Hero Me Not : The Containment of the Most Powerful Black, Female Superhero

"If you ask a comic book reader to name a Black woman superheroine, most would point to the character of Ororo Munroe - Storm from the X-Men. Although there are a small number of other Black women superheroes, such as Spectrum, Vixen, and Friction, usually only avid comic book readers can name characters other than Storm. She is often the only recognizable Black, female superheroine and therefore is seemingly the one representative Black woman in the comic book/superhero world. Whether purposefully or not, the absence of Black women in the imaginary of the mostly white and male dominated field of comics has the profound effect of erasure and devaluing of Black women who not only do not have the opportunity to see themselves within these popular mediums, but who seek to move outside the standard submissive positions Black women are often placed in. Hero Me Not examines the multifaceted dimensions of the comic book character Storm from the X-men within the framework of Black feminist theory. Author Chesya Burke argues that this understanding of the depiction of Storm is essential to understanding the representation of black women's lives within the media and its effects on Black women readers. In exploring the ways in which Storm's character both frees and limits her, Burke takes the discussion back to the broader stereotype of the Magical Negro that led to Storm. Each chapter focuses on the incarnations of Storm's development over the years, while integrating contemporary racial politics culminating in discussion of the character called the Negro Spiritual Woman. Black women creators have come on scene in recent years, creating more interesting characters that are more empowered, and resistant to the status quo. While these characters are still few and far between, they have opened the door to better representation and less contained black women characters. Hero Me Not offers critical insight and hope for the development of Black women characters for casual and avid comic readers alike"-- Provided by publisher First introduced in the pages of X-Men , Storm is probably the most recognized Black female superhero. She is also one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, with abilities that allow her to control the weather itself. Yet that power is almost always deployed in the service of White characters, and Storm is rarely treated as an authority figure. Hero Me Not offers an in-depth look at this fascinating yet often frustrating character through all her manifestations in comics, animation, and films. Chesya Burke examines the coding of Storm as racially “exotic,” an African woman who nonetheless has bright white hair and blue eyes and was portrayed onscreen by biracial actresses Halle Berry and Alexandra Shipp. She shows how Storm, created by White writers and artists, was an amalgam of various Black stereotypes, from the Mammy and the Jezebel to the Magical Negro, resulting in a new stereotype she terms the Negro Spiritual Woman. With chapters focusing on the history, transmedia representation, and racial politics of Storm, Burke offers a very personal account of what it means to be a Black female comics fan searching popular culture for positive images of powerful women who look like you. Contents Preface 1 Introduction 2 Sexuality, Subjugation, and Magical Women 3 The “Funnies” as a Discipline 4 Storm: The Comics 5 Storm: The Films 6 Conclusion: Are All Our Heroes Dead? Acknowledgments Glossary Notes Works Cited Index About the Author