How Come?

How come none of the top speedsters are black? I wasn't going to make this thread for fear it would start a race riot but $#@! it, why are there no black speedsters, I mean lets face it blacks are some of the best runners out there and I'm not just talking about African Americans either.

The Kenyans are world class long distance runners and continuealy dominate the marathon circuit while the fastest man alive is black and has been since Jesse Owens, yet neither Marvel or DC seem fit to make a black speedster, whats up with that?

Even if Kenya are great with their long distance runnings etc. I think the companies are afraid that they will be criticised for stereotyping.

Gambler says:

"How come none of the top speedsters are black? I wasn't going to make this thread for fear it would start a race riot but $#@! it, why are there no black speedsters, I mean lets face it blacks are some of the best runners out there and I'm not just talking about African Americans either.The Kenyans are world class long distance runners and continuealy dominate the marathon circuit while the fastest man alive is black and has been since Jesse Owens, yet neither Marvel or DC seem fit to make a black speedster, whats up with that?"

Being African American myself I take no offense from this but I noticed the lack of black speedsters a while back and thought the same.

Ms. Invisible says:

"Even if Kenya are great with their long distance runnings etc. I think the companies are afraid that they will be criticised for stereotyping."

Saying ALL blacks can run fast is a stereotype but admitting SOME blacks are incredible runners isn't.

not quite what you were after but a start lol

Black Racer....

More a role than an individual, the current form of the Black Racer is that of Sgt. Willie Walker, paralyzed and made mute by wounds received during the Vietnam War. When a murder took place outside his window, and the killer came after him as a possible witness, the Black Racer—drawn to Earth as Darkseid brought Apokolips’ war with New Genesis to Earth, and drawn to Sgt. Walker in particular—intervened. The Source, an inimaginable power which drives, or perhaps oversees, the universe, then chose Walker to take on the role of the Black Racer. Findng he could move, he put on the Racer’s armor and became Death’s agent.

Sgt. Walker remains, paralyzed, in his hospital bed, except when Death comes for the New Gods. Then he becomes the Black Racer, able to travel anywhere at the speed of light, bringing the touch of Death.

Savatar

Possibly mexican in origin...

XS

Jenni inherits her speed from her grandfather, Barry Allen. Born on Aarok, Jenni grew up with no super-speed. After her mother and uncle died freeing hostages from the Dominators, making them aware of her family’s history, they kidnapped her and her father in an effort to tap her abilities. Disappointed that she had none, they began torturing her father—the sight of which activated Jenni’s latent powers. She rescued her father, and later checked herself into a research lab to learn to control her powers. Eventually, she was drafted into the Legion of Super-Heroes.

In addition to her speed, Jenni also wears a Legion flight ring that enables her to fly. One adventure left her stranded in the 20th Century, where she played a small but crucial role in the defeat of Savitar. She briefly met her grandfather during the trip back to her own time.

The 31st century was “recently” altered again. It has not yet been revealed whether XS still exists in this new future.

i'm sure there are more coloured speedsters but those are the few that come to mind...

M
Post Edited:2007-07-27 03:42:56
Post Edited:2007-07-27 03:43:26

Okay let me start over and say how come there are no MAIN STREAM black speedsters.

Ms. Invisible says:

"Even if Kenya are great with their long distance runnings etc. I think the companies are afraid that they will be criticised for stereotyping."

That seems the most likely answer but its still sad.

lol fair enough....

apart from XS, i'm not aware of any speedsters in the manistream DCU that are black, the Black Racer only pops up from time to time, though it was invaluable in the storyline with Steel and the Apocolipse armour...

to be honest, i don't know...

i can't see it being racist on DC's part as they have had Mainsteam characters being black since the late 60's.

maybe they just haven't got around to it yet...

M

Gambler, how come there aren't black (other minorities as well) speedsters,energy manipulators, popular characters?

"What!? BP is popular!! Quit whining and using the 'race card'. You have your character,shut up already."-Joe Majority

There are popular characters that are 'minorities' but they are a huge minority. Speedster's in the real world have proven to be predominantly black, but this is a fantasy world controlled by individuals that cater to their own fantasy. The caucasian male is the target audience and the bulk of the industry (domestically) Minorities hae been marginalized in this fantasy world not much unlike the real world. People are always saying it's getting better. but for every step forward there seems to be two steps back.

Your best bet to see diverse more realistic representation, speedster and otherwise was with Milestone.

Man! I miss Milestone.

Donnieman v5.1 says:

"Ms. Invisible says:

"Even if Kenya are great with their long distance runnings etc. I think the companies are afraid that they will be criticised for stereotyping."

Saying ALL blacks can run fast is a stereotype but admitting SOME blacks are incredible runners isn't."

Which is what people will do - think that all blacks are great runners.

Blacks are great everything. But the media allows for certain races to fufill certain niches so that the stat-qou can maintain and the hierarchy perserved.

im of a race that has no comic character, even though my ancestors were the only race in the colonies to not be conquered in a war that lasted 100 years, using only spears and small batton like weapons and being realitivly small in number. the british finally offered them a peace treaty to end the war. although many comic and game characters have taken our tribal markings and tattoo's, we have never been recognised in a character

Alright. What race are you. I could guess but I don't want to offend.

maori, native new zealander, although im only half aswell as english/irish/scottish. maybe the only thing you may have seen of the maori is a war type dance which the sports people of new zealand perform before we play another country etc its called a haka and was used before battle to fire up the warriors and scare the opposition by trying to make them think there were more warriors than they had.

The maori are a wonderful culture. And yes your culture has been bastardized by uneducated bandwagoner's who bite the tribal tat style.

Once Were Warrior's is one of my fave movies. Ity reminds me of my fam. Jake the Mus could whip Batman.

Have you seen that movie?

Greystone of the X.S.E was supposed to be Maori. Not much, I know, but if we educate and yell loud enough maybe there will be more, hopefully.

yeah its a good and bad movie, it is a little too close to home for the people in that area, it was fiction but could easily be real unfortunately. great movie though, tem who played jake was jango fett in star wars, he's better in once were warriors... real mean f&^%#r in that

Word it is a real movie, like I said reminds me of home. BUt yeah it was powerful and Jake and Grace could sing.

Ms. Invisible says:

"Even if Kenya are great with their long distance runnings etc. I think the companies are afraid that they will be criticised for stereotyping."

I'm thinking this is the case, too, and it sucks. It's the same reason nobody ever played up Magneto's religion until the movies really. ("Oh my god, you can't make him a Jew! We aren't allowed to say any Jews are evil!"). It sucks. Why couldn't it be that the person, male or female, was a speedster who is also, by the way, black? In fact, I'm picturing a really beautiful lady with long braids.

cool, where are you?

Hagane Enna says:

"Ms. Invisible says:

"Even if Kenya are great with their long distance runnings etc. I think the companies are afraid that they will be criticised for stereotyping."

I'm thinking this is the case, too, and it sucks. It's the same reason nobody ever played up Magneto's religion until the movies really. ("Oh my god, you can't make him a Jew! We aren't allowed to say any Jews are evil!"). It sucks. Why couldn't it be that the person, male or female, was a speedster who is also, by the way, black? In fact, I'm picturing a really beautiful lady with long braids."

you mean flo jo?

Nowhere near New Zealand but dysfunction and family love are a gloabal phenomenon.

i hear ya :)

Rotten gun says:

"Hagane Enna says:

"Ms. Invisible says:

"Even if Kenya are great with their long distance runnings etc. I think the companies are afraid that they will be criticised for stereotyping."

I'm thinking this is the case, too, and it sucks. It's the same reason nobody ever played up Magneto's religion until the movies really. ("Oh my god, you can't make him a Jew! We aren't allowed to say any Jews are evil!"). It sucks. Why couldn't it be that the person, male or female, was a speedster who is also, by the way, black? In fact, I'm picturing a really beautiful lady with long braids."

you mean flo jo?"

Not her specifically but she'd be a great model to base a character on. I was actually thinking of a doll I own, considering it closer to comic lfe than Flo Jo, but why not?

Flo Jo was banging! Super bad! That's what the character based off her name would be ...Super Bad.

Now wouldn't she be a beautiful speedster?

ROFLOL...

M

You don't think so? Trust me, Barbie is built more like comic characters than people.

Post Deleted.

maybe... dunno, she does look a bit like XS...

M

Then, too, Sling Shot had a good idea about Flo Jo being a good hero.

maybe... dunno...

M

Good thing it ain't up to you.

It's official the newest speedster is based off of Buffy the Body and her name is Super Bad.

or FLo Jo.

Meh, I don't like the name Super Bad. It's funny and kind of amusing but it wouldn't have staying power.

Hagane Enna says:

"Meh, I don't like the name Super Bad. It's funny and kind of amusing but it wouldn't have staying power."

comments like "Staying power" are just leaving it open for me for innuendo and other 'one liners' lol

M

thye do hav black speedsters that oen girl lightign somethign shes in the legion thats one

zee crusher says:

"thye do hav black speedsters that oen girl lightign somethign shes in the legion thats one"

yep, XS, mentioned her on the previous page as well as The black Flash and the Black Racer

M

because they would out run the mainstream ones in a second