The Daily Show: Ears Edition - CP Time: Black Superhero History, from Comic Strips to Movie Screens

Episode Date: November 27, 2022

Falcon, War Machine, Cyborg, and most famously, Black Panther. Roy Wood Jr. dives into the history of Black superheroes, from their first appearance in 1936 to the modern heroes we know and love today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to Comedy Central. Ah, wettlisk. Ah, wettle. Ah, good whiskey. Ah, good whiskey. Ah, welcome to CP time. The only show that's full of culture. Today, we'll be discussing black superheroes.

Iconic characters like Falcon, War Machine, Cyborg, and the dude at Church's Chicken who puts onion rings in your bag of fries. That brother uses his powers for good. Black superheroes are not new. In fact, they've been squeezing into Spandex for decades. They did as far back as 1936 when cartoonist Jay Jackson created Speed Jackson in the Chicago Defender Newspaper. Speed Jackson was a former track star at Howard University who was an excellent fistfighter,

which may not sound powerful compared to today's superheroes with their laser eyes and sticky spider hands, but you have to think about it like sports. Today's best athletes are the pinnacle of human physicality, while the best athletes from the 1930s were just the ones with the least polio. Times change. Jackson used his abilities to fight against fascist during the war and write the wrongs of a racist society, which is tough, because superpowers don't help when you

fight in systemic racism. It doesn't matter if you have the strength of ten men if none of those men can get a mortgage. In 1947, black superheroes made the leap from comic strip to comic book with Lion Man, a cat-themed superhero who protected the world's largest uranium deposit in Africa's gold coast. Although a cat may not have been the best animal to defend a valuable resource, sure, cats are fast and agile, but you're getting there doing one of those 22 hours that they're asleep and that uranium is yours. Lion Man was created by Orrin Evans, who intended his comic to counter the racial distortion

seen in other comics. Although, if he was trying to avoid racial stereotypes, I think it's fair to say the results were mixed. Look at Lion Man right there. Shirtless with the loincloth and an arrow through his butt. And somehow, that is still the least problematic character on the cover. Despite how it looks today, Lion Man was still groundbreaking as an all-black-ridden and illustrated comic, even if now the cover looks like Tucker Carlson tried to draw Africa.

In the 1970s, there was an explosion of black superheroes. Characters like Black Lightning, Black Vulcan, and Black Goliath. Basically, if you were trying to create an African-American hero in the 70s, you put the word black in front of whatever was lying around you in the apartment. This week, black chandelier battles it out against his arch-nemesis, black candy rapper. But the most popular of these superheroes was the newest member of the X-Men.-X-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-vokin-vokin-voke-vokin-n'-n'-a-n'-n'-nemesis, black candy rapper. But the most popular of these superheroes was the newest member of the X-Men, Storm, an African priestess who could control the weather to keep the rain from messing up her hair. Storm was a landmark character for both black and female representation in comics.

And on top of that, she's definitely the best X-Man. You know I'm right, who's better than Storm? Rogue, what's her power? If I hold my boyfriend's hand too long, he'll die. Wolverine is indeed strong, except for when he has to go through TSA. Professor X can read minds, but that means he also sees all the kinkish-sex stuff his enemies are thinking. Good luck the to the the the to thi thi thi thi- thi- thi-in' thi-in' thi-in' thi-in' thi-in' thi-in' thi-in' thi-in' thi-s, tho-s, thoe-s, thoes-s-sex stuff his enemies are thinking. Good luck defeating Magneto when you know how much he loves feet. But the 1990s, black superheroes were making it to the big screen.

In 1993, Robert Townsend directed The Media Man, a film about a mild-manned teacher who was hit by a radioactive media and got superpowers. And I must say, it's bold to name yourself after the worst thing that's ever happened to you. My superhero name would be Sheila Leftham Man with the power to eat one whole can of tuna over the sink. You were right, Sheila, I can't do better. In 1998, Marvel bedom Black with the Blade franchise. Wesley Snipes starred as a vampire hunter to great box office success. And Blade was a powerful mammo.

He managed to be that cool while wearing the same sunglasses as Guy Fieri. That's also why there's no vampires in Flavor Town. Blade became a household name and the first major theatrical success for Marvel, setting off a wave of Marvel films to come in the next two decades, because Wesley Snipes proved that no one's powerful enough to defeat Marvel heroes, except for the IRS. Please don't punch me, Wesley Snipes. Marvel heroes, except for the IRS. Please don't punch me, Wesley Snipes.

Big fan. Now black superheroes are everywhere. Even taking over the mantle of formerly white heroes. We have an African-American green lantern, Iron Man, Captain America, and Spider-Man. No black Bruce Wayne, though. That requires too much generational wealth. Well, that's it for CP time. And remember, before the CO-... What's that?

It's the CP signal. Someone needs some folks in man to come and tell them about black history. I'm on my way, Florida. To the CP mobile bill. I need some gas money for the CPobile. It takes letter. I can't afford it. Watch the daily show weeknights at 11. 10 Central on Comedy Central. And stream full episodes anytime on Paramount Plus.