40 Superheroes of Color that Michelle Rodriguez has never heard of (Part 3)
Welcome to day three of 40 Superheroes of color that Michelle Rodriguez has never heard of. As we go through this list you’ll notice we’ve yet to mention the heroes that get a bit more shine than others. Heroes like Storm, Black Panther, Luke Cage, John Stewart, Falcon, War Machine. The goal of this is to let people know that there isn’t one type of hero. Just like there isn’t one type of black person, or latin person, or asian person. Are you there Michelle? It’s us, the Fanbros.
Idie Okwonko is still a relatively new character. However, as new as she is, she has made a massive impact on the books she’s featured in. She is the reason that the X-Men are currently split into two teams. She’s one of the first new mutants to appear after the House Of M. When she’s found by Storm and Hope Summers, her powers are in flux and she is dubbed by the military as “The Girl Who Wouldn’t Burn.” Idie is a devout christian and struggles to understand why the god she serves has given us the x-gene. She spends a majority of her time trying to live her life knowing that she is a “monster.” But even though Oya has yet to come to grips with her religion and her dna, she has shown promise as an x-man and a leader. Her fellow Nigerians would be proud.
Required Reading: Generation Hope. Wolverine & The X-Men vol. 1 & 2, X-Men: Schism
Known as the seventh smartest person in the world, Amadeus Cho is a hypermind. He is able to run a limitless amount of calculations and formulas around his head, so much so it’s able to affect the physical world around him. He is strong supporter of the Hulk, and a partner to Hercules.
Required Reading: The Incredible Hercules Vol. 1, Mighty Avengers Vol. 1, Incredible Hulks Vol. 1
Mari Jiwe McCabe began her crimefighting career by moving to America, from the fictional African country of Zambesi, to become, wait for it, a model. Using the wealth she accrued as a model, she traveled the world. Eventually returning to Zambesi, she reclaimed a family totem that allows her to call on the abilities of the animal kingdom. Using her newfound abilities, Mari became the costumed crimefighter known as Vixen.
Required Reading: Action Comics #521, Justice League of America, Vixen: Return Of The Lion, Suicide Squad
Described by DC Comics, “a young hotshot professor who’s filling the extra spot on Ivy University’s teaching staff. .. and who inadvertently ends up filling the old Atom’s super-heroic shoes.” Ryan Choi not only filled the shoes of The Atom, when the New 52 originally premiered, Choi was the definitive Atom. A Chinese immigrant to America, Ryan Choi is the protege of the original Atom, Ray Palmer. His altered history in the New 52 includes him in the development of armor for Justice League member Cyborg. Unfortunatley, Choi himself has not been added to the Justice League yet.
Required Reading: The All New Atom Vol. 1
The daughter of two notorious assassins, David Cain and Lady Shiva, Cassandra Cain left her father as a child aftr she killed a man. After saving Commissioner Gordon’s life, she was adopted by Bruce Wayne. Becoming a costumed vigilante with Batman and Oracle’s blessing, Cassandra later took on the mantle of the Batgirl. She eventually gave up that role to her friend, Stephanie Brown, and instead chose to adopt a new persona; The Black Bat.
Required Reading: Batgirl
While accompanying his parents on an archaeological dig, Humberto Lopez found an ancient stone that grants him the ability to transform parts of his body into different dinosaur forms. After being tortured heavily by Norman Osborn, Humberto was inducted into the Avengers Academy in the hope of keeping him on a healthy path. He took the name Reptil and devoted his life to fighting crime. At least until he was kidnapped by Arcade and forced to compete against other super powered teens in the Avengers Arena.
Required Reading: Avengers Academy, Avengers Arena
Afro-Brazilian mutant Roberto Da Costa uses the power of the sun to shift into a super powered form that possesses superhuman strength, speed, flight, and durability. Born in Brazil, Roberto comes from a wealthy family and has been described as brash and quick tempered. Initially an original member of the New Mutants, Sunspot has since developed a long history with various X-Men teams. He’s also built a history with some X-Men villains as well, most often serving as a member, and sometimes leader, of the Hellfire Club. Currently he is a member of the Avengers.
Required Reading: The New Mutants, X-Force Vol. 1, Avengers Vol. 5
When San Diego, California became submergd underwater and was renamed Sub Diego, Lorena Marquez was one of the survivors who came to develop the ability to breathe underwater. After assisting Aquaman, she took the name of his former sidekick, Aquagirl. In a freak accident that sent the Titans of the present into the future, she was seen as a member of an evil group calling themselves ‘Titans.’ Luckily that future has yet to pass and she resides in Sub Diego helping Aquaman defend it’s citizens.
Required Reading: Aquaman Vol. 6, Teen Titans: The Future Is Now
The history of Joanna Cargill is steeped in villainy and hurt. Her drive towards crime and terrorism comes from her treatment as a black american woman, and less from her treatment as a mutant. After years of leading the alliance of evil, Frenzy joined the terrorist group The Acolytes until Marvel Girl convinced her to fight against her leader Magneto. After several years under the radar, she popped up again as a member of Exodus’ Acolytes, and eventually Mister Sinister’s Marauders. Being one of the few mutants to retain her x-gene after M-Day, she found herself living on the mutant haven of Utopia off the coast of San Francisco during Legion’s reality warp. The warp changed her history completely, she was a hero fighting the good fight for mutants on Fortress X. Once the timeline was restored she chose to retain her memories from the Age of X. Using them as an inspiration to build a better life for herself, she has become a member of the X-Men. Now residing at the Jean Grey School for Higher Learning, Frenzy has become member of the faculty, and full time X-Man.
Required Reading: X-Men: Legacy, Age Of X
Monet St. Croix‘s X-gene is perfection. Not kidding, her superpowers make her perfect. Superhuman senses, flight, telekinesis, telepathy, super strength, super speed, enhanced reflexes, super endurance, invulnerability. But long before we were introduced to miss perfect, she was trapped in the body of Hollow. Monet’s long history is rather convoluted; she can fuse with her siblings to create new beings which has caused more convoluted representations of M in different books. Though once the confusion of the 1990s is through, Monet’s appearances and characterization become more streamlined. Monet worked through the issues of her family deceptions, appearing as a lead character in X-Factor Volume 3. During X-Factor Monet did not shy from embracing her muslim faith and Bosian Monegasque-Algerian heritage. Now serving as a lead on X-Men Volume 4, Monet is one of the most powerful members of the X-Men.
Required Reading: Generation X, X-Factor Vol. 3, X-Men Vol. 4
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One more day and ten more super heroes of color to show off to Ms. Michelle Rodriguez. Does she still think we’re stealing the white man’s heroes?
