As has often been remarked, the original Justice League of America brought together the few super-hero properties DC had success with in the late '50s as Julie Schwartz's revival of the genre was gaining steam. Initially denied Superman and Batman by their respective editors, Wonder Woman, the Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman and the Martian Manhunter were soon joined by Green Arrow, the Atom and Hawkman. Every one of these characters had their own solo feature, and given that it was 1960, all but one was a white male based in the U.S.A. It took nine years to add another woman, Black Canary, and that was via the bleeding heart liberal Denny O'Neil at what was arguably the birth of the Bronze Age.
That time period is well noted for progressive white men making bold, often ham-fisted attempts at developing characters of color for four-color adventures. Marvel Comics was the hipper company, and had greater success earlier on with African-American heroes like Black Panther (1966,) the Falcon (1969) and Luke Cage (1972,) Asians like Shang-Chi (1973,) and Latinos like White Tiger (1975.) At DC, John Stewart made his debut appearance as a Green Lantern in 1971, but he then went up on a shelf until 1977, and waited until 1984 to find a regular berth. Black Lightning got his own series in 1977, which was cancelled the following year, and a guest appearance in 1979 allowed Jefferson Pierce to become the first non-Caucasian to be offered Justice League membership (which he refused.) The Vixen was almost the first African super-heroine with her own book in 1978, but her unpublished introductory issue was part of a
Cancelled Comic Cavalcade instead.
Arguably, the most successfully comic book example of multiculturalism was
The All-New, All-Different X-Men, launched in 1975. While still majorly white, the Caucasians were at least of unusual nationality (Irish, German, Canadian, Russian,) and there were legitimate minorities in a Native American man, a Japanese male, and an African female. Two of the latter members were gone almost immediately, but Storm became one of the best known players in the group, heralded the start of what remains one of the most female-heavy teams in comics history. The success of the X-Men inspired much imitation, especially at DC, who soon found their best-selling title to be the highly derivative
New Teen Titans (1980.) In fact, it would be safe to say that
The Outsiders (1983) was more of a Titans wannabe, and included the aforementioned Black Lightning alongside DC's longest lived Asian heroine, Katana.
The Justice League, ailing at the tail end of the Bronze Age, jumped on the bandwagon by making the team a bunch of scrappy upstarts joining sidelined veterans. The new Justice League of America was a home for writer Gerry Conway's failed Bronze Age concepts, including the Vixen (who had finally gotten into comics via some Superman team-ups in the early '80s,) and an update of Steel: The Indestructible Man alongside Conway inductee Zatanna and frequent guest star Martian Manhunter. Only Aquaman and Elongated Man were established long-standing members. Conway also added the quasi-ethnic Gypsy for youth appeal, and DC's first prominent Latin hero, Vibe.
While black super-heroes have had their embarrassing moments, and Asians still have to take solace in manga from the sea of martial arts stereotypes representing them in Western books, I would argue that Latinos have seen some of the worst treatment of all minorities. No matter how poorly blacks were depicted in the Golden Age, they've had decades of quality champions since. Before 1984, DC's only notable Hispanic heroes were El Diablo (a Zorro riff in an old west setting) and Green Fury, a Brazilian heroine amidst the team of tokens known as the Global Guardians. Vibe represented more than Puerto Rico-- he was the first Latino on the premier super-team in comics. Unfortunately, Vibe was also emblematic of one of the most reviled line-ups in that team's history. Loud ugly clothes, a history in a cornball street gang, a thick phoney phonetic accent, liberal seasoning of random Spanish words in his dialogue, fad-mongering as a breakdancer, the revulsion of his own designer/co-creator Chuck Patton: Vibe was a complete embarrassment and a lightning rod for criticism of the group.
Across the group's two year history, Vibe's look and attitude were toned down, but he still holds the distinction of being the first member of the Justice League of America to die. After the team's break-up, Vixen went on to join the Suicide Squad, appeared in several episodes of popular DC cartoons, had a solid run as part of Brad Meltzer's League, finally received her own (mediocre) mini-series, and even took part in the New 52 launch as part of
Justice League International. Gypsy hasn't shown up yet, and while her ethnicity remains a muddy issue, as a c-list heroine she's done well for herself with cartoon cameos and membership in the
Justice League Task Force and
Birds of Prey. Vibe's brother turned up for a while in the planned-pathetic outfit the Conglomerate under the names Reverb and Hardline, who were forgettable enough that no one bothered to kill them off. Vibe's lasting legacy to date has been appearances as a ghost/zombie amongst the few Leaguers who maintained post-mortal status, and as a reminder of how poorly Latinos continue to be treated in comics.
Since Vibe's death, little has changed for the Latin super-hero community. The very Caucasian looking Aztek squeaked by for a year in a solo series, but was killed in a minor "event." A few modern El Diablos have come and gone, one another gangbanger. The less said about the late Extraño, the better. Gangbuster never amounted to anything. Firebrand III died early and not at all well. Most of the rest were similarly "legacies" of original white characters, and most are similarly quite dead, a notable exception being the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle. While Marvel also offered "colored" versions of established white heroes, DC made it the hallmark of their ethnic outreach, and their most prominent minorities remain the "Black Superman" (Steel,) "Black Batman" (Batwing) and so on. However, Marvel has had no more success with Latin heroes, ranging from early misfires like El Águila to dual tokens like Living Lightning (gay) and Firebird (evangelical catholic) to the triple threat of bland copies of copies like Araña. When Sunspot is your #1 creation from south of the border, the unintentional comedy of Vibe is comparatively attractive.
As a Texan, I know what the future of America looks like. A decade ago, Latinos were a close second to whites as customers in my shop, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if local stores today host Latinos as a majority. Mexican and South American culture have long embraced comics in a way North America has really only begun to. We just saw our presidential election decided by the Latin vote, and as our populations blend, now is the time to offer strong Hispanic heroes if we want our preferred brand of funny book to stand a chance against the sway of anime all-stars. As much as I enjoyed the Magnificent Seven in their day, entrenched history and the expectations of the icons seem to have frozen that lot in a numbing stasis that requires a Grant Morrison to pull them off as engaging entertainment.
The newer new Justice League of America offers a good deal more story options and opportunities to surprise. Further, it is difficult to see a "Magnificent Seven" Justice League translating to live action in a way that isn't laughable. Characters like Simon Baz, Katana and a revitalized Vibe offer audiences the America to come, rather than a vision of bygone eras, and that diversity extends toward separating this lot from the very profitable and well regarded
Avengers. Viewers have already rejected a Ryan Reynolds Green Lantern when they already have Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, and I can tell you from experience that Catwoman is more a role model to modern ladies than Wonder Woman. Marvel may have miraculously pulled off your father's Avengers, but how much of a chance does Warner Brothers have with a Grand Old Justice League as competition in a United States that is ever more soundly rejecting dreams of a Caucasian ruling class of godlings.
Vibe may not have a lot of cache, but at least he isn't the second version of a white hero, and his last days include some of the best and least heralded JLA comics ever produced. Vibe has places to go, potential to explore, and I'm a lot more interested in where that takes him than in the further retrograde adventures of Hal Jordan and Barry Allen. It isn't about exclusion, as Hawkman, Green Arrow and Steve Trevor are still in there, while Stargirl could be the face of the Midwest if one were so inclined to canvas for one. Justice League Detroit was a Jimmy Carter team in Ronald Reagan's America, but the morning is long past and halftime has arrived. If Motor City truly is fighting again, maybe a Detroit League finally can be done properly, and place the Justice League on the right side of history. If Vibe can be redeemed, anything else is possible.
Post-Racial DC Comics?
"Can one woman make a difference? When I was growing up, there were few role models for young black girls. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to discover Honey Williams one Saturday afternoon. She was different. Feminine but powerful, and tough as nails. Kinda like me." Williams was a Pam Grier type used up and spit out by Hollywood when the blaxploitation fad ended, "but this intombi* never forgot." Although it had been twenty years since Mari McCabe had last seen the grindhouse classic "Scream, Baby, Scream," she still remembered every frame that flickered across the silver screen as she ate popcorn in a darkened, sparsely populated movie theater for Halloween. The part where Frankenstein's Monster stepped out of the frame and began terrorizing the patrons was new.
"Hey, Purple Rose of Bavaria! Over here!" Mari had her Vixen costume on over a coat, but shedding it cost her time better spend not taking an uprooted theater chair to the face. A bystander in an Aquaman costume complimented Vixen's suit. "It's 'Jackie Brown,' right?" The Lady Fox replied "You should go. Now." Especially since the Wolf Man and the Mummy had joined into the breaking of the fourth wall. The Vixen had always wanted to be like Honey Williams, but starring in a chitlin' circuit Abbott & Costello riff while innocent lives were imperiled wasn't what she had in mind. Williams had always done the unexpected, so Mari tried slashing the screen instead of the monsters, which was not clever. However, Honey Williams stepped off the frame to literally point out the obvious, that the movie projector was to blame. Vixen leapt through a wall to the booth, and found an "insane creation" full of mirrors that was manifesting the monsters. One punch killed the camera, saving a father and daughter from the boogeymen. Mari mourned not getting Honey's autograph though, and missing the chance to explain what her movies had meant to her.
Mirror Master had been tipped by Harley Quinn to a fortune buried under floorboards in the theater, but hadn't counted on the Lady Fox being present. "Hi, Evan. Now we can do this the easy way or the hard way. And since you just ruined my night off, please make it the hard way." Mirror Master figured she'd need her JLA buddies to get this particular job done, but his ass swiftly meeting the floor meant she didn't. "Never get between a black woman and her stories." The Flash Rogue was soon led away in handcuffs, and Mari was introduced to the little girl she'd saved, Shaunequa. "I've never seen a lady like us beat up bad guys before. Can I be like you when I grow up?" Mari thought the "imbali encane" had a beautiful name and the right idea. "Can one woman make a difference? Yes, she can."
"Role Model" was by Eric Wallace and Tony Shasteen. The art was Photoshoppy, referenced to board stiffness, and the story didn't offer a Vixen that was too impressive, but I respect the overall intentions. Per an editors note, "intombi" meant "young lady/girl" in "African," which was helpfully translated into Western Hemisphere speak for us Upper Equatorians. "Imbali encane" meant "little flower."
HitFix is a four year old movie site that I don't recall ever having heard of before stumbling upon their underwhelming list of 10 Superheroes who really don't need their own movie. As is often the case, there may be one or two insightful offerings, but before long they start reaching for the low hanging fruit. For instance, it's common knowledge that Aquaman sucks, right?
Iron Man was a middling performer at Marvel for decades that they tried to jazz up by making an alcoholic, turning evil, replacing with a black guy and teenage version of himself, plus near constant costume changes. Captain America's first motion picture went straight to video, not to mention his two lame TV movies and inability to get his own cartoon. Thor only appeared in one Hulk TV movie and as a segment on an anthology cartoon. Each earned back several times their substantial production budgets when faithfully committed to film. Meanwhile, Disney has placed supposedly safer bets on less "silly" properties like The Prince of Persia, John Carter of Mars and The Lone Ranger that have or inevitably will cost them a fortune in currency and good will.
Only unimaginative, insulated comic book geeks still get their panties in a bunch over how stoopid Aquaman is supposed to be. They'll reference Waterworld, even though that pseudo-bomb dropped nearly twenty years ago and was actually an international success earning back its ridiculous production budget with substantial profit to spare. Disney's big crossover action franchise was Pirates of the Caribbean, about sailors on the ocean fighting giant squid. Aquaman can do that, and bring along his own quasi-Darth Vader in Black Manta besides. His costume actually works a lot better in live action than most, since it's actual armor from the real world. He has a power set with a strong visual hook that hasn't been seen that often, whereas someone like the Flash would either employ comically sped-up film or recycle gimmicks from The Matrix that have already been done to death. Is it so hard to picture Deborah Ann Woll in a dripping wet skintight body suit as Mera selling tickets? When Michael Phelps was breaking Olympic records, they weren't calling him the Sub-Mariner! Aquaman can be done, and given his rare global brand recognition, sex appeal, and unique setting in an increasingly overcrowded genre, getting it done should be a top priority for Warner Brothers!
