s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); dm.AjaxData.push({ et: et,d: d,ssid: ssid,ad: ad}); First Appearance : Wonder Woman #204 (1973) Powers/Skills: Flight, super strength, speed, "cold sight," magic armor, able to open . Having the strength of this magnitude allows him to leap large distances, sometimes several stories up into the air. The advantages of electricity/electromagnetism: Overall, theres a very large number of Black superheroes with electrical powers. Catwoman. The Coli - The Best Hip Hop, Rap, Sports Forum and Message Board. (I already. Variation of Elemental Manipulation. But why is it so overused? Electricity/Electric/Electrical Arts Electric Current Manipulation Electrokinesis Electric Users can create, shape and manipulate electricity, a form of energy resulting from the movement of charged particles (such as electrons or protons). Miles Morales - Bio-Electrokinesis: Miles possesses control over natural electricity that his body produces, capable of utilizing it for offensive attacks, that's an additive from his spider powers, not his sole power. Black Lightning (DC) - black, electricity based powers. Everyone Loves A Superhero Movie, But Why Do Comic Book Writers And Artists Get Left In The Dust? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Often seems to be the theme for superheroes these days, with Hollywood rolling out blockbuster superhero movies in rapid succession. var d = document, Although, Black Vulcans approach would probably be indistinguishable from Black Lightnings. After gaining his electricity powers as a result of the chemical gas explosion known as "The Big Bang," young Virgil Goode decided to use his powers to stop the other "Bang Babies" (humans. There are more heroes who aren't black who have electrical powers than black heroes. For one thing, it can make for some of the most visually arresting art you can imagine, and with the right sort of creativity, electrokinesis can be used in a variety of novel, clever ways beyond simply discharging energy. He's strong enough to obliterate his enemies if he so chooses to. His sizable strength makes his herculean feats and fights seem reasonable. Category:Thunder-Based Powers. For more information, please see our I wonder if another possible factor is the popularity of Storm. There are a few comic book heroes who share in Static's gift, though not every character has mastered their own electrical powers as well. When you do you might note that MOST of them are VILLAINS. In other cases, though, Wayne reasoned that electrokinetic powers were the perfect way of having a black hero around who could participate in a fight, but not necessarily be the one to win the fight. The name and powers of the Ghost Rider have belonged to many Marvel heroes. 'gtm.start': Weve seen Storm as both a lethal weather goddess and a vulnerable human. You may have to register One Black superhero has electricity manipulation as a power and they just give them all that power because they don't have any imagination. Storm isnt just a black hero who throws lightning bolts, shes one of the most complicated and nuanced comic book characters created in the past 40 years. The reasons I can gather for this are: Black Lightnings a popular and influential early Black superhero, spawning many pastiches; electricity is a popular, versatile and impressive superpower; and possibly also the popularity of Storm and Static. link above. Sometimes magic, but it has to be magic based on nature. Blog status update (January 2019): Shuttering the blogs Facebook page (again). It goes without saying that Storm is perhaps the most iconic example of a the Black Electricity Trope, but shes also a character whos transcended much of its limitations as a result of being written and depicted thoughtfully across a variety of different mediums. The ones we see him use the most frequently are his strength, flight powers, and heat vision as he shoots. Some users would also be able to summon lightning bolts, while even stronger users can manipulate it within the skies, or even create thunderstorms at will. In a Future Filled With Electric Cars, AM Radio May Be Left Behind. And how about comparing to white characters with lightning? About a half-dozen superhero-themed movies have been scheduled for this year, including "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which opens this weekend. But why? Falcon (1969) The first Black superhero in mainstream comics whose life was based in the US was Sam Wilson, alias "Falcon." Raised in Harlem, he works as a social worker after the violent death of . Throw electric powers and missing/cybernetic limbs together, and you're got something like 70% of all Black superheroes. A superhero is a character with extraordinary powers that performs heroic actions. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. As an elemental power, electricity manipulation is very simple and straightforward accompanied with a near-limitless myriad of uses. and our The power to manipulate electricity. See, there are a lot of black comic book characters with electricity-based superpowers. chalene johnson sisters. Superman uses empathy to understand the frightened face of a Metropolis citizen, realize they're in danger, and feel enough sympathy to come to their rescue. One big omission from this list is Amazing Spider-man 2s Electro. Sorry to disappoint you, but Black Lightning is not Static Shock. Black Lightning. Has anyone else noticed that a number of the black characters in comic media have electric powers? Heres a list of major Black superheroes who have primary or secondary electrical powers, or whose name/heroic identity ties into such somehow. Growing up as a kid who loved comic books, I spent many an afternoon running around the park pretending to be a superhero fighting all manners of evil. The superhero images represent the hope that someone can and will stand up to do the right thing, and that the human being has the potential to amaze. The idea that black superheroes are given electrical powers because it lets them be taken out easily is an interesting one, but I'm not sure I'm convinced that's where it comes from. In that vein, maybe electricity can be an unconscious expression of the heros tamable nature?. Seeking to address the dearth of Black characters in comics, Lee and Kirby created T'Challa, a member of the royal family of the fictional African country of Wakanda. Fun fact: Black Lightning isn't the only superpowered member of his family; his two daughters, Anissa and Jennifer, who will be featured on the TV series, both inherited electricity-based powers . Humans experience different degrees of empathy. Introduced in Milestone Comics in 1993, Virgil Static Hawkins became one of that lines most popular characters. I recently read an interview of Michelle Pfeiffer, and soon after, a B-roll of her playing as Catwoman in Batman Returns went viral. Its a powerful, well, power. Back then, it felt odd flipping through my mental Rolodex of characters and realising that, if I wanted to play as a black hero, it was almost guaranteed that Id be doing jazz hands to simulate zapping people with lightning. In Marvel comics, Miles Morales, the new Spider-Man has the abilities of a spider, but can also control electricity. Such heroes include DC Comics' Black Lightning, Lightning, Static, Thunder Fall, and Black Vulcan. In fact, many of these superheroes have powers and abilities that they (and the writers) have seemingly forgotten about. While people have used secret identities throughout history for various reasons, the use of a secret identity by a superhero dates back to the early 20 th century. the fourth raikage, killer bee, darui, and karui all use this ability. 10. Native American superheroes usually have superstrengh and/or animal based powers. And also controlling electricity is badass. There was some question as to whether Static shock had the rights to use Black Lightning, so when Black Lightning appears in the cartoon he's called Soul Power. Masked and entirely human heroes like Batman shouldn't be able to see attackers sneaking up on them from the sides . 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id=' + i + dl; Overall, there's a very large number of Black superheroes with electrical powers. The reasons I can gather for this are: Black Lightning's a popular and influential early Black superhero, spawning many pastiches; electricity is a popular, versatile and impressive superpower; and possibly also the popularity of Storm and Static. and our I was talking to my homie (also black) a while back, speaking about Demon Slayer and he asked what techniques showed was my favorite at the time (this was during season 1) and why we both texted each other in the same minute, almost verbatim, that we were both fukked with Zenitsu's power due to always being partial towards electricity/lightning powers. why do black superheroes have electric powers. In the 1903 novel "The Scarlet Pimpernel," Englishman Sir Percy Blakeney keeps his true identity hidden when he performs heroic acts as the Scarlet Pimpernel. 1. As a mutant, her powers include various weather-control abilities. June 15, 2022 . Certainly, there are a number of differences between Storm, Black Lightning, (Black Lightnings daughter) Lightning, Black Vulcan, Juice, Static Shock and Shango the Thunderer. DC's second black superhero, Jefferson Pierce is a school teacher with the ability to generate and control electricity. Weve seen Storm as both a lethal weather goddess and a vulnerable human. Privacy Policy. | Future Tech, Simone Giertz on Project Failures | Gizmodo Talks. His powers originally came from a belt, but this was later reckoned to make him a metahuman. We can all share a sense of marvel. 12. While Volts powers are a playful jab at superhero comics as a whole, they do raise a number of questions about what it means exactly when creators choose to turn black characters into walking, talking batteries. A Sub-Trope of Fountain of Expies. You must log in or register to reply here. Marvel has featured heroes such as the X-Men's Storm who can control lightning. Introduced in Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975), Ororo Munroe has gone on to become one of the most popular Black superheroes. Cookie Notice Absolute Electricity Absorption. Various others online have tried to tackle this question, such as this Gizmodo article, so I thought Id take a shot. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a type of fictional stock character possessing extraordinary talents, supernatural phenomena, or superhuman powers and dedicated to protecting the public. } )( window, document, 'script', 'dataLayer', 'GTM-NPT9MH2' ); even I got these hoes seeing sparks sometimes, The cloud village in Naruto is largely black and specializes in electricity, you might be on to something. Meanwhile, Justice League Unlimited created Juice, though Juice was part of a group of heroes that were a pastiche of the non-White ones on Super Friends. Thus, Juice is a pastiche of a pastiche? It goes without saying that Storm is perhaps the most iconic example of a the Black Electricity Trope, but shes also a character whos transcended much of its limitations as a result of being written and depicted thoughtfully across a variety of different mediums. Its led to Static making appearances in other subsequent DC-related media, as well as plenty of nostalgia for the cartoon. Though her depiction is the most famous in the mainstream, it was not in my household. It took until a 2009 Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode for the actual Jefferson Pierce to finally appear outside of comics. He was a member of the Heroes for Hire, the Defenders, the New Avengers, and the Thunderbolts. Thunder (DC) - black, density based power (but has lightning on her outfit). Throughout comic book history, several black superheroes have been introduced who possess similar electromagnetic abilities. DC surprisingly did not use this trope in, Miles Morales's Venom Strike is a bio-electric attack in, Though he's an anthropomorphic dog using lightning-like pyrotechnics rather than a human superhero, Powerline in, Soul Power, a retro funk character from the, Interestingly, Static gets to be a Black Lightning stand-in in a series. Know who your character is. As Black Lightning is a popular Black superhero, it'd make sense that others wanted to use himor at least a hero like himas often as possible. Nubia / Nu'Bia. While Volt's powers are a playful jab at superhero comics as a whole, they do raise a number of questions about what it means exactly when creators choose to turn black characters into walking . Its also reached the point where some people online mistakenly call Static Static Shock as a superhero name. The Flash also boasts the power of electricity absorption. s.async = true; Biokinesis: This is the power to change or reprogram cells and DNA with your mind. Ghost Rider. Beware accidentally harming allies if the user's control over electricity is not precise enough. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a4354bd2708741ab4c2ad079a3bf4a63" );document.getElementById("c7cb6b8c70").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. j = d.createElement( s ), dl = l != 'dataLayer' ? This eventually developed into a consistent pattern in which African-American superheroes, or black superheroes in general, had Shock and Awe powers. Theres definitely an unconscious undercutting of black heroes, keeping them just shy of being a heroic ideal, that used to be more pronounced, Wayne said. In other cases, though, Wayne reasoned that electrokinetic powers were the perfect way of having a black hero around who could participate in a fight, but not necessarily be the one to win the fight. There is no more ultimate universe though. It looks flashy and impressive on the comics page, as well as in movies and TV shows. After a series of failed deals, Mephisto, the devil of the Marvel Universe, bonded Johnny's soul with the demon Zarathos. Two other superhero movies are slated for late May. Privacy Policy. Still, the popularity of Black electrical superheroes like Black Lightning, Storm, and Static doesnt seem to be waning anytime soon. JavaScript is disabled. Certainly, there are a number of differences between Storm, Black Lightning, (Black Lightnings daughter) Lightning, Black Vulcan, Juice, Static, and Shango the Thunderer. Its a very flexible power, especially combined with the equally flexible nature of comic book physics. Black Lightning wouldnt defeat a villain the same way that Static would, Wayne said. In other cases, though, Wayne reasoned that electrokinetic powers were the perfect way of having a black hero around who could participate in a fight, but not necessarily be the one to win the. Superman-Red proposes to Lois, while Superman-Blue asks Lana to marry him. As for whether increased awareness of this tendency will change anything in superhero stories, its hard to say. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Why do most black superheroes have electric powers? new Date().getTime(), event: 'gtm.js' Sure, Superman (well, most versions) can shrug off lightning, but generally, electrically-powered heroes are considered among the more powerful superheroes for a reason. Wakanda was depicted as a peculiar mix of futuristic . He is an elderly superhero who acquired his powers following an accident at the Hoover Dam and operated in Dakota during the 1960s alongside his sidekick Sparky. Powers: Superhuman strength, speed, agility, X-Ray vision, heat vision, flight. Static Shock (DC) - black, electricity based powers. As many of the issues plaguing black people are structural and more complex than a simple plot could cater to, visual stories have helped to give out a. Its that sort of solid characterisation and fleshing out of a personality, Wayne told me, thats the key making sure that a character doesnt become reduced to a two-dimensional stereotype. s.type = 'text/javascript'; It may just be a coincidence, but I was curious if there was a behind the scenes or marketing reason for this trend. You must log in or register to reply here. w[ l ].push( { 2. Asian superheroes are usually solar/sun powered and/or martial artists. Even in the anime Naruto, the cloud village is made up of mostly black characters with the ability to control lightning. And given the large number of non-comics appearances Storms made since the 1992 X-Men cartoon debuted, shes now well known among the general (non-superhero-comic-reading) public. Before you sit down to watch the live-action adaptation of "Black Lightning," debuting on the CW Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 9 p.m., here are the Top 10 facts you should know. Examples on this page don't necessarily need to be superheroes though. ", wherein Miles is the literal god of thunder (and all of Norse mythology stereotypically echoes African-American culture). For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. }; Batman does have a superpower - he just isn't as known for it as others with the same superpower. the answer might be that black, lightning spun off several of these characters and inspired the others. By subscribing you agree to our Terms of Use and Spider-Man has Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, and sometimes Harry. I think maybe some of it is that these kinds of heroes are usually physically vulnerable. Supposedly, Black Lightning was going to appear as a recurring character on the long-running Super Friends cartoon. This especially seems the case in the various animated and live-action appearances of Storm. I was just watching Young Justice where Black Lightning and Static shock are part of the team. 100 Years Of Stan Lee: How The Comic Book King Challenged Prejudice, In DCs New Black Lightning Comic, Jefferson Pierce Is A Hero Reimagined For A New Era. In the fifth issue of Mark Waid and Peter Krauses Irredeemable, Volt, a member of the books answer to the Justice League, apprehends a kidnapper while sheepishly admitting to the people around him that yes, hes a black hero with electricity powers and yes, he knows that its a Thing, and hes kind of embarrassed about it. Black Lightning Consider that. h = d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0], As folks here have pointed out, a lot of these black heroes are true heavy hitters in terms of ability and depiction. Its that sort of solid characterization and fleshing out of a personality, Wayne told me, thats the key making sure that a character doesnt become reduced to a two-dimensional stereotype. Make your patio the place to beThis 7-piece outdoor sectional furniture set is marked down from $900 to $600 on Amazon right now. For one thing, it can make for some of the most visually arresting art you can imagine, and with the right sort of creativity, electrokinesis can be used in a variety of novel, clever ways beyond simply discharging energy. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. Interestingly enough, the CW's newest series stars just one of several black. Theres definitely an unconscious undercutting of black heroes, keeping them just shy of being a heroic ideal, that used to be more pronounced, Wayne said. Marsha Bradley from from the same comic is also a woman of color with electricity based powers who goes by the alias Lightning Lady. Her powers are based in light, and electricity is just one of the waves she's controls..but she doesn't even use electricity. Max's main weakness is his inability to . This eventually developed into a consistent pattern in which African-American superheroes, or black superheroes in general, had Shock and Awe powers. So outside of Static Shock and Black Lightening, that's just two. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Taken purely at face value, its not difficult to understand what makes electrokinesis popular with creators. More seriously though, if its being written by a white writer, chances are the white guy will be the hero. Marvel doubles down on this in the what-if comic "What if Miles Morales Became Thor? :youngsabo: Like those shows, the . Most commonly, users would be able to discharge large amounts of electricity in order to shock their opponents, potentially paralyzing them, burning them, or even stopping their hearts in severe cases. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Sub-power of Charged Particles Manipulation and Electromagnetism Manipulation. Most commonly, users would be able to discharge large amounts of electricity in order to shock their opponents, potentially paralyzing them, burning them, or even stopping their hearts in severe cases. Without empathy, Superman would just ignore people in need of help. This is both going off the top of my head and checking sites like Wikipedia and TV Tropes. Lightning (DC) - black, electricity . why is etsy international shipping so expensive. While on the stand, a superhero named Black Vulcan expresses his frustrations over racial profiling in the superhero community. People who have this power can alter their appearance in subtle ways, such as changing their hair, eye, and skin color. This 7-piece outdoor sectional furniture set is marked down from $900 to $600 on Amazon right now. But perhaps his biggest superpower is walking around shirtless. Black superheroes go back a long way. Batman is a supergenius. For instance, Static Shock created the hero Soul Power as an older mentor and counterpart to Static. You are using an out of date browser. In the fifth issue of Mark Waid and Peter Krauses Irredeemable, Volt, a member of the books answer to the Justice League, apprehends a kidnapper while sheepishly admitting to the people around him that yes, hes a black hero with electricity powers and yes, he knows that its a Thing, and hes kind of embarrassed about it. Why do so many black superheroes have electricity powers? As Black Lightning is a popular Black superhero, itd make sense that others wanted to use himor at least a hero like himas often as possible. Possibly it's because of one of the major black heroes, Black Lightning. Enter your email below. The Boys features a female superhero Starlight (right) who is forced into creating a 'sexy' public brand (Credit . In the present . Tldr: Only a small number of black heroes have electrical powers. Learn about superheroes from different countries around the world, what powers they have, and who they battle against; Read stories featuring some brand new superheroes; Think about how well current superheroes reflect the identities of all superhero fans While its heartening to hear directly from a writer about how much thought they personally put into crafting a characters identity, the point still stands that black heroes with electrical powers are an established trope. Not to be confused with Lightning Manipulation. Fun as it was, the process of picking out which superhero I wanted to be always stressed me out for one particular reason that still bothers me to this day. Absolute Electromagnetic Absorption. DC. if(typeof window.DotMetricsObj != 'undefined') {DotMetricsObj.onAjaxDataUpdate();} Related Posts Is Static Shock DC or Marvel? Personally, the thing thats always stuck with me about most black heroes with nature-based power sets is the very thin line writers and artists have to walk to make sure the character isnt being depicted as a savage. The idea that black people are inherently closer to nature is one of the larger undertones to the problematic magical negro trope that many black characters are often hamstrung by. Thats just for starters. It may not display this or other websites correctly. She can become and manipulate anything on the energy spectrum, hence one of her monikers. Every black superhero can be put into four categories, Because by the time they created the black characters they made them last and didnt want to give them the usual power set.