Black Superheroines!

Collecting Black Comix

2010-07-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Check out this GQ article - "Collecting Black Comix: African-American Superheroes and the Luke Cage Problem" . It's a great read.

Lana Kane

2010-01-10T20:27:00.000-08:00

Nothing like a new post for the new year!

This time from a cartoon that hasn't even premiered yet. FX's new series Archer - premiering this Thursday - features a secret agent named Lana Kane, voiced by the very funny and talented Aisha Tyler.

From FX's website:

Strong, voluptuous and often exasperated, Lana Kane is a star agent at ISIS as well as Sterling's former girlfriend. Lana has a penchant for adult films and is currently dating ISIS comptroller Cyril Figgis, to the mystification of her colleagues.
Most people first fell for Aisha Tyler's unique brand of comedy while watching her host E!'s Emmy-winning pop culture crucible Talk Soup. As the first woman and first African-American to host the show, she instantly became a comedic cult icon.

This show isn't kid friendly, so watch the video below at THIS link at your own discretion. Personally, I think the show looks hilarious. I'll definitely be giving it a chance.

ScritchandScratch.com

2009-11-20T05:20:00.000-08:00

Scratch from ScritchandScratch.com - a sketch blog - has created this amazing vintage-inspired illustration based on b.vikki vintage posts (my other blog). I love comics and I love vintage, so this is right up my alley. Any converging of the two is a welcome treat. The hair and the dress are pitch perfect. And her face... She's fiiiieeerrce!

Make sure to check out the very talented duo at ScritchandScratch.com.

Negro Romance Comics - 1950

2009-11-03T17:16:00.001-08:00

Two of my interests converged! Black comics and vintage African-American images!

For that reason, this post is a crossover on both my Black Superheroines blog and on b.vikki vintage.

I'd never heard of the 1950 Fawcett Publications comic Negro Romance until about two weeks ago, and still, I haven't been able to find any images from within its three issues. But the cover photography is charming.

This from TomChristopher.com:

Fawcett published 3 issues of Negro Romance on a bi monthly schedule between June and October of 1950, with the second issue being reprinted by Charlton as Negro Romances # 4 dated May 1955.

Unfortunately, that is about as much as I've been able to find about the Negro Romance series. There's lots of regurgitation of the tidbits above around the internet, but no information to add. And apparently, becuase of their obscurity and rarity, the Negro Romance issues sell for hundreds of dollars each.

Margay & Janet Sorenson

2009-09-13T07:03:00.001-07:00

This one is a reader submission, from Jason Hargrove! I don't think I've ever mentioned this before, but if anyone who reads this blog knows about an awesome Black superheroine, Black female comic book character, or female cartoon character of color that I haven't featured, send it in: becca.oneal@gmail.com. I've got like 100 characters backed up, but there are never enough.

The tragic supervillain! Equinox, Terrance Sorenson, certainly fits the bill. He was dealt an unfortunate hand and didn't know how to play it to win. His power of pyrokenesis drove him mad and ruined his life. His mother, Margay Sorenson, a Bard College scientist worked with Spiderman and Reed Richards to get his abilities under control. With her funding in trouble, Equinox turned to crime to help his mother's money troubles.

I'm sensing a comic book/sci-fi theme: the unwilling villain and the mother who tries to save him or her. Think Proteus and Moira Mactaggart, Liz Sherman (Hellboy), et al.

Janet Sorenson, Equinox's daughter, discovered her power to produce energy blasts at age 6 - and her father, remembering his horrible experiences (which were eventually placated by his mother's research), tried everything he could to get her to control her powers, which she couldn't. She was basically setting Harlem on fire, one outburst at a time. Equinox even tried resorting to violence.

The Sorenson women had unfortanate dealings with the men in their lives in general. Margay was abused by Equinox's father, David Sorenson (an explosion in his thermodynamics lab resulted in Equinox getting his powers), and Terry, in turn, was violent with his daughter. I don't want to jump to the conclusion that Black families in comics often deal with abuse, drugs, disfunction, and violence issues, - because that's a theme in comics (AND, unfortunately, LIFE for people of all races) in general - but I've seen it more often than I like.

Orange Blossom

2009-09-13T05:57:00.000-07:00

In doing research for this post, I learned that Strawberry Shortcake fandom is NO JOKE! It's hardcore and very intense. There's merchandise, events, life-size costumes for adults and children, offshoot comics, cartoons, DVDs, and much much more.

I happened upon this character by accident this morning. I was watching some a.m. Doctor Who (couldn't sleep), went to turn up the volume, the remote flips to Strawberry Shortcake on another channel SOMEHOW, and onto the screen pops Orange Blossom. How fortuitous!

The Strawberry Shortcake franchise has existed for almost 30 years - and my aunt, Felicia, LOVED the series, even going as far to insist on being called Strawberry Shortcake as a child. Strawberry Shortcake is an institution and the fandom is EVERYWHERE.

On to Orange Blossom. There are two iterations of this character - the first in the cartoon that premiered in the 1980s - the second in the 2003 reboot of the program. In the 1980s version, Orange Blossom is an urban artist from what I assume is NYC (in the show referred to as Big Apple City - and the show is filled with names like that. The characters live in places like Strawberry Land, Cookie Corners, and Huckleberry Briar. It's all very twee.), with a pet butterfly named Marmalade. In the 2003 series, she lives in Orange Blossom Acres in an orange tree shaped house.

Moonday

2009-09-04T23:42:00.000-07:00

Sandra "Moonday" Hawke briefly dated Oliver Queen, the first Green Arrow. Their tryst led to a pregnancy and the birth of Connor Hawke, who often acted as Green Arrow in his father's absence. Sandra is the daughter of a Korean war veteran and farmer, Nathan Hawke. Because of several misunderstandings and his interpreting her wanting a more serious relationship as a ploy to get money, Oliver and Sandra's love life was often tempestuous. Moonday later remarried a man named Milo Armitage, an arms dealer she, rather than divorcing, decide to abandon in Africa... She also happens to be a half-Korean, former hippie, model, and actress.

Leila Taylor

2009-09-04T23:29:00.001-07:00

In the Marvel comic Captain American and Falcon, Leila Taylor first appears. Soon after she begins a reluctant relationship with Falcon. Taylor, a civil rights activist and journalist, saw Falcon as a conformist, which strained their courtship. After working together to prevent a plot to sneak toxic chemicals onto American soil, Leila and Falcon are able to overlook their superficial differences and eventually get engaged.

Vibrania

2009-08-31T06:56:00.000-07:00

Firstly, Did anyone else hear that Disney is buying Marvel for $4 billion??? What a way to start the day! I don't know how to feel about this. I just hope Disney doesn't try to anesthetize my comics!

On to Vibrania. The more involved a character history, the more invested in that character I become - which explains my interest in Vibrania (who first appears in 1990 alongside Marvel's Speedball in Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 3 #4). Vibrania's entire history is invented: she comes from the fictional African nation Kwarrai and was paralyzed, but also ultimately granted her powers (and name) by the alloy Vibranium, a metal which only exists in the Marvel Universe (the same Vibranium of which Captain America's shield is comprised).

Vibrania's powers include the abilities to project Vibranium blasts (???) , affect the Earth's plates and create targeted tectonic shifts to distract her opponents, and surround herself with a Vibranium force field.

Vibrania's first exposure the the fictional element occurred after an encounter in her father's lab left her paralyzed and wheel-chair bound, unable to move from the waist down. After an Earthquake destroyed her home land and killed many of her loved ones, the latent effects of her exposure were made evident.

Susie Carmichael

2009-08-03T02:39:00.001-07:00

Cree Summer strikes again!

This time with Rugrats character Susie Carmichael ( Susanna "Susie" Yvonne Carmichael - I used to LOVE that show!). On Rugrats Susie was the daughter of fictional show Dummi Bear's writer, Randy Carmichael, and pilot, La Cordon Bleu trained chef, and doctor, Lucy Carmichael.

Susie's character had a rivalry with Angelica, had a short lived spin-off titled The Carmichaels, and was featured (not prominently) on Rugrats: All Grown Up, in which she was a teenage singer and entertainer.

Krystalin

2009-08-03T02:20:00.000-07:00

Krystalin (Krys Porter/Ruth Kristen) first appears in X-Men (2099) #1. She has the ability to gather and consolidate mineral content from the atmosphere into hardened crystals that she can, in turn, use as weapons or to encase and freeze an enemy.

Marcy

2009-07-01T08:02:00.001-07:00

Bunny is an obscure comic to say the least - and its main character, the eponymous Bunny Ball is littler known still.

Marcy, a member of the funk band, Soular System, was one of Bunny Ball's best friends and favorite shopping buddy.

Honestly, vintage comics from the 60s and 70s have some of my FAVORITE Black Female characters. The clothes, the art, EVERYTHING.

My next post will be of a character with some actual POWERS!
=)

Maxine Gibson

2009-06-17T23:32:00.000-07:00

Seriously? Does Cree Summer voice EVERY black female cartoon character? I'm just going to go out on a limb and say - almost.

I'm exaggerating, but only a LITTLE BIT. That's the crazy part.

Which brings me to Maxine Gibson, 17-year-old computer genius from the cartoon Batman Beyond. Maxine uses her technological abilities to try to uncover Batman's secret identity - in the process, she got tangled up with a suspected emissary of the Joker, from who Batman saved her... so now she works with Batman, lending her expertise to his crime-solving arsenal.

Nancy Woods

2009-06-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

Archie = Comic book CLASSIC! It spawned Betty & Veronica, Josie and the Pussycats, countless teen lifestyle comics, and more.

Nancy Woods was Archie's only Black Female character and also appears in Betty and Veronica. She attends the same high school as the comic's three other main characters, Betty, Veronica, and Midge.

Nancy's original last name in the comic was Harris.

Wanda & Cyan Fitzgerald (Zealot) + Granny Blake

2009-06-13T06:23:00.001-07:00

Three generations of Black Female comic book characters in one post!

Wanda, Cyan, and Granny Blake appear in the Image Comic Spawn. Wanda was Al Simmons' wife (who the bastard abused!) before he died and reappeared as Spawn. Wanda remarried Al's friend after his death and had a daughter, Cyan, who - in an alternate future - becomes Zealot. Granny Blake is Wanda's mother.

Cyan as Zealot:

Syn

2009-05-06T14:42:00.001-07:00

Det. Wanda 'Synaethesia' Jackson is a detective and possesses the unique talents that come along with the condition, synesthesia - she literally sees sounds (Like the NERD album lol). It's a condition where all 5 senses are interconnected and often mixed up... so when you touch something of a certain texture or hear a specific noise, you get a corresponding taste in your mouth... just an example. This makes her a keen detective as she can see colorful auras around suspicious people. Syn also has mild psychic and precognitive abilities.

Cassie

2009-05-06T14:41:00.001-07:00

This is unrelated, but I used to LOVE Animorphs as a kid and Cassie was one of my favorite characters. She's an empath and can sense the feelings, intentions, and motivations of others before they can themselves. She can also morph into many animals - including a wolf. Her parents are veterinarians and Cassie is a vegetarian and environmentalist.

Debrii

2009-05-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

Debrii first appeared in Marvel's New Warriors. She has the ability to move objects around her through telekinetic magnetism. She can move things one at a time or create a cyclone-like mass of debris around herself to defend from attacks.

Shondra Kinsolving

2009-05-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

Shondra Kinsolving is Batman's therapist. She has the ability to heal metaphysically, is psychic, and can also use her powers to kill when in the presence of other powerful metahumans.

Jet

2009-03-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Birthname: Celia Windward... Jet is Jamaican and has the ability to fly, create blasts of heat and force, and generate electromagnetic pulse, move and manipulate metal with magnetic fields, fire blasts of electricity, and see in other frequencies of the spectrum besides visible light such as ultraviolet and infrared. She first appeared in DC Millenium #2 in 1988.

Monica & Maya (Heroes)

2009-03-28T22:45:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, I've never gotten into Heroes. I watched the pilot episode and missed the next few and never tried to catch up - Regardless, I'll try to sum these characters up as best I can. Monica, played by Dana Davis (top 3 photos), is from New Orleans, works at a fast food restaurant, is the cousin of a character named Micah, and has adoptive muscle memory - which basically means that after she sees something once, in person or otherwise, her mind records it and she acquires that skill, either temporarily or permanently. This power applies to martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, playing the piano, cooking, etc.

Here's a clip of Monica beating the BREAKS off of a would-be robber:

Maya, played by Dania Ramirez, is from the Dominican Republic and has (or had?) the ability to emit poison and cry black tears (if you can't tell, I'm kind of lost in these character descriptions because they're pretty complex, so I don't know if the black tears ARE the poison or...). She tries to make her way with her twin to America to meet a doctor who can help her with her abilities and ends up killing some people on the way - but she's not evil.

Lightning

2009-03-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

I profiled a character named THUNDER aka Arissa Pierce in one of my earlier volumes of Black Female Superheroes, not realizing that in the DC COMICS Universe, she had a younger sister named Lightning aka Jennifer Pierce (fitting, no? Thunder and Lightning?) Their father is Black Lightning. She doesn't yet have the ability to control her powers and often shocks people and shorts out any electrical appliance she touches. She can also shoot lightning bolts out of her palms.

Callisto

2009-03-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Callisto is also played by actress Dania Ramirez, so she's tied with Halle for how many superheroines she's portrayed; the two appeared in X-Men: The Last Stand together. I should also mention that I have a personal affinity for all things X-Men related. I was OBSESSED with the cartoon as a kid of the 90s and I still watch it on Toon Disney, even though they're BOGUS for only showing it at midnight and 1:30am - probably because they know all the people who love the show are adults now lol. But I've seriously digressed. On to Callisto: She has superhuman senses, heightened strength, speed and agility, accelerated healing abilities, and can sense mutants' powers and their magnitude - an ability she uses to locate other mutants. At some point, she got tentacled arms. She wasn't written as a Black character, but I'll take them where I can get them lol. In the cartoon, she was the leader of an underground group of deformed mutants called the Morlocks - she wanted to capture Cyclops to reproduce with her and rule by her side.

Here's a clip of Storm and Callisto fighting:

Uhura

2009-03-03T14:12:00.000-08:00

I have never ever EVER seen an episode of Star Trek, but I still love Uhura. The original Uhura was played by Nichelle Nichols and in the upcoming Star Trek Movie, a younger Uhura will be played by Zoe Saldana. The audience got to see Uhura go from a Lieutenant all the way to a captain through the course of the show. Nichols wanted to leave after her first season, but was persuaded by Martin Luther King Jr himself to stay on. Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to fly in space, sited Uhura as an influence on her choice of profession.

Trivia - Mae Jemison actually appeared on the show in a cameo.

The Yellow Ranger

2009-03-03T14:10:00.001-08:00

Who DIDN'T love the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers???? It was definitely one of my favorite shows growing up, along with Wishbone (the dog that reenacted classic literature) and the X-Men Cartoon. Naturally, the Yellow and Pink Rangers were my favorite. The Yellow Ranger's real name was Aisha Campbell. She turned into the Sabertooth Tiger-bot when they morphed and when they became the Ninja Rangers, she was a Bear. Gotta love the Yellow Ranger!

Valerie Brown

2009-03-03T14:06:00.000-08:00

From the pictures above, you can tell that Valerie Brown probably wasn't exactly a SUPERHERO.... but she was a pretty awesome cartoon and comic strip character from Josie and the Pussycats. She performed backup in the band, played many instruments, and wrote most of the songs. She was also the one to get the girls out of most of their jams as she was a genius (a la Velma from Scooby Doo). Rosario Dawson played Valerie in the Josie and the Pussycats live action movie in 2001.

2009-03-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Numbuh 5

Numbuh 5, aka Abagail Lincoln, appears on the cartoon Codename: Kids Next Door and is voiced by Cree Summer (does she do the voice of ALL young, black, female cartoon characters???? lol). She's French and Black, speaks in 3rd person, is second in command in the Kids Next Door, has a weakness for candy, sweets, and ice cream, and has an evil older sister - whose name happens to be Cree.

Diana

2009-03-03T14:02:00.000-08:00

Diana The Acrobat appeared in the carton version of the board game Dungeons & Dragons. She's 14 years old, is outspoken and confident, and has a magical javelin that she uses to pole vault her way out of sticky situations. Her father was an astronomer and her brother a trained pilot.

Misty Magic

2009-03-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Misty Magic was a hero on the 1981 show Hero High and it's preceding Archie cartoon series. She had the power to cast clumsy magic spells that often went comically awry.

I wasn't born in 1981, but for those that were, here's the into to the Kids Super Power Hour with Shazam - which Hero High was apparently a part of:

Niobe

2009-03-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

I loved when Jada Pinkett-Smith showed up in the Matrix trilogy, especially since Will was originally among the first choices to play Neo. She appeared in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. She is a captain and pilot of the Zion ship Logos and was once romantically linked to Morpheus, from whom she parted once he visited The Oracle and began to spout his beliefs about his destiny and finding THE ONE, which Niobe never believed in. She is also very skilled in martial arts and has been successful in evading agents, including Agent Smith.

Shana Elmsford

2009-02-22T05:57:00.000-08:00

I was born in '87, so I was barely around for Jem - BUT that doesn't stop me from thinking the show was AWESOME (thanks YouTube)!

Shana Elmsford was the synth drummer - and later guitarist - in Jem's band, The Holograms. She met her bandmates in foster care at Starlight House (the home for girls founded by Jem), which allowed her to come out of her shell, as she was a shy, introverted child. Shana designed most of The Holograms' costumes and breifly left the band to become a full time fashion designer.

Something tells me that she and Friday Foster would definitely get along.

There were other Black Female characters on Jem amongst the Starlight Girls:

There is also another fashion designer on the show - Regine.

You can find more info on each of their characters HERE.

Neurotap

2009-02-21T22:19:00.001-08:00

Neurotap, Michelle Balters, could be described as the reluctant mutant. She discovered her powers in a most unfortunate way - by putting her mother into a coma. The manifestation of her abilities causes her family extreme distress as well as overwhelming financial burdens. To help pay off her mother's medical bills, Michelle Balters began working at Strong Industries - finding mutants for the villanous Martin Henry Strong to experiment upon - against her better judgement.

Balters' abilities activate when she makes and holds eye contact with an opponent - causing them severe nervous system damage via electric impulses.

WildStreak

2009-02-21T22:12:00.000-08:00

Wildstreak appears in the Fantastic Four comics in 1993. Her real name is Tamika Bowden and she wasn't born with any superpowers. She was a gymnast who suffered a severe injury, lost the use of her legs, and then had an exoskeleton built for her that made her strong, faster and even more agile that she had ever been. She began being a vigilante to seek revenge against the mob boss responsible for her accident - because her father, a genius and MIT graduate, refused to work for his organization. WildStreak never conformed to any superhero ethics and was hunted by Iron Man, Super Man, and the Fantastic Four.

SkyRocket

2009-02-21T22:07:00.000-08:00

Skyrocket's given name is Cecelia Forrestal and she is a scientific genius that created a suit called the Argo Harness which gives her the power to fly, harness untold amounts of energy, and shoot out blast beams. Any attack by fire, radioactivity, heat or electricity is absorbed and makes the suit more powerful. Skyrocket first appeared in the Justice League of America in 2002. Her character has a very interesting history: She was in the Air Force but hit a glass ceiling because of her gender and race so she left and went to work for her parents, the founder of Argo Technologies. Later she worked for the POWER COMPANY to perfect the Argo Harness and use it for good, as many people were tempted to use it's power for evil.

Venus Dee Milo

2009-02-21T22:05:00.001-08:00

Venus Dee Milo is a Marvel character that first appeared in X-Force in 2001. She has no arms, like the Greek Statue she is named for, Venus de Milo. She discovered her powers during an argument with her parents as a young adult, causing an explosion that destroyed her grandmother's home. She fled depressed and joined the X-Force. Venus is made of pure energy, without the containment suit, made for her by Professor X, she wouldn't have a physical form. She can transport herself from place to place and use her energy as a weapon and to heal herself and others.

SheBang

2009-02-21T22:00:00.001-08:00

SheBang, aka Shenice Vale, is a character on the now defunct Kids' WB show Static Shock. She was engineered by her parents to have superhuman strength and agility. Static Shock was a DC Comic before being animated and has the distinction of not existing in the DC UNIVERSE - meaning that in the context of the Static Shock comic and show, characters like Superman are considered purely fictional - which I think is a pretty cool touch as it adds a sense of realism.

Friction - Charlotte 'Charly/Yolanda' Beck

2009-02-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

Friction appears in Marvel Comics' DP7. She has the ability to manipulate the surface of objects in her immediate line of vision for up to 250 feet and their natural relationship and attraction to one another - causing things to stick together or become completely frictionless. She uses this power to climb walls and ceilings and quickly glide across flat surfaces. She can also make peoples' body parts adhere... which is just cruel (and pretty awesome in a fight situation). Charlotte was a dancer in college when she discovered her abilities and was admitted into a clinic for the paranormal where she met others with unique talents; the patients soon discovered that the clinic was up to no good and escaped briefly until Charly was captured, returned, and brainwashed. Her story goes on to include racial tensions and riots, the destruction of Pittsburgh in the incident called The Pitt, and CIA employee turned hit-target.

Fatality

2009-02-21T21:54:00.001-08:00

Fatality is no hero; she's actually a supervillain from the DC Comics Universe and sworn enemy of Green Lantern. Green Lantern accidentally destroyed her planet and Fatality was the sole survivor. She came to Earth to exact her revenge but didn't know the identity of Green Lantern, so she tried to kill every Green Lantern she came across. In one of her battles she was presumed dead after her severed arm was found, but no trace of her body was discovered. She resurfaced later with a prosthetic arm attempting to even the score and lost her other arm. She is very skilled in combat and has a mastery of most weapons. She uses a power rod most of the time and a yellow Qwardian ring, which happens to be among the Green Lantern's weaknesses.

Jasika Nicole

2009-02-21T17:06:00.000-08:00

I love the show Fringe and the talented (and adorable) actress who plays Astrid (aka Asteroid, Asterisk, etc), Jasika Nicole.

Not only is Jasika Nicole a gifted actress - she's also an exceptionally skilled artist. Even if I weren't already a fan of hers, I'd love her illustrations.

Here's a great interview with Jasika over at YMIB. The interviewer terms Jasika's drawings 'urban fairies' - and that fits 100%. Her characters are so dainty, fresh, and FLY - just like the artist herself.

EDIT - another great interview at PinkRayGun - she talks about her hair and her comic. & another she did with ClutchMag.

jasikanicole.com

Jasika is also working on a comic book called 'High Yella Magic' - the creative process of which is being documented at her blog - sugarbooty.blogspot.com.

Did I mention that we're hair-twins???? What's not to love about Jasika Nicole?

She also dances and appeared as Egypt in the movie Take the Lead - which I enjoyed... she stuck out in that movie as my favorite character (THE SNEAKERS!!!! THE HAIR!!! THE DRESSS!!!). Now it all makes sense.

Jodie Abigal Landon

2009-02-21T14:39:00.001-08:00

Ahhh.... the token black girl - the archetypal over-achiever. Jodie Landon was all of these things - yet I loved Daria (who didn't) and I LOVE LOVE LOVED Jodie's character - complete with her idiot boyfriend, Mack.

Friday Foster clips on YouTube!

2009-02-21T14:22:00.000-08:00

This is why I love YouTube. I found a Friday Foster trailer and some clips from the movie.

Check it out:

and Check out my original Friday Foster post.

The chick is BAD!

EDIT: Naturally, I've decided to make my own tribute video - and here it is.

The song is 'Houstatlantavegas' by Drake.

Lucy

2009-02-18T11:14:00.000-08:00

Lucy appears in the cartoon Speedracer: The Next Generation. She's a genius in the field of automotive mechanics and often acts as the show's voice of reason.

Numinus

2009-02-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

Numinus looks a bit like Whoopi Goldberg, no???? (lol) In all seriousness, she's a Marvel character that first appeared in Power Pack in 1989. Numinus is a cosmic entity serving as a universal guiding spirit, a cosmic embodiment of the wonders of the universe. She claims to be the living embodiment of "numinosity", and her purpose is to awaken sentient beings throughout the universe to the wonder of the universe. She searches for beings in desperate situations and brings events to an improbable but awe-inspiring resolution.

Supergirl

2009-02-17T09:33:00.001-08:00

I know you're probably thinking that Superman and Supergirl clearly weren't Black... BUT, DC Comics came up with a clever way to get around silly technicalities like plot continuity - The DC Multiverse. Basically, there are an infinite number of EARTHS and each has its own stories, heroes, history, etc. So in Multiverse Earth-D Superman and Supergirl are an African-American married couple and members of a multicultural Justice Alliance of America.... yup, you read that right.

Threnody

2009-02-17T09:31:00.001-08:00

Threnody is a mutant that first appeared in X-Men comics in 1993. She was rescued from a life of homelessness and taught to hone her power of draining energy from people and animals that were on the brink of death. She can also sense when someone is severely sick or dying. This power also allows her to save herself from death, though this power does have its drawbacks: She often and unwittingly creates zombies that are attracted to her presence... She also had to have metal plates put permanently onto her face to control her powers.

And how much do you LOVE that outfit in the first pic.

Cecilia Reyes

2009-02-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

She's an X-Men character (first appearance in 1997)... she's Puerto Rican (gotta show love to all women of color!) and her backstory is pretty cool. She was a doctor but when her status as a mutant was revealed she was out of a job because of discrimination. Her power is a forcefield that can sheild her from most pain and save her life from fatal attacks.

Lois Lane!

2009-02-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Yes, there was a Black Lois Lane, who knew??? Actually, I hate to disappoint you, but the real Lois Lane goes on an undercover reporting assignment about slum conditions in a neighborhood called Little Africa disguised as a Black Woman. Yea... she's in Black Face. I have nothing more to say.

I take that back... there is a redeeming message in the issue. It goes like this: Lois wants to report on the issues affecting this community, but the neighborhood doesn't trust her so she goes in disguise, at which point she is granted their trust and acceptance. Along the way, she meets a Black guy named Dave who gets shot and needs a transfusion but the hospital runs out of his blood type, which just happens to be Lois's blood type. The issue ends with Superman saying, "If he still hates you... with your blood in his veins... there may never be peace in this world!" They all get along in the end.

Hope (Clan Chosen)

2009-02-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

I was watching X-Men: the animated series last night (yes, I still watch that show lol) when I discovered a Black Female Superhero I didn't know about. Her name is Hope and she's a member of the team Clan Chosen.

She is from the future and is led by Cable, who turns out to be Cyclops' son. The mission of Clan Chosen is to fight the armies of Apocalypse - and anyone who has read the X-Men comics or watched the show knows how despicable a character Apocalypse was.

In this particular episode of X-Men (Beyond Good & Evil Pt. 1 - The End of Time), Cable goes back in time to prevent Apocalypse from destroying the world (again?).

Hope doesn't have any powers, but she's a proficient weapons expert. Outside of the X-Men cartoon, her character first appears in Marvel Comics' Cable #1.

Conjura

2009-02-05T23:24:00.000-08:00

I love obscure characters... and Conjura fits into that category. I usually don't copy and paste descriptions, but I wrote the ComicVine.com page I'm copying from, so I'm plagiarizing myself lol:

Conjura, a derivative of DC's Zatanna, first appeared in an obscure 1978 DC Comic - The Super Dictionary. By chanting backwards, she is able to cast magical spells and is also adept in avoiding oncoming danger thanks to her necklace that glows whenever trouble is near. She uses a tunnel to travel through time.

I love her costume!

MicroWoman - Christy Cross

2009-02-05T22:24:00.001-08:00

MicroWoman aka Christy Cross appeared as a character in 'Superstretch and Microwoman' - a segment that aired during the last 70s cartoon Tarzan and The Super 7. Along with her huband, Chris Cross aka Superstretch and their dog Trouble, Microwoman spiced up her garden-variety suburban family life by going on adventures and using her powers to get out of tight situations.

I wasn't alive while this show was on air, but it looks AWESOME - makes me grateful for Youtube lol.

Ant - Hannah Washington

2009-02-05T21:26:00.000-08:00

I've been through the stories, powers, and histories of over 100 Black Female Superheroes and Ant is definitely among my favorites. She's one of the only Black Female comic book characters I've found that is the star of her own book series.

Her story is that of a troubled and traumatized 8-year old girl whose father is sentenced to the death penalty for armed robbery, causing young Hannah to write in her diary obsessively as a means of escape. In her writings, she creates an adult alter-ego for herself that she names Ant. She becomes so outwardly consumed by these fantasies that she blacks out and ends up in a mental institution. Hannah wakes up as an adult in the institution with memories of her life as Ant - not sure if they're real or figments of her imagination. She has superhuman speed and strength as well as antennae that enhance her senses and an exoskeleton that acts as an impenetrable shield as long as her blood sugar level is maintained; if her blood sugar drops, her defenses are weakened.

What I like most about Ant's story, besides the element of escapism, is how sexy her character is - without being kitchy. As the series progresses, the subjects and visuals become decidedly more risque, but it's not without purpose.

Read it if you get the chance.

Introducing Friday Foster!

2009-02-05T21:18:00.000-08:00

Where do I start with Friday Foster? Firstly, she's OFFICIALLY my favorite Black Female comic character. She's no 'superhero'; she's even better.

The 'Friday Foster' comic strip first appeared in early 1970s issues of the Chicago Tribune and was syndicated across the country - eventually providing inspiration for the 1975 film by the same name starring Pam Grier in the title role.

The character Friday Foster was an assistant photographer at a New York fashion magazine who used her charm, wit, and street smarts to moonlight as a detective.

And she ALWAYS got her shot.

I've been reading vintage strips online for the past few days and they are pretty awesome. She's feisty, she's beautiful, she has IMPECCABLE fashion sense, she jet sets around the world - what's not to love?

She even has her own doll!

Here are some of my favorite looks from the strips I've read so far:

THE GIRL IS FABULOUS!

If you register at this website (it's free) you can read HUNDREDS of Friday Foster comic strips in their entirety from 1970 to 1974 - just search for 'Friday Foster'. Large vintage collections of the original strips in good conditions go for thousands of dollars at auction.

WordGirl - Becky Botsford

2009-02-05T06:11:00.001-08:00

As a Black Rebecca and one who appreciates the power of language, it's easy to tell why I love WordGirl! The Emmy winning PBS Show, created by Dorothea Gillim and Jack Ferraiolo, focuses on explaining the meanings of complex words to children in a setting that won't alienate them - while being very entertaining to watch.

Becky Botsford, an alien from the planet Lexicon, is the adopted daughter of Tim & Sally Botsford, loving parents of their biological son, TJ, WordGirl's biggest fan (though neither he, nor his parents know that Becky and the superheroine WordGirl are one in the same). WordGirl has super speed and strength as well as an expansive vocabulary. While the 5th grader fends off evildoers, she often gives them grammar and vocabulary lessons. Her sidekick, Captain Huggy Face is responsible for her spaceship's crashlanding on Earth; he is proficient in martial arts and has an appetite for crime fighting.

WordGirl's origins harbor echoes of Clark Kent's - and that's great. Maybe it will get kids interested in comics!

Any cartoon that can get children interested in reading and language is close to my heart. I grew up watching Wishbone (to which I attribute my early interest in Jane Austen!), Ghostwriter, and X-Men (Beast's literary quotes and allusions still hold up today!) - so it's great to see that kids still have substantive programming.

My Video Tributes

2009-02-05T06:00:00.000-08:00