Good Morning POU! Here’s another black Marvel hero that definitely would make a great movie! He’s the son of yesterday’s hero.
Josiah X is a Marvel Comics character, the son of Isaiah Bradley, the black Captain America, and the uncle of Elijah Bradley, the Patriot. The character was created by Christopher Priest and Joe Bennett, and debuted in The Crew #1.
Josiah is a Muslim minister. He replaced his last name Bradley with the letter “X”. He has had many names including “Justice”, the one he used as a hero. The “X” apparently symbolizes his allegiance to the Lost Tribe of Shabazz. Josiah runs a Muslim Mission in the “Mog” (Little Mogadishu) in Brooklyn, New York.
As depicted in the series Truth: Red, White & Black, the World War II Super Soldier program of 1942, operated by “Reinstein”, used African American test subjects in a beta phase. The clandestine experimentation that empowered Josiah’s father Isaiah Bradley held similarities with the Tuskegee Experiments. After a failed suicide mission to destroy the Super-Soldier efforts of the Nazis, Isaiah was court-martialed and imprisoned. While he was in prison, the government attempted to use his altered DNA to create another Super-Soldier. After 39 attempts they had a single success, which was Josiah. His surrogate mother smuggled him out from the government’s watchful eye.
Josiah grew up alone in a Catholic orphanage outside of Boston. His powers revealed themselves when he lashed out at one of the orphanage nuns while in his early teens. Believing he had accidentally killed Sister Irenia, he fled. Under the assumed name of Josiah Smith he entered the U.S. Army.
Josiah served several tours in the Vietnam War, becoming a seasoned and experienced veteran. His unit, made up of primarily black soldiers, were nearly killed on a mission by an inconsiderate and racist officer’s order to bomb the area while they were still on patrol. His assault on the heartless officer was rewarded with a court martial. Josiah was sent back to the States to serve out his sentence in Fort Leavenworth.
Blood tests at a secret research facility in Berkeley, California proved he was the missing Super-Soldier baby. His surrogate mother was brought in to confirm a genetic match, and she again helped him to escape. She also told him the truth about his past and the real first names of his genetic parents.
It was a long four years later before he could act on this knowledge. He came across a list of African-American individuals abused by the Super-Soldier project, and used it to find his parents’ full names and their location.
After meeting his real parents, Josiah left the US and traveled abroad as a private military contractor and adventurer; he eventually ended up on the continent of Africa. It was in Africa that Josiah discovered the Islamic faith and decided to use it to find a purpose for his life.
Josiah became involved with James Rhodes’ clandestine “Crew” after they were tricked into believing he was a criminal. After the usual superhero fight, Josiah joined them in order to seek out those who had not only framed him, but had also turned his neighborhood into a war zone.
When Iron Lad forms the Young Avengers, he attempts to recruit Josiah, but instead recruits his nephew Elijah Bradley when Josiah is unavailable.
Due to his unique genetic makeup, Josiah has aged very slowly. Although he is well over fifty years old, he appears to be twenty-five. His genetic code was manipulated with great precision to compensate for the side effects of unrefined Super Soldier serum. Josiah is extremely strong (able to bench press over 1100 pounds) and his body possesses phenomenal endurance. Because of his many years on the run from the U.S. government, Josiah has experience and training as both a soldier and mercenary. He also has decades of experience with a variety of martial arts styles, languages and weapons.
Josiah carries the scarred battle shield belonging to his father and predecessor Isaiah, similar to one used by Steve Rogers before receiving his vibranium-steel shield. It is an unpainted concave triangular metal shield with the Double V for Victory design. For protection he wears a loose chain mesh shirt over light padding. This mesh shirt is capable of blunting the impact of most small arms fire.