The ex-con, voodoo priest, goddess, and the African king: A social, cultural and political analysis of four Black superheroes, 2021

The main objective of this study was to chronicle the history of black people in comic books from the earliest appearances to their most recent incarnations. The study identifies four comic book characters (Luke Cage, Papa Midnite, Storm, and the Black Panther) and determines to what extent their depictions reflect the ideas, attitudes, and perceptions of black people in American society. The study also compares the actual history and experiences of blacks in America with their representations as contained in the pages of comic books. Based on the findings of the research, the study concludes that not only are there clear parallels between the history of blacks in America and many of the stories surrounding the four main comic book characters of the study, but he depictions and stories are largely reflective of the writer’s racial background, not that of the characters themselves