Superman's Ethnicity

[Jim Kelly]

Generally, sure, but Bruce could really only be bi-racial unless the Wayne fortune is no longer old money.

Is the Wayne fortune old money? I don't know what the current continuity is supposed to be, but it seemed in the past like when Bruce's dad was a young doctor he wasn't rich. I assumed that he went into the military where he got training to be a doctor, then he ran a clinic, but maybe made some money from inventing a new medical procedure and then invested that money which left him well enough off, but still practicing medicine. Bruce inherits this small fortune and being a clever boy turns it into a large fortune.

Of course there were other stories that the Wayne family had a sterling past, but that didn't seem to have anything to do with Dr Thomas Wayne himself. But that was in the days of Bill Finger--I can't keep track of current continuity (mainly because it doesn't interest me).

[Ascended]

Last I knew, current continuity has the Wayne family helping built Gotham two centuries ago, along with the Kane and Cobblepott families.

The city is nearly as old as the nation itself, and the Waynes had fat stacks of cash back then.

And I think that's been the rough continuity for quite a while (though the Kanes and Cobblepotts are a newer addition I believe).

[Jim Kelly]

Yeah, but isn't continuity fluid right now? Like is anything pre-2017 nailed down? I personally don't lke the Cobblepots being American because the original Penguin seemed like he was British as he would quote Shakespeare and Coleridge. I think of him as a Hitchcockian villain.

Anyway, I'm not sure that this really argues that Bruce has to be a WASP--there were other kinds of people in America even three hundred years ago (and maybe especially three hundred years ago). DC has been willing to throw out concepts holus bolus for the sake of some new story they fancy, so why they would cling to one story rather than entertain a different vision of the characters I don't know.

[Ascended]

Yeah, but isn't continuity fluid right now? Like is anything pre-2017 nailed down? I personally don't lke the Cobblepots being American because the original Penguin seemed like he was British as he would quote Shakespeare and Coleridge. I think of him as a Hitchcockian villain.

Anyway, I'm not sure that this really argues that Bruce has to be a WASP--there were other kinds of people in America even three hundred years ago (and maybe especially three hundred years ago). DC has been willing to throw out concepts holus bolus for the sake of some new story they fancy, so why they would cling to one story rather than entertain a different vision of the characters I don't know.

The continuity is extremely murky right now, but to my knowledge nothing about the Wayne's or Gotham's past has contradicted what has been set down the last few years. So that's still canon, far as I know.

And I dislike the Cobblepotts being American too. I mean, I always thought of Penguin as a first-generation immigrant at most (in regards to his "American-ness"), but I dislike how deep their history with Gotham goes. But its really a small detail and it does add a little something to Penguin's character, so.....>shrug<

And there were different kinds of people in America two centuries ago.....but most (if not all?) of the super rich industrialists (right word?) who helped build the great cities were all white men. Because stupid past.

I dont think Bruce *has* to be white or anything, and I recently saw a high-quality Batman cosplayer who happened to be black and I actually think I prefer the visual that way (his skin tone worked really well against the black and dark gray costume he was wearing) but if you want some historical accuracy (which DC does ignore a lot) and you want the Wayne family to be super rich old money....then odds are they started off white, even if they did end up marrying non-white people and Bruce himself is something else.

[Tuck]

Anyway, I'm not sure that this really argues that Bruce has to be a WASP--there were other kinds of people in America even three hundred years ago (and maybe especially three hundred years ago).

It's an English name. Which doesn't necessarily mean anything in itself I suppose. John Cabot's real name was Giovanni Caboto.

DC has been willing to throw out concepts holus bolus for the sake of some new story they fancy, so why they would cling to one story rather than entertain a different vision of the characters I don't know.

I think they like the deep roots in Gotham, whether or not that's connected to its founding, as well as Wayne Manor being part of the Underground Railroad.

They could just ignore the history, but I honestly think you lose more than you gain anytime you ignore the ugly truth of the past.

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

I'm a big fan of Hernan from Gods and monsters and adkal's fanfic where superman landed in rural pakistan was a good read.

I'm ok with Superman being a different ethnicity but i'm not sure about Clark Kent being a different ethnicity.

I think I'm more ok with being him a different race in a movie/tv show because you can have open casting and have the best actor for the role.

[Jim Kelly]

If we judged a person's ethnicity by their family name then Denzel Washington and Jim Thorpe would have to be British.

[Tuck]

If we judged a person's ethnicity by their family name then Denzel Washington and Jim Thorpe would have to be British.

Except there are other factors at play. A freed slave founding a company and being part of Gotham's founding is a pretty complicated story . . . to the point of not being worth it.

Ditto for an American Indian, even one whose father was English.

So, the other kinds of people we're left with are basically Scottish, French, or Dutch.

[marhawkman]

Except there are other factors at play. A freed slave founding a company and being part of Gotham's founding is a pretty complicated story . . . to the point of not being worth it.

Or maybe the founder was a white guy, but he had a non-white wife? Enh, either way it's pointless.

[Tuck]

Or maybe the founder was a white guy, but he had a non-white wife? Enh, either way it's pointless.

In the 18th (or even 19th) century?

I'm not trying to be difficult, but making Bruce non-white becomes a net negative if to do it you whitewash the past.

He could absolutely be bi-racial though. His mother, or even grandmother at this point could easily be non-white without needing a whole storyline that future writers could easily fumble.

[Francisco]

Bruce Wayne was born in modern day America... About 35 or 40 years ago. 35 or 40 years ago I can see wealthy bleeding hearted Dr. Thomas Wayne falling in love with a middle eastern or latin american (Mexican, Honduran) woman. Thus making Bruce Wayne bi-racial/cultural.

[Jcogginsa]

I think that if you were to change Superman's race whilst keeping him as close to the traditional incarnation as possible, Hispanic would work best

[Francisco]

I think that if you were to change Superman's race whilst keeping him as close to the traditional incarnation as possible, Hispanic would work best

There are black farmers in Kansas... Or aren't there? Not that I want Superman's ethnicity to be changed.

[Jcogginsa]

There are black farmers in Kansas... Or aren't there? Not that I want Superman's ethnicity to be changed.

I'm running with the "Superman as the story of an immigrant" motif, which would make Hispanic work best

[Francisco]

I'm running with the "Superman as the story of an immigrant" motif, which would make Hispanic work best

There are black immigrants as well. Lots of Kenyans and Nigerians/Somalians. No matter the skin color Superman would still be an extraterrestrial being from planet Krypton posing as a human.