African characters in comics

Characters native to the

The first major Black character in the comics was in Cartoonist Lee Falk's adventure comic strip Mandrake the Magician, which featured the African supporting character Lothar from its 1934 debut on. He was a former "Prince of the Seven Nations", a federation of jungle tribes, but passed on the chance to become king and instead followed Mandrake on his world travels, fighting crime. He is often referred to as the strongest man in the world. Initially an 'illiterate exotic dressed in animal skins who provided brawn to complement Mandrake's brain on their adventures,' he was modernized in 1965 to dress in suits and speak standard English.^[1]

The publisher All-Negro Comics, Inc. published a single issue of All-Negro Comics (June 1947), a 15-cent omnibus, at a time when comics generally cost a dime, starring characters that included Lion Man. Lion Man is a young African scientist sent by the United Nations to oversee a massive uranium deposit at the African Gold Coast. Wearing a loin cloth and tribal headband, he is joined by a young war orphan named Bubba, and fights the villainous Doctor Blut Sangro.^[2]

It was not until Waku, Prince of the Bantu, in the omnibus Jungle Tales from Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor Atlas Comics, that mainstream comic books depicted an African character as a strong, independent hero. Waku was an African chieftain in a feature with no regularly featured white characters.^[3][4]

The first known Black

Dutch comics

In 1947 the character Sjors by

One of the earliest Italian comic strips was about a little African boy named Bilbolbul. The comic was drawn between 1908 and 1933 by Attilio Mussino.^[10]

Listed by company

DC Comics

• Adiremi – personification of the living wind, she is a pattern in the clouds. One of the Orishas.
• Agemo – the chameleon, depicted as a shapeshifter. One of the Orishas.
• Côte d'Ivoire
  .
• Doctor Mist – former leader of both the Global Guardians and the Primal Force.
• Erinle – depicted as a living flame, needs to consume to live. One of the Orishas.
• Esu – the trickster and maintainer of balance, based on Eshu. very similar to Anansi.
• Freedom Beast – a South African hero from the Global Guardians.
• Impala
  – a former member of the Global Guardians, now deceased.
• Côte d'Ivoire
  .
• Jakuta – a warrior of living stone and earth. Like Shango, he is traditionally a thunder god known as "Thrower of Light". One of the Orishas.
• Ultramarine Corps
  .
• Mawu – Mawu is the mother of the gods, based on Mawu. She is always depicted as riding the rainbow serpent Oshunmare. Mawu created Ifẹ̀ the living homeland of the gods, and imbued it with Lido (her life-force). Her traditional name is Mawu-Lisa. One of the Orishas.
• Mohammed Ibn Bornu – North African warrior hero from the Cadre of the Immortal. He rode a robot horse and carried an electronic spear that fired bolts of lightning.
• Molo – the International Sea Devil who represented Africa.
• Moremi – she appears to be a communally sentient flock of birds. One of the Orishas.
• Obatala of the White Cloth – leader of the
  Obatala
  . Used to take mortal form, was killed in mortal form by the king of Benin. He is later re-incarnated as a mortal man named Doctor Efraim Ngai, with no memory of his godly origins.
• Ochun – similar to the naiads, Ochun personified the "Sweet Waters" and can manifest in any body of water, based on Oshun. One of the Orishas.
• Ogun – God of iron and the forge, sometimes referred to as He-Who-Is-Iron, based on Ogun. The blacksmith god who was the creator of the Golden Chain linking earth to Ifẹ̀, home of the gods. And he was also the one who broke the chain at Shango's request. One of the Orishas.
• Olorun – depicted as a face that took up the entire sky, Olorun is defined as "He-Who-is-the-Sky", based on
  Olorun
  . Olorun was the first Orisha, born of Mawu into the land of Ifé.
• Orunmilla – the lawgiver of the Orishas, and voice of Olorun. Carries an everburning torch.
• Osain – depicted as a human woman spontaneously formed from the leaves of a tree. One of the Orishas.
• Oshunmare – A giant rainbow serpent which is ridden by Mawu the goddess of creation, based on Oshunmare. One of the Orishas.
• Shango – A hotheaded, war-axe wielding thunder god capable of changing his size at will, based on Shango
  warchief of the Orishas.
• Tyroc - member of the Legion of Super-Heroes; from the island of Marzal, off the coast of Africa.
• Vixen – a member of the Justice League. She was originally supposed to be the first African-American super heroine but her comic was canceled during the DC Implosion.

Wildstorm (ABC/Homage)

• Anansi – an illusion-casting hero Astro City universe, based in Kenya where he fought the invading Enelsians.
• Flint – a superstrong and near invulnerable Kenyan woman. Formerly of
  Authority
  .

Marvel comics

• Anansi – Based on Anansi.^[11]
• Olumo Bashenga – an ancient Wakandan whose first and only appearance was in Black Panther v1 #7 from 1978, Bashenga was supposedly the first king of Wakanda and the first Black Panther some 10,000 years ago.^[12]
• Bedlam III – member of the Exemplars.
• The Black Musketeers – the trio of Dr. Joshua Itobo, Ishanta, and Khanata were all members of the royal family of the African kingdom of Wakanda.^[13] They were usually called to assist the king.
• Black Panther – hereditary title of the ruler of Wakanda, who is currently T'Challa son of T'Chaka, grandson of T'Chanda aka Azzuri the Wise.^[14]
• Brillalae – which means "She Who Glistens," is a native of Murkatesh. She attempted to recruit Abe Brown of America as the new Black Tiger. Heroes for Hire foiled her invasion of Halwan, a neighboring African country.
• Cub – member of the Remnants (counter earth).
• Doctor Crocodile – ally of Captain Britain.
• Embyrre – an ancient African vampiress who lived and died in the pages of Midnight Sons.
• Erik Killmonger – a longtime enemy of the Black Panther.
• Acolyte, and was also part of the X-Men
  .
• Gentle – student from Xavier's Institute
  .
• Hack – a teleporting mutant from Genosha (a fictional island nation located near Madagascar).
• Ikon – a Black Panther villain named Dr. A'kurru, whose body was made of living wood.
• Impala
  – villainous member of Bad Girls, Inc.
• Jetstream
  – (Haroum ibn Sallah al-Rashid) is a fictional Moroccan mutant character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
• Ivory – member of the
  Super Soldiers
  .
• Leecher – member of the Bio-Genes, a group of Somalian Mutant rebels.
• Lightbright – member of the Intruders, formerly with the Bio-Genes, a group of Somalian
  Mutant rebels.
• Mali – member of the Bio-Genes, a group of Somalian Mutant rebels.
• heretics since Panther worship is the state religion
  .
• Midnight Sun – an African child named M'Nai adopted by Fu Manchu, and raised alongside his son Shang-Chi. Fu Manchu impressed with his stoic nature, trained him as one of the Si-Fan - his elite assassins. Due to his badly disfigured face he always wore a mask, and he was mute due to the attack that scarred his face. Because they were equally skilled, Fu Manchu sent him to kill Shang-Chi after Shang refused to assassinate James Petrie. Midnight died as a result of their second battle, but was later resurrected by the Kree in a cloned body and gifted with cosmic powers strong enough to challenge the Silver Surfer. After a couple of battles with the Surfer he settled down to a peaceful life in the Blue Area of the Moon where he was accepted by the Inhumans.^[15]
• Moses Magnum – the ruler of Canaan, a small offshoot of Wakanda. An enemy of the Black Panther.^[16]
• Mubaru – was a Wakandan cabinet member who represented the Mountain Tribes.[17]
• N'Kama – a
  Black Widow
  . Master of hand-to-hand combat, also a master hunter and tracker.
• N'Kantu, the Living Mummy (Swarili tribe's king).
• Panther Godness – main deity of Wakanda, was identified as a version of the Egyptian goddess Bast.^[18] She is part of the group of Egyptian gods called Heliopolitans and the pantheon of Wakanda called Orishas.^[19]
• Punchout – member of the Genoshan Press Gang.
• Sekmeht the Lion God – leader of the Lion Cult of Wakanda, based on
  ancient Egyptian deity and member of the Heliopolitans. Believes himself to be an actual God, opposed to the Panther Cult whose worship diminished his own followers. banished to another dimension by Iron Man and Mantis.^[20]
• Shango – based on the orisha, Shango.
• Shola Inkosi – a telekinetic/telepathic mutant from Genosha (a fictional island nation located near Madagascar
  ).
• Solomon Prey – a villain and enemy of the Black Panther, he possesses bat-like wings that enables him to fly. Also has razor sharp claws.^[21]
• Sombre – an agent of Eric Killmonger and enemy of the Black Panther. Sombre's touch is highly corrosive and painful.^[22]
• Young Gods
  by an African goddess.
• Sparrow – member of the Soldiers of Misfortune.
• Storm
  (Ultimate version) – Ororo Munroe, born in Morocco.
• Transfaser – member of the Bio-Genes, a group of Somalian Mutant rebels.
• Vibrania – (ally of Speedball).
• Diablo
  .
• Vibraxas – was formerly a member of Fantastic Force.

Atlas Comics

• Waku Prince of the Bantu – the titular character was an African chieftain in a feature with no regularly featured Caucasian characters.^[23]

Marvel UK

• Afrikaa – Afrikaa Ngala first appears in Black Axe #5 Marvel UK. Draws power from a magma pool known as the "Heart of Afrikaa".
• Doctor Crocodile – Joshua N'dingi, Chief of the African nation of Mbangawi. A friend of Captain Britain and powerful magic user, it was he who uncovered Jamie Braddock's insanity and evil to his siblings Brian and Betsy.
• Howitzer – a member of the Genedogs, an English hero team combining mutants and mutates.

Strikeforce Morituri

• Silencer – Akiya Bandaranaike, who appeared in Strikeforce: Morituri by writer Peter B. Gillis and penciler Brent Anderson, volunteered to become a Morituri after discovering she was genetically compatible to undergo the process. Her strength and endurance were superhuman and she could nullify sound.

Supremeverse

• The Five – five unnamed African superhumans who tell the
  Hyperion
  to leave Africa and never return.
• The Voice – General John M'Butu, a genocidal tribal leader gifted with a powerful psychic suggestion ability with a vocal component.

Small Press: Comic Book

African Prince

• Captain Africa – based in Juba Castle near the high-tech metropolis called Egyptica, Prince Najee M’Witu is secretly Captain Africa, a brilliant detective.

All-Negro Comics

• Lion Man – American born, college educated Lion Man is a young scientist, sent by the United Nations to watch over the fearsome ‘magic mountain’ off the African Gold Coast.

ANIA Publishing

• Zwanna, Son of Zulu – An over the top caricature of the black superhero, complete with a "Zulu-sense", and the ability to summon the powers of the Zulu. He carries a short spear in one hand, with green tassles which are in fact magical vines that he can mentally control.

Arcane Comics

• Nighthawk – appeared in the Soul Sorcerer.
• Noah – appeared in the Soul Sorcerer.

Awesome Comics

• Nubian Knight – an ordinary man living in South Africa who is granted super powers by "El" an ancient Godlike being.

Comico

• Anansi.

Daathrekh Publishing

• NETERS – cifer-RA (high-science-entertainment) Daathrekh Publishing

Griot Enterprises

• The Horsemen – Incarnations of the Yoruba pantheon's orishas including Yemaya, Ogun, Obatala, Oshun, Shango, Oya, and Eshu.

Liberator

• C.U.S.H. – a team of black superhumans.

Miller Publishing Co.

• Ku-Zu'u, King of the Jungle (Wildman Comics & Stories #8, meets
  Xal-Kor the Human Cat
  ).

UNForce

• Oba – a member of UNForce.

Urban Style Comics

• Dreadlocks – he is a blind, revolutionary hero empowered by the gods of ancient Alkebulan. Taught by the master teacher Pharohn, his duty is to bring Ma'at (order, justice, peace) to the people.

ZOOLOOK Comics

• Dread & Alive – ZOOLOOK's Dread & Alive introduces the first Jamaican superhero in comics, with its protagonist, Drew McIntosh, while featuring a black comic book series steeped in West African Spirituality.

Small Press: Graphic Novel

Double Storey

• Red Monkey [1] – Dave the Red Monkey, a red "apeman" stoner, lives in a surreal version of Cape Town alongside normal appearing humans. Dave appears in "Red Monkey: The Leaking Cello Case" written and illustrated by South African artist Joe Daly, and published by Double Storey in 2003. "The characters spend their lives in a sophisticated, new age version of hell. Monkey-footed Dave lives in decaying art deco splendour, dodging his underachieving dagga-smoking white buddies who are always out to loan a buck."^[24]

Gettosake

• Credence Walker [2] – a Doc Savage styled adventurer in an alternate Africa, written by Travis G. Johnson, with plot and art by Jeremy & Robert Love. Originally slated to be published in 2004 by Gettosake Entertainment.

Webcomics

• Eleggua – the modern incarnation of the
  Eleggua also known as Eshu. Created for the online medium by Alex Hernandez (writer) and illustrated by Korshi Dosoo [3]. Here are links to the comic series, the first part Eleggua: Divine Infections and the second Eleggua: Blood & Thunder
  .

• Anansi the Spider – a hero of Ghana, and the greatest hero in west Africa. Anansi has the power to create visible, realistic illusions. He is named after Anansi, the trickster spider of African folklore. Made guest appearances on the animated television show Static Shock
  .

• List of black animated characters
• List of black superheroes
• Portrayal of black people in comic books
• Ethnic stereotypes in comics
• Stereotypes of African Americans

References