Superheroic Fight for Equality

Mainstream superhero comics are no stranger to tackling civil rights. The early superheroes of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s were steeped in moral justice, idealism, patriotism. While early comics made attempts at inclusivity, it was not until the 1960s and 70s that the American social climate truly began to change and superheroes along with it. Mainstream comics began to better embrace social issues that had been largely relegated to the underground comix scene for well over a decade. The representation of minority characters was on the rise, as were comics that tackled subjects of racism, poverty, drug abuse, environmental issues, female empowerment and political corruption.

X-Men #1
Stan Lee (Author), Jack Kirby (Illustrator)
Marvel, 1963
Displayed is a reprint from: Son of Origins of Marvel Comics by Stan Lee, Fireside, 1975

Storm #1
Warren Ellis (Author), Terry Dodson (Illustrator)
Marvel Comics, 1996

Introduced in 1963, The X-Men are a species of human born with superhuman abilities who are feared and hated because they are different. Of his co-creation with Jack Kirby, Stan Lee stated that the X-Men are a “good metaphor for what was happening with the civil rights movement in the country at that time.” In 1975, the first black member of the X-Men is introduced in the character, Storm.

Jungle Action featuring The Black Panther #9
Don McGregor (Author), Gil Kane (Illustrator)
Marvel Comics, 1974

Falcon #1
Jim Owsley (Author), Paul Smith (Illustrator)
Marvel Comics, 1983

The first superhero of African descent in mainstream comics, Black Panther, was introduced in 1966, followed by the first African American superhero in mainstream comics, Falcon, in 1969 (in Captain America #117). Sam Wilson is a Harlem social worker. As Falcon, he teams up with Captain America throughout most of the 1970s comics. In 2015, Sam Wilson takes over as Captain America.

Black Lightning #1
Tony Isabella (Author), Trevor von Eeden (Illustrator)
DC Comics, 1977

Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #13
Steve Englehart (Author), William Graham (Illustrator), John Romita (Illustrator)
Marvel Comics, 1973

During the 1970s, the comics industry began to introduce characters that better reflected the diversity of the U.S. population. Sometimes criticized for their stereotypical depiction of black masculinity and use of offensive jargon, titles such as Luke Cage and Black Lightning also tackle important issues of social justice. socially conscious crime fighter, Luke Cage, was the first African American superhero to star in his own comic book in 1972. Black Lightning was the first black DC superhero to get his own title. His character deals with serious racial and social issues that some scholars say critique upward mobility during the Civil Rights and Black Power movements. Rather than abandoning his neighborhood, Black Lightning gives back to society by fighting crime and taking care of his community.

Milestone Comics
Milestone Media, 1993

In 1993, a collaborative of African-American artists and writers founded Milestone Media to increase positive representation of minorities in American comics. Published between 1993 and 1997 as an imprint of DC Comics, the first batch of Milestone Comics included Hardware, Icon, Blood Syndicate and Static, along with collectible trading cards. Milestone’s characters were given more realistic physical features and presented readers with strong and positive black superheroes.