Black Superhero Appreciation

[Ezyo1000]

Storm, hands down. It's hard to believe Black Panther is even close in the poll. If it weren't for the MCU...

It was always close before he even showed up in the MCU. Plus Storm had shown up in then men movies too. But whatever excuse ya need...

[ItzdoctorZ]

Storm, hands down. It's hard to believe Black Panther is even close in the poll. If it weren't for the MCU...

Never been interested in the X men outside the cartoon so was an easy choice for me really

[Sutekh]

Seeing this poll, with Storm, Misty and Monica on it, and twelve dudes, I feel like Marvel could use more ladies of color in their upper tier. (Granted, this poll probably predates the rise of Riri and Lunella, who are easily more prominent at the moment than Blade or Bishop...)

Not necessarily new ladies of color, but more focus on pre-existing ones like Sun Girl and Frenzy, perhaps.

[JudicatorPrime]

If you were even free reign on updating a classic black villain or villainess' outfit for their fleshing up re-appearance, tell me, what sort of suit design would you create? For that matter, which black vill's look would you want to change?

She's not a classic major villain per se, but Erik Larsen created an evil mutant named Powerhouse who has crossed swords with the likes of Spider Man, Wolverine, the Beast and Warbird/Captain Marvel (Carol Danvers). Not much has been revealed about Powerhouse other than the fact that she's a mutant with life energy absorbing psychic vampire abilities.

To update her I'd start with changing her name from Powerhouse to Necrotica. Erik Larson designed her as the predecessor to his Savage Dragon character named Rapture, so I'd probably keep that homage going and integrate some of his design specs in terms of her hair and physique. She'd keep the bone white streak in her hair, but overall she'd be less thick and densely muscled and more taut and sinewy. She would be amply proportioned where necessary as part of her appeal. She has to be in order to draw people (her prey) into proximity.

As for her powers, I'd redefine them a bit.

She'd still be a mutant, but there would be a supernatural component introduced. I'd link her origin to the Dweller-in-Darkness and establish that at some point dating back to when she was a little girl, the Dweller-in-Darkness oft visited her, ultimately luring her to his dark domain called Everinnye on her 13th birthday. Filled with incomprehensibly dark energy, Everinnye is what first triggered Powerhouse's mutant energy absorption ability, later turning her into a psychic vampire when her energy absorption and coping powers inevitably failed. Not quite a decade later, once Dweller-in-Darkness realized that he was no longer the one in control, but rather she was now the power draining seducer and he the unwilling victim, he cast her out never to return. Powerhouse would keep the name Everinnye as her surname. Back on Earth her mutant energy absorption powers held her vampyric powers in check for the most part, although she would always need to feed; there is no curing that.

Blame M Day and Scarlet Witch's "No more mutants" spell for the present change in Powerhouse's abilities. Without her mutant ability to absorb other forms of energy as sustenance, her dark energies manifest. In addition to strength, flight and energy projection, she can change her form into three different states, one solid, one gaseous and one as pure dark energy. Like a similar demon, Nightmare, Powerhouse can enter the dreams of anyone psionically or magically less adept than herself. She can trap a victim within her dream spheres for as long as it takes to consume them completely. In addition to strength, her body naturally emits pheromones which renders anyone who breathes them highly suggestable to her commands. When she assumes mist or energy form, the potency of her seductive powers increases exponentially. In this state she was able to seduce the chthulu-like Dweller-in-Darkness. The more corrupt the soul, the easier it is to co-opt them. Physically, Powerhouse is not exactly invulnerable, but like most supernatural creatures, she rapidly heals from any injury, possibly up to the dispersion of her molecules. Her senses are dark-aligned and she can perceive and track beings based on the light and darkness that exists within them. Lastly, her time spent with Dweller-in-Darkness has taught her a host of magical feats of the highest order. She is sufficiently powerful that she can imbue "any substance of the earth, or the air, of fire or water" with unique mystical properties that remain even after she ceases to maintain them.

Whether her enemy is street level, or cosmic, Powerhouse/Necrotica would be a credible threat to anyone, any where, any time.

[Rumble]

Storm, hands down. It's hard to believe Black Panther is even close in the poll. If it weren't for the MCU...

If we are to subscribe to that train of thought, then I think it's fair to say that if it weren't for the '92 fox cartoon and '00s films...

[Hypestyle]

Which black Marvel villain do you see turning away from the villain life this year in comics? Malice? Scorcher? ...Mr. Fish? Who?

Slyde would be interesting if he wasn't dead. Oh well...

[616MarvelYear is LeapYear]

New Warriors #37 Jul 1993
Poisoned Memories: Part 1 of 3 - "Family Values!"
The Vietnamese gang Poison Memories kill Edna Staples,

which leaves her grandson Elvin Haliday with nothing left but Rage,

and goes out in order to kill them all.

Written by Fabian Nicieza http://www.comicsreporter.com/index....abian_nicieza/.
Art by Darick Robertson and Larry Mahlstedt.