When you think of Spider-Man, Batman and Captain America what comes to mind? Without fail I’m sure that 100 percent of comic book readers would immediately think of Peter Parker, Bruce Wayne and Steve Rogers. Contrary to popular belief the first “Spider-Man” and the first soldier to take up the mantle of Captain America were both Black characters. “Spider-Man” or Kwaku Anansi was a superhuman trickster and one of the most important figures in West African folklore mythology. In recent years he has even made appearances in pop culture. In the Marvel Comics series The Amazing Spider-Man: Volume 2 (1999-2003), it is revealed by the character Ezekiel Sims that the Ghanaian God Anansi was canonically the first Spider-Man. This character also appeared in pop culture classics like Static-Shock and American Gods. Canonically, the first Captain America was an African American soldier named Isaiah Bradley. Bradley predated the Marvel Cinematic Universe, first appearing in Truth: Red, White & Black #1 in January 2003.
The suppression of characters like these is a symptom of the overarching issue that historically popular culture has not considered minorities in fantasy/fiction. Over the years we have had examples ranging from “Alice in Wonderland”, “The Little Mermaid” and “Pinocchio” to more contemporary titles like “Star Wars”, “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter”. All of which represent fictionalized versions of European culture.
The Spider-Man of Earth-1610 is a curious case. Miles Morales was created in 2011 by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli in Ultimate Fallout #4. From his inception Miles has been treated as a tokenized character across all forms of media. One of the first headlines about this character touted how he was based on Rapper Childish Gambino and President Barack Obama. Since then, Miles has struggled to be portrayed as a three-dimensional character who doesn’t have to rely on gimmicks and Afro-Latino stereotypes to get recognition.
In an interview with Larry King, Spider-Man Co-Creator Stan Lee stated that part of the beauty of Spider-Man’s costume is the fact that beneath the suit, he could be anyone. “Unlike other famous comic heroes like Superman or Batman, there’s not an inch of skin revealed by Spider-Man’s suit, meaning he could be Black, White, Native American, Asian, Hispanic, etc”.
In recent years we see creators painstakingly going out of their way to show that Miles is the “Black” Spider-Man. Examples include ditching traditional Spider-Man suits in favor of hoodies, sweat shirts and tracksuits adorned with visible Nike and adidas logos. Insomniac games even went as far as to give Miles Timberland boots, create a Black Lives Matter suit and a suit that highlights Miles (obviously Killmonger inspired) dreadlocks. Over the years Miles has also faced turmoil with just being referred to as Spider-Man. From names like Spy-D to Kid-Arachnid, we’ve seen numerous examples of comic creators slowly trying to separate Miles from the Spider-Man mantle. Unfortunately rather than creating a three-dimensional character who has nuanced wants and needs completely separate from Peter’s, we’ve been too concerned with displaying the “exaggerated swagger of a Black teen”.
As the saying goes, you have to be the change you want to see. Since the “Big Two” comic companies refuse to explore real inclusivity, indie comics are tasked with telling stories from underrepresented communities. Specifically, Midnight Comics has been doing a stellar job of authenticity representing all walks of life.
In the Midnight Comics story Sol #1 we follow our titular hero in his civilian clothes on his way home from work. He hears a cry for help and immediately springs into action. In just a few short panels we learn that Sol fights ancient evils and that his power over the sun has been passed down to him by the Egyptian Sun God, Amon-Ra.
Yes, Sol is Black, but unlike Miles Morales, his Blackness isn’t written as a personality trait. His Blackness isn’t meant to represent a whole community of people. He’s a superhero that just happens to be Black and that’s ok. Just like Superman, Batman and Captain America, he exists and doesn’t need to have his race explained.
The late Dwayne McDuffie of Milestone Comics stated that he and his colleagues strived to create a series of books that presented a view of the world that was wider than what had previously been represented. Midnight Comics and other indie comic book creators alike are transforming and expanding narrative fiction in real time. This gives me hope for the future. A future where I can see a character who looks like me swinging through the streets of New York and when asked who he is, I can confidently say, that’s The Amazing Spider-Man.
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