10 Notable Black Superheroes

This is a sidebar I wrote to complement the Burning Dark story:

Black Panther
First Appearance: Fantastic Four #52 (1966, Marvel Comics)
One of the first mainstream Black heroes to be portrayed in a positive light, the Black Panther is T'Challa, the dignified king of the imaginary, technologically advanced, African nation of Wakanda. The character came under fire by some for not being radical enough. He received his own series in 1977 and gained the spotlight more recently in a series written by Christopher Priest (whose comments about Firestorm artist ChrisCross can be seen in Burning Dark).

Wesley Snipes has lobbied studios for years to get a Black Panther movie made.

Luke Cage
First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (1972, Marvel Comics)
Luke Cage was the first Marvel comic to take its title exclusively from a Black character. A former gang member, Cage is framed for a crime he did not commit. In prison he volunteers for a medical experiment that ends up giving him incredible strength; he then escapes and becomes a mercenary "hero for hire" under the moniker of Power Man. A sign of the times, he sported an Afro and dressed in open-chested threads with a butterfly collar.

Blade
First Appearance: Tomb of Dracula #10 (1973, Marvel Comics)
Blade's mother was pregnant when she was bit by a vampire and died giving birth to him. Blade gained the strength of vampires and immunity to their bites, making him their most feared enemy. Vowing to avenge the death of his mother, he became the leader of a small group of vampire hunters.

The 1998 film "Blade" and its 2002 sequel, both starring Wesley Snipes as the title character, earned more than $150 million. A third film, "Blade: Trinity," will hit theaters this December.

Storm
First Appearance: Giant Size X-Men #1 (1975, Marvel Comics)
Storm is one of the rare Black female superheroes and undoubtedly the most well-known. Born Ororo Munroe in New York, her family moved to Africa when she was only 6 months old. Her parents died when a plane crashed into her home and she still suffers from claustrophobia due to the incident. Her mutant power - the ability to control the weather - garnered the attention of Professior Xavier, who convinced her to join the X-Men, of which she is the only Black female member.

Storm was portrayed by Halle Berry in the 2000 film "X-Men" and its 2003 sequel, "X2: X-Men United."

Black Lightning
First Appearance: Black Lightning #1 (1977, DC Comics)
Black Lightning was DC's first Black superhero. Jefferson Pierce, a famed Olympic athlete, returns to his old high school to teach and decides to end the school's drug problems. His powers, including an electro-shield that can repel bullets, come from his costume's belt. The character was revived in 1995 for a 20-issue run.

Green Lantern John Stewart
First Appearance: Green Lantern #87 (1977, DC Comics)
John Stewart was selected to act as alternate Green Lantern should Hal Jordan become incapacitated. Idealistic, John championed the oppressed, and was eventually given full status in the Green Lantern Corps. Although his overconfidence resulted in the destruction of a planet, he was later reinstated.

John can be seen as the Green Lantern in the "Justice League" animated series on the Cartoon Network.

Cyborg
First Appearance: New Teen Titans #1 (1980, DC Comics)
Victor Stone was a child genius whose scientist father forced him to constantly study. Finding solace in sports, Victor excelled in boxing, track and basketball. He became Cyborg when half of his face and body were severely damaged in an attack at his father's lab. His father used his inventions to save his son's life.

Cyborg can currently be seen in the "Teen Titans" animated series on the Cartoon Network and on the Kids' WB lineup.

Spawn
First Appearance: Spawn #1 (1992, Image Comics)
Al Simmons was a former CIA agent who was killed during a covert operation. He made a deal with the devil to return to life to be with his wife Wanda and their daughter. But the devil sent him back to Earth years later - after his wife has remarried his best friend - as a Hellspawn. He has tremendous powers, but also a hideously scarred appearance.

One of the best-selling comics of all time, Spawn has been an incredible financial success for its author, Todd McFarlane, who named the character after his real-life friend, Al Simmons. In addition to the multiple comic book series, Spawn has had an animated series on HBO, a 1997 feature film, numerous toys and a Playstation video game.

Steel
First Appearance: Superman, Man of Steel #22 (1993, DC Comics)
Scientist John Henry Irons invented technology that found its way into lethal street-gang weapons. Distraught by the destruction his work had caused, he created an armored flying suit to fight crime. Inspired by Superman, who had recently died, he wore a metal S-shield. After Superman returned, he continued to fight crime as Steel, but no longer wore the crest.

The character was the basis for the 1997 feature film starring Shaquille O'Neal.

Static
First Appearance: Static #1 (1993, Milestone Media)
Virgil Hawkins is an average teenager, struggling with the experience of high school. After being beaten up by bullies, he decides to buy a gun. Reconsidering his decision, he is later given powers of static electricity in a freak occurrence.

Although his comic book was canceled years ago, along with the other Milestone Media titles, he is now the star of the "Static Shock" animated series on the Kids' WB lineup.