Why does the date of Easter change every year. A Sub-Trope of Fountain of Expies. To start viewing messages, Supposedly, Black Lightning was going to appear as a recurring character on the long-running Super Friends cartoon. For Iron Man, he's got Pepper Potts, whatever artificial intelligence . Writer Matt Wayne has helped give Milestone Media and DC Comics character Static his signature voice on a number of projects such as the Static Shock animated series, and various comics like Static and The Brave and the Bold: Milestone. See, there are a lot of black comic book characters with electricity-based superpowers. Theres various other characters across all sorts of media. Still, the popularity of Black electrical superheroes like Black Lightning, Storm, and Static doesnt seem to be waning anytime soon. Unlike police, firefighters or doctors, all of whom are heroes in their own right, superheroes are defined by their unique capabilities, such flight, strength, speed or invincibility (to name a few). 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. Overall, there's a very large number of Black superheroes with electrical powers. Quite a few of them have electrical powers. Your email address will not be published. "These heroes presented their race as something to be proud of while simultaneously representing immense power within their superhero persona, a power that the African Americans did not have within society then." Black Panther, comic strip superhero created for Marvel Comics by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby. Although, Black Vulcans approach would probably be indistinguishable from Black Lightnings. But theres also something about them all that feels derivative at best and stereotypical at worst, considering that the vast majority of the most popular black superhero characters were created by white men. But superheroes represent something beyond that. So they get their hits in and get taken out. See, there are a lot of black comic book characters with electricity-based superpowers. why is etsy international shipping so expensive. Wakanda was depicted as a peculiar mix of futuristic . For more information, please see our Soul Power is Black Lightning in all but name, but again, he adds to the trope of all Black superheroes having electric powers. 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? (Its worth pointing out that Black Vulcan was created by Hanna-Barbera for the Superfriends cartoon, which producers felt needed a black character even though Black Lightning already existed. 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. Black Noir (Batman) hides behind his creepy mask, and hardly speaks. j = d.createElement( s ), dl = l != 'dataLayer' ? Examples on this page don't necessarily need to be superheroes though. It may just be a coincidence, but I was curious if there was a behind the scenes or marketing reason for this trend. before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. Ambient Energy Absorption. So, it seemed like a coincidence with Storm and Black Lightning being two different characters who had electricity powers. Electricity/electromagnetism is a frequently used superpower in superhero stories, so this might be another factor. Why do so many Black superheroes have electrical powers? Why do most black superheroes have electric powers? He had the power to generate electricity and shoot lightning bolts. Electricity/electromagnetism isnt a bad superpower by any means. The Black Electricity Trope reads like a distant cousin to the Magical Negro, in that theyre both established formulations of a character whose most defining qualities are a preternatural understanding and command of natural force. It's also a good generic power, like super-strength and flight. Thus, the various clones of Black Lightning mightve heavily contributed to the number of Black electrical superheroes. 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. Everyone Loves A Superhero Movie, But Why Do Comic Book Writers And Artists Get Left In The Dust? Storm had weather powers but often was just giving lightning bolts everywhere, and Black Lightning had a power that wasn't really something being done at DC at the time. 2. Yeah, I've somewhat noticed this recently. if(typeof window.DotMetricsObj != 'undefined') {DotMetricsObj.onAjaxDataUpdate();} And for the latter, its likely also an easy/affordable special effect. Yes, I wish to receive exclusive discounts, special offers and competitions from our partners. Superheroes are also expected to act on a strict moral code. Electro can channel and emit powerful electric blasts, and he can also absorb external electricity to power himself up further. So outside of Static Shock and Black Lightening, that's just two. Unless they consciously go out of their way to do otherwise, itll continue; I think the solution is to have more quality writers that arent white than trying to convince an artist to change their art for your sake. The power to manipulate electricity. Humans experience different degrees of empathy. This concept was later revisited in episode 36 of the 2016 animated series Justice League Action, "Superman Red vs. Superman Blue.". Ive been looking more into this subject and came across this. 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. Answer (1 of 2): * Black Lightning (DC) * Lightning Lad (DC) * Lightning Lass (DC) * Static (DC) * Living Lightning (Marvel) * Thor (Marvel) * Storm (Marvel) * Miles Morales (Marvel) Note that lightning powers are fundamentally not as gratifying to humans as super strength and invulnerabi. It looks flashy and impressive on the comics page, as well as in movies and TV shows. Marsha Bradley from from the same comic is also a woman of color with electricity based powers who goes by the alias Lightning Lady. First Appearance : Wonder Woman #204 (1973) Powers/Skills: Flight, super strength, speed, "cold sight," magic armor, able to open . 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. Superman-Red proposes to Lois, while Superman-Blue asks Lana to marry him. Masked and entirely human heroes like Batman shouldn't be able to see attackers sneaking up on them from the sides . Even the Black Spider-Man (Miles Morales) has electric powers :gucci: His powerset is doper than just regular spiderman's tho because he has an venom bio-electric shock BUT also invisibility. 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 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. Weve seen Storm as both a lethal weather goddess and a vulnerable human. The ones we see him use the most frequently are his strength, flight powers, and heat vision as he shoots. In that vein, maybe electricity can be an unconscious expression of the heros tamable nature?. Its usually just easier for the writer to relate to as often the protagonist is a highly idealised version of themself. 10. https://www.thecoli.com/threads/why-does-every-black-superhero-anime-hero-have-electric-powers.895041/page-12#post-47158854. Ultimately subverted: he's actually Baal Hammon, a god of, "The black kid yelped and suddenly erupted in a crackling field of arcing electricity", Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, Jefferson Pierce with a different moniker, though she uses them a lot less than her other powers, The most prominent dark-skinned character in, Thunder Fall, a member of the Congolese superhero team The Kingdom in the DC Batman spinoff. 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. The earliest black superheroes such as Black Panther and Luke Cage crossed the comic book colour line with their technology and super strength, but over the years, electrokinesis has seemingly become to go-to power black characters are most often assigned. Black Lightning wouldnt defeat a villain the same way that Static would, Wayne said. Marvel has featured heroes such as the X-Men's Storm who can control lightning. We may earn a commission from links on this page. Why do so many black superheroes have electricity powers? In that vein, maybe electricity can be an unconscious expression of the heros tamable nature?. For years, Ive been pondering one of superhero comics odder traits: the relatively high number of Black superheroes that have electrical (or electricity-themed) superpowers. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. It's not only that if little Black girls see Ironheart being brave, they will understand that they can do the same because they look like her.. Let's not forget missing limbs and/or cybernetic parts. Although, Black Vulcans approach would probably be indistinguishable from Black Lightnings. Absolute Electricity Absorption. 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). One big omission from this list is Amazing Spider-man 2s Electro. One Black superhero has electricity manipulation as a power and they just give them all that power because they don't have any imagination. Heres a list of major Black superheroes who have primary or secondary electrical powers, or whose name/heroic identity ties into such somehow. Why does every black superhero have electricity? 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. Anthony Dean is the owner of Diverse Tech Geek and Diverse Media Notes. Black Panther: World of Wakanda wins the 2018 GLAAD Media Award for outstanding comic, Marvel to launch new YA graphic novel line via Scholastic, Anthonys independent comics picks for January 2019, Cartoon review: Dead End: Paranormal Park, 2022 bookstore graphic novel sales: Viz, Scholastic made up nearly 43% of all sales, My favorite YouTube channels (2023 edition), Cartoons that shouldve entered public domain in 2023 (but didnt), Cartoons that shouldve entered public domain in 2022 (but didnt), Favorite cartoon sharks in honor of Shark Week, Sparky (Static Shock, Soul Powers sidekick), Bumblebee (Teen Titans; her suit lets her fire electrical stings), Spider-Man (Miles Morales) (has a bio-electric venom strike power), Aqualad (Jackson Hyde) (has an electric eel-like bio-electric power), Electro (Amazing Spider-Man 2) (a supervillain, but Im listing him anyway), Lightning Lad (from the 2019 Legion of Super-Heroes reboot), Lightning Lass (from the 2019 Legion of Super-Heroes reboot; the twin sister of Lightning Lad). More seriously though, if its being written by a white writer, chances are the white guy will be the hero. Often seems to be the theme for superheroes these days, with Hollywood rolling out blockbuster superhero movies in rapid succession. The electromagnetically-powered hero stood out with fans for his upbeat personality and scientific knowledge, allowing him to use his powers to the fullest. This especially seems the case in the various animated and live-action appearances of Storm. Throughout comic book history, several black superheroes have been introduced who possess similar electromagnetic abilities. 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. 52 (July 1966). 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 . chuck's fish secret menu; valiant thor documentary w[ l ].push( { Make your patio the place to beThis 7-piece outdoor sectional furniture set is marked down from $900 to $600 on Amazon right now. Terrific, Bronze Tiger, Firestorm, Vixen, Amanda Waller, Batwing, Lucas Fox INDY: Spawn, Martha Washington, Michonne, Destiny Ajaye thats just my ten minute list. Though her depiction is the most famous in the mainstream, it was not in my household. Is Static Shock DC or Marvel? Its led to Static making appearances in other subsequent DC-related media, as well as plenty of nostalgia for the cartoon. Weve seen Storm as both a lethal weather goddess and a vulnerable human. A lot. window.dm = window.dm ||{ AjaxData:[]}; In Marvel comics, Miles Morales, the new Spider-Man has the abilities of a spider, but can also control electricity. The Coli - The Best Hip Hop, Rap, Sports Forum and Message Board. 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. Certainly, there are a number of differences between Storm, Black Lightning, (Black Lightnings daughter) Lightning, Black Vulcan, Juice, Static Shock and Shango the Thunderer. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ElectricBlackGuy. check out the FAQ by clicking the Nubia / Nu'Bia. Creators : Robert Kanigher and Don Heck. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.phectricBlackGuy, http://variety.com/2014/tv/people-ne71-1201307918/, http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Buster-Jones/, All users, both new and returning, are expected to follow. By moving at super speeds, the Flash can generate electric energy which he can use as a lightning blast against enemies. You are using an out of date browser. 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. 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. Absolute Electromagnetic Absorption. (Its worth pointing out that Black Vulcan was created by Hanna-Barbera for the Superfriends cartoon, which producers felt needed a black character even though Black Lightning already existed. Such heroes include DC Comics' Black Lightning, Lightning, Static, Thunder Fall, and Black Vulcan. Taken purely at face value, it isnt difficult to understand what makes electrokinesis popular with creators. s = d.createElement('script'); 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. Her powers are based in light, and electricity is just one of the waves she's controls..but she doesn't even use electricity. The only difference would be who gets paid., We may earn a commission from links on this page. He also set the trend of black electrical heroes. 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. 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. Thus, the various clones of Black Lightning might've heavily contributed to the number of Black electrical superheroes. So outside of Static Shock and Black Lightening, that's just two. The Black Electricity Trope reads like a distant cousin to the Magical Negro, in that theyre both established formulations of a character whose most defining qualities are a preternatural understanding and command of natural force. For instance, Static Shock created the hero Soul Power as an older mentor and counterpart to Static. Related Posts In fact, many of these superheroes have powers and abilities that they (and the writers) have seemingly forgotten about. I was just watching Young Justice where Black Lightning and Static shock are part of the team. His electric powers are even powerful enough to shock someone to death, and he can easily manipulate energy in his cells in order to recharge himself. 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. In a Future Filled With Electric Cars, AM Radio May Be Left Behind. You may have to register /*
