Written by Yara Simón |
5 years ago
Miles Morales, the only Spider-Man we now recognize, is easily the most well-known Latino superhero. He is, however, not the only one. While white superheroes may still dominate comic books and blockbuster franchises, there have been plenty of publications that have tried to up the diversity in comics.
Here are some lesser known Latino superheroes that you should know about:
Jaime Reyes aka Blue Beetle is a Mexican-American superhero created in 2006. He has shown up on Smallville, Young Justice, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. He’s the third Blue Beetle, and it’s impressive that he’s been included in so many things because he hasn’t been around too long.
DMC Comics revealed LAK6, a teenaged Puerto Rican superhero named Leticia Labron, on their DMC #1.5. Lak6 was created by Darryl “DMC” McDaniels of Run DMC, according to Vivala. “The thing about LAK6 is she’s not a derivative of a male character,” said Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, editor-in-chief of DMC Comics. “She’s not Supergirl, she’s not Batgirl, she’s not DMCgirl, she’s LAK6. She’s her own strong woman and she’s a badass.”
Hector Morales is a member of DV8, a superhuman team. He was adopted by an Argentine father and German mother, and he split his time between Miami and Buenos Aires. Powerhaus is a clone created by International Operations’ ‘Project: Rebirth.’
Powerhaus has superhuman strength ?, and he can also read peoples’ emotions.
La Bandera first appeared on Wolverine Vol. 2 #19. She is of Cuban ethnicity, and she can will people to do what she wants by controlling their emotions. And she also carries a staff that she blasts fire energy from.
According to Marvel’s Wikia, “her father was a Cuban supporter of Fidel Castro who grew disillusioned with his rule and fled to Florida, as she did. The young woman eventually gained mutant powers and began fighting drug dealers, who she saw as responsible for the death of her father, who died a drug addict. She traced the drugs to the South American country of Tierra Verde, which at some point was ruled by the harsh dictator, President Felix Guillermo Caridad. La Bandera began a revolt with a band of citizens.”
Peruvian magician Extraño first appeared in 1988 in Millennium #2. Extraño is among the first gay superheroes. His magic powers were enhanced when he was part of a group in a human evolution experiment. He became the leader of the New Guardians.
