Everyone has their favorite comic book hero, from Superman to Wolverine. But this month, Black History Month, I’m going to talk about my favorite Black heroes from comic books. I’ve chosen them because I can relate to them in one way or another, aside from just the main caveat being the color of their skin. They were people I looked up to and also just root for when things seem to just go awry, and they manage to pull through for me, each and every time. So, here is my list of my favorite Black heroes.
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Static Shock
To start my list, I shall begin with my favorite electric wielding hero, Static Shock aka Virgil Hawkins. Though he wasn’t born with his powers, he developed them after being exposed to radioactive chemicals, he chose to use his powers for good. I remember fondly rushing home from school to catch the cartoon and rooting for him to always come out on top. He also was more relatable because he was a kid who was also living the life of a teenager. He had to deal with the traditional pressures of school, family, girls, and of course, kicking some bad guy butt. All in all, I wanted to be like Static Shock because he was just a cool kid who lived life to the fullest.
Blade
Next on my list would have to be the criminally underrated badass hero, Blade. I still remember when the movies came out and Wesley Snipes was going around ripping vampires no orifices left and right. Though he was half-vampire, he was 100% awesome and to this day those movies resonate with me. Why, you ask? That’s because Blade was an outcast, he didn’t fit in as either human nor vampire, yet he still suffered the blights of both. This was something I could relate to because growing up in my family I felt like the black sheep of the family is that I didn’t really fit in with either side. I would wish I could be as bold as Blade was, and didn’t actually come into my own until I was much older.
Storm
Moving onwards, we have the MOTHER of all Waifus for me, the Queen of the Weather, the all-powerful and beautiful, Storm! Ever since seeing her appear in my mother’s X-Men comic book collection and then seeing her animated in the X-Men cartoon, she has been my most favorite heroine ever. I will still argue with people that she was the true leader of the X-Men even when they focused on it being Wolverine. I mean come on now, this woman has the ability if she wanted to, to create a global warming scenario without even breaking a sweat. I also love that she’s from Africa as well.
Miles Morales
Let’s move on to probably the BEST revamp of an all-time favorite hero of mine, Spiderman. I love the fact that they decided to go with Miles Morales as the new Spiderman. I remember back when I was a kid, wishing I had all the powers of Spiderman and just being able to have fun swinging through New York and just taking out bad guys. I love how they introduced him to the masses in his own movie, which is personally one of my all-time favorite Spiderman movies, even before Spiderman 2, but yeah being able to see a Black kid taking over the mantle of Spidey is a dream come true for me.
Shuri
Now to travel to Wakanda, and talk about the real heroine that hails from this imaginary country, Shuri. I mean if it weren’t for her and her superhuman brain, would T’Challa really be as awesome as he is now? I highly doubt it, and seeing her on the big screen as not just an amazing inventor, but also a ready to kick in some teeth fighter as well against Warmonger, I could ultimately die a happy man. Plus she also at one time WAS Black Panther too.
Black Panther
Now we have to talk about Black Panther, I mean he was the man who was able to charm the ever so amazing Ororo Monroe aka Storm after all. I mean he is just really awesome and I love his suit, but again that’s thanks to his sister, Shuri. Black Panther embodies the power and courage that I crave to have. He’s poised, humble, and all in all an awesome hero to watch and read about.
Bishop
Bishop I feel is not often spoken up when you discuss mutants and let alone a hero in the world of X-Men. I mean when I first saw him, I assumed him to be a “Black version of Cable” being that they both come from the future. Yet after getting to know more about him, I was able to resonate with Bishop because he was a “grandma’s boy” I know that sounds silly, but when you’re raised by your grandmother, seeing someone else in a world of heroes, makes them hold a special place in your heart for them.
This wraps up my list of Black heroes. Though I know there are more Black heroes and heroines out there, these are the ones that I resonated with the most. Who are your favorites?
