Favorites – 12 Favorite Black Characters in Comic Books

You know, I really haven’t done much for Black History Month here. I tend not to do much in February anyway. Heck, I’d rather talk about us any other time. Why regulate blackness to one month anyway? Maybe I shouldn’t complain since a lot of history could and does get swept under the rug. It’s also possible that I’m just filling up space with this paragraph. After all, I’m usually a dude with few words.

Since it’s Black History Month and Black Panther is finally coming to theaters, it’s time to get to this post. I’ve wanted to do this for a while but never knew when to do it. While there aren’t many, there are some cool black characters in comics. While some of them aren’t necessarily my favorites, there are some I really like. I especially like when they’re actually well-written. I’d probably say that Marvel uses them better but DC has good ones too. So, here are some of my favorite Black characters from comic books. It’s also not in any order either. First, I have some honorable mentions:

• Bishop (Marvel) – Lucas Bishop’s up here mostly because he may be the second black superhero I ever ran across. For those who don’t know, he’s another X-Man from the future. I first saw him on the 90’s X-Men cartoon. I thought his power set (he can absorb energy and use that energy) was pretty cool. There’s also the fact that was one of the only X-Men who had sense to carry weapons. That being said, I was not a fan of what the writers did with the character around the late 2000’s. How can you turn one of the only black dudes on the X-Men into a villain? At least he’s not like that now.
• Falcon (Marvel) – Sam Wilson isn’t really one of my favorites. Guys who fly and can communicate with birds aren’t my thing. I also haven’t read much of anything with him in it. Still, I did like his turn as Captain America when he was written by Nick Spencer. Yeah, it’s the guy who made Steve Rogers into a fascist. We can’t all be perfect. Also, Anthony Mackie has been killing it in the MCU. Maybe he gets to wield a shield in a later movie?
• Black Lightning (DC) – Then, there’s DC’s first black superhero. As you can tell by the name, Black Lightning has power over electricity. I really didn’t see any of Jefferson Pierce until Infinite Crisis. He was pretty cool in Brad Meltzer’s run on JLA. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen much from him since then. I haven’t even gotten to watch the CW show yet. I’ve heard that it’s good, so here’s hoping I can get some more Lightning goodness there.
• Bronze Tiger (DC) – Ben Turner, aka Bronze Tiger, is pretty much in the antihero side of things. While he has been a villain (especially on CW’s Arrow), he’s sometimes a good guy. I talked about him last month. While I haven’t read a lot on him, I like what I’ve read so far. He’s just a dude who’s awesome at martial arts. That’s cool to me. If you saw what I was posting last month, you’d see that.

1. Storm (Marvel)

First, we got someone who’s probably the first black female superhero I remember seeing: Ororo Monroe, aka Storm. I first ran into her on the 90’s X-Men cartoon. She was pretty cool with her powers and awesome attitude. I don’t think I really fell for her until I started to read Chris Claremont’s run on the X-Men. Unfortunately, this is one area where the X-Men movies (which I like) kind of fail. While she’s kind and caring, she is one woman you don’t want to mess with. She’s even a good leader. If Cyclops ain’t around, I’d put her in charge. Last but not least, as a male, I’m obligated to say that she looks quite nice… What? I know y’all are thinking that too!

2. Zach Taylor, the first Black Ranger (Boom! Studios)

Yes, this is kind of a cheat. I know he’s not a comic book character, but he’s currently in a comic book produced by Boom Studios, so there! While I was probably related more to Billy, Zach was just cool. He could dance, he was sometimes cool with the ladies, and he knew martial arts. What’s not to like? Yeah, they made him the Black Ranger and that was questionable, but he probably had the best weapon on the team. Yes, an ax that can double for a shotgun is awesome. Where do you think Mack on Agents of SHIELD got the idea?

3. Green Lantern John Stewart (DC)

Next up is the third (or fourth if you count Alan Scott) Green Lantern. He’s pretty much the serious one out of the group of Earth’s Green Lanterns.  He’s a Marine that puts up with little crap. While the comic version’s cool, I’m more a fan of the animated version. I first ran into John on the Justice League animated series where he was voiced by Phil LaMarr. When I think of someone who’s cool, calm, and collected, I usually think of Captain Benjamin Sisko. John’s probably next on the list.

4. Cyborg (DC)

Next up is the Teen Titans’/Justice League’s resident… cyborg. You’d think Vic would have a more original name, right? Anyway, he’s the tech powerhouse on both teams. I first ran into Cyborg on the Teen Titans cartoon. While he was less morose that his comic counterpart, he was cool all the same. He took what could have been a disability to him and made it work. He even got cooler for me when I started to read more books especially the from the Wolfman/Perez era. I will say that while I like his time in the Justice League, I wish it didn’t come at the expense of his time with the Titans. Still, Vic’s a cool character.

5. Steel (DC)

Before you say anything, I’m not talking about the 1997 trainwreck of a movie. John Henry Irons was one of the four replacements from the "Reign of the Supermen" storyline. After Superman came back, Steel pretty much became a hero in his own right. Even though he hasn’t had the best exposure, I always liked the guy. While he was just a smart guy in a metal suit, he was actually the replacement who was most like Superman. He had the morals down while the other three replacements didn’t. I’m glad Steel didn’t disappear into the background afterwards.  

6. Vixen (DC)

Next up is Mari McCabe, aka Vixen. She’s in the possession of a totem that gives her the spirits of animals. She then uses their spirits to do some pretty cool things. I first ran into her on Justice League Unlimited where she was voiced by Gina Torres. Since then, I’ve read more things involving her like Justice League of America and Suicide Squad.  I haven’t seen her CW appearances yet, though. She’s cool all-around with that power set of hers. Also, I don’t know of many folk who can pull off Wolverine’s hairdo. She almost made it work.

7. Black Panther (Marvel)

Next up, we got the one who more or less made this post possible. The Black Panther is the king of Wakanda, a technologically advanced country in Africa. Not only is the leader of a country, he’s also a superhero that uses the country’s vibranium to fight evil. While I ran into the character over the years, I really didn’t get him until I saw Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on Disney XD. Since then, I’ve read more about T’Challa and Wakanda. He’s a cool dude who wears many hats. He’s a king, a spiritual leader, and a cool superhero.

8. Blue Marvel (Marvel)

Next up is a more recent creation: Adam Brashear, aka Blue Marvel. Created by Underworld writer, Kevin Grevieoux, Blue Marvel was an unknown hero from Marvel’s past. He was forced into retirement by the government when it was revealed he was black. In current day Marvel, he’s back at the job and was part of the Mighty Avengers and the New Ultimates. Blue Marvel is like a nice mix of Superman and Mr. Fantastic. I liked his time on both of those teams and I hope he doesn’t go into Comics Limbo.

9. Amanda Waller (DC)

Next, we got pretty much the most normal person on the list. Still, she may be the scariest person on the list. Amanda Waller is the head of Task Force X and oversees the government-sponsored villain team, the Suicide Squad. I also first ran into her on Justice League Unlimited. While she is no villain, she’s definitely not a nice lady. This is someone that gives the Batman concern, so that’s a plus in my book. There’s a reason folk call her “The Wall” and it’s not because of her weight either. Yeah, I wasn’t happy with the young, thin Waller of the New 52 since Waller being older and overweight made her stand out. Whether it’s animation or live-action, Waller’s awesome.

10. Luke Cage (Marvel)

Next, there’s Marvel’s street-level powerhouse, Luke Cage. Through a prison experiment gone wrong, Luke was given an unbreakable body and super strength. He’s more or less the Golden Age Superman but he’s sometimes a worse dresser. I ran into Luke during his time on New Avengers and I’ve liked him since then. I liked the power set and overall attitude. He just oozes coolness. The Marvel Netflix shows have also done the character justice in my eyes.

11. Static (Milestone/DC)

I think I need Lil’ Romeo to intro me on this one. Next up is Virgil Hawkins, aka Static, from Milestone Comics. Milestone was (or is, it’s supposed to be coming back) published under DC’s watch. Virgil is an ordinary teen who the ability to control and generate electricity. Is there a correlation between black folk and electricity? I first ran into him on the Kids’ WB show, Static Shock. Since then, I haven’t read too much of his stuff but I’m planning to one day. Static is pretty much the equivalent of a young Spider-Man. The comic and TV show highlighted him in various ways. While he’s not one of my favorites, he’s still one dude that is pretty cool.

12. Blade (Marvel)

Finally, we got the Daywalker. Blade is a human-vampire hybrid who hunts vampires. He may also do some other hero work, but the supernatural is his turf. I actually first ran into him on the 90’s Spider-Man cartoon where he was weirdly voiced. Then, we got the Blade movies with Wesley Snipes and that TV show with… Sticky Fingaz. Yep. While Blade may not be the deepest character around, he is a cool one. He’s got the fighting skills and he looks good while doing it.

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Well, I’ll stop here since I could list a few more characters. These are just some of the cool black characters in comics.  If you have any characters you like or want to know out why I didn’t put Miles Morales on here, let me know. Until then, Peace, God Bless, and stay woke, y'all. I see you nodding off in class!