40 Superheroines of Color You've Never Heard Of:
I was challenged to expand and improve upon this list of 20 superheroines of color you've never heard of. So, here we go:
40 Superheroines of Color You've Never Heard Of:
I'm including the superheroes from the original list here, along with my own commentary, and my own additions. I'm also listing them in order of their year of appearance (though that sometimes gets fuzzy). These are meant to be somewhat obscure heroes -- while comics-fans likely know many of these characters, others may not. This is why characters such as Storm are not on the list -- while she is a magnificent character, she's probably the best known female superhero of color out there.
1: Nu'bia: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1973
Nubia was intended as the "black Wonder Woman", made from black clay as Diana (Wonder Woman) was made from white clay. They were sisters, though Nubia had been kidnapped and raised by Mars. This... problematic origin and backstory was wiped away during DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, which reset Wonder Woman completely. In the new universe, Nu'bia (now with an apostrophe!) is another Amazon who previously had been the Amazons' champion (much as Wonder Woman is now), who now guards Doom's Doorway on the island. She has been an ally to Wonder Woman several times, and is her equal.
She's had some problematic appearances, certainly, but she's got a lot of potential as a character.
2: Misty Knight: (Marvel comics)
First Appearance: 1975, though a later retcon established an unnamed character who appeared in 1972 to be Misty
Usually partnered with Colleen Wing, Misty Knight is a former New York cop with a bionic arm. She's always been portrayed as a badass who takes no crap from anyone. She had a long-term relationship with Iron Fist, marking one of the first interracial relationships in comics (and personally, I found them an adorable couple), and the two are very good friends even when they are not romantically linked. She and Colleen (who has been trained as a samurai) have long worked as heroes for hire and private investigators.
I was introduced to Colleen Wing in 1990, during a story arc in Namor that resurrected the then-dead Iron Fist, and I quickly fell for her as a character. She's strong, compassionate, no-nonsense, and a complete badass. She manages to have a relationship with Iron Fist without being defined as "Iron Fist's girlfriend." She's fantastic.
3: Bumblebee: (DC Comics)
First Appearance: 1976, becoming a superhero in 1977
Karen Beecher was the girlfriend of Mal Duncan, a member of the Teen Titans. She disguised herself as the Bumblebee and attacked the team to help Mal look good; she escaped this ruse, and later joined the team as a full member. She and Mal later retired from superheroics and got married, and she took a job working for STAR Labs, designing nonlethal weapons, though they would occasionally aid the Titans from time to time. In recent comics, they made her active again, in part by making her stuck at just a few inches tall, which led to her divorce from Mal.
I love Bumblebee a ton. I'm very sad that they had to break up her marriage -- it's been a recurring theme with comics lately, as apparently NO ONE can have a happy marriage without either divorce or death in their immediate future. Still, it was nice to see them doing SOMETHING with her.
4: Celsius: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1977
Arani Desai fell in love with and married Niles Caulder, the "Chief" of the Doom Patrol, who gave her an immortality serum. She also gained the ability to manipulate her core temperature in harmony with her martial arts, to the point that she can create fires or ice with her hands. She was hidden away, to keep her safe from the Chief's enemies. After the Chief was apparently killed, she came out of hiding and formed her own Doom Patrol. She was killed in an alien invasion, as the Chief apparently returned from the dead and claimed she was just a disturbed woman; maybe he really hadn't been married to her.
Wow. Way to destroy a character, DC: not only kill her off, but make her retroactively crazy. I have theorized ways to patch all this -- which would include patching the Chief's really bizarre behavior after his return from the dead -- but I doubt DC will ever do anything with this character again, unless it's as a disturbed villain (her corpse appeared in the Blackest Night event, after all, to torment the Chief).
5: Owlwoman
First appearance: 1977
A representative of the Kiowa tribe from Oklahoma, Wenonah Littlebird is a member -- and occasional leader -- of the Global Guardians. She can fly, see in total darkness, has retractable claws, and has heightened senses. In addition, she's a skilled combatant and tactician. In short, think if Wolverine could fly and actually had social skills.
The Global Guardians. Wow. What a fantastic team... that DC consistently forgets about. The lineup is on par with the Justice League. The team has people like the Olympian -- who has the powers of all 50 Argonauts (which STARTS with the strength of Hercules, and goes from there) -- or Rising Sun, who can do all sorts of solar effects. It's truly a multicultural team, with members from all over the world, and leaders Dr. Mist (a black man) and Owlwoman (a Native American woman). Of course, they're regularly forgotten about, and only trotted out when they want to show how progressive and diverse they are. Otherwise, the whole team is basically cannon-fodder for their other teams' plots.
6: Vixen: (DC comics)
First appearance: 1981, after a canceled/unpublished comic in 1978
As the original list notes, Vixen was going to be the first female black hero to get her own series at DC, but the title was cancelled before it could be published when DC had a big title implosion in 1978. Vixen can concentrate on an animal-type and gain its abilities, even if it's on the other side of the world. Mari Jiwe grew up in a small African village, and she gained the powers of Vixen when she acquired the mystical Tantu totem (created by Anansi the Spider-God). She established a career as a model in the United States and adopted the name Mari McCabe. Vixen has been a member of the Justice League.
Her origins do sniff a little of someone who hasn't done a lot of research and sticks to certain stereotypes: why aren't there ever cities in Africa in comics? But she's a fantastic character.
7: Monica Rambeau: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1982
Monica was originally known as Captain Marvel, the second hero (in the Marvel universe) to use the name. With powers over energy and light, Monica was a lieutenant in the New Orleans harbor patrol, but gained her powers when she tried to prevent the creation of a deadly weapon. She joined the Avengers and even led them for a time. When the name "Captain Marvel" was claimed by the son of the original, she went briefly by Photon, then by Pulsar (when the new Captain Marvel decided to change his name to Photon, too -- no, really), then dropped her name altogether.
Like many in modern Marvel, Monica has not been well-served by modern writers. The "Divas" line which starred her seemed to be more "Sex in the City" than superheroes, which I think sold the characters short. That said, Monica remains my all-time favorite on this list, and one of the top three leaders the Avengers have ever had (along with Captain America and the Wasp).
8: Danielle Moonstar: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1982
Danielle Moonstar was a mutant with illusion-creating abilities. A founding member of the X-Men-related team the New Mutants, she developed mystical powers while in Asgard, and eventually became a Valkyrie after losing her powers in a big Marvel event that depowered many mutants.
Dani's a rich character with a long history. She's long been an important member of the X-teams, and the only woman of color I can think of who's been there longer is Storm. And they really did her a disservice by depowering her, but at least they found a way to make her a superhero again.
9: Computo: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1982
A member of the Legion of Superheroes, Danielle Foccart is the younger sister of the second Invisible Kid. In her first appearance, she was a villain, as an attempt to cure her of a disease caused her to be possessed by the evil computer named Computo. This time being possessed affected her DNA, however, and she could now interface with all manner of computer systems. She was a deputy leader of the Legion until the timeline was reset (as happens to the Legion. Frequently.) In future timelines, she didn't seem to have any powers at all.
I feel for fans of the Legion of Super Heroes. I myself read the second incarnation of the Reboot in the 90s, beginning to end, and I'm still disappointed by dangling plot threads which were never resolved when they reset the universe. I haven't read any Computo comics, but she seems pretty awesome, and I'd love to see new incarnations of her.
10: Gypsy: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1984
Gypsy joined the Justice League after running away from an abusive home. She has powers of illusion, particularly invisibility. She's also been trained in the use of computers, and is skilled in hand-to-hand combat. After DC comics recently reset their universe, Gypsy now has an origin of being from a tribe of interdimensional vagabonds.
Okay, Gypsy is a great character, but there are quite a few problems here. Her original origin appeared to have her come from a very white middle-class family, and the "Gypsy" motif was entirely adopted, but later writers suggested she was ethnically Romany. (This is not mutually-exclusive to the household she grew up in, but it does not appear to be the original writer's intent.) Add in the fact that many or even most Romany groups consider "Gypsy" to be something of a slur (though this is not universal)... well. There's a lot which could be explored here, but DC has never gotten around to it, and now that they've given her a new origin, they likely never will. It'd be nice to give her a new name, though...
11: Wildcat: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1985
Yolanda Montez was born with powers after her mother's insane gynocologist gave her treatments in the womb. (No, really.) Her godfather, Ted Grant, was the original Wildcat, and Yolanda eventually becomes the second Wildcat. She serves as a superhero for a time, before Eclipso kills her.
Yes, her origin is a bit squicky, but the character herself was fantastic. She deserved so much more than DC gave her -- an impaling on a sword at the hands of a supervillain.
12: Doctor Midnight: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1985
Beth Chapel was the inheritor of Dr. Mid-Nite's legacy, she was a medical doctor and blind in normal light -- but she could see perfectly in pitch blackness. She was killed by Eclipso while begging to save Wildcat through surgery.
Oh, poor Beth Chapel -- a fantastic character with so many squandered opportunities for stories. A medical doctor and a superhero, she was given an absolutely punk death... which is all too common for minority characters.
13: Dr. Light: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1985
Kimiyo Hoshi is a brilliant scientist, though she can be arrogant and unpleasant. She helped save the world during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and was a long-term member of the Justice League off and on over the years. She is a single mother with two children, which keeps her from regularly being a full-time superhero.
There have been some unfortunate implications with this character over the years, particularly in battles with the Dr. Light supervillain (who was retconned in 2006 to be a rapist of female superheroes and superhero family members in addition to his other crimes). That said, Kimiyo Hoshi is a wonderful character who is used a decent amount, and most comic fans, at least, recognize her.
14: Friction: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1986
Set in the "New Universe" line of comics (separate from the mainline Marvel), Friction can affect the friction of surfaces around her. A trained dancer who then received CIA training, she was skilled in combat as well.
I never read the New Universe comics, to be honest, but what little I've seen of her is pretty cool.
15: Pathway: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1987
Laura Dean has the ability to travel across interdimensional barriers. Her fraternal twin sister was physically obviously a mutant, even as a fetus, so her parents had her aborted. As a fetus, Laura used her mutant powers to save her sister and send her to a parallel universe. Pathway was severely autistic, and her parents attempted to cure her by sending her to a clinic run by a supervillain. (Her parents were real winners, clearly.) She eventually joined Alpha Flight's backup team, Beta Flight, along with her sister (who, for a time, was believed to be the same person, as they swapped places).
Ohhhhh, my. Well. The origins are problematic in all sorts of ways, but it's nice to see superheroes on the autism spectrum.
16: Jet: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1988
Jet was part of the "New Guardians," when the Guardians of the Universe (who created the Green Lantern Corps) decided to gather ten humans, imbue them with powers, and teach them of the cosmos. Jet was a Jamaican woman living in London; she gained various electromagnetic powers. She contracted HIV, which eventually became AIDS, and she died. Years later, she reappeared with no explanation as to her resurrection.
To be honest, the New Guardians series tried very, very hard, but often failed completely. And bringing her back with no explanation does smack a bit of tokenism to me. Sure, there's a lot of potential there, but it's there in spite of what the writers have done with her.
17: Silhouette (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1990
Silhouette Chord is biracial; her father is African-American, and her mother is Cambodian. Partially paralyzed from the waist down after a gunshot injury, Silhouette continues superheroing and joins the New Warriors for an extended period before going off to find herself. Silhouette can transform into living shadow, and even with the partial loss of her legs, she remains an expert martial artist.
I enjoyed the New Warriors back in the day, and Silhouette was a character I appreciated. She avoided the death of most of the rest of the New Warriors in the Civil War event, so she could still be used, but she (like so many others on this list) is often forgotten and underused.
18: Pantha: (DC comics)
First appearance: 1991
Pantha's origins were one of those unexplored parts of comicdom for a long time. She joined the Titans in an attempt to discover her own origins: was she a cat who had been made humanoid? Or a human who had been genetically altered and made to forget her past? When the team lineup changed, she left the team with her new boyfriend, Red Star, and her adopted child, Baby Wildebeest, to get a new start in Red Star's Russia. She mostly remained out of the picture until she was killed in Infinite Crisis a few years back. A little after that, a writer gave her a full origin and a name: Rosabelle Mendez, a shy vet student who was kidnapped and transformed into Pantha by evil scientists.
Like many characters introduced in the 90s, there was more flash than substance with many of her earlier appearances, but she had a great deal of potential. Her death for pure shock value is sadly all too common in DC, particularly as a fate for minority characters who the publisher thinks no one cares about.
19: Catspaw: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1992
Catspaw was a member of the Legion of Superheroes briefly, until the timeline she was in was wiped out.
She's only appeared in about a dozen comics, so Catspaw was an odd choice in the original list, but, well, here she is. There's really not much to say about her. She's very nearly a blank slate of a character.
20: Kid Quantum: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1992
Kid Quantum's older brother was the first Kid Quantum, who joined the Legion and then died on their first mission. Jazmin Cullen joined the Legion and was a long-term member of the team, and even served as the team's leader for a time. She has powers over density and inertia.
Kid Quantum appeared in the same comic as Catspaw, but has been a much more important character over the years. She started off a bit rude and snarly, blaming the Legion for her brother's death, but grew into a magnificent character in her own right, out of her brother's shadow.
21: Voodoo: (Image comics originally, now DC)
First appearance: 1992
Voodoo was an exotic dancer who joined the team the WildCATS when it was discovered she possessed powers that could help them. It turned out that she was part reptile-alien, and eventually developed a wide range of powers, including voodoo magic. With DC's recent reboot, they have made her and the WildCATS part of their main universe.
Ehhhh. I admit to not reading her, and I likely wouldn't add her to this list if she wasn't already on the original list. When a male writer develops a female character whose whole career outside of her powers seems to be "exotic dancer", and it sounds like there may not have been all that much research into real world Voudoun religion... well, I'm skeptical. Of course, I'm also of the opinion that there are no bad characters, just bad writers, so if this character (who I admit I'm judging, sight unseen) is as bad as I fear she might be, she could easily be redeemed with a good writer. I mean, sure, it'd be nice to have superheroes not from the Big Two on here, but Image has never been exactly a bastion of diversity-done-right.
22: Shard: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1993
Shard comes from a dystopic future timeline wherein mutants are hunted and kept in camps. Her brother, Bishop, came back in time to work with the X-Men several times, including being stuck there for an extended period. Shard has died multiple times, and existed for a time as a hologram.
Shard has some potential, but there are some issues with how she's been treated over the years. She has potential to be a great character, but most writers tend not to use her in such a fashion. She seems to exist to give her brother angst.
23: Wildstreak: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1993
Tamika Bowden was training to be a gymnast, but was crippled in an attack by a terrorist organization. She developed an exoskeleton that gave her enhanced strength and agility, becoming the superhero Wildstreak. She's worked with the Fantastic Four.
I don't know much about this character. She seems to have potential, but I've only included her because she was on the original list.
24: Rocket: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1993
Created by the always-amazing Dwayne McDuffie, Rocket was the sidekick to Icon, a Superman-like analog for the Milestone universe that DC created in the 90's. She's the actual protagonist of the series, not the title character of Icon: it is through her eyes we see the story. It was her prompting which convinced the alien Icon to become a superhero, and his belt gave her the power to manipulate kinetic energy. A recent reboot of DC has placed her in the mainline DC universe.
I haven't read much Icon, but I plan to fix that. To be honest, I haven't read anything by McDuffie that I didn't adore, and this character sounds deeply fascinating.
25: XS: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1994
One of my favorites on the original list I'm drawing from, XS is from the Legion of Superheroes, set a thousand years in the future. XS is Barry Allen (the "classic" Flash)'s granddaughter, from a point when he retired in the far future with his wife. As a result, she's also the cousin of the popular speedster hero Bart Allen, best known as being the second Kid Flash. A superspeedster, she was a core member of that incarnation of the Legion of Superheroes, saving the whole team on a number of occasions.
I don't know her fate after they rebooted the Legion (again), but XS remains one of my favorite superspeedster heroes.
26: M: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1994
Monet Yvette Clarisse Maria Therese St. Croix is an Algerian (and Muslim) mutant, with superhuman strength, agility, regeneration, intelligence, and a small sampling of other powers, such as flight and telepathy. M has been part of the X-Men-family of teams for most of her career, and though she is often portrayed as arrogant and aloof, she is still decidedly a hero.
M is a complicated character -- she fails to fit into stereotypes, which is a refreshing change. She's not a perfect angel, but she's still a hero. Like most X-Men, her history gets long and complicated (in that she's sort of her two younger sisters merged together, except not really), but the character is a fantastic one.
27: Vaporlock: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1994, becoming a superhero in her own right in 2003
When Superman "died" in the 90's, they introduced a cast of possible replacement Supermen, until the original returned a bit later. Among the possible replacements was John Henry Irons, a man who wore a suit of armor that gave him Superman-like powers and who called himself "The Man of Steel" (which was later just shortened to "Steel"). His niece, Natasha, was a recurring character in his solo comic, a level-headed teenager who even interned for a US Senator. Eventually, Natasha used alien technology to build herself a suit of armor which allowed her to change size, carrying on as Steel when her uncle was too injured to do so himself. She's also gone by Starlight and, most recently, Vaporlock since those appearances.
Personally, I'm less familiar with her appearances since she stopped being Steel, since I stopped reading DC shortly before she changed her name to Starlight. Certain writers have tried to make her more "hip" and "street", which typically fails miserably, and often forces her into stereotypes which don't fit with the way she's otherwise been portrayed. I do adore this tremendously underused character. (Her uncle, too, is underused these days, which is a damned shame.)
28: Cecilia Reyes (Marvel Comics)
First appearance: 1997
Cecilia Reyes is a medical doctor and a mutant with the ability to create force fields. She ran into the X-Men a few times and joined their lineup briefly.
A bit of a reluctant hero, Cecilia does more good as a doctor than as a costumed vigilante -- but that doesn't make her any less of a hero in my mind.
29: LadyHawk (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1999
An ally of Spider-Girl from the alternate future where Spider-Man's daughter becomes a superhero, LadyHawk is actually a pair of twins who take turns being a superhero, one at a time, though eventually the more physical Rosetta began to use the identity more, while the more intellectual Regina tended to be backup. Their father was a crimelord, which inspired the pair to become crimefighters.
To be honest, the whole alternate-future universe from which Spider-Girl hails is just a ton of fun, and LadyHawk was an enjoyable pair of characters. I like them.
30: Blacklight: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1999
Another character from the Spider-Girl timeline (officially known as the MC2 timeline), Blacklight is the daughter of Monica Rambeau, working with the A-Next (that generation's Avengers) for a time.
Like much of this timeline, Blacklight had a lot of unexplored potential which the company never got to before shutting down publishing stories in that era.
31: Batgirl: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1999
Cassandra Cain, the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, was raised to be the perfect assassin, with language never spoken in her presence. Instead, her "language" was reading body language, to help her in her training. She broke free of her keepers and eventually helped defend Gotham City alongside Batman. She received the blessings of the original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, and eventually learned how to speak, though she still is a quiet, soft-spoken individual.
Cass Cain is amazing. While I love Barbara Gordon as a character, Cass will always be "my" Batgirl. Some artists tend to white her up a bit, which is disappointing, and some writers have utterly failed to understand basic core concepts of the character. Of course, like many minority characters, she's pretty much disappeared into the background.
32: Empress: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 2000
Anita Fite (yes, really, her name is "Anita Fite") is a skilled fighter, an accomplished Voodoo practitioner, and can command people to do certain simple tasks telepathically. She joined Young Justice and was a long-term member of the team before they disbanded.
This is a spectacular character, honestly, and one who deserves more attention.
33: Janissary: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 2000
Janissary is a Turkish hero. A doctor working for the Red Crescent, she discovered a mystic scimitar and a book of magic spells, which transformed her into Janissary. She guest-starred in a JLA comic, had a few brief cameos, then... disappeared.
This character fascinates me. There are some weird questions, like why a Muslim hero would call herself "Janissary", but overall, the character has some amazing potential. Instead, she was just forgotten. Her first (and only primary) appearance was in a JLA annual; the DC annuals that year all involved the heroes interacting with heroes from other parts of the world. Other female heroes of color from that year include Acrata and La Salamanca, both of whom also have had only limited appearances since then, if at all.
34: Tempest: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2001
Angel Salvadore is a mutant with insectoid-like features, including insect wings, acid spit (which is how she digests food), etc. She was found by the X-Men and joined them briefly before a huge event removed the powers of most mutants (except for the really popular ones). She continued heroing without powers, though, gaining technology which gives her cold and heat generation from her hands.
Honestly, the "No more mutants" thing was such a terrible choice on Marvel's part. It mostly seemed to hit minority characters, since they were less popular -- no one would have allowed a depowered Wolverine, for example. I haven't read any comics with Angel -- I included her mostly because the original list did -- and I stopped reading Marvel entirely with the event that caused her to lose powers, but I like what I've seen looking into her for this entry.
35: Dust: (Marvel comics)
First Appearance: 2002
Sooraya Qadir is a member of the X-Men with the ability to transform into and control a malleable sand-like form. She escaped from slavery in Afghanistan, and was recruited to Xavier's school. She remained one of the mutants with powers after most of them lost their powers, and was last seen looking for her mother. She wears her niqÄb, not because it was enforced by the Taliban, but because she likes the modesty it provides her.
Dust is one of those characters who has been a step forward for diversity in comics, and yet the writers and artists still struggle with the depth she requires. Some artists try to make her abaya (her robes) "sexy" and form-fitting -- which totally defeats the purpose of the abaya -- and others refer to it as a burqa, which is not correct. This is a character who must be used with caution and respect, but still has a great deal of potential. Unfortunately, many writers and artists fail to exhibit those needed qualities.
36: Thunder: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 2003
The daughter of Black Lightning, Anissa Pierce made a deal with her father to graduate college before becoming a superhero. She has her father's electricity powers, and eventually earned his grudging respect for her superheroing abilities. Her younger sister, Lightning, became a superhero as well, going to the JSA for training.
I wasn't a fan of the Outsiders title that she comes from, and I haven't seen a great deal of her in the comics, but I like her as a character a great deal. In addition to being a black woman, she's also a lesbian, providing some additional needed diversity to superhero comics.
37: Araña (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2004
Chosen to be the inheritor of the Spider-spirit's powers, Anya SofÃa Corazón possesses various spider-like powers. She's worked with Spider-Man, but had a title of her own for quite some time.
I love Araña. She is a magnificent character, with a fun supporting cast and a great personality. Okay, yes, she goes by Spider-Girl now, but after having Araña as a name for so long, Spider-Girl just seems an unnecessary Anglicization.
38: Debrii: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2005
The facts on this character in the original article are incorrect: while she was a member of the New Warriors, she didn't join until 2005; she did not make her first appearance in 1989 with the rest of that team. She possesses telekinesis, and joined the team when they had a reality TV show; the producers felt that she would add "friction" to the team.
Honestly, this character bothers me for a number of reasons. First of all, turning the New Warriors team into a reality TV show is kind of a slap in the face of some of the history of the team, one they exploited to set off the whole "Civil War" story arc which completely divorced my interest from the mainline Marvel universe anymore (though this has more to do with the situation the character was involved in than the character herself). More to the point, though, she was added to add "friction" to the team? Everyone's getting along, so add a black woman to the mix to make things more interesting? Really? That seems more than a little problematic.
39: Xavin: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2005
Xavin is a a skrull, a member of a shapeshifting alien species, who has been through special training and genetic alteration to gain the powers of the Fantastic Four (though only one ability at a time). When Xavin is first encountered, she takes the form of a young black man to reach out to his arranged fiance, Karolina Dean, a member of the team the Runaways. Upon discovering that Karolina is a lesbian, however, Xavin takes on a female form. She takes Karolina away to space for a time before returning and joining the Runaways.
One might argue that Xavin does not belong on this list: as a shapeshifting alien, she has no gender or race. Still, I would argue that the fact that she chooses to identify as a woman of color qualifies her for this list.
40: Black Panther: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2005
The younger sister of T'challa, the first Black Panther, Shuri long-coveted the position her older brother possessed. In arrogance, she attempted to become the Black Panther by forcing the mystical ritual, but was denied by the Panther God. After a journey of self-discovery, in which she saved her older brother's life, she earned the powers and title of the Black Panther.
I had never heard of Shuri before this March, when I saw her listed among great female black characters of fandom. At NorWesCon, Denny Upkins was kind enough to tell me about her. I've long been a fan of Black Panther, and learning of this new corner of his character has intrigued me.
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So, there ya go. There are others I could have included, such as Renee Montoya (the Question), or Katana -- but compiling this list was already taking a very long time, and this is not meant to be a comprehensive list at all. In fact, I strongly recommend doing more research and finding more heroines of color and commenting here.
Oh, and I would be deeply amiss if I didn't mention the animated movie: "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman". The identity of the Batwoman is part of the mystery of the movie, so I won't say who it is, but I will say that two of the three obvious "suspects" are women of color -- and one of them dates Bruce Wayne (and remains my favorite romance for Bruce Wayne I've seen in any format).
Superheroes are a much more diverse community than most realize -- including the writers and publishers themselves. The problem isn't that great characters of color don't exist -- it's that they don't get screen time, or they're fridged to give other characters angst, or they're marginalized and shoved off to the side. Fans need to celebrate, discuss, and encourage more of these characters to get screen time, to be written as heroes in their own right, not as sidekicks or marginalized side-characters to be slaughtered to give the "real" heroes angst. Use some of these characters as they SHOULD be written: to inspire, to astonish, and to make us wonder.
40 Superheroines of Color You've Never Heard Of:
I'm including the superheroes from the original list here, along with my own commentary, and my own additions. I'm also listing them in order of their year of appearance (though that sometimes gets fuzzy). These are meant to be somewhat obscure heroes -- while comics-fans likely know many of these characters, others may not. This is why characters such as Storm are not on the list -- while she is a magnificent character, she's probably the best known female superhero of color out there.
1: Nu'bia: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1973
Nubia was intended as the "black Wonder Woman", made from black clay as Diana (Wonder Woman) was made from white clay. They were sisters, though Nubia had been kidnapped and raised by Mars. This... problematic origin and backstory was wiped away during DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, which reset Wonder Woman completely. In the new universe, Nu'bia (now with an apostrophe!) is another Amazon who previously had been the Amazons' champion (much as Wonder Woman is now), who now guards Doom's Doorway on the island. She has been an ally to Wonder Woman several times, and is her equal.
She's had some problematic appearances, certainly, but she's got a lot of potential as a character.
2: Misty Knight: (Marvel comics)
First Appearance: 1975, though a later retcon established an unnamed character who appeared in 1972 to be Misty
Usually partnered with Colleen Wing, Misty Knight is a former New York cop with a bionic arm. She's always been portrayed as a badass who takes no crap from anyone. She had a long-term relationship with Iron Fist, marking one of the first interracial relationships in comics (and personally, I found them an adorable couple), and the two are very good friends even when they are not romantically linked. She and Colleen (who has been trained as a samurai) have long worked as heroes for hire and private investigators.
I was introduced to Colleen Wing in 1990, during a story arc in Namor that resurrected the then-dead Iron Fist, and I quickly fell for her as a character. She's strong, compassionate, no-nonsense, and a complete badass. She manages to have a relationship with Iron Fist without being defined as "Iron Fist's girlfriend." She's fantastic.
3: Bumblebee: (DC Comics)
First Appearance: 1976, becoming a superhero in 1977
Karen Beecher was the girlfriend of Mal Duncan, a member of the Teen Titans. She disguised herself as the Bumblebee and attacked the team to help Mal look good; she escaped this ruse, and later joined the team as a full member. She and Mal later retired from superheroics and got married, and she took a job working for STAR Labs, designing nonlethal weapons, though they would occasionally aid the Titans from time to time. In recent comics, they made her active again, in part by making her stuck at just a few inches tall, which led to her divorce from Mal.
I love Bumblebee a ton. I'm very sad that they had to break up her marriage -- it's been a recurring theme with comics lately, as apparently NO ONE can have a happy marriage without either divorce or death in their immediate future. Still, it was nice to see them doing SOMETHING with her.
4: Celsius: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1977
Arani Desai fell in love with and married Niles Caulder, the "Chief" of the Doom Patrol, who gave her an immortality serum. She also gained the ability to manipulate her core temperature in harmony with her martial arts, to the point that she can create fires or ice with her hands. She was hidden away, to keep her safe from the Chief's enemies. After the Chief was apparently killed, she came out of hiding and formed her own Doom Patrol. She was killed in an alien invasion, as the Chief apparently returned from the dead and claimed she was just a disturbed woman; maybe he really hadn't been married to her.
Wow. Way to destroy a character, DC: not only kill her off, but make her retroactively crazy. I have theorized ways to patch all this -- which would include patching the Chief's really bizarre behavior after his return from the dead -- but I doubt DC will ever do anything with this character again, unless it's as a disturbed villain (her corpse appeared in the Blackest Night event, after all, to torment the Chief).
5: Owlwoman
First appearance: 1977
A representative of the Kiowa tribe from Oklahoma, Wenonah Littlebird is a member -- and occasional leader -- of the Global Guardians. She can fly, see in total darkness, has retractable claws, and has heightened senses. In addition, she's a skilled combatant and tactician. In short, think if Wolverine could fly and actually had social skills.
The Global Guardians. Wow. What a fantastic team... that DC consistently forgets about. The lineup is on par with the Justice League. The team has people like the Olympian -- who has the powers of all 50 Argonauts (which STARTS with the strength of Hercules, and goes from there) -- or Rising Sun, who can do all sorts of solar effects. It's truly a multicultural team, with members from all over the world, and leaders Dr. Mist (a black man) and Owlwoman (a Native American woman). Of course, they're regularly forgotten about, and only trotted out when they want to show how progressive and diverse they are. Otherwise, the whole team is basically cannon-fodder for their other teams' plots.
6: Vixen: (DC comics)
First appearance: 1981, after a canceled/unpublished comic in 1978
As the original list notes, Vixen was going to be the first female black hero to get her own series at DC, but the title was cancelled before it could be published when DC had a big title implosion in 1978. Vixen can concentrate on an animal-type and gain its abilities, even if it's on the other side of the world. Mari Jiwe grew up in a small African village, and she gained the powers of Vixen when she acquired the mystical Tantu totem (created by Anansi the Spider-God). She established a career as a model in the United States and adopted the name Mari McCabe. Vixen has been a member of the Justice League.
Her origins do sniff a little of someone who hasn't done a lot of research and sticks to certain stereotypes: why aren't there ever cities in Africa in comics? But she's a fantastic character.
7: Monica Rambeau: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1982
Monica was originally known as Captain Marvel, the second hero (in the Marvel universe) to use the name. With powers over energy and light, Monica was a lieutenant in the New Orleans harbor patrol, but gained her powers when she tried to prevent the creation of a deadly weapon. She joined the Avengers and even led them for a time. When the name "Captain Marvel" was claimed by the son of the original, she went briefly by Photon, then by Pulsar (when the new Captain Marvel decided to change his name to Photon, too -- no, really), then dropped her name altogether.
Like many in modern Marvel, Monica has not been well-served by modern writers. The "Divas" line which starred her seemed to be more "Sex in the City" than superheroes, which I think sold the characters short. That said, Monica remains my all-time favorite on this list, and one of the top three leaders the Avengers have ever had (along with Captain America and the Wasp).
8: Danielle Moonstar: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1982
Danielle Moonstar was a mutant with illusion-creating abilities. A founding member of the X-Men-related team the New Mutants, she developed mystical powers while in Asgard, and eventually became a Valkyrie after losing her powers in a big Marvel event that depowered many mutants.
Dani's a rich character with a long history. She's long been an important member of the X-teams, and the only woman of color I can think of who's been there longer is Storm. And they really did her a disservice by depowering her, but at least they found a way to make her a superhero again.
9: Computo: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1982
A member of the Legion of Superheroes, Danielle Foccart is the younger sister of the second Invisible Kid. In her first appearance, she was a villain, as an attempt to cure her of a disease caused her to be possessed by the evil computer named Computo. This time being possessed affected her DNA, however, and she could now interface with all manner of computer systems. She was a deputy leader of the Legion until the timeline was reset (as happens to the Legion. Frequently.) In future timelines, she didn't seem to have any powers at all.
I feel for fans of the Legion of Super Heroes. I myself read the second incarnation of the Reboot in the 90s, beginning to end, and I'm still disappointed by dangling plot threads which were never resolved when they reset the universe. I haven't read any Computo comics, but she seems pretty awesome, and I'd love to see new incarnations of her.
10: Gypsy: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1984
Gypsy joined the Justice League after running away from an abusive home. She has powers of illusion, particularly invisibility. She's also been trained in the use of computers, and is skilled in hand-to-hand combat. After DC comics recently reset their universe, Gypsy now has an origin of being from a tribe of interdimensional vagabonds.
Okay, Gypsy is a great character, but there are quite a few problems here. Her original origin appeared to have her come from a very white middle-class family, and the "Gypsy" motif was entirely adopted, but later writers suggested she was ethnically Romany. (This is not mutually-exclusive to the household she grew up in, but it does not appear to be the original writer's intent.) Add in the fact that many or even most Romany groups consider "Gypsy" to be something of a slur (though this is not universal)... well. There's a lot which could be explored here, but DC has never gotten around to it, and now that they've given her a new origin, they likely never will. It'd be nice to give her a new name, though...
11: Wildcat: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1985
Yolanda Montez was born with powers after her mother's insane gynocologist gave her treatments in the womb. (No, really.) Her godfather, Ted Grant, was the original Wildcat, and Yolanda eventually becomes the second Wildcat. She serves as a superhero for a time, before Eclipso kills her.
Yes, her origin is a bit squicky, but the character herself was fantastic. She deserved so much more than DC gave her -- an impaling on a sword at the hands of a supervillain.
12: Doctor Midnight: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1985
Beth Chapel was the inheritor of Dr. Mid-Nite's legacy, she was a medical doctor and blind in normal light -- but she could see perfectly in pitch blackness. She was killed by Eclipso while begging to save Wildcat through surgery.
Oh, poor Beth Chapel -- a fantastic character with so many squandered opportunities for stories. A medical doctor and a superhero, she was given an absolutely punk death... which is all too common for minority characters.
13: Dr. Light: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1985
Kimiyo Hoshi is a brilliant scientist, though she can be arrogant and unpleasant. She helped save the world during the Crisis on Infinite Earths, and was a long-term member of the Justice League off and on over the years. She is a single mother with two children, which keeps her from regularly being a full-time superhero.
There have been some unfortunate implications with this character over the years, particularly in battles with the Dr. Light supervillain (who was retconned in 2006 to be a rapist of female superheroes and superhero family members in addition to his other crimes). That said, Kimiyo Hoshi is a wonderful character who is used a decent amount, and most comic fans, at least, recognize her.
14: Friction: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1986
Set in the "New Universe" line of comics (separate from the mainline Marvel), Friction can affect the friction of surfaces around her. A trained dancer who then received CIA training, she was skilled in combat as well.
I never read the New Universe comics, to be honest, but what little I've seen of her is pretty cool.
15: Pathway: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1987
Laura Dean has the ability to travel across interdimensional barriers. Her fraternal twin sister was physically obviously a mutant, even as a fetus, so her parents had her aborted. As a fetus, Laura used her mutant powers to save her sister and send her to a parallel universe. Pathway was severely autistic, and her parents attempted to cure her by sending her to a clinic run by a supervillain. (Her parents were real winners, clearly.) She eventually joined Alpha Flight's backup team, Beta Flight, along with her sister (who, for a time, was believed to be the same person, as they swapped places).
Ohhhhh, my. Well. The origins are problematic in all sorts of ways, but it's nice to see superheroes on the autism spectrum.
16: Jet: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1988
Jet was part of the "New Guardians," when the Guardians of the Universe (who created the Green Lantern Corps) decided to gather ten humans, imbue them with powers, and teach them of the cosmos. Jet was a Jamaican woman living in London; she gained various electromagnetic powers. She contracted HIV, which eventually became AIDS, and she died. Years later, she reappeared with no explanation as to her resurrection.
To be honest, the New Guardians series tried very, very hard, but often failed completely. And bringing her back with no explanation does smack a bit of tokenism to me. Sure, there's a lot of potential there, but it's there in spite of what the writers have done with her.
17: Silhouette (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1990
Silhouette Chord is biracial; her father is African-American, and her mother is Cambodian. Partially paralyzed from the waist down after a gunshot injury, Silhouette continues superheroing and joins the New Warriors for an extended period before going off to find herself. Silhouette can transform into living shadow, and even with the partial loss of her legs, she remains an expert martial artist.
I enjoyed the New Warriors back in the day, and Silhouette was a character I appreciated. She avoided the death of most of the rest of the New Warriors in the Civil War event, so she could still be used, but she (like so many others on this list) is often forgotten and underused.
18: Pantha: (DC comics)
First appearance: 1991
Pantha's origins were one of those unexplored parts of comicdom for a long time. She joined the Titans in an attempt to discover her own origins: was she a cat who had been made humanoid? Or a human who had been genetically altered and made to forget her past? When the team lineup changed, she left the team with her new boyfriend, Red Star, and her adopted child, Baby Wildebeest, to get a new start in Red Star's Russia. She mostly remained out of the picture until she was killed in Infinite Crisis a few years back. A little after that, a writer gave her a full origin and a name: Rosabelle Mendez, a shy vet student who was kidnapped and transformed into Pantha by evil scientists.
Like many characters introduced in the 90s, there was more flash than substance with many of her earlier appearances, but she had a great deal of potential. Her death for pure shock value is sadly all too common in DC, particularly as a fate for minority characters who the publisher thinks no one cares about.
19: Catspaw: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1992
Catspaw was a member of the Legion of Superheroes briefly, until the timeline she was in was wiped out.
She's only appeared in about a dozen comics, so Catspaw was an odd choice in the original list, but, well, here she is. There's really not much to say about her. She's very nearly a blank slate of a character.
20: Kid Quantum: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1992
Kid Quantum's older brother was the first Kid Quantum, who joined the Legion and then died on their first mission. Jazmin Cullen joined the Legion and was a long-term member of the team, and even served as the team's leader for a time. She has powers over density and inertia.
Kid Quantum appeared in the same comic as Catspaw, but has been a much more important character over the years. She started off a bit rude and snarly, blaming the Legion for her brother's death, but grew into a magnificent character in her own right, out of her brother's shadow.
21: Voodoo: (Image comics originally, now DC)
First appearance: 1992
Voodoo was an exotic dancer who joined the team the WildCATS when it was discovered she possessed powers that could help them. It turned out that she was part reptile-alien, and eventually developed a wide range of powers, including voodoo magic. With DC's recent reboot, they have made her and the WildCATS part of their main universe.
Ehhhh. I admit to not reading her, and I likely wouldn't add her to this list if she wasn't already on the original list. When a male writer develops a female character whose whole career outside of her powers seems to be "exotic dancer", and it sounds like there may not have been all that much research into real world Voudoun religion... well, I'm skeptical. Of course, I'm also of the opinion that there are no bad characters, just bad writers, so if this character (who I admit I'm judging, sight unseen) is as bad as I fear she might be, she could easily be redeemed with a good writer. I mean, sure, it'd be nice to have superheroes not from the Big Two on here, but Image has never been exactly a bastion of diversity-done-right.
22: Shard: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1993
Shard comes from a dystopic future timeline wherein mutants are hunted and kept in camps. Her brother, Bishop, came back in time to work with the X-Men several times, including being stuck there for an extended period. Shard has died multiple times, and existed for a time as a hologram.
Shard has some potential, but there are some issues with how she's been treated over the years. She has potential to be a great character, but most writers tend not to use her in such a fashion. She seems to exist to give her brother angst.
23: Wildstreak: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1993
Tamika Bowden was training to be a gymnast, but was crippled in an attack by a terrorist organization. She developed an exoskeleton that gave her enhanced strength and agility, becoming the superhero Wildstreak. She's worked with the Fantastic Four.
I don't know much about this character. She seems to have potential, but I've only included her because she was on the original list.
24: Rocket: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1993
Created by the always-amazing Dwayne McDuffie, Rocket was the sidekick to Icon, a Superman-like analog for the Milestone universe that DC created in the 90's. She's the actual protagonist of the series, not the title character of Icon: it is through her eyes we see the story. It was her prompting which convinced the alien Icon to become a superhero, and his belt gave her the power to manipulate kinetic energy. A recent reboot of DC has placed her in the mainline DC universe.
I haven't read much Icon, but I plan to fix that. To be honest, I haven't read anything by McDuffie that I didn't adore, and this character sounds deeply fascinating.
25: XS: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1994
One of my favorites on the original list I'm drawing from, XS is from the Legion of Superheroes, set a thousand years in the future. XS is Barry Allen (the "classic" Flash)'s granddaughter, from a point when he retired in the far future with his wife. As a result, she's also the cousin of the popular speedster hero Bart Allen, best known as being the second Kid Flash. A superspeedster, she was a core member of that incarnation of the Legion of Superheroes, saving the whole team on a number of occasions.
I don't know her fate after they rebooted the Legion (again), but XS remains one of my favorite superspeedster heroes.
26: M: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1994
Monet Yvette Clarisse Maria Therese St. Croix is an Algerian (and Muslim) mutant, with superhuman strength, agility, regeneration, intelligence, and a small sampling of other powers, such as flight and telepathy. M has been part of the X-Men-family of teams for most of her career, and though she is often portrayed as arrogant and aloof, she is still decidedly a hero.
M is a complicated character -- she fails to fit into stereotypes, which is a refreshing change. She's not a perfect angel, but she's still a hero. Like most X-Men, her history gets long and complicated (in that she's sort of her two younger sisters merged together, except not really), but the character is a fantastic one.
27: Vaporlock: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1994, becoming a superhero in her own right in 2003
When Superman "died" in the 90's, they introduced a cast of possible replacement Supermen, until the original returned a bit later. Among the possible replacements was John Henry Irons, a man who wore a suit of armor that gave him Superman-like powers and who called himself "The Man of Steel" (which was later just shortened to "Steel"). His niece, Natasha, was a recurring character in his solo comic, a level-headed teenager who even interned for a US Senator. Eventually, Natasha used alien technology to build herself a suit of armor which allowed her to change size, carrying on as Steel when her uncle was too injured to do so himself. She's also gone by Starlight and, most recently, Vaporlock since those appearances.
Personally, I'm less familiar with her appearances since she stopped being Steel, since I stopped reading DC shortly before she changed her name to Starlight. Certain writers have tried to make her more "hip" and "street", which typically fails miserably, and often forces her into stereotypes which don't fit with the way she's otherwise been portrayed. I do adore this tremendously underused character. (Her uncle, too, is underused these days, which is a damned shame.)
28: Cecilia Reyes (Marvel Comics)
First appearance: 1997
Cecilia Reyes is a medical doctor and a mutant with the ability to create force fields. She ran into the X-Men a few times and joined their lineup briefly.
A bit of a reluctant hero, Cecilia does more good as a doctor than as a costumed vigilante -- but that doesn't make her any less of a hero in my mind.
29: LadyHawk (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1999
An ally of Spider-Girl from the alternate future where Spider-Man's daughter becomes a superhero, LadyHawk is actually a pair of twins who take turns being a superhero, one at a time, though eventually the more physical Rosetta began to use the identity more, while the more intellectual Regina tended to be backup. Their father was a crimelord, which inspired the pair to become crimefighters.
To be honest, the whole alternate-future universe from which Spider-Girl hails is just a ton of fun, and LadyHawk was an enjoyable pair of characters. I like them.
30: Blacklight: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 1999
Another character from the Spider-Girl timeline (officially known as the MC2 timeline), Blacklight is the daughter of Monica Rambeau, working with the A-Next (that generation's Avengers) for a time.
Like much of this timeline, Blacklight had a lot of unexplored potential which the company never got to before shutting down publishing stories in that era.
31: Batgirl: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 1999
Cassandra Cain, the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, was raised to be the perfect assassin, with language never spoken in her presence. Instead, her "language" was reading body language, to help her in her training. She broke free of her keepers and eventually helped defend Gotham City alongside Batman. She received the blessings of the original Batgirl, Barbara Gordon, and eventually learned how to speak, though she still is a quiet, soft-spoken individual.
Cass Cain is amazing. While I love Barbara Gordon as a character, Cass will always be "my" Batgirl. Some artists tend to white her up a bit, which is disappointing, and some writers have utterly failed to understand basic core concepts of the character. Of course, like many minority characters, she's pretty much disappeared into the background.
32: Empress: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 2000
Anita Fite (yes, really, her name is "Anita Fite") is a skilled fighter, an accomplished Voodoo practitioner, and can command people to do certain simple tasks telepathically. She joined Young Justice and was a long-term member of the team before they disbanded.
This is a spectacular character, honestly, and one who deserves more attention.
33: Janissary: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 2000
Janissary is a Turkish hero. A doctor working for the Red Crescent, she discovered a mystic scimitar and a book of magic spells, which transformed her into Janissary. She guest-starred in a JLA comic, had a few brief cameos, then... disappeared.
This character fascinates me. There are some weird questions, like why a Muslim hero would call herself "Janissary", but overall, the character has some amazing potential. Instead, she was just forgotten. Her first (and only primary) appearance was in a JLA annual; the DC annuals that year all involved the heroes interacting with heroes from other parts of the world. Other female heroes of color from that year include Acrata and La Salamanca, both of whom also have had only limited appearances since then, if at all.
34: Tempest: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2001
Angel Salvadore is a mutant with insectoid-like features, including insect wings, acid spit (which is how she digests food), etc. She was found by the X-Men and joined them briefly before a huge event removed the powers of most mutants (except for the really popular ones). She continued heroing without powers, though, gaining technology which gives her cold and heat generation from her hands.
Honestly, the "No more mutants" thing was such a terrible choice on Marvel's part. It mostly seemed to hit minority characters, since they were less popular -- no one would have allowed a depowered Wolverine, for example. I haven't read any comics with Angel -- I included her mostly because the original list did -- and I stopped reading Marvel entirely with the event that caused her to lose powers, but I like what I've seen looking into her for this entry.
35: Dust: (Marvel comics)
First Appearance: 2002
Sooraya Qadir is a member of the X-Men with the ability to transform into and control a malleable sand-like form. She escaped from slavery in Afghanistan, and was recruited to Xavier's school. She remained one of the mutants with powers after most of them lost their powers, and was last seen looking for her mother. She wears her niqÄb, not because it was enforced by the Taliban, but because she likes the modesty it provides her.
Dust is one of those characters who has been a step forward for diversity in comics, and yet the writers and artists still struggle with the depth she requires. Some artists try to make her abaya (her robes) "sexy" and form-fitting -- which totally defeats the purpose of the abaya -- and others refer to it as a burqa, which is not correct. This is a character who must be used with caution and respect, but still has a great deal of potential. Unfortunately, many writers and artists fail to exhibit those needed qualities.
36: Thunder: (DC Comics)
First appearance: 2003
The daughter of Black Lightning, Anissa Pierce made a deal with her father to graduate college before becoming a superhero. She has her father's electricity powers, and eventually earned his grudging respect for her superheroing abilities. Her younger sister, Lightning, became a superhero as well, going to the JSA for training.
I wasn't a fan of the Outsiders title that she comes from, and I haven't seen a great deal of her in the comics, but I like her as a character a great deal. In addition to being a black woman, she's also a lesbian, providing some additional needed diversity to superhero comics.
37: Araña (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2004
Chosen to be the inheritor of the Spider-spirit's powers, Anya SofÃa Corazón possesses various spider-like powers. She's worked with Spider-Man, but had a title of her own for quite some time.
I love Araña. She is a magnificent character, with a fun supporting cast and a great personality. Okay, yes, she goes by Spider-Girl now, but after having Araña as a name for so long, Spider-Girl just seems an unnecessary Anglicization.
38: Debrii: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2005
The facts on this character in the original article are incorrect: while she was a member of the New Warriors, she didn't join until 2005; she did not make her first appearance in 1989 with the rest of that team. She possesses telekinesis, and joined the team when they had a reality TV show; the producers felt that she would add "friction" to the team.
Honestly, this character bothers me for a number of reasons. First of all, turning the New Warriors team into a reality TV show is kind of a slap in the face of some of the history of the team, one they exploited to set off the whole "Civil War" story arc which completely divorced my interest from the mainline Marvel universe anymore (though this has more to do with the situation the character was involved in than the character herself). More to the point, though, she was added to add "friction" to the team? Everyone's getting along, so add a black woman to the mix to make things more interesting? Really? That seems more than a little problematic.
39: Xavin: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2005
Xavin is a a skrull, a member of a shapeshifting alien species, who has been through special training and genetic alteration to gain the powers of the Fantastic Four (though only one ability at a time). When Xavin is first encountered, she takes the form of a young black man to reach out to his arranged fiance, Karolina Dean, a member of the team the Runaways. Upon discovering that Karolina is a lesbian, however, Xavin takes on a female form. She takes Karolina away to space for a time before returning and joining the Runaways.
One might argue that Xavin does not belong on this list: as a shapeshifting alien, she has no gender or race. Still, I would argue that the fact that she chooses to identify as a woman of color qualifies her for this list.
40: Black Panther: (Marvel comics)
First appearance: 2005
The younger sister of T'challa, the first Black Panther, Shuri long-coveted the position her older brother possessed. In arrogance, she attempted to become the Black Panther by forcing the mystical ritual, but was denied by the Panther God. After a journey of self-discovery, in which she saved her older brother's life, she earned the powers and title of the Black Panther.
I had never heard of Shuri before this March, when I saw her listed among great female black characters of fandom. At NorWesCon, Denny Upkins was kind enough to tell me about her. I've long been a fan of Black Panther, and learning of this new corner of his character has intrigued me.
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So, there ya go. There are others I could have included, such as Renee Montoya (the Question), or Katana -- but compiling this list was already taking a very long time, and this is not meant to be a comprehensive list at all. In fact, I strongly recommend doing more research and finding more heroines of color and commenting here.
Oh, and I would be deeply amiss if I didn't mention the animated movie: "Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman". The identity of the Batwoman is part of the mystery of the movie, so I won't say who it is, but I will say that two of the three obvious "suspects" are women of color -- and one of them dates Bruce Wayne (and remains my favorite romance for Bruce Wayne I've seen in any format).
Superheroes are a much more diverse community than most realize -- including the writers and publishers themselves. The problem isn't that great characters of color don't exist -- it's that they don't get screen time, or they're fridged to give other characters angst, or they're marginalized and shoved off to the side. Fans need to celebrate, discuss, and encourage more of these characters to get screen time, to be written as heroes in their own right, not as sidekicks or marginalized side-characters to be slaughtered to give the "real" heroes angst. Use some of these characters as they SHOULD be written: to inspire, to astonish, and to make us wonder.