why do black superheroes have electric powers

First Appearance : Wonder Woman #204 (1973) Powers/Skills: Flight, super strength, speed, "cold sight," magic armor, able to open . Finally, theres the third popular Black superhero with electrical powers, Static. 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. } )( window, document, 'script', 'dataLayer', 'GTM-NPT9MH2' ); Electro, aka Max Dillon, is a classic Spider-Man foe and a founding member of the Sinister Six. f.parentNode.insertBefore( j, f ); Weve seen Storm as both a lethal weather goddess and a vulnerable human. Marvel doubles down on this in the what-if comic "What if Miles Morales Became Thor? Of them, none are as known or important as Johnny Blaze. Make your patio the place to beThis 7-piece outdoor sectional furniture set is marked down from $900 to $600 on Amazon right now. 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. chalene johnson sisters. Now you can get the top stories from Kotaku delivered to your inbox. 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. Marsha Bradley from from the same comic is also a woman of color with electricity based powers who goes by the alias Lightning Lady. There is no more ultimate universe though. and our Various others online have tried to tackle this question, such as this Gizmodo article, so I thought Id take a shot. s.async = true; new Date().getTime(), event: 'gtm.js' Weve seen Storm as both a lethal weather goddess and a vulnerable human. Black Lightning Electro, Static Shock, Vulcan, B. Thunder, just to name a few, was it a trend started by some pop culture event. Electricity/electromagnetism is a frequently used superpower in superhero stories, so this might be another factor. DC's second black superhero, Jefferson Pierce is a school teacher with the ability to generate and control electricity. More seriously though, if its being written by a white writer, chances are the white guy will be the hero. It may not display this or other websites correctly. When I spoke with Wayne recently, he assured me that, when creating a new character and deciding which powers they should have, every comics writer sits down and considers how similar their creation will end up to others that came before them. Enter your email below. However, being a walking electric company mascot is pretty far down the list of superpowers Id choose if I had a choice. Electricity/electromagnetism isnt a bad superpower by any means. Humans experience different degrees of empathy. Statics powers, Wayne told me, were meant to be an extension of his geeky personality and the kinds of science fair projects he enjoyed working on. (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. There are more heroes who aren't black who have electrical powers than black heroes. Anthony Dean is the owner of Diverse Tech Geek and Diverse Media Notes. June 15, 2022 . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. window.dm.AjaxEvent = function(et, d, ssid, ad){ Black superheroes go back a long way. 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. i searched for this subject and found this article a while ago, and im happy to see its still being updated. This allows this Spider-Man to lift cars with ease. 736 views Jun 11, 2022 29 Dislike Share Save That Indy Comics Guy 834 subscribers My collab with Deon from the BHND The Seen. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Her powers are based in light, and electricity is just one of the waves she's controls..but she doesn't even use electricity. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ElectricBlackGuy. why do black superheroes have electric powers. 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 led to Static making appearances in other subsequent DC-related media, as well as plenty of nostalgia for the cartoon. 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. Precognition: Seeing the future is a lot more complicated than most movies or stories make it out to be. s.src = 'https://au-script.dotmetrics.net/door.js?d=' + document.location.host + '&t=other'; h.appendChild(s); DC. Why do most black superheroes have electric powers? Without empathy, Superman would just ignore people in need of help. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Tldr: Only a small number of black heroes have electrical powers. h = d.getElementsByTagName('head')[0], 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. The Coli - The Best Hip Hop, Rap, Sports Forum and Message Board. Category:Thunder-Based Powers. 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. Why does the date of Easter change every year. Will Banning TikTok Solve Privacy Issues? var d = document, Taken purely at face value, it isnt difficult to understand what makes electrokinesis popular with creators. Batman is a supergenius. When it came time to get away from the dumb costumes and put him on the big screen they cast a black man. However, Storm summoning lightning has become a popular go-to by writers and artists, when they need to show her attacking powerful foes. almost all the black characters use an elemental power called lightning release which can translate into various electric type attacks. 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. Sometimes magic, but it has to be magic based on nature. 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. Superhero Code Name The Utopian, because he considers himself the role model for all heroes. But why is it so overused? I noticed this after reading Irredeemable. Here's a rundown of eleven superheroes of color who send sparks flying. Often seems to be the theme for superheroes these days, with Hollywood rolling out blockbuster superhero movies in rapid succession. However, Virgil really hit it big with the Static Shock animated series, which ran from 2000 to 2004. [CDATA[ */ You may have to register Like those shows, the . For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. You are using an out of date browser. While on the stand, a superhero named Black Vulcan expresses his frustrations over racial profiling in the superhero community. First of all, you should be aware of the phenomenon of economic gentrification when white people move into Black neighborhoods because we have a homegirl who can harness lightning. I think maybe some of it is that these kinds of heroes are usually physically vulnerable. Quite a few of them have electrical powers. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Ambient Energy Manipulation. Anti-Electromagnetic Field Projection. Shes incredibly strong, but you always get the sense that at the center of whatever devastating weather phenomena shes manifested, theres a human whos just as powerful even when she doesnt have her powers. For more information, please see our why is etsy international shipping so expensive. A Sub-Trope of Fountain of Expies. But why? One Black superhero has electricity manipulation as a power and they just give them all that power because they don't have any imagination. Theres various other characters across all sorts of media. In fact, many of these superheroes have powers and abilities that they (and the writers) have seemingly forgotten about. j.async = true; This is a common mistake, but aside from both being black DC superheroes with more thunder than a Pikachu . Sub-power of Charged Particles Manipulation and Electromagnetism Manipulation. 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. When audiences can see a Black superhero exhibiting the same traits, and power, as Captain America, it aids public opinion. Black Noir (Batman) hides behind his creepy mask, and hardly speaks. So perhaps shes also influenced the Black heroes with electrical powers category? We may earn a commission from links on this page. As an elemental power, electricity manipulation is very simple and straightforward accompanied with a near-limitless myriad of uses. JavaScript is disabled. Jupiter's Legacy is the latest superhero show to come to a streaming service following The Boys and Invincible on Amazon and Disney+'s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier. Possibly it's because of one of the major black heroes, Black Lightning. } ); The Coli - The Best Hip Hop, Rap, Sports Forum and Message Board. One big omission from this list is Amazing Spider-man 2s Electro. 52 (July 1966). 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. 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. It is one of the more practical superpowers and can be seen in different characters. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four no. Thats just for starters. Not to be confused with Lightning Manipulation. It looks flashy and impressive on the comics page, as well as in movies and TV shows. Such heroes include DC Comics' Black Lightning, Lightning, Static, Thunder Fall, and Black Vulcan. If he's injured, Black Lightning can heal himself at a faster rate than the average human. Thank you for writing this! 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. Electro can channel and emit powerful electric blasts, and he can also absorb external electricity to power himself up further. Powers: Superhuman strength, speed, agility, X-Ray vision, heat vision, flight. This concept was later revisited in episode 36 of the 2016 animated series Justice League Action, "Superman Red vs. Superman Blue.". Thick masks and helmets limit peripheral vision. This eventually developed into a consistent pattern in which African-American superheroes, or black superheroes in general, had Shock and Awe powers. 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. But perhaps his biggest superpower is walking around shirtless. JavaScript is disabled. 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. 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. s = d.createElement('script'); Certainly, there are a number of differences between Storm, Black Lightning, (Black Lightnings daughter) Lightning, Black Vulcan, Juice, Static, and Shango the Thunderer. 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. The power to manipulate electricity. Its a very flexible power, especially combined with the equally flexible nature of comic book physics. 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. Terrific, Bronze Tiger, Firestorm, Vixen, Amanda Waller, Batwing, Lucas Fox INDY: Spawn, Martha Washington, Michonne, Destiny Ajaye thats just my ten minute list. She doesn't really have electricity powers. Marvel has featured heroes such as the X-Men's Storm who can control lightning. 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. 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. Static Shock (DC) - black, electricity based powers. 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. 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. A character based on Black Lightning named Morris Grant / Soul Power appears in the Static Shock episode "Blast from the Past", [citation needed] voiced by Brock Peters. 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. 10. Interestingly enough, the CW's newest series stars just one of several black. 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. link above. When we do show up in on-screen superhero tales, it's rarely as a part of the action. Having the strength of this magnitude allows him to leap large distances, sometimes several stories up into the air. And how about comparing to white characters with lightning? Sorry to disappoint you, but Black Lightning is not Static Shock. When you do you might note that MOST of them are VILLAINS. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. '&l=' + l : ''; His powers originally came from a belt, but this was later reckoned to make him a metahuman. Its a powerful, well, power. Has anyone else noticed that a number of the black characters in comic media have electric powers? The aspect of royalties continued to pop up over the years, which led to A) Black Lightning not appearing outside of comics for decades and B) various pastiches appearing in DC-related media instead. The Coli - The Best Hip Hop, Rap, Sports Forum and Message Board. We're auxiliary pieces, benched on the sidelines or sent in for one scene as a plot device for the white man . 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. DC also had Black Vulcan in the old superfriends show. 2. After a series of failed deals, Mephisto, the devil of the Marvel Universe, bonded Johnny's soul with the demon Zarathos. in factor based risk modelBlog by ; why do black superheroes have electric powers . /* ]]> */. Storm (Marvel) - black, wather control powers (uses electricity frequently). 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. 12. the answer might be that black, lightning spun off several of these characters and inspired the others. The earliest black superheroes like Black Panther and Luke Cage crossed the comic book color 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. 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. 13 Lightning Lad 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. Overall, there's a very large number of Black superheroes with electrical powers. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. About a half-dozen superhero-themed movies have been scheduled for this year, including "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice," which opens this weekend.

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