My Top 10 Black Comic Book Heroes

I’ve been an avid comic book reader since the early 90’s. Superman’s death got me interested. But his return got me hooked! This story introduced two new heroes: Superboy and Steel. Superboy was the teenaged clone of Kal-El. Steel was a black human in a steel suit. I was more impressed with the black guy that wore the Superman “S” on his chest. When Superman came back, Steel stopped wearing the “S”, and then to me, he wasn’t as cool anymore. The movie with Shaq didn't help either!

Anyway, as I got older, I started looking for other black heroes that were good to read. A lot of them were corny, like the chick dressed as a giant bee. Yes, her name was Bumblebee. Some of them I had seen in cartoons, and their comic counterparts were fantastic. I had heard about black people that didn’t read comics because there weren’t any decent heroes that represented them. I’m happy to say that those days are over. With that said, I have compiled a list of the best black heroes in comics.

Before I get started, I want to point out two things about my list. First, I have only included characters from the two biggest publishers, Marvel Comics and DC Comics. And second, all the heroes are currently in the mainstream dimensions, either Earth-616 or New Earth. I send my apologies to Todd McFarlane. And now, here’s my top ten!

Honorable Mention: Black Panther

Real Name: T'Challa

Abilities: Consumption of the "Heart-Shaped Herb" superhuman strength and enhanced senses.

Suggested Reading: Black Panther - The Client

You guys asked for him, well here he is!

Black Panther made his comic debut in Fantastic Four #52, back in 1966. Contrary to popular belief, his name does NOT come from the militant Black Panther Party For Self-Defense. Rather, the name "Black Panther" is a monarchical title used by the leader of the Panther Tribe from the fictional nation of Wakanda, which is located in Africa. In other words, it means that he is the king. He sort of reminds me of Shaka Zulu, in the sense that he is leader of his people and he is also the best fighter. But he can also be diplomatic and cooperative with people from other lands, which led to membership in the Avengers. He is also married to Storm of the X-Men. How cool is that?!?

Real Name: Samuel Wilson

Abilities: Able to see through the eyes of nearby birds; winged suit allows him to fly

Suggested Reading: "Captain America and the Falcon"

Falcon is the first African-American hero to become a mainstream hit. Although he was occasionally known as the "Token Black Superhero", Sam Wilson soon broke barriers and paved the way for other guys to follow in his boots. He was a member with the Avengers, and is known for being a sidekick of one of the greatest heroes of all time, Captain America. He also has a pet falcon named Redwing. Thanks to a mental link between them, Redwing can literally serve as the eyes of Wilson.

Real Name: James Rhodes

Abilities: wears a suit of armor that gives him super-strength, flight, and a mass array of firearms

Suggested Reading: "War Machine: Iron Heart"

Whenever Tony Stark was unable to perform his duties as Iron Man, he often let his closest allies fill in for him. Jim Rhodes was such an ally. Not only did he help to keep Stark in check, but he also donned the red and gold on many occasions. When Stark was presumed dead, Rhodey decided to claim Tony's "other" suit, a black and silver piece of pure destruction. I think this is what T.I. was trying to make in his mansion! You'll see what I mean when Don Cheadle plays him in the movie "Iron Man 2" next year.

Real Name: Carl Lucas

Abilities: Super-strength and durability, healing factor similar to Wolverine

Suggested Reading: "Power Man and Iron Fist"

Even before the shaved head and the wife-beater undershirt, Luke Cage was a man of controversy. He entered the world of comics during the so-called "Blaxploitation" era in the movie world. You know, Shaft? Black Belt Jones? That was pretty much what Luke Cage was: an Afro-wearing, flashy-dressing, smooth-talking, face-punching detective. Not everyone was ready for the Power Man, but he was very good at what he did. He stood up against that fool named Iron Man during the Civil War, comparing the Superhero Registration Act to Jim Crow. I would like to see this on film, with Tyrese screaming at Robert Downey Jr. It could happen!

Real Name: Michael Holt

Abilities: "Third Smartest Man in the World", Olympic-level athlete

Suggested Reading: "Justice Society of America"

Mister Terrific is a lot like Batman. He doesn't have any real powers, so he either outsmarts his enemies, or he makes them defeat themselves. Perhaps his 14 PhD’s have something to do with this. I personally like the idea of a black hero that is also a genius. He invented the "T-Spheres", floating orbs that create a holographic computer and make him invisible to motion detectors and other machines. That would make getting on an airplane a breeze. The only thing I don't like about Terrific is the fact that he became an atheist. I know it's probably due to the death of his pregnant wife, but I wish the writers would have handled that differently. Other than that, I'm down with "Fair Play."

Real Name: Jefferson Pierce

Abilities: Electricity generation and control

Suggested Reading: "Black Lightning: Year One"

Black Lightning comes from a long list of black guys with the word "Black" in their name. Black Panther, Black Vulcan, Black Racer, Black Manta, Black Goliath... get the picture? Still, Jeff Pierce stood out over the rest of them. He was the champion of the "Suicide Slum" district of Metropolis, you know, the part that Superman forgets to check. Then, Batman asked him to be a founding member of The Outsiders, a slightly darker version of the Justice League. And when Lex Luthor became President (gasp!), Jeff was his Secretary of Education. He is also a super-father; his daughters Thunder and Lightning are both heroes. He was also a member of the Justice League until he recently rejoined the Outsiders. So to me, he's touched more parts of the board than the other, um, "Black" people.

Real Name: Virgil Hawkins

Abilities: Electromagnetism manipulation

Suggested Reading: "Static Shock", "Terror Titans"

In the recent aftermath of the weekly comic series dubbed "52", Static and other the "Milestone Comics" characters canonically arrived in the DCU. But their reputation has been growing for a decade. In particular, Static has enjoyed post-Milestone success with the "Static Shock" animated series and guest spots in the hit show "Justice League Unlimited". In terms of his powers, he's a cross between Black Lightning and Magneto. That means he can choose to fly on a metal saucer, or charge it with electricity and throw it at you if he likes that better. Recently, he's taken his magnetic personality to the Teen Titans.

Real Name: Victor Stone

Abilities: Prosthetic body parts grant super-human strength and intelligence

Suggested Reading: "Tales of the Teen Titans", "The Technis Imperative"

An experiment in a lab ended with half of his body being destroyed. When he regained consciousness, young Victor Stone was half-man, half-machine. His appearance made him awkward to the public eye; even his own girlfriend wouldn't have him. Vic's life turned around after joining the youthful Teen Titans. Among new friends such as Robin, Starfire and Kid Flash, he became a standout among teenaged comic fans. And he's pretty hard to kill; whenever his body gets blown to bits, the Titans either make him new limbs or download his mind into a new body. He also has an even younger fan base with the "Teen Titans" anime-style series.

Real Name: Lucas Bishop

Abilities: Energy absorption and projection, can instinctively determine his location and the present date and time, even after sleeping

Suggested Reading: X-Men: Age of Apocalypse", "Messiah Complex"

Bishop is a jerk. With a capital "J". But he's one of those jerks that you root for anyway, kind of like Scarface. Born into dystopia, Bishop travels back in time in an attempt to make the future a better place. But that usually involves guns. He mellows out when he joins the X-Men, but he still hasn't adjusted to the "present day" atmosphere. He and his sister Shard grew up in a concentration camp, where all mutants are branded with an "M" on their faces. And he will do anything to save the future. The recent events of "Messiah Complex" have put him against the X-Men, which is very disappointing. But to this day, the words "Bishop" and "Black Hero" always end up in the same sentence.

Real Name: John Stewart

Abilities: Green Power Ring allows him to create objects by simply thinking about them

Suggested Reading: "Green Lantern: Mosaic"

There are actually thousands of Green Lanterns in the DC Universe. So it is standard practice to feature members other than the star character, Hal Jordan. Whether Hal was tied up, injured or no longer alive, John Stewart was there to pick up the pieces. The Detroit native (like me) has a background in architecture. That trade makes him one of the finest users of the Power Ring. Although he has briefly displayed some overconfidence, John eventually becomes a hero on Earth and other parts of the galaxy. Yet, the fan boys would start to miss Hal, and John would get pushed to the back burner. Many were shocked when he, instead of Hal, was featured in the 2001 series, "Justice League", on Cartoon Network. But in no time, John became so popular that the writers decided to put John in the comic version of the Justice League.

Real Name: Ororo T'Challa

Abilities: Weather manipulation, flight, can withstand extreme temperatures

Suggested Reading: "X-Treme X-Men"

The number one spot on this list is only suitable for royalty. And that is exactly what Storm is. After making her now historic debut in "Giant-Size X-Men #1", Storm soon became an icon to all lovers of comics. Who doesn't want the power to control the weather? When it starts raining, send the clouds to your mother-in-law's house. Think about that. The writers did a good job of conveying a Black Woman that is powerful and beautiful, similar to Wonder Woman. She shows outstanding leadership on field missions. And she takes on a motherly role for the students of Professor X.

Storm became second-in-command of the X-Men after Cyclops, and has also led her own versions of the group. She has an interesting weakness: claustrophobia - an illness that strives to cope with. But it is also a trait that many people can identify with. Storm recently left the X-Men after her marriage to King T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther. But this has only led to new adventures in her native land of Africa. Besides comic appearances, Storm has been featured in nearly every X-Men TV series and video game. And of course, Halle Berry brought her even more fans with her portrayal in the X-Men movie trilogy.

Well, that's all I have for now. I highly recommend checking these characters out if you haven't already done so. Happy reading!