This thread's for talking about the Marvel Comics line, whether the comics are decades old or brand new.
As well as the superhero tales of the Marvel Universe, that also includes all the other things Marvel's done (Epic Comics, Icon Comics, Star Comics and all the rest), as well as the older stories by Atlas and Timely, the companies that later became Marvel.
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, Star Wars
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and some of the other franchises. Sometimes it may be more useful to discuss the comics there rather than here — but they're still on-topic and there's no hard rule.
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So apparently,
they're making a Black Panther movie. Let's hope Hudlin is kept as far away as possible. On a related note, anyone think that the whole 'Super Hero that is also a King/Ruler' is kind of ridiculous? I mean where do heroes like Aquaman and T'Challa find the time to both lead a nation and go gallavanting on the other side of the globe?
Edited by Mrph1 on Sep 1st 2024 at 8:36:28 PM
I think one of the reasons so many black heroes have electric powers is because other options are either generic, used by more popular heroes or just seem unimpressive (on paper anyway).
I once saw a comment that said if Antman, Aquaman and Falcon teamed up, no criminal on Earth could hide from them.
Oddly fitting that your current avatar is Static.
Edited by M84 on Mar 29th 2022 at 4:02:16 PM
Disgusted, but not surprisedMore heroes should be able to talk to birds. Would be funny if that became a stock power somehow.
Electricity is a pretty cool power. Obvious combat uses, pretty impressive visuals, and depending on how exactly it works quite a few non-combat uses too. The trend is weird, but could do worse I guess.
Oddly it is usually a “villain” power when it is not a black guy. Hence Psycho Electro.
Disgusted, but not surprisedAdmitably we could use more creative costumes at least.
For instance Black Lightning and Static sorta use a similar blue/bold color scheme to the point at times the former looks like an adult version of the latter. Hell Batman Beyond had Adult-Static basically be a Black Lightning stand-in.
Hell the current Legion of Superheroes run which racelifted Lightning Lad into a black man also has him with a blue/gold color scheme. The fact a later scene with his sister Lighting Lass stating that she did a thesis on Black Lightning implies they may be trying to connect the characters.
Its a tad uncreative all things considered.
Edited by slimcoder on Mar 29th 2022 at 2:51:58 AM
"I am Alpharius. This is a lie."We have Monica Rambeau as a black woman who controls light at least. On the metal part, we have Vykin from DC's New Gods who controls magnetism.
You know, there aren't a lot of metal manipulators in superhero comics. They either control magnetism or have metal skin. I guess controlling metal as an element could be a niche a hypothetical black character could fill.
There was a comic by DC which jokingly lampshaded it by having someone mistake Static for Black Lightning's son, much to BL's annoyance.
I even saw a fan trailer for a Static movie back in the day that had Jeff related to Virgil as an uncle, iirc.
There is also the Surge from the IDW Sonic the Hedgehog comics and Lightning Lad from DC's Legion of Superheroes.
Edited by windleopard on Mar 29th 2022 at 1:54:46 PM
Not comics but Cole Mac Grath from the inFAMOUS games could grind on power lines and train tracks with Super-Speed using his powers.
Edited by M84 on Mar 29th 2022 at 8:54:58 PM
Disgusted, but not surprisedWell, according to recent Flash media... the Flash has electricity and super speed.
@Windleopard.
Static Shock is one of the best DCAU shows and electricity is one of the coolest powers in fiction.
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Yeah the Flash is pretty electric based since speed and lightning are pretty related.
Edited by RedHunter543 on Mar 29th 2022 at 11:09:29 AM
"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"The Flash doesn't really have electricity as a power. It's just a visual effect to emphasize how fast he is. He's lightning fast.
There is a DC character who has super speed and electricity powers though — Captain Marvel. He's got the speed of Mercury and he can use the magical lightning bolt that transforms him back and forth as an attack.
There's also Marvel's own Thor. Can fly at super speeds and is the God of Thunder.
Edited by M84 on Mar 29th 2022 at 11:16:47 PM
Disgusted, but not surprised
Yes, the Flash is primarily a super-speedster the original comics, but from at least the New 52 on, he also has electricity generation as a secondary power.
Also, Captain Marvel/Monica Rambeau is an interesting case in that her power is actually to turn into different forms of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum; usually light, but occasionally she transforms into electricity (which isn't actually a part of the EM spectrum IIRC, but comic-book science says otherwise).
Trope Editor (he/him)

So what, he's still an Electric Black Guy?
Seriously, can't black superheroes have a powerset that doesn't involve electricity?
Disgusted, but not surprised