View Poll Results: Which of DC's Black Characters Has the Most Potential to Achieve Trinity Status?

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  • Green Lantern (John Stewart)

    49 30.06%
  • Vixen (Mari McCabe)

    18 11.04%
  • Cyborg (Victor Stone)

    13 7.98%
  • Black Lightning/Vulcan (Jefferson Pierce)

    30 18.40%
  • Static (Virgil Hawkins)

    7 4.29%
  • Naomi (Naomi McDuffie)

    9 5.52%
  • Mr. Terrific (Michael Holt)

    7 4.29%
  • Steel (John Henry Irons)

    4 2.45%
  • Bumblebee (Karen Beecher)

    0 0%
  • Icon (Augustus Freeman IV)

    1 0.61%
  • Rocket (Raquel Ervin)

    0 0%
  • Amazing-Man (Any Version)

    1 0.61%
  • Aqualad (Kaldur'ahm/Jackson Hyde)

    1 0.61%
  • Other (Specify Below)

    3 1.84%
  • None

    20 12.27%
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  1. #46
    Astonishing Member MoneySpider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SecretWarrior View Post
    Cyborg's disfigurement ruins the character's potential as a black paragon IMO. No wish fulfimment.

    Black Lightning's codename does the same for that character. Not to mention his powers don't bring anything new to the table. A black panther is an actual animal. Black lightning is just about race.
    If I'm not mistaken, Black Lightning has been known to produce actual black lightning from his body. I'm not sure how often he uses that color of lightning, though. So his code name may not JUST be about race.
    Last edited by MoneySpider; 10-13-2019 at 07:30 PM.
    Black Panther - Champion of Bast
    Vixen - Champion of Anansi

  2. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobinFan4880 View Post
    Do you think fans and the WB would be falling over themselves for Hal if Geoff Johns had chosen to push any other Green Lantern for his big run? Heck no! Whomever Geoff Johns chose would have become *the* Green Lantern of this generation. John's run was lighting in a bottle - it was a great story written by a great writer, which was being penned at the exact moment that DC needed a big win. If that run had not happened, I guarantee you Jon Stewart would be the Green Lantern of this generation thanks to the Justice League/Unlimited show. But, alas, Johns loves the Silver Age, so Hal was his man, and therefore he once more became the face of the Lantern family.
    This is a picture perfect example of why John Stewart would never comfortably work out. Arguments and drama would follow him at every single turn. He would never be able to just comfortably be Green Lantern, like how Clark is Superman.

  3. #48
    Astonishing Member RobinFan4880's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Vampire Savior View Post
    This is a picture perfect example of why John Stewart would never comfortably work out. Arguments and drama would follow him at every single turn. He would never be able to just comfortably be Green Lantern, like how Clark is Superman.
    Sigh.

    That is very fair.

  4. #49
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    Regarding the name Black Lightning...Maybe I should create a character named the Mongoloid Mangler (seriously, that's no worse than Black Lightning), or the Negro Knight and try to get them to the level of Superman.

    They may work okay as satire, but I think people would either have problems with them, or have trouble taking them seriously.

  5. #50
    Astonishing Member MoneySpider's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkgirl_70 View Post
    MEH!!!! That’s just wrong!

    I voted for John Stewart because I like him and Hal Jordan both as Lanterns.
    Also, I would like for John Diggle of Arrow to be spun off into a Green Lantern CW Series.
    I imagine that the CW would have budget constraints regarding the visuals for Green Lantern's hard light constructs.
    Black Panther - Champion of Bast
    Vixen - Champion of Anansi

  6. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by vampire savior View Post
    regarding the name black lightning...maybe i should create a character named the mongoloid mangler (seriously, that's no worse than black lightning), or the negro knight and try to get them to the level of superman.

    they may work okay as satire, but i think people would either have problems with them, or have trouble taking them seriously.

  7. #52
    Ultimate Member Johnny's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobinFan4880 View Post
    Do you think fans and the WB would be falling over themselves for Hal if Geoff Johns had chosen to push any other Green Lantern for his big run? Heck no! Whomever Geoff Johns chose would have become *the* Green Lantern of this generation. John's run was lighting in a bottle - it was a great story written by a great writer, which was being penned at the exact moment that DC needed a big win. If that run had not happened, I guarantee you Jon Stewart would be the Green Lantern of this generation thanks to the Justice League/Unlimited show. But, alas, Johns loves the Silver Age, so Hal was his man, and therefore he once more became the face of the Lantern family.
    I am not talking about Geoff Johns and the Green Lantern character is not defined by a cartoon show from two decades ago, so don't try to "guarantee" me anything. How is nostalgia from that show any different from the Sliver Age nostalgia that you're talking about? And you didn't answer the question, we have been through an era without Hal Jordan and what did DC choose to do? Did they choose to do anything with any of the existing Green Lanterns after Hal was gone and try to give them their own books and stories and push them as equals? No, they created a brand new protagonist because they didn't know what to do with anyone else, not just with Hal. So he doesn't seem to be the only issue here, does he. Let's say he disappears for a decade again, all that we're going to see is the same scenario of a new character keeping his seat warm until he eventually comes back because he's the one this franchise revolves around. You don't need a Geoff Johns to see that. And if Hal is such a dull character that you claim him to be, why is there always fan demand for him when he's not around? The sales always went up when he showed up as GL anywhere during the Kyle run. I'm sorry if someone takes offense in this because that isn't my intent, but if you truly think the one and only way for other Lanterns to get a chance to shine is for Hal to go away, which already happened before, then what does that say about these characters or DC's apparent lack of faith in them in the first place? There's no longer a Geoff Johns around, so what is the excuse going to be once they bring Hal back again.

    The point is that Hal isn't the issue for why other characters don't get a bigger piece of the pie. It's DC and the way they structured this franchise over the years to where you would always have frustrated fans no matter what happens and that can't be blamed on one character still being around.
    Last edited by Johnny; 10-13-2019 at 08:11 PM.

  8. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by lemonpeace View Post
    the idea that there is something wrong with the name Black Lightning is such nitpicky nonsense to me. it's cheesy and problematic because he's black and his name has black in it? please, it's as cheesy as Batman or Wonder Woman, if the race aspect bothers people that much make his lightning black and say that's why. let's not pretend it's committing some cheesiness sin that the likes of the Green Lantern are exempt from or that it's remotely as "problematic" as the idea of DC making Cyborg (the perpetual Justice League ragdoll) their headlining black hero; or problematic at all. I have never once heard of a black person upset that their black hero has black in his name and if that's the biggest problem with the character then we should counting that as a blessing considering how much DC's mangled the handle of many of their heroes of color over the years. if people can get over Roy's heroin addiction I'm sure they can (and have) gotten over a black character who's comfortable putting his race or lightning color up front. smh, glad to see that the hyper-rationalization of the existence of the black hero is alive and well. /s
    I'm a black person, and, yes, the name bothers me. Along with Black Goliath, Black Racer, Black Manta, Black Spider, Vykin the Black... The creators couldn't see the character beyond their race when naming them. Bronze Tiger comes close too. Don't know how Vixen didn't end up as Black Vixen, given the era.

    Black Panther gets a pass because that's the name of an actual animal and fits the setting.
    Last edited by SecretWarrior; 10-13-2019 at 08:05 PM.

  9. #54
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    Quote Originally Posted by MoneySpider View Post
    If I'm not mistaken, Black Lightning has been known to produce actual black lightning from his body. I'm not sure how often he uses that color of lightning, though. So his code name may not JUST be about race.
    That was a later justification, which hasn't stuck.

  10. #55
    Astonishing Member Tzigone's Avatar
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    The point is that Hal isn't the issue for why other characters don't get a bigger of piece of the pie. It's DC and the way they structured this franchise over the years to where you would always have frustrated fans no matter what happens and that can't be blamed on one character still being around.
    Do you think that's true for all franchises? There's certainly Flash-wars. And Robin ones - Dick fans who think he's been torn down for the sake of Tim (though only in the 2000s and later, as far as I know) and Tim fans who think he was diminished for Damian's sake. Definitely some Jon-haters for the specific cause of wanting Kon to have prominence and be Superboy. Who haven't we noticed this with - Donna and Cassie, I guess, since Donna was sorta screwed up before Cassie came on the scene (though it got worse later, I don't think any of that is connected to Cassie) and had moved on from title well before that?

  11. #56
    Ultimate Member Ascended's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MoneySpider View Post
    If I'm not mistaken, Black Lightning has been known to produce actual black lightning from his body. I'm not sure how often he uses that color of lightning, though. So his code name may not JUST be about race.
    I've heard that too. No idea if it's true.....I can't recall Jeff's lightning being black in any of the comics I've read, but I also haven't read his earliest stuff either, which is where (I think) this was the case.

    But even if they did that.....everyone is still going to know the real reason behind the name. Making his power a different color is just going to be seen as a thin attempt to hide the fact that Jeff was created to take advantage of the blaxploitation era. Just like Luke Cage.

    It doesn't seem to be holding him back, (that's on DC's lack of effort and their drama with Isabella) but it *is* obnoxious. I think Jeff's name is much like Vic's disability; taken on its own it's fine. But in a group it looks a lot worse.
    "We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another, as if we were one single tribe."

    ~ Black Panther.

  12. #57
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    Quote Originally Posted by SecretWarrior View Post
    I'm a black person, and, yes, the name bothers me. Along with Black Goliath, Black Racer, Black Manta, Black Spider, Vykin the Black... The creators couldn't see the character beyond their race when naming them. Bronze Tiger comes close too. Don't know how Vixen didn't end up as Black Vixen, given the era.

    Black Panther gets a pass because that's the name of an actual animal and fits the setting.
    There is also Zack, the original Black Power Ranger, which Saban caught quite a bit of flack for, along with making Trini, the Asian girl, the Yellow Ranger. Never again (at least to my knowledge), would a black character be the Black Ranger in any subsequent Power Ranger line ups. Because, like...people don't like that. It's awkward. Black Lightning is no better.

  13. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by MoneySpider View Post
    If I'm not mistaken, Black Lightning has been known to produce actual black lightning from his body. I'm not sure how often he uses that color of lightning, though. So his code name may not JUST be about race.
    Traditionally, he created yellow lightning, but a decade or so back, around the time he was on the Justice League ever so briefly (and had a shaved head, as all black men in comics at that time period did), it changed to black lightning with a sort of blue aura around it. I kind of liked that unique twist, even if it was a clear attempt to get away from 'Black Lightning' being named that way because he was a black dude who threw lightning.

    "Yes, it's Black Lightning. And we can team him up with some of Marvel's unfortunately named characters like Yellow Claw (who is Asian), Red Wolf (who is Native American) and White... uh, wait, the only ones I can think of are White Tiger, who is Latino, and White Fox, who is Korean... Is there a White Something or other who's actually caucasian?"

  14. #59
    Astonishing Member Sodam Yat's Avatar
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    I'm going to say it's between John Stewart and Vixen. Both deserve those spots. I chose John Stewart, due to obvious reasons

  15. #60
    Astonishing Member Sodam Yat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RobinFan4880 View Post
    Do you think fans and the WB would be falling over themselves for Hal if Geoff Johns had chosen to push any other Green Lantern for his big run? Heck no! Whomever Geoff Johns chose would have become *the* Green Lantern of this generation. John's run was lighting in a bottle - it was a great story written by a great writer, which was being penned at the exact moment that DC needed a big win. If that run had not happened, I guarantee you Jon Stewart would be the Green Lantern of this generation thanks to the Justice League/Unlimited show. But, alas, Johns loves the Silver Age, so Hal was his man, and therefore he once more became the face of the Lantern family.
    I agree that if Geoff Johns chose John Stewart, then it's a good possibility that the Green Lantern franchise would still be a success. As much as I don't care much for the writer, he did write good GL stories and you didn't have to be a Hal Jordan fan to read his run. After all, seeing how Blackest Night was a universal wide event, it showed how big the marketing push for the franchise was. But removing Hal Jordan out of the way doesn't solve the problem, but at the same time, DC tried to move John Stewart out of the way when Fialkov took over. It all comes down to who DC chooses what Green Lantern on who they want to push.

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