 1977 named Black Vulcan—who clearly was meant to be a version of Black Lightning. The story is that Black Lightning couldn’t be added to the cartoon because of disagreements between DC and Black Lightning co-creator Tony Isabella. To get back at DC, Isabella wrote a story for Black Lightning #10 that was titled “The Other Black Lightning,” featuring a crook named “Barbara Hanna” (ha, because it sounds like the cartoon company that made Super Friends, Hanna-Barbera).

Black Lightning Comic Book Collections

#10 Moon Girl

When Marvel Comics was looking to reinvent Jack Kirby’s Devil Dinosaur series, they wanted to bring the dinosaur to the present day—and partner him with a young lady who happens to be a genus. Lunella Lafayette—who also goes by the name “Moon Girl”—is a 9-year-old African-American young lady who daydreams and loves to invent.

In fact, she has been described as the smartest character in the Marvel Universe. (Which, in a world that includes the likes of Tony Stark and Reed Richards, is a big deal.)

Created by writers Brandon Montclare and Amy Reeder and artist Natacha Bustos, Lunella first appeared in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur #1 (2015). She is the new partner with Devil Dinosaur, with whom she shares a mental link.

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur have recently kicked off a new comic book series—as well as a TV show from Disney. Find out behind-the-scenes info about the comics and the new show here: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: 13 Facts Behind the Disney+ Series  

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur comic book collections

 #11 Cyborg

Part man, part machine, Vic Stone—AKA Cyborg—is member of the Justice League and former member of the Teen Titans who wrestles to preserve his humanity with every new upgrade. Although he always exhibited a genius level intellect, young Victor Stone dreamed of being a football player—but a tragic twist of fate that should have left him dead instead found him becoming part man and part machine…

Saved by his scientist father, Vic was now far stronger than the average person, could interface with computers, and emit various types of energy that made him a formidable fighter. Although he ultimately chose the path of the superhero, Victor never fully acclimated to being only partially human. He always carried a sadness within him as he mourns for the normal life he never had.

Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez for their classic run on New Teen Titans, Cyborg first appeared in the New Teen Titans preview in DC Comics Presents #26 (1980). Cyborg made his live-action debut in the television series Smallville, portrayed by Lee Thompson Young. Cyborg hit the big screen, played by Ray Fisher, in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), Justice League (2017), and Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021). Cyborg was portrayed by Joivan Wade on the TV series Doom Patrol. In animation, Cyborg has been voiced by Khary Payton (on Teen Titans and Teen Titans Go! and Justice League Action), Shemar Moore (in films set in the DC animated universe), and Zeno Robinson (on Young Justice: Outsiders).

Cyborg comic book collections

#12 Static

The most famous face of the Milestone Universe is the electricity-charged teen superhero named Static. Starting out, Virgil Hawkins wasn’t the kind of kid you’d normally find on the streets at a protest—but like everyone else in the city of Dakota, he was fed up.

Unfortunately, the first time he stood up to raise his voice, the world turned upside down. The experimental tear gas released that day left some of his classmates maimed or dead—but it left Virgil (and others) with stunning new abilities…

Now, Virgil has power inside him—real power, the ability to channel and manipulate electromagnetic fields. Created by Milestone Comics founders Dwayne McDuffie, Denys Cowan, Michael Davis and Derek T. Dingle, Static debuted in Static #1 (1993).

Static starred in his own cartoon series Static Shock (2000-2004). Virgil / Static was voiced by Phil LaMarr, who has continued to voice the character in the DC Animated Universe. Cartoon episodes set in the future—the Static Shock episode “Future Shock” and the Justice League Unlimited episode “The Once and Future Thing, Part 2: Time, Warped”—showed an adult Static as a member of the Justice League.

Static also appears in Young Justice, voiced by Bryton James.

Static comic book collections

#13 Luke Cage / Power Man

A man with great strength—and, let’s be honest, is just really cool—Luke Cage is one of the first Black superheroes to get his own comic book. This Marvel Comics character also co-starred for years with Iron Fist in their snazzy Heroes For Hire business.

Created by Archie Goodwin, George Tuska, Roy Thomas, and John Romita Sr., Cage made his debut in Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (1972). In prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Cage volunteered to be in an experiment that made him super strong. When he was out of prison, he started his own business as a “hero for hire.” He later invited superhero Iron Fist to become his business partner.

One of Cage’s jobs, by the way, was to temporarily replace Ben Grimm in the Fantastic Four. Cage has also been a member of The Avengers and The Thunderbolts. He has also been the Mayor of New York City.

Cage is married to super-powered private eye Jessica Jones, with whom he has a daughter.

Cage has shown up in other media. For TV, Mike Colter played him on the Jessica Jones show (2015–2019), the Luke Cage show (2016–2018), and the cool crossover series The Defenders (2017).

Luke Cage comics collections

#14 Vixen

A superhero who can channel the powers of any animal, Vixen has the speed of a cheetah, the charging force of a bull, and the ferocity of a tiger. Through through a magical family heirloom—which allows her to harness the spirit of any animal, past or present, and use their abilities—she can also fly like a hawk, breathe underwater like a fish and even strengthen her skin to the protective levels of a rhinoceros.

The strengths, abilities and attributes of the entire animal kingdom are at the beck and call of Mari McCabe—who channels these powers to battle those who would harm the natural world. Beyond her role as a super hero, she is a model and animal-rights activist, allowing her to use both aspects of her life to protect from humanity those creatures unable to protect themselves.

Created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner, Vixen was supposed to be the first African female DC superhero to star in her own series in 1978. Unfortunately, her series was cancelled—frankly, lots of stuf was cancelled—in what has been referred to as the “DC Implosion.”

Vixen first appeared in Action Comics #521 (1981), published by DC Comics. In the time since, she’s fought along other heroes in the DC Universe and has even served as a member of the Justice League.

On screen, Vixen appeared a few times in Justice League Unlimited, voiced by Gina Torres. (You can watch action clips from the show below.) Vixen also shows up in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Cree Summer. She made appearances on Justice League Action, voiced by Jasika Nicole.

Two versions of Vixen appeared in The CW’s Arrowverse. Mari debuted in the CW Seed animated project Vixen: The Movie, voiced by Megalyn Echikunwoke, who also played a live-action version of her role on Arrow (in episode 4.16). The show Legends of Tomorrow introduced a World War II-era Vixen and Mari’s grandmother, Amaya Jiwe, portrayed by Maisie Richardson-Sellers.

Vixen comic book appearances

By the way, I wasn’t going to overload this page with videos—but I love how Vixen demonstrates her powers on the show Justice League Unlimited, so check out the video below with action clips…

Vixen - All Scenes Powers | Justice League Unlimited

#15 War Machine / James Rhodes

Military veteran James Rhodes is ready for combat in his advanced armor—adding a formidable arsenal to Tony Stark-created designs. A longtime friend and colleague of Tony Stark (Iron Man), James Rhodes AKA “Rhodey” served as Stark’s personal pilot and chief aviation engineer for Stark International.

When an alcoholic Stark fell off the wagon, Rhodey put on the Iron Man armor and took care of business in Iron Man issue #170 (1983). Later, when Stark was thought to be dead, Rhodey took over as Iron Man for a while. Eventually, Stark showed up again and was able to be Iron Man—so Rhodey took on the new codename of War Machine.

War Machine has been featured on TV series and in movies. In the Marvel movies, James Rhodes was first played by Terrence Howard in Iron Man (2008). The role was taken over by Don Cheadle for the movies Iron Man 2 (2010), Iron Man 3 (2013), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Captain Marvel (2019), Avengers: Endgame (2019), the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) and Secret Invasion (2023), the animated show What If...? (2021) and the future movie Armor Wars.

War Machine comic book collections

#16 Quantum (of Quantum and Woody)

The comedy superhero duo series Quantum and Woody leans heavily on the comedic chemistry of Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson in the movie White Men Can’t Jump. Sometimes the best friends make the worst partners…

Once inseparable, childhood friends Eric Henderson and Woody Van Chelton haven’t seen each other in years. Reunited by the mysterious deaths of their research scientist fathers, the unlikely duo find themselves stuck together all over again when a catastrophic lab accident transforms their bodies into pure energy—energy that will completely dissipate if they don’t “klang!” their control bands together every 24 hours!

The original series was created by writer Christopher Priest and artist M.D. Bright. In the years since then, the series has been relaunched a few times (with, apparently, changes) by different writing/art teams.

Quantum and Woody comics collections

#17 Monica Rambeau / Photon

Monica Rambeau is the original female Captain Marvel! With her cosmic energy powers, she has also been known at various times as Photon, Pulsar, and Spectrum.

Created by writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr., Rambeau made her debut in The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (1982). She gained her energy super powers when she was hit by extradimensional energy produced by an energy disruptor weapon. She has been the leader of the Avengers, and also a member of Nextwave and the latest Ultimates team.

A young Monica Rambeau was played by Akira Akbar in the 2019 movie Captain Marvel (2019). We saw the grown-up version of the character played by Teyonah Parris in the TV show WandaVision (2021), and she’ll also play the character in the upcoming movie The Marvels (2023).

Monica Rambeau in comics

Captain Marvel: Monica Rambeau (collects various comic book appearances)

Monica Rambeau: Photon (issues of current series)

#18 Batwing

Batwing is one of several international superheroes influenced by Batman—at first, Batwing was intended to be “the Batman of Africa,” a version that fought crime overseas. The first man to be Batwing—David Zavimbe, a Congolese police officer—was introduced in the comic book series Batman Incorporated.

After events in Batwing’s own comic book series, the hero was replaced as Batwing by Luke Fox in Batwing #19 (2013). Fox is an American mixed martial artist and the son of Batman’s close associate Lucius Fox.

Luke Fox appeared in the Arrowverse TV series Batwoman, played by Camrus Johnson. At the end of the second season, he became Batwing.

Batwing comics collections

#19 Misty Knight

Martial artist, detective, and one of the leaders of Heroes for Hire, Misty Knight’s bionic arm possesses superhuman strength allowing her to battle even the toughest of foes. Between her roles as police officer and Super Hero, Misty Knight runs afoul of more than her fair share of criminals.

Created by Tony Isabella and Arvell Jones, Mercedes “Misty” Knight Knight was first mentioned (by name) in Marvel Premiere #20 (Jan. 1975) and appeared in the next issue.

In the Marvel Universe, Knight is a former NYPD police officer whose arm was amputated following a bomb attack. Getting a bionic arm from Tony Stark, she started a private-investigation agency with close friend Colleen Wing. The two later formed the crime-fighting duo Daughters of the Dragon. As private investigators, Knight and Wing frequently worked with the Heroes for Hire duo Luke Cage and Iron Fist—and Knight is often seen in a romantic relationship with the latter. In 2013, Knight became co-leader of the Valkyrior with Valkyrie in The Fearless Defenders #1 by Cullen Bunn and Will Sliney.

Simone Missick portrayed the character in the Netflix television series Luke Cage (2016–2018), Marvel’s The Defenders (2017), and the second season of Iron Fist (2018), set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Misty Knight appearances in comic book collections

#20 Spawn

Said to be the most successful independent comic book ever published, the Spawn series stars the demonic superhero/antihero title character. Created by Todd McFarlane in Spawn #1 (May 1992), Spawn has gone on to appear in lots of other media as well, including movies, TV shows, and video games.

Spawn has made lots of comic book guest appearances over the years: These include team-ups with Batman, Savage Dragon and Invincible.

Spawn has also spun off several other comic book series, including the supernatural cop series Sam & Twitch, the Armageddon series Curse of the Spawn, and the Marvel Comics series Angela: Asgard Assassin.

In other media, Spawn was adapted into a 1997 movie played by Michael Jai White and a 1997-1999 animated series. There is also a movie currently in the works expected to star Jamie Foxx and Jeremy Renner.

Spawn comics collections

#21 Sam Wilson / Captain America / The Falcon

The Marvel Comics character of Sam Wilson is the first Black American superhero to show up in mainstream comic books. A longtime ally of the original Captain America—Steve Rogers—Air Force veteran Sam Wilson agreed to Rogers’ request for help. He took on the role of the Falcon, becoming an Avenger and eventually becoming the new Captain America.

Wilson was introduced by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Gene Colan in Captain America #117 (1969). Thanks to his set of mechanical wings, Wilson took over the role of Falcon. He also has limited telepathic and empathic control over birds. When Steve Rogers retired—I’ll be honest, I have no idea whether this is still going on (I’m sure it won’t be permanent)—Wilson took over as the new Captain America in All-New Captain America #1 (2015) and leader of the Avengers.

In other media, Wilson has made several appearances. Actor Anthony Mackie played Wilson in the several Marvel movies, including Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019). He was also in the TV show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). Wilson returns—as Captain America—in Captain America: New World Order (2024).

Sam Wilson / Falcon / Captain America in comics collections

#22 Captain America / Isaiah Bradly

Turns out that Sam Wilson was not the first Black man to be Captain America: Although the original Captain America comic book created back in the 1940s kicked off with Steve Rogers as Cap, it was revealed in 2003’s comic book mini-series Truth: Red, White & Black that Black soldier Isaiah Bradley is actually one of the original superheroes to be known as Captain America.

The World War 2 super soldier experiment focused on African American test subjects to re-create the serum that turned Steve Rogers from a skinny—but patriotic—army reject into Captain America. (The secret experiment that powered up Bradley recalls the real-life trauma of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.)

In the shocking re-examination of the 1940s Super-Soldier program, Captain America: Truth by Robert Morales and Kyle Baker introduced the unit of African-American soldiers forced to be part of the U.S. War Department’s brutal efforts to refine the Super-Soldier Serum. Find out how Isaiah Bradley overcame all odds to don the famous red-white-and-blue on the battlefield!

On screen, actor Carl Lumbly played Bradley in the MCU TV show Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021). He’s also expected to show up in character in the 2024 movie Captain America: New World Order.

Captain America Isaiah Bradly collected comics

#23 Watson and Holmes

Watson & Holmes is a modern urban take on the tales of “Sherlock Holmes” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These comics rework Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson as African Americans and take place in New York City’s Harlem district. The first mini-series, by writer Karl Bollers and artist Rick Leonardi, was nominated for Best New Series of 2013 for the Eisner Awards and Best Story for the Glyph Awards.

Watson and Holmes comics collections

Watson and Holmes: A Study In Black (collecting first arc plus extra material)

Watson and Holmes: Volume 2 (contains three new chapters, including a reinterpretation of Irene Adler)

#24 Nubia / Wonder Woman

The Amazon named Nubia is DC Comics’ first Black woman superhero. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Don Heck, Nubia was introduced in Wonder Woman #204 (1973).

First introduced as Wonder Woman’s fraternal twin, Nubia has over the years been reconsidered in different ways. She has been seen as a parallel-universe version of Wonder Woman and also as an inheritor of the Wonder Woman mantle in the future. Her current version is considered the future queen of the Amazons.

Nubia comic collections

#25 Deathlok

The cyborg soldier Deathlok actually has been multiple people—all of which were dead before being revived with cyborg technology. The first version of Deathlok was created by Rich Buckler in Astonishing Tales #25 (1974). Over the years, versions of Deathlok have appeared in various Marvel Comics and interacted with the likes of Spider-Man, Captain America, and Fantastic Four member Ben Grimm AKA The Thing.

I’ll be honest here—I don’t know whether all these different versions of Deathlok are always Black men. That said, two of the collections listed below were written by legendary Black writer Dwayne McDuffie (one of the creators of Milestone Media, and the author of my all-time favorite episode of Justice League Unlimited).

Deathlok has also appeared on TV. Actor J. August Richards played a version of Deathlok on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Deathlok comics collecti0ns

#26 Firestorm / Jason Rusch

Firestorm can control molecules and rearrange anything into, well, anything else—from changing it on the basic level (like turning lead into gold) to changing stuff into other things. He’s really only limited by his imagination.

Generally the result of two men who merged together, when the original version of Firestorm died—well, half of him died (long story)—Black teen Jason Rusch became part of the second character known as Firestorm. Created by Dan Jolley and ChrisCross, he debuted in Firestorm (vol. 3) #1 (2004).

There have been other versions of Firestorm as well.

On TV, Firestorm was part of The CW’s Arrowverse, played by different actors. Black actor Franz Drameh played a Firestorm person name Jefferson “Jax” Jackson.

Jason Rusch comics

#27 Ant (Hannah Washington)

An Image comic book superhero series created by artist Mario Gully, Ant stars a girl who understands the adult world faster than other kids. Imagine losing everything you once held dear, then waking up from that long, dark nightmare to find yourself confined to a mental institution. This is Hannah Washington’s life. Her sanity shattered, she’s been told all her memories are the result of a coping mechanism described as a “juvenile power fantasy.” Or are they?

Hannah Washington first appeared in Ant #1 (2004) and is currently published by Image Comics.

Gully says the concept of Ant was created while he was incarcerated in 1996 for attempted armed robbery. One day he was looking through a barred cell window and a tiny ant crawled in from the outside. Gully later vowed to change his life and make something out of himself.

He then created Ant. The character appears in Ant and has appeared in Savage Dragon and Spawn.

Ant comics

#28 Steel

When Superman was killed by Doomsday (don’t worry—he got better), one of Superman’s replacements was Steel (John Henry Irons). Inspired by Superman’s selflessness, Irons used his engineering genius to build a robot suit of armor to duplicate Superman’s powers—and also wield a powerful sledgehammer.

Steel first appeared in The Adventures of Superman #500 (1993). He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Jon Bogdanove, who were clearly inspired by the African American folk hero John Henry. Henry has a niece named Natasha Irons—she is also a superhero who wears mechanized armor.

The character of John Henry Irons / Steel was played by Shaquille O’Neal in the movie Steel (1997). Wolé Parks plays the character in the television series Superman & Lois.

One big piece of news is that Steel is coming back to comics pages in the new series Steelworks, written by Michael Dorn, legendary Star Trek:TNG actor and the voice of Steel in the classic Superman: The Animated Series. The new comic book will have art by Sami Basri. About the series: The Metropolis of the future is here today, but can it survive a terrorist who’s out for revenge against its builder, John Henry Irons—a.k.a. Steel—and his company, Steelworks…and who possesses secrets that could undo everything John has worked so hard to build?

More details in this post here: Star Trek star Michael Dorn is writing a comic book with Steel.

Steel comic books

#29 Ironheart

A young lady who is smart enough (and cool enough) to compete with Iron Man and be the “self-made hero of tomorrow,” Riri Williams created her own set of superhero armor to be Ironheart. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and designed by Mike Deodato, Williams was first introduced in Invincible Iron Man Vol. 2 #7. Williams became Ironheart wearing armor designed by artist Stefano Caselli.

In other media, Dominique Thorne plays Williams in the Marvel movie universe. She first showed up in the movie Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). She is scheduled to star in the upcoming Disney+ series Ironheart (2023).

Ironheart comics collections

#30 Aqualad / Kaldur / Jackson Hyde

The sidekick of Aquaman, the Black version of Aqualad has appeared in both the comic books and on TV. Trained by Aquaman, his father is actually supervillain Black Manta. A natural born leader, Kaldur—or Jackson Hyde, as he’s known by his adoptive human parents—is an Atlantean/human hybrid who can control and form water into solid matter. He also has super strength, great swimming ability, and can breathe underwater.

Pulled between the worlds of the land and the sea—as well as between the forces of good and evil—Kaldur has striven to make sure his legacy won’t control him. He is a true superhero who’s more than worthy of carrying the legacy of Altantis’ mighty king.

Known at various times as both Aqualad and Aquaman, Kaldur was created for the TV series Young Justice by Brandon Vietti, Greg Weisman and Phil Bourassa. On TV, the character was voiced by Khary Payton. This version of Aqualad’s first comic book appearance was in Brightest Day #4 (2010).

Aqualad / Kaldur comics collections

#31 Shuri

Possessing one of the most brilliant minds in the world, the Black Panther’s sister, Princess Shuri, is also the chief science officer for Wakanda, a position she cherishes much more than her royal status. Once the world fell in love with her in Marvel’s Black Panther, T’Challa’s techno-genius sister launched her own adventures, written by best-selling Afrofuturist author Nnedi Okorafor and drawn by Eisner Award-nominated artist Leonardo Romero.

You can also get to know the princess of Wakanda better in the collected edition Marvel-Verse: Shuri. This book includes tales that prove her value:

  • She’s happiest in a lab, surrounded by gadgets. But when her brother T’Challa goes missing, will Shuri step up for the sake of Wakanda? Shuri’s search takes her to New York City, where a wild adventure awaits alongside two of America’s finest young heroes, Miles Morales and Kamala Khan!

  • Then, it’s a high-tech, high-octane race against the X-Men’s engineer Forge and several other gearheads—but Shuri always plays to win!

  • And when one of the Black Panther’s advisors suffers an injury, a wicked curse sends T’Challa and Shuri on an epic quest where nothing is as it seems!

Shuri comic book collections

#32 Mr. Terrific

A super-genius with Olympic athletic skills, Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt) is also a tech inventor. His T-Spheres are flying metal balls that can project images, can shoot out electricity, can hack into computers, and can even hide Mr. Terrific from being seen by cameras or security devices.

This version of Mr. Terrific was created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. Following the death of the Golden Age version of the character in the murder mystery issues Justice League of America #171 and #172 (in a pretty cool crossover story), The Spectre reaches out to Michael Holt in The Spectre #54. Holt has nothing to live for…until he meets the Spectre. Relating the tale of how the Justice Society tracked down the killer of the original Mr. Terrific, the Spectre convinces Holt to take on the role and become the new Mr. Terrific. Mr. Terrific has been a member of both Justice Society of America and The Terrifics.

In other media, Mr. Terrific was an important character in the animated Justice League Unlimited, keeping track and assigning heroes to various missions. This version was voiced by Michael Beach.

Mr. Terrific was in at least a couple of episodes of Justice League Action—“The Cube Root” and “The Brain Buster”—voiced by Hannibal Buress.

On live-action TV, Echo Kellum played a version of Mr. Terrific (renamed Curtis Holt) on Arrow from the fourth to the eighth seasons.

Mr. Terrific comics collections

#33 Cloak

A member of the superhero duo Cloak and Dagger, Cloak (Tyrone Johnson) can create a rift to send people into a dark dimension. He can also teleport and make himself intangible.

Created by writer Bill Mantlo and artist Ed Hannigan, Cloak and Dagger made their debut in the comic book Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (1982).

On TV, they were on the Cloak and Dagger TV show played by Aubrey Joseph (as Cloak / Ty Johnson) and Olivia Holt (as Dagger / Tandy Bowen). When their show was canceled, the two showed up during the third season of Runaways.

Cloak and Dagger comics collections

#34 Jakeem Thunder

A young man who can control an immensely powerful magical genie, Jakeem Thunder (Jakeem Johnny Williams)  is a member of the Justice Society of America. Williams can summon and order around a 5th Dimension genie called “Thunderbolt.” The genie can fulfill any of Williams’ requests—of course, sometimes there’s a problem if he follows the request literally.

In comics, the Thunderbolt goes all the way back to 1940. Over the years, there have been different people who work with him.

Williams was introduced in The Flash #134 (1998), created by Grant Morrison, Mark Millar and Paul Ryan.

On TV, Williams and his Thunderbolt showed up during the second season of Stargirl on the CW network, played by Alkoya Brunson.

Jakeem Thunder comics appearances

#35 Bishop

A time-travelling policeman from the future, Lucas Bishop came to the 20th century and joined the X-Men, a team he knew only as legends. Created by Whilce Portacio and John Byrne in The Uncanny X-Men #282 (1991), Bishop had difficulties adjusting to the time period.

Bishop showed up on the X-Men animated series of the 1990s. In 2014 movie X-Men: Days of Future Past, Bishop was played by Omar Sy.

Bishop comic book appearances

#36 Kid Flash / Ace West

A young sidekick to The Flash, the superhero Kid Flash has super speed: He can outrun almost anyone or anything. This version of Kid Flash—Wallace “Ace” West—was created as a biracial new version of Wally West. But since DC Comics has this thing about hitting the reset button on their comics, there have been some changes here and there about this version of Kid Flash and where he fits in the DC Comics world.

At this moment, this particular member of the Flash group—there are lots of speedsters—is the son of the Reverse-Flash and cousin of longtime Flash (and former Kid Flash himself) Wally West. He’s also a member of the Teen Titans.

The character was inspired by The Flash TV series on CW starring Grant Gustin, which cast a Black actor to play Kid Flash on the show. Played by Keiynan Lonsdale, that Kid Flash has also appeared on Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow.

Kid Flash / Ace West

#37 Blue Marvel

Adam Brashear—physics professor, adventurer, and former Marine and All-American football player—is a prominent hero from the 1960 known as the Blue Marvel. He uses his skills and anti-matter energy powers to fight villains, and receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President John F. Kennedy. Forced into early retirement due to racial tensions, he reemerged in the modern age at the ready to use his powers again to defeat dangerous threats.

Created by Kevin Grevioux (who originally thought up the character as a child) and Mat Brome, Blue Marvel first appeared in Adam: Legend of the Blue Marvel #1 (2008). In 2013, Blue Marvel appeared as part of Luke Cage’s new team of superheroes in the Marvel NOW! relaunch of Mighty Avengers.

Blue Marvel comics collections

#38 Bronze Tiger

An ally of kung fu master Richard Dragon, Bronze Tiger (Ben Turner)—one the most impressive martial artists in DC Comics universe—made his first appearance in the Richard Dragon novel Dragon’s Fists by Dennis O’Neil and Jim Berry. Bronze Tiger’s first comic book appearance was in Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1 (1975). He was created by Dennis O’Neil, Leopoldo Durañona and Jim Berry.

At one point, Amanda Waller recruited Bronze Tiger to be the team leader for the Suicide Squad.

In other media, Bronze Tiger was a recurring character on Arrow, portrayed by actor Michael Jai White. Bronze Tiger also appeared on Batman: The Brave and the Bold: In the episode “Return of the Fearsome Fangs!,” voiced by Gary Anthony Sturgis, Bronze Tiger helps Batman fight the Terrible Trio; he also makes a cameo appearance (non-speaking) in the two-part episode “The Siege of Starro!”

Bronze Tiger comics appearances

#39 Doctor Voodoo

When magic practitioner Brother Voodoo (Jericho Drumm) replaced Doctor Strange as Sorcerer Supreme in The New Avengers #53 (2009), he started being called Doctor Voodoo. Created in 1973 by Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, Len Wein, and artist John Romita Sr., the character debuted in Strange Tales #169.

In the 2009 Doctor Voodoo series, Drumm assumed the role of Marvel Comics’ new Sorcerer Supreme! Having foreseen an unimaginable evil that will soon envelop the Marvel Universe, the Eye of Agamotto has passed the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme on to the one man who has the unique gifts to stave off the coming darkness—but is Doctor Voodoo ready for the momentous duty as avenger of the supernatural? As Drumm grapples with his colossal new position, malevolent beings of vast power see his arrival as an opportunity to strike…

Doctor Voodoo comics collections

#40-41 Thunder and Lightning

The two daughters of Black Lightning are Anissa Williams/Thunder and Jennifer Pierce/Lightning.

Thunder can alter her density, making her virtually indestructible. She is also super smart and super strong. Thunder first appeared in the comic book issue Outsiders #1 (2003).

Lightning can manipulate electricity and she can fly. Lightning made her debut in Justice Society of America #12 (2008).

In other media, Thunder and Lightning both appeared on the live action TV show Black Lightning. Thunder was played by Nafessa Williams. Lightning was played by China Anne McClain and Laura Kariuki.

#42 Ultimate Nick Fury / Nick Fury Jr

Wait—is Nick Fury a Black man or a white man? Well, yes. The answer is a little complicated…

The original Nick Fury was white. Going back to the 1960s, he was Sgt. Fury in comic books set during World War 2, and a spy and leader later working for intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D.

In the 2000s, Marvel Comics launched a parallel brand—Ultimate Marvel—where they could rethink their comics. As such, there were new versions of the Avengers (now called “The Ultimates”), Spider-Man, the X-Men, and more.

(While the first Ultimate Spider-Man was white, this was the world where he was eventually replaced by Miles Morales. More on Miles below.)

Of course, Nicky Fury was part of this new world. And when that version appeared in 2002 in the series The Ultimates, writer Mark Millar and artist Bryan Hitch decided it would be great if the character of Nick Fury was played by actor Samuel L. Jackson. So, long before the real actor was signed to play that role in the Marvel movies, that’s how Fury looked in the Ultimate Marvel comics.

During these years, the regular Marvel Comics universe continued to exist—which meant, for a bit of time, Nick Fury was both Black and white, depending on which comic book you were reading. Of course, once the movies showed Samuel L. Jackson in that role—which is one of the biggest delights of the entire Marvel movie series—it’s no surprise that Marvel Comics decided to make the switch with their regular Nick Fury, too.

In the 2012 comic book Battle Scars, they introduced Nick Fury Jr. (Marcus Johnson) as a son of  S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury. A couple of years later, there was a big change during the controversial comics crossover event called Original Sin (which I actually enjoyed quite a bit): By the end of that event, the original Fury was sort of pulled to the side of the regular Marvel Universe, and his son—the Black version of Fury—became the new official Nick Fury of regular Marvel Comics.

Black Nick Fury comics collections

#43 Amanda Waller

A character that can be seen as either a hero or a villain—depends on your opinion—Amanda Waller is involved with a lot of superhero stories. A high-ranking government official who oversees research into metahumans, she is also the director of the Suicide Squad. She’s also usually considered part of government agencies A.R.G.U.S. and Checkmate.

Waller first appeared in Legends #1 in 1986 and was created by John Ostrander, Len Wein, and John Byrne. She went on to be a regular in the Suicide Squad comics series.

In other media, Waller has been seen a lot. Several actresses have voiced or played the character: CCH Pounder for the cartoon Justice League Unlimited; Pam Grier on the live-action series Smallville; Angela Bassett in the 2011 live-action film Green Lantern; Sheryl Lee Ralph in the animated series Young Justice; Cynthia Addai-Robinson in the live-action series Arrow; Yvette Nicole Brown in the cartoon DC Super Hero Girls; and Viola Davis in the movies Suicide Squad (2016), The Suicide Squad (2021), and Black Adam, as well as the HBO Max series Peacemaker.

Amanda Waller comics appearances

#44 Miles Morales Spider-Man

Miles Morales is the second Spider-Man to be in Ultimate Marvel, an updated comics brand that operated separately from the regular Marvel Comics world. The 13-year-old biracial teenage son of an African-American father and a Puerto Rican mother, he debuted in Ultimate Fallout #4 (2011), following the death of that world’s Peter Parker. Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee liked this updated version of Spider-Man as a positive role model for ethnic children.

With similar powers to the original Spider-Man—plus a few more, including invisibility and being able to send out electric blasts—Morales was featured in the Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man comic book series.

After Marvel ended the Ultimate imprint in 2015, Morales was brought into the regular Marvel Comics world with stories under the All-New, All-Different Marvel brand. This Spider-Man has been a member of the Avengers, the Young Avengers, the Champions, the Ultimates, and the Spider-Army/Web-Warriors. He has also partnered with Spider-Man (Peter Parker), Spider-Woman (Gwen Stacy), Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) and Nova (Sam Alexander).

The Morales version of Spider-Man was the main hero—among several versions of Spider-Man—in the wonderful 2018 animated movie Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. He’ll also star in the 2023 and 2024 sequels.

Miles Morales Spider-Man

#45 Superman / Calvin Ellis

While there are multiple variations of Superman, the one we’re focusing on here is Calvin Ellis—a Kryptonian who is both Superman and also president of the United States on a parallel Earth. In this version, Brainiac serves as his personal computer. His comic book appearances include Final Crisis #7 and Action Comics #9.

During Final Crisis, this Superman joined a group of alternate iterations of Superman from the Multiverse. This version of Superman was created by writer Grant Morrison and artist Doug Mahnke.

Today, President Superman is one of the most essential guardians of the Multiverse, as de facto leader of the Justice League Incarnate, which stands to protect all worlds across reality. Writer Ta-Nehisi Coates has been working on a Superman screenplay—which has been widely reported will be a “Black Superman.” (So, maybe this one?)

Superman / Calvin Ellis comics appearances

Note: This Superman is not the central character in any of these collections, but these are the stories written by Grant Morrison where this version of Superman appeared…

Chris Well

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.

https://chriswell.substack.com/
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