Good Morning POU!
There were so many black superheroes that I’d never heard of, be sure to check out more of these fascinating characters at the World of Black Heroes website!
Publisher: Marvel Comics
1st appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, (1982)
Alias: Captain Marvel, Photon, Pulsar, Daystar, Sceptre, Lady of Light, Monica Marvel, Sun Goddess, Spectrum
Team Affiliations: Nextwave, Avengers, New Orleans Harbor Patrol
Skills and abilities: She is an excellent unarmed combatant and acrobat trained by Captain America. Monica is an expert swimmer with extensive nautical expertise thanks to college training and life as a cargo ship captain. As a police academy graduate she is also an excellent marksman. As a captain and as leader of the Avengers she gained strong leadership skills honed under the watchful eye of Captain America and The Wasp.
Powers: Monica has the ability to can convert her body into any form of energy within the electromagnetic spectrum. She has displayed the ability to become cosmic rays, gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, ultraviolet radiation, sun light, electricity, infrared radiation, microwaves, radio waves and neutrons.
While in her energy form she becomes intangible allowing most attacks to pass through her. Her energy form also allows her to fly and exist in the vacuum of space without the need to breathe or eat. Since she can become light she can move at the speed of light granting her superhuman speed. Monica can also duplicate the wavelength of new energy she encounters given enough time. She can also absorb many forms of energy once she can match its wavelength. Monica can also create light based holograms.
Background: Monica was born to Frank and Maria Rambeau in New Orleans, Louisiana. A level-headed and confident woman she joined the New Orleans Harbor Patrol after leaving college. Here she was a cargo ship captain. Stumbling onto the creation of dangerous otherworldly weapons she was bombarded by extra dimensional energy when she tried to destroy said weapon to save innocent lives. In the ensuing explosion she was granted superhuman powers. Honor bound and realizing she could use her powers to aid others she decided to use her powers and fight crime. The media branded her the ‘new Captain Marvel’ (The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16, 1982).
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Real Name: Dwayne Taylor
1st appearance: Thor #411, December 1989
Team Affiliations: New Warriors
Skills and Abilities: Dwayne is trained in an unspecified Japanese martial arts form and gymnastics. He’s also a skilled and talented weapon and armor designer. Additionally he is an expert in computer design, coding, hacking and security.
Background: Dwayne Taylor’s life changed when he witnessed his parents’ gunned-down in-front of him [New Warriors V1. #4, #25]. Family friend Chord along with elderly Tai helped him hone his martial arts skills. They later supported Dwayne as he fought crime in a vow to avenge his parents deaths by making all criminals pay [New Warriors V1. #2]. During the day he ran his family’s business but by night he was the bane of criminals everywhere, he was the NIGHT THRASHER!
Read more about these and other black superheroes here.