For an American medium like comic books: so-called "Black" History is comics history and it's told across decades of four-colour adventures! Any self-respecting fanboy knows there's no shortage of hard hitting heroes & villains that fit the bill, but who are the best? With February being Black History Month it seemed like a good time to take a closer look at comics' history makers!
Every entry on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths contributes to the cumulative win/loss rankings. You can find updates at the bottom of every new featured fight for characters involved -- but Rank & File is our chance to compare 1,000+ characters by highlighting the ten best of specific categories in order of overall rank! Become a Top 10 supporter on Patreon and you could pick the next Top 10 topic!
Every entry on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths contributes to the cumulative win/loss rankings. You can find updates at the bottom of every new featured fight for characters involved -- but Rank & File is our chance to compare 1,000+ characters by highlighting the ten best of specific categories in order of overall rank! Become a Top 10 supporter on Patreon and you could pick the next Top 10 topic!
#1 Luke Cage (Marvel)Real Name: [Carl Lucas]
First Appearance: [Luke Cage, Hero for Hire #1 (June, 1972)]
Recent Opponents: [Carnage, Tombstone, Man Mountain Marko & Eel]
Featured Fight: [Purple Man versus Luke Cage]
We start the count with one of the new heroes for the civil seventies. After American rights were earned, and everybody got wise, Luke Cage brought "black power" to Marvel Comics as the eponymous Power Man!
He flew solo for a while, before finding an unlikely partnership that gave us the iconic Heroes for Hire. His days in a buddy team provided a foundation for being an enduring cult favourite, but it was his induction into the modern New Avengers that put him right at the centre of the Marvel Universe, and catapulted him into a Top 10 rankings spot as team leader! More recently he was part of a new era of Defenders, appearing in his own Netflix series portrayed by the unbreakable Mike Colter.
He flew solo for a while, before finding an unlikely partnership that gave us the iconic Heroes for Hire. His days in a buddy team provided a foundation for being an enduring cult favourite, but it was his induction into the modern New Avengers that put him right at the centre of the Marvel Universe, and catapulted him into a Top 10 rankings spot as team leader! More recently he was part of a new era of Defenders, appearing in his own Netflix series portrayed by the unbreakable Mike Colter.
#2 Steel (DC)Real Name: [John Henry Irons]
First Appearance: [Adventures of Superman #500 (June, 1993)]
Recent Opponents: [Eradicator, Sinestro Corps, Felipe DeClaude]
Fight Spotlight: [Steel versus Lex Luthor]
When DC Comics decided to kill Superman in the early nineties - four heroes arose to take up the Man of Steel's legacy. Three did their best to reign as the second-coming of Superman himself, but John Henry Irons stood for something different. He was a self-made Man of Steel, inspired by Superman's example, and the desire to put his talents towards doing good.
His skills as an inventor and engineer allowed John Henry to craft a suit of armor capable of holding the likes of Eradicator to account, with a view to ridding the streets of the high-powered weaponry he had a hand in creating. He would go on to forge a friendship with Superman, continuing to work alongside the returned hero as a trusted ally, and as a member of the Justice League. He infamously appeared in a featured film just four years after debuting, and can now be seen on TV's Superman & Lois.
His skills as an inventor and engineer allowed John Henry to craft a suit of armor capable of holding the likes of Eradicator to account, with a view to ridding the streets of the high-powered weaponry he had a hand in creating. He would go on to forge a friendship with Superman, continuing to work alongside the returned hero as a trusted ally, and as a member of the Justice League. He infamously appeared in a featured film just four years after debuting, and can now be seen on TV's Superman & Lois.
#3 Storm (Marvel)Real Name: [Ororo Monroe]
First Appearance: [Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May, 1975)]
Recent Opponents: [Omega Red, Blitzkrieg, Magneto, Hellfire Club]
Featured Fight: [Storm versus Wonder Woman]
When Charles Xavier went international to recruit a new team -- he found one of their most powerful charter members in Kenya. 1975's Giant-Size X-Men introduced Storm atop a lonely knoll, answering the prayers of desperate men seeking the weather goddess' blessing.
The wind rider brought reprieve to a drought-stricken African land, but her downpour also refreshed the X-Men, who had lost their original class on the living island of Krakoa. She helped rescue the lost team and would continue to fight for the rights of mutantkind, rising quickly to the role of field leader of the X-Men, and eventually short-lived Queen of Wakanda! Today she is a senior member of the mutant Nation of Krakoa, and one of the most iconic and beloved X-Men appearing in comics, and multimedia.
The wind rider brought reprieve to a drought-stricken African land, but her downpour also refreshed the X-Men, who had lost their original class on the living island of Krakoa. She helped rescue the lost team and would continue to fight for the rights of mutantkind, rising quickly to the role of field leader of the X-Men, and eventually short-lived Queen of Wakanda! Today she is a senior member of the mutant Nation of Krakoa, and one of the most iconic and beloved X-Men appearing in comics, and multimedia.
#4 Black Panther (Marvel)Real Name: [T'Challa]
First Appearance: [Fantastic Four #52 (July, 1966)]
Recent Opponents: [Klaw & Killmonger, Thanos, Wolverine, Klaw, Thing]
Featured Fight: [Black Panther & Storm versus Doctor Doom]
American comics sometimes forget there's a big wide world beyond their borders, and in 1966, Marvel Comics readers received an education in the African continent via the mysterious fictional nation of Wakanda. There resides its leader: T'Challa - Black Panther!
Wakanda and the Black Panther presented a vision of ancient tradition fused with science-fiction "Afro futurism". Locked behind impenetrable borders; Wakanda safeguards secrets of advanced technology and the rare mineral vibranium, protected with unwavering vigilance from a modern world forged in war and greed. Wakanda's isolationism became legendary, but Black Panther ventures out into the world as a member and close ally of The Avengers and Fantastic Four. Comic book runs by the likes of writers Christopher Priest and Reginald Hudlin furthered the excellence of the character, inspiring elements of his transition to the big screen as portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman.
Wakanda and the Black Panther presented a vision of ancient tradition fused with science-fiction "Afro futurism". Locked behind impenetrable borders; Wakanda safeguards secrets of advanced technology and the rare mineral vibranium, protected with unwavering vigilance from a modern world forged in war and greed. Wakanda's isolationism became legendary, but Black Panther ventures out into the world as a member and close ally of The Avengers and Fantastic Four. Comic book runs by the likes of writers Christopher Priest and Reginald Hudlin furthered the excellence of the character, inspiring elements of his transition to the big screen as portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman.
#5 Bronze Tiger (DC)Real Name: [Benjamin Turner]
First Appearance: [Richard Dragon, Kung Fu Fighter #1 (May, 1975)]
Recent Opponent: [Batman, Stalnoivolk, Ravan, Enchantress, Brimstone]
Featured Fight: [Bronze Tiger versus Ravan]
When the kung fu craze of the nineteen seventies reached DC Comics it led to the creation of one of its most enduring martial arts masters. Ben Turner studied under the O-Sensei, eventually using his supreme fighting skills as a field operative for the altruistic international mercenary agency G.O.O.D.
Spy work brought Turner to the attention of The League of Assassins, who brainwashed him into becoming the deadly Bronze Tiger. He eventually managed to resist their programming, but not before he claimed his most famous victory over The Batman. This distinction remained with him as he sought a path of redemption through Task Force X and as a watchful conscience for the Suicide Squad. As long as the Bronze Tiger remained with them - no villain would step out of line!
Spy work brought Turner to the attention of The League of Assassins, who brainwashed him into becoming the deadly Bronze Tiger. He eventually managed to resist their programming, but not before he claimed his most famous victory over The Batman. This distinction remained with him as he sought a path of redemption through Task Force X and as a watchful conscience for the Suicide Squad. As long as the Bronze Tiger remained with them - no villain would step out of line!
#6 Green Lantern (DC)Real Name: [John Stewart]
First Appearance: [Green Lantern #87 (Dec-Jan, 1972)]
Recent Opponent: [Larfleeze, Kraken, Sinestro Corps, Injustice League]
Featured Fight: [Green Lantern Corps versus Parallax]
Hal Jordan met his match in 1972 when Guy Gardner was put out of action and The Guardians of the Universe chose out-of-work architect John Stewart to become the new back-up Green Lantern of Sector 2814.
Even before receiving his ring, the no nonsense Stewart showed tremendous willpower and character, standing up to a bullying street cop he'd later save as the Green Lantern. Keeping his face bare, he continued to use his powers for the betterment of social equality, while also rising to become an accomplished full-time hero throughout the universe! A generation of fans know him as the Green Lantern featured in the Justice League animated series, but the Green Lantern comic book revival of the mid-2000s ensured his adventures would continue to reach new frontiers!
Even before receiving his ring, the no nonsense Stewart showed tremendous willpower and character, standing up to a bullying street cop he'd later save as the Green Lantern. Keeping his face bare, he continued to use his powers for the betterment of social equality, while also rising to become an accomplished full-time hero throughout the universe! A generation of fans know him as the Green Lantern featured in the Justice League animated series, but the Green Lantern comic book revival of the mid-2000s ensured his adventures would continue to reach new frontiers!
#7 Black Lightning (DC)Real Name: [Jefferson Pierce]
First Appearance: [Black Lightning #1 (April, 1977)]
Recent Opponents: [Mirror Master & Killer Frost, Sinestro Corps]
Featured Fight: [Justice League versus Injustice League]
Long before Milestone Comics gave the world a Static shock there was the electrifying adventures of Black Lightning! To the world: Jefferson Pierce was a medal winning Olympic Decathlete, but when he returns to his hometown in Metropolis' Suicide Slum, he's a high school teacher on a mission to rid the streets of Tobias Whale's kid-killing drug pushers: The 100!
In his first appearances Black Lightning's electric charge was a gimmick of the costume designed to disguise his recognizable face, but in time it revealed the metagene within him. He continued to use his powers to clean up the streets, initially refusing membership with the Justice League, but eventually joining up with Batman and his Outsiders, and the JLA. More recently Black Lightning was the title hero of a CW television series starring Cress Williams.
In his first appearances Black Lightning's electric charge was a gimmick of the costume designed to disguise his recognizable face, but in time it revealed the metagene within him. He continued to use his powers to clean up the streets, initially refusing membership with the Justice League, but eventually joining up with Batman and his Outsiders, and the JLA. More recently Black Lightning was the title hero of a CW television series starring Cress Williams.
#8 Vixen (DC)Real Name: [Mari Jiwe McCabe]
First Appearance: [Action Comics #521 (July, 1981)]
Recent Opponents: [Stalnoivolk, Professor Ivo, Brimstone]
Featured Fight: [Vixen & Martian Manhunter versus Professor Ivo]
The first appearance of Vixen was delayed several years as a result of the "DC Implosion" of 1978 that saw the cancellation of several titles, including an intended starring vehicle for the new heroine. When she finally made her published debut in Action Comics it began a slow rise to becoming one of DC's enduring modern icons.
Mari McCabe left the fictional nation of Zambesi to become a world-renowned model, but upon her return to the African nation, she inherited the Tantu Totem: a talisman that connects her with the primordial morphogenetic field to grant the abilities of any animal imaginable. These fantastic powers quickly caught the attention of a new Justice League, but as the Detroit-based group suffered shocking losses, Mari was left to deal with her grief alone. She joined the Suicide Squad, but after years of drifting, eventually returned to the ranks of a full-force Justice League!
#9 Firestorm (DC)Real Name: [Jason Rusch]
First Appearance: [Firestorm #1 (July, 2004)]
Recent Opponents: [Sinestro Corps, Injustice League]
Featured Fight: [Justice League versus Injustice League]
The murder of Ronnie Raymond triggers a sequence of events that sees the Firestorm Matrix falling upon beleaguered 17 year old Jason Rusch. Working as a courier for local Detroit thugs to earn cash, Jason unleashes the powers of The Nuclear Man when he begins accidentally merging with nearby individuals during times of great stress.
Jason eventually came to gain better understanding of his powers, navigating life as Firestorm through relationships with his predecessors, Raymond and Martin Stein, and even multiversal upheaval. Jason persisted despite a complicated legacy and his history being rewritten through the DC Comics New 52 line-wide reboot, and versions continue to appear in animation, video games, and more.
#10 Blade (Marvel)Real Name: [Eric Brooks]
First Appearance: [Tomb of Dracula #10 (July, 1973)]
Recent Opponents: [Morbius, Ghost Rider, Spider-Man]
Featured Fight: [Ghost Rider & Frank Drake versus Blade & Demogoblin]
Blade put an iconic new twist on the classic vampire hunters of old when he joined the cast of Tomb of Dracula in 1973. Perhaps best known for the 1998 theatrical version starring Wesley Snipes; Blade was originally a jive-talking product of the nineteen-seventies, but underwent a modern reinvention that saw him become one of the premiere heroes of the nineties Midnight Sons titles, adopting the leather jacket look he's most identified with.
Cultural exchange between cinema and comics transformed the English dhampir Blade into a full-fledged "Daywalker" when he was bitten by Morbius, and his unique physiology reacted with further enhanced physical prowess at the price of a serum-dependent bloodlust. He'd continue to hunt vampires by night, but has more recently returned to the light as an addition to The Avengers.
Bringing Up The Rear:
War Machine, Photon, Tally Man, Deathlok, Eradicator, Cyborg, Brother Voodoo, Jesse Bedlam, Blue Marvel & Spawn
Remember: The Rank & File Top 10
is determined by recorded win/loss rankings
at the time of publication. There are many more heroes and
villains from the pantheon of comic books' history. Which characters were overlooked? Share your Black History Top 10 in the comments below, and become a Patreon subscriber to choose the next Rank & File Top 10!
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