Title pretty much sums it up. Watched a video recently where someone was asked to name a black superhero that didn’t have lightning based powers and while I could name a few it made me realize just how prevalent the trope is.

But why?

Edit: Y’all I’m not asking for examples of black heroes that don’t have lightning powers. I’m asking why it’s a trope to begin with 😮‍💨

  • imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    4·
    1 day ago

    Never heard of this trope.

    Off the top of my head: War Machine, Black Panther, Blade, Cyborg, Bishop, Storm, Spiderman (Miles).

    The only black comics character with lightning super powers I know is Electro from The Amazing Spiderman who also used to be white in old comics.

    Is this really a trope? Can someone name 10 black superheroes with lightning powers?

    Edit: Yeah, forgot Miles has some sort of electricity/lightning powers.

    • tmyakal@infosec.pub
      1·
      1 day ago

      Can someone name 10 black superheroes with lightning powers?

      Miles Morales / Spider-Man Storm (plus other weather, but lightning is there) Static Shock Black Lightning Thunder Black Vulcan

      Off the top of my head, I can only get to six. But I don’t think I could come up with that many white heroes with lightning powers.

      • imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        1·
        15 hours ago

        Found a list with bunch of superheroes with lighning powers. I see that most of top 10 are black-skinned heroes and heroines. But once you go down, most of them if not all are caucasians.

        I feel that it is less of a “black heroes mostly have electrical powers” and more of a “heroes with electrical powers are more likely to be black”.