What Powers Does the Black Kid Have?

[remydat]

ridiculous.
but, with that kind of thinking, you're sure to be a hit with the GOP electoral strategy cohort.

Umm, The X-men are not real minorities being denied jobs or housing or being discriminated against. I am black and I couldn't care less whether comic book characters look like me. As long as minorities are being given opportunities to be writers or editors ie gainfully employed in the comic book industry then what they chose to write about is their business and dependent on their audience. It is a nice topic to discuss and joke around with on message boards but that is about it.

Complaining about the lack of minority characters in comics is akin to complaining about the lack of minorities in movies, tv shows, pop music, etc. They are all media markets where the overwhelming majority of the target audience is white and the people trying to make money simply cater to their market. How many minorities do you say with lead roles on TV shows or headlining a blockbuster movie?

[Eliseu Gouveia]

Not really. Most new characters don't take off.

Irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

I sincerely doubt Marvel is intentionally making black characters lame. That doesn't really make sense. I'm not saying that diversity is not a problem in comics---the genre really created a lot of it's classic characters in a much less forward-thinking time---but I don't think it's just some simple problem where Marvel is a bunch of racists who want their nonwhite characters to fail. That seems pretty ridiculous.

Sounds fair.
On that note, would you say that it´s fair the proposition that creators probably didn´t bring in their A game when they created these "lame" black male characters?

[SayOcean]

Umm, The X-men are not real minorities being denied jobs or housing or being discriminated against. I am black and I couldn't care less whether comic book characters look like me. As long as minorities are being given opportunities to be writers or editors ie gainfully employed in the comic book industry then what they chose to write about is their business and dependent on their audience. It is a nice topic to discuss and joke around with on message boards but that is about it.

You. are. so. cool.

[remydat]

Kind of off topic but still relevant. Anyone watching Once Upon A Time? So far this season they introduced two black characters (Lancelot and Billy the mouse dude) and both of them basically end up dead by the end of the episode. If that is any indication then this new mutant is doomed, lol.

[Kieran_Frost]

So what? Do you think Warlock is black ?

I'm not sure how you reached this? Answer me this: is Magik American (US)?

Where are the other male heroes of color, including those that Marvel already has on its roster just waiting to be used?
That is -- again -- the ones that haven't been killed off, rendered irrelevant, or turned into villains?
Why is there only one X-Book in Marvel NOW! that even makes the attempt to address this?

Since all the cast of Marvel now have yet to be confirmed, we don't them all; but so far we know Legion, Forge, Rictor and the new kid are three men of colour confirmed on main casts THAT WE KNOW OF. Bishop is returning (is his joining the team that impossible?). As for women (why we must always discount women of colour as 'diversity' in these things, I'll never know?) Storm is everywhere, Karma, Cecelia Reyes (Psylocke ) as main-cast players; add to that Legion is headlining X-men: Legacy (much like Rogue, it will be HIS comic)... and this isn't even counting the teams with 50/50 men/women, with LGBT characters, characters of different ethnicities or characters from across the world. The X-verse must be about ALL diversity; not just non-white males. And, even with what we know, they are doing a great job.

This is not about "us vs. them" to me -- this is about a realistic reflection of the world around me, the majority of which is growing increasingly diverse and non-white. And if you are looking at the world at large (which most of the X-Books do) then it is already vastly diverse and non-white.
Again, ONE male character of color standing in the background on ONE X-Title out of many does not in any way, shape, or form denote progress to me.
You can be "pleased" with it if you like -- but to me this character is still the definition of tokenism.

So it's not so much you don't want just straight black men, you just want straight non-white men?

Warpath is still around. So is Prodigy. And Bendis is one writer with two books.
Also, Rockslide is a Mexican. Hellion is an Asian.

Really?

I think the best thing for us all to do is arbitrarily dismiss Marvel every time they introduce a new character

LOL!!!

[Flameworthy]

Also, Rockslide is a Mexican. Hellion is an Asian.

I though Rockslide was Italian?

[darknessatnoon]

I though Rockslide was Italian?

It only really matters to racists.

[Flameworthy]

It only really matters to racists.

I would actually love see more Hispanic mutants. However, Rockslide is trash. I don't know why he's still around.

[Home made ectoplasm]

I'm not sure how you reached this? Answer me this: is Magik American (US)?

Since I'm not a white American, reading about white Americans can be an example of diversity (going by your criteria?)

[The Imakandi]

Umm, The X-men are not real minorities being denied jobs or housing or being discriminated against. I am black and I couldn't care less whether comic book characters look like me. As long as minorities are being given opportunities to be writers or editors ie gainfully employed in the comic book industry then what they chose to write about is their business and dependent on their audience. It is a nice topic to discuss and joke around with on message boards but that is about it.

Complaining about the lack of minority characters in comics is akin to complaining about the lack of minorities in movies, tv shows, pop music, etc. They are all media markets where the overwhelming majority of the target audience is white and the people trying to make money simply cater to their market. How many minorities do you say with lead roles on TV shows or headlining a blockbuster movie?

No one has asserted that the X-men are real minorities, who are jobless, homeless,or discriminated against, people know the real from the unreal , I am Black and I do care if comic book characters look like me and I understand the frustration of the many who follow and invest in this medium that feel alienated, no one is arguing that minorities should or should not be hired as creators or anything else on the business end, but to ignore certain characters of color and not write about them when some of that audience you speak of, are people of color, is a ridiculous practice, which isn't an obstacle to their hiring practice one way or another.


Addressing concerns of the lack of minority characters, be it comics ,or their inclusion in movies, tv shows, music etc, should not be dismissed simply because of some notion that the target audience is of a White majority unless you think minorities don't spend money, whether its on this board or any other public forum . So your question is how many minorities do you see with lead roles on TV shows or headlining a blockbuster movie? My question is why aren't we seeing them?

[Sanji]

Magik is from Limbo.

[remydat]

As for women (why we must always discount women of colour as 'diversity' in these things, I'll never know?) Storm is everywhere, Karma, Cecelia Reyes (Psylocke ) as main-cast players; add to that Legion is headlining X-men: Legacy (much like Rogue, it will be HIS comic)... and this isn't even counting the teams with 50/50 men/women, with LGBT characters, characters of different ethnicities or characters from across the world. The X-verse must be about ALL diversity; not just non-white males. And, even with what we know, they are doing a great job.

That's easy. Comics are mostly written by white men for the consumption of white men and boys. Women of colour are not seen as a threat but rather an object of sexual desire especially when they are running around with very little clothing on. Lesbian characters are the best because they come with the fantasy of not just screwing one chic but two because to a guy a lesbian is never really just a lesbian. She is simply just a threesome waiting to happen.

[remydat]

No one has asserted that the X-men are real minorities, who are jobless, homeless,or discriminated against, people know the real from the unreal , I am Black and I do care if comic book characters look like me and I understand the frustration of the many who follow and invest in this medium that feel alienated, no one is arguing that minorities should or should not be hired as creators or anything else on the business end, but to ignore certain characters of color and not write about them when some of that audience you speak of, are people of color, is a ridiculous practice, which isn't an obstacle to their hiring practice one way or another.

Addressing concerns of the lack of minority characters, be it comics ,or their inclusion in movies, tv shows, music etc, should not be dismissed simply because of some notion that the target audience is of a White majority unless you think minorities don't spend money, whether its on this board or any other public forum . So your question is how many minorities do you see with lead roles on TV shows or headlining a blockbuster movie? My question is why aren't we seeing them?

I think you need to read the post I responded to. Dr Sonic said my position would be a hit with with the GOP electoral strategy as if my stance on fictional characters somehow equated with real life issues of race and discrimation. That is why I responded that so long as minorities are not being denied things like jobs and housing then my position is completely irrelevant to real world politics.

And you are free to care about whether comic book characters are diverse or not. My point is unless your concern impacts the bottom line, expecting a profit oriented company to care about your caring is naive. If I serve you shit coffee everyday and all you do is complain about it on a message board but then keep coming back to buy my shit coffee then guess what I will continue to serve you shit coffee.

[mikeb]

I thought Bishop was an Aboriginal and Gateway was his grandfather.

[aNamored]

Are you Brian Michael Bendis?

LOL......only if I could have his paycheck.