Diversity in DC

[sage6paths]

Hey guys I just wanted to ask some questions pertaining with DC and comics in general in different time periods. Anyways my dad and I were having a really long conversation regarding diversity in the DC world. This was after we were watching a rerun of smallville and we realized that Pete Ross was actually Caucasian in the comics. We then talked some more about how very "white" (no offense) the DC world was back in the day. Superman,Batman,Flash,Green Lantern, Wonder Women,Aquaman were all white. Was this because DC was created in the 40's and Marvel was created later and that is why there was more diversity in Marvel. Although even the Avengers are pretty white as well. It just seems that with all the social issues that comics tackle that it seemed kind of ironic when they were creating these characters. Anyways sorry for the rant and if you did take offense I'm truly sorry. I am glad to see that there is a lot more diversity in modern times.

[LoneNecromancer]

Original Marvel weren't really that much more diverse than original DC, to my knowledge, though I'm sure there are other guys who know this sort of stuff better. The most well-known non-white characters like Luke Cage and Storm were created in the 70s while the company had been kicking around since I think the early 40s or late 30s, though that might've been when they were known by a different name.

Oh, wait, I think Black Panther was created in the late 60s.

[aaronghunter]

In the beginning, creators and characters were almost uniformly Caucasian, regardless of publisher. They were also overwhelmingly male, and almost entirely heterosexual.

Marvel introduced Black Panther in 1966 or 1967, Falcon in 1969 and Luke Cage in... 1971? DC was a little behind in that regard, I don't think John Stewart or the Bronze Tiger hit until the 70s. I believe DC has been better with other ethnicities since, but I may be a biased reader. I do know that, for all most non-straight comic readers will talk up X-Men, any inspection of publication history will show that DC has been much more invested in creating and publishing actual LGBTQ heroes and villains over the past fifteen years or so.

[the4thpip]

I think the Titans' Mal Duncan was DC's first black hero. April 1970.