Hey guys!
Welcome back to Top 10 Nerd, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey.
Historically, most superheroes have been fairly monochromatic.
And by that I mean, they white.
But in recent years, we’ve seen a nice surge of representation in comics, and while controversial
to some, it has definitely widened the spectrum of heroes.
There are some pretty awesome black heroes out there now, both new and old!
So, in honour of Black History Month, it’s time for the Top 10 Black Superheroes!
Number 10: Black Panther.
With the Black Panther movie on the way, comic fans everywhere have T'Challa on the brain.
And Black Panther follows the age-old tradition of using “Black” in the name of black
characters!
He was pretty revolutionary in comics, not only was he the first mainstream black superhero,
but he actually got his name BEFORE the Black Panther party got theirs.
So he was the OG.
T’Challa is a really sick hero though, both as the powerful and talented chief of the
Wakandas, and fighting crime with the help of his Vibranium Suit.
Definitely the coolest looking hero in the MCU, and his African origins were quite unique
in comic books from his time.
Number 9: Riri Williams.
Riri definitely has her haters, but that doesn't stop her from being an awesome character.
Riri came onto the scene in some pretty turbulent times, having essentially replaced one of
the most popular Marvel heroes ever, Tony Stark.
And the fact that she was a black women made it even harder for some fans to accept her.
However, she's really impressive.
Super smart, incredibly creative, and did I mention she built a frickin Iron Man Suit
in her dorm room at age 15?
She clearly knows her stuff.
So to any Riri haters out there: give her a chance.
It’s not like Tony was gone forever, and she definitely adds a new dimension to the
comics.
Number 8: Blade.
Blade might be pushing the definition of “Superhero” but I won’t be doing a “Top 10 Black Antiheroes”
list so he's gotta be on here.
Blade is a quasi-vampire who goes around and hunts down vamps.
Using a plethora of wicked weapons, including his signature double-edged sword, his comics
have some of the best hack and slash action out there.
Now, the early Blade comics are… not the most racially sensitive.
He was kind of a walking stereotype; in look and the things he says.
He was even trained by a black Jazz trumpeter.
Pretty cliche.
I mean, it’s not as bad as this (left), but it isn’t great.
That said, he was totally awesome and they get better, so I’ll take a bit of early
stereotyping to get a badass protagonist.
I say that like it's up to me.
Number 7: Black Lightning.
Jefferson Pierce grew up in the slums of Metropolis, living with his mother after his father was
killed.
While he had the power of electrokinesis, he was rather reluctant to use it in heroics,
only being convinced to become Black Lightning when he realized the cops just weren't doing
their jobs well enough.
In the comics, he keep his identity hidden by hamming up 70s black stereotypes while
in character, putting on an afro and talking all jive.
But, he's actually a really deep and interesting character, with varied interests including
a love of poetry.
He's an awesome athlete, so he's physically very fit, and he can even enhance his own
strength and durability with his powers.
Not too shabby.
Number 6: Steel.
Hoo boy.
Steel.
So, John Henry Irons, of course his last name was Irons, was a weapons engineer whose life
was saved by Superman.
In an attempt to make his life worthwile, Irons tried to help fight Doomsday.
With a sledgehammer.
Needless to say, it didn’t work, but he later built an awesome power suit and became
one of the 4 “Supermen” while the main man was assumed dead.
He went by “Man of Steel” which was later shortened to “Steel”.
And he could throw down.
And then he was totally screwed over when they decided to make a film about him starring
none other than Shaquille O’Frickin Neil.
Ugh.
Number 5: Miles Morales.
Miles Morales is the Spider-Man from an alternate universe, who took on the role after Peter’s
death.
He eventually ended up on Earth 616 following the destruction of Battleworld, and has been
a pretty popular version of the webslinger ever since.
He brings all new powers to the table.
He, unlike Peter, can essentially turn invisible by camouflaging against the background.
Plus, he can use bio-electrokinesis, which lets him electrocute people or deactivate
technology with venom blasts, using the energy in his body.
So sick.
As with any super hero semi-replacement, he was met with some backlash, and accusations
of, blackwashing, or something, but he’s since found a pretty nice spot on the Marvel
roster.
Number 4: John Stewart.
John Stewart was the 4th Green Lantern from Earth, having been brought on when Guy Gardner
was injured.
Stewart’s race was pushed to the forefront in his very first mission, when he was sent
to protect a racist politician.
While he initially seemed to shirk his duties out of hate for the racist, it was revealed
that he saw through the politician’s ruse.
Turns out the jerk was trying to fake an assassination attempt from an African American for political
gain.
John ended up being a pretty great Lantern, and quite the fan favourite.
He's quite a bit more serious than other lanterns, since he's a military veteran, which I really
like.
Plus, as the Master Builder, his constructs are some of the most impressive out there.
He might not be the most powerful of Earth's lanterns, but damn is he interesting.
Number 3: Luke Cage.
Luke Cage, unfortunately known as “Power Man” for a time, has seen an awful lot of
screen time recently with the new Marvel shows on Netflix.
With his super strength and bulletproof skin, he kicked all kinds of bad guy butt.
As a black man in the ‘70s, race has always been a significant factor in Cage’s heroics.
It's no coincidence that this proud, black man actually derives his power from his skin.
Unfortunately, that's a power that many people could use, both at the time and nowadays,
and he's been rather inspirational to people of colour over the years.
Now with his Netflix show drawing some weird criticism for having too many black people,
it seems like the fight is just beginning for Cage.
Number 2: Spawn.
I know, I know, he’s probably more of an antihero like Blade, but I love antiheroes
and Spawn is awesome.
And black.
And his skin colour was actually a pretty big part of his character.
If you’re unfamiliar, Al Simmons became Spawn when he died and made a deal with Malebolgia
to go back to Earth.
In a ballin costume.
And he killed criminals.
A lot.
Spawn was played by Michael Jai White in the 1997 movie, making him the first African American
to play a major superhero on film.
Spawn was actually so proud of his heritage that when given a chance to be returned to
a human body, he refused… because the body was white.
Number 1: Storm.
Storm is one of the most popular X-Men of all time, and she’s been involved in quite
a few stories about racism.
With the X-Men comics being so metaphorically entrenched in the Civil Rights movement, the
black female star of the comics was in the limelight a fair bit.
She was super iconic, as one of the few black members of the X-Men, and really one of the
few black superheroes for some time.
Plus, she wasn't just a token black character, she was one of the most powerful X-Men.
She had amazing abilities, plus she was the head of Xavier school, and even led the X-Men
for quite some time.
Storm was basically the epitome of the minority, as a black, female, mutant, and it really
resonated with a huge portion of the US and the world.
That’s it for today!
Hope you guys enjoyed, if you did please smack that thumbs up button and subscribe to Top
10 Nerd for more videos!
Did I miss your favourite?
Probably, I had to cut out a bunch that I really wanted to talk about.
If you want a part 2 I can do more!
Like Cyborg.
And Aqualad.
And Sam Wilson.
And Rhodey.
And Frozone!
And Hancock!
Argh there are so many good ones!
Anyway, until next time, I’m Ron McKenzie-Lefurgey with Top 10 nerd.
Later nerds!