Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

[Enforcer84]

Hey I was just wondering, we as a group here seem to be a bit down on the established companies (comics, gaming) for their handling of minority heroes.

 

Here are four heroes chosen at random:D

 

A Native American hero with growth powers.

 

An African American hero with flight, electrical powers, and limited superhuman durability

 

An Asian American hero with wind manipulation particularly whirlwinds

 

and finally, a South American hero with a suite of nebulous "magic" abilities, at least including flight, Super human Strength and Durability, invisiblity, etc, heck he might be a DC Martian.

 

anyway, what would you A) Name these characters, and what would their costumes look like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*

*

*

 

PS: If there are any other "Random" :rolleyes:ethnic Heroes I might have missed from the Superfriends Cartoons, let me know.

[Hermit]

Hmmm, these are oddly familiar

 

Actually, a lot depends on the characters' personalities. How closely do they identify with their ethnic group? Are they trying to embrace that ethnic group's culture, or escape stereotype? Once I figured that out, I would be able to decide better.

[Uncle Shecky]

Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

Originally posted by Enforcer84

... PS: If there are any other "Random" :rolleyes:ethnic Heroes I might have missed from the Superfriends Cartoons, let me know.

Well, there was the Atom: he was clearly a mick. Sure, he said his name was "Palmer," but you can't believe a word that tiny drunk said. Remember the episode where he fell in that bowl of "milk" and couldn't climb out? Irish people and their whiskey.

 

I can't believe they could put that in a cartoon for children. Where were the censors?

 

And don't get me started on Hawkman ...

[Enforcer84]

Originally posted by Hermit

Hmmm, these are oddly familiar

 

Actually, a lot depends on the characters' personalities. How closely do they identify with their ethnic group? Are they trying to embrace that ethnic group's culture, or escape stereotype? Once I figured that out, I would be able to decide better.

 

Good point, well, for necessities sake, I want them to be fairly middle of the road ideas. These characters are individuals and they tend to identify themselves as Americans first, then what ever else. Lets assume they all come from fairly middleclass backgrounds and have at least a highschool education.

[Hermit]

Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

I sort of broke it up into the Heritage, break stereotype... and lastly the WRONG thing to call yourself if you were one of these guys. Just my opinions of course.

 

A Native American hero with growth powers.

Heritage Related: Whatever the Tribal language's word is for Mountain.

Trying to break Stereotype: A 'typical' growing brick name, Atlas, Goliath, etc.

Possibly most offensive: Big Red

An African American hero with flight, electrical powers, and limited superhuman durability

Heritage Related: Master A.C. (Or other 'hip hop' flavor)

Trying to break stereotype: Surge (I just like that name for electric types), Static (And tip of the hat to "Static Shock":))

Most offensive?: Shocker Zulu

 

An Asian American hero with wind manipulation particularly whirlwinds:

Heritage related: See Amerind example above, a translation for wind. "Eastern Wind" might work.

Trying to break Stereotypes: Wyldwynds, Whirl

Most offensive?: Kamikazee (Unless you want to set some WW2 vets off... divine wind or no)

 

a South American hero with a suite of nebulous "magic" abilities, at least including flight, Super human Strength and Durability, invisiblity, etc, heck he might be a DC Martian.

Heritage related: Bruja, Milagre, Mágico

Breaking Stereotype: Doctor Arcane

Most offensive?: The Banana Republic Defender

 

EDIT: Sorry, I guess we posted at about the same time.

[Doug Limmer]

Re: Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

Originally posted by Hermit

[bMost offensive?: Kamikazee (Unless you want to set some WW2 vets off... divine wind or no)

GURPS Mixed Doubles listed "Shimpu" as an alternate phrase for "divine wind" (apparently it's more polite, but my limited knowledge of Japanese can't confirm that). Whether or not it has the right 'ring' for a superhero name is another question.

[Hermit]

Re: Re: Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

Originally posted by Doug Limmer

GURPS Mixed Doubles listed "Shimpu" as an alternate phrase for "divine wind" (apparently it's more polite, but my limited knowledge of Japanese can't confirm that). Whether or not it has the right 'ring' for a superhero name is another question.

 

Cool Doug, thanks. I may actually use that for an NPC if/when I ever get to run a trip to Tokyo for my gaming group's PCs

[lemming]

Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

Originally posted by Enforcer84

Hey I was just wondering, we as a group here seem to be a bit down on the established companies (comics, gaming) for their handling of minority heroes.

 

A Native American hero with growth powers.

I ran a Golden Age game. We had this character, the name: Big Chief

[allen]

Re: Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

Originally posted by Hermit

An African American hero with flight, electrical powers, and limited superhuman durability

Heritage Related: Master A.C. (Or other 'hip hop' flavor)

 

AH-HA... I get it now... Master Alternating Current... man, I sat there and sat there and could not figure out why the heck the guy'd want to be called Master Air Conditioning...

 

me so smart.

[Lord Mhoram]

Re: Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

Originally posted by Hermit

An African American hero with flight, electrical powers, and limited superhuman durability

Heritage Related: Master A.C. (Or other 'hip hop' flavor)

 

You just inserted a new NPC in my game. I love that one.

 

And shouldn't that be hip hip flava ?

[winterhawk]

OK, I'm digging this one a lot so far. I'll volunteer my meager art talents if you guys come up with some characters. And Master AC is a keeper IMHO

[ShinDangaioh]

Re: Once more into the ethnic heroes fray.

 

Originally posted by Enforcer84

[b}

 

PS: If there are any other "Random" :rolleyes:ethnic Heroes I might have missed from the Superfriends Cartoons, let me know. [/b]

 

You forgot Rima. Then again, I have no idea what her powers were. She only appeared in one episode. Judging by her costume, I would say she was an African-american jungle girl. Loose tunic bathing suit and bare feet.

 

El Dorado? Hmmm. I'd do a bit of researrch and try to find the Nahutal(Aztec Language) word for magic. Most Cental American/South American heroes use Spanish names. Maybe the word ilhuicatl(sky/heaven) or maquiztia(to save, to set free, to release) for a name

 

I woud not use a country or god's name(The Aztec, Huizlpochtili, etc.)

[Proemial]

If you are going with an Aztec theme for El Dorado here are some Nahuatl words the might fit:

 

Pilli (Prince/Knight/Gentleman, sorta)

Tecuh-tli (Lord)

Temactiani (Teacher)

 

And for the arrogant superhero:

 

Cuallotl ("goodness")

Teotl (Marvelous, Wonderful. In "modern" versions of nahualt, this means "God")

 

For the Villain in all of us:

 

Tlacatecolotl (Devil)

Colotl (Scorpion)

Coatl (Snake)

[JmOz]

IIRC: Rima was Aquaman on land, swinging, Summon Land animals (maybe birds, don't know), etc...

[Hermit]

Allen, Sorry, thought about calling him Master A.C./D.C. but thought that might confuse old Rock fans.

 

Lord Mhoram, oopps... my vanilla bad... yeah "Flava" would be more appropriate.

 

Winterhawk, Cool. Should be fun to see other's ideas get filled out.

[ShinDangaioh]

Originally posted by Proemial

If you are going with an Aztec theme for El Dorado here are some Nahuatl words the might fit:

 

Pilli (Prince/Knight/Gentleman, sorta)

Tecuh-tli (Lord)

Temactiani (Teacher)

 

And for the arrogant superhero:

 

Cuallotl ("goodness")

Teotl (Marvelous, Wonderful. In "modern" versions of nahualt, this means "God")

 

For the Villain in all of us:

 

Tlacatecolotl (Devil)

Colotl (Scorpion)

Coatl (Snake)

You do realize that snakes were a good creature in Aztec myth? Quetzlcoatl.

 

An Aztec villian using an animal name would use the word for hummingbird. Especially since their god of war was a left handed hummingbird. Maybe even the jaguar name.

[Proemial]

I would be wary of using the terms "good" and "evil" in reference to Aztec (and other Mesoamerican) gods.

 

Huitzlipochtli, was the hummingbird god mentioned. God of Sun and War, he was the pre-eminent god (along with Tlaloc) of the Aztecs. Without him the world would cease to exist.

 

True he survived on the hearts and blood of humans, but the Aztecs believed that many (if not all) the gods needed human blood to survive.

 

Tezcatlipoca, the jaguar god, was the god of warriors, and eternal youth. Was also a god who was bent on pushing things to annihiliation in order to cause rebirth. Certainly more along the "villain" theme, but again not quite black/white. Hmmm, reminded of Marvel's Apocalypse.

 

However, again, the universe wouldn't exist without him. Through the interaction of Tezcatlipoca and Quetzecoatl, the universe was made.

 

Wow, sorry, somewhere I turned this into a anthropology lecture. :/

[ShinDangaioh]

Well let's see what can be done with El Dorado.

 

Maquiztia

 

Before he became a super-hero this immigrant from Mexico was fustrated at his constant grouping in with the flood of illegal immagrants to the USA. He went throught the process of being in the country legally, why couldn't they. During a trip back to Mexico to attend his granfather's funeral, he visited the aincent city of the Aztecs. While there, he spotted a cape made out of gold colored feathers. He picked the cape up and shook his head, thinking some tourist had lost their souviner. That was until the cape started glowing in his hands. Putting the cape on, he found he could do amazing things with it. Stumped, he took the cape back with him. When he crossed the border, the guards on duty held up the cape and asked why he was carrying a dirty rag like that around. Thinking quick, he realized that the cape's true appearnce could only be seen by him. He said it was to change oil in his car. Accepting that, he was allowed to take the cape into the US. When he arrived home, he wanted to use the cape's powers to inspire his fellow Mexicans to do things the right way. He wanted to free himself and others from the sterotype. To free. he took the Aztec word for freeing and called himself that. Since he was going to use the Aztec theme to inspire his people, he found a leapord spotted leotard that he would use. He added white feathered boots and white feather gloves to the costume, along with a red sash for a belt. The famous Aztec pyramid was done in white on the chest of the costume and he finished it off with a motorcycle helmet painted to look like and eagle's head.

 

 

Something like that perhaps?

[Tamashii2000]

Originally posted by Proemial

I would be wary of using the terms "good" and "evil" in reference to Aztec (and other Mesoamerican) gods.

 

Huitzlipochtli, was the hummingbird god mentioned. God of Sun and War, he was the pre-eminent god (along with Tlaloc) of the Aztecs. Without him the world would cease to exist.

 

True he survived on the hearts and blood of humans, but the Aztecs believed that many (if not all) the gods needed human blood to survive.

 

Tezcatlipoca, the jaguar god, was the god of warriors, and eternal youth. Was also a god who was bent on pushing things to annihiliation in order to cause rebirth. Certainly more along the "villain" theme, but again not quite black/white. Hmmm, reminded of Marvel's Apocalypse.

 

However, again, the universe wouldn't exist without him. Through the interaction of Tezcatlipoca and Quetzecoatl, the universe was made.

 

Wow, sorry, somewhere I turned this into a anthropology lecture. :/

 

Hmm Got to read up on the Aztec myths, sounds like there is a lot of gaming potential there.

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Tamashii2000

Hmm Got to read up on the Aztec myths, sounds like there is a lot of gaming potential there.

Yeah, or at least the White Wolf people thought so. Huitzpochtli (or however you spell it), is of course featured as a Vampire in VtM, of the Baali clan no less. Also, there is another Aztecan vampire named simply Pochtli who is nominally a member of the Giovanni clan, though there are some rumors (in typical 'Grey' Wolf fashion) that he was actually a vampire already and JOINED the Gionvanni rather than being Embraced as a Giovanni. The obvious but never confirmed conclusion to be drawn was that Huitzipochtli wasnt actually destroyed as believed in past nights but rather survived and eventually joined the Giovanni and is still around in the modern nights.......

[RevHooligan]

According to White Wolf, no one in history ever died. They've all been embraced and are running the world. I prefer to think that Orville Reddenbacher, Dave Thomas and Colonel Sanders are meeting in a catacomb in Paris right now, plotting.

 

As for the topic at hand, does anyone wonder why Marvel's Banshee is named after a female creature (Bian Sidhe= Fairy Woman).

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by RevHooligan

According to White Wolf, no one in history ever died. They've all been embraced and are running the world. I prefer to think that Orville Reddenbacher, Dave Thomas and Colonel Sanders are meeting in a catacomb in Paris right now, plotting.

 

As for the topic at hand, does anyone wonder why Marvel's Banshee is named after a female creature (Bian Sidhe= Fairy Woman).

 

Yes, except its a tomb in Paris, Texas rather than Paris, France

 

As far as Banshee, most of the characters from that era of X-Men had names that basically amounted to 'This guys supposed to be from country X, but none of us uneducated Americans know anything real about that place'.

 

Frex: Collossus's real name? Piotr RASPUTIN --hey, at least it wasnt IVAN RASPUTIN.

 

Nightcrawler? Kurt WAGNER

 

Thunderbird? James PROUDSTAR

 

Dude from the icy north of Canada? WOLVERINE

 

etc etc

 

and so you get:

Sean Cassidy? BANSHEE --sounds Irish, doesnt it?

[Rage]

Originally posted by JmOz

IIRC: Rima was Aquaman on land, swinging, Summon Land animals (maybe birds, don't know), etc...

 

Maybe its just me but rima sounds like a dirty word

[PhantomGM2602]

Try Black Vulcan[afro american]

Apache Chief[Amerind]

Samurai[Japan]

El Dorado[Mexican]

 

other Characters from the Superfriends comic:

Jack O'Lantern[ireland]

Godiva[GB}

OwlWoman[Amerind]

Little Mermaid[Denmark]

Thunderlord[Taiwan]

Rising Sun[Japan]

Bushmaster[brazil]

Seraph[israel]

Arabian Knight[arabia]

Icemaiden[iceland]

Tasmainian Devil[Austrailia]

and their leader,Dr.Mist of course.

[Kevin Scrivner]

Read a book!

 

Originally posted by Rage

Maybe its just me but rima sounds like a dirty word

 

Rima the Bird Girl was a character from the classic novel "Green Mansions." Last member of a lost Venezuelan civilization, she could talk to animals and was feared and revered by jungle tribes as a goddess. Although exotic and mysterious, she had no overt combat abilties. Think Mowgli without the testosterone.

 

DC apparently ripped off the name and jungle theme for their villainess. If they were going to base a villain on 19th century adventure novels, they should have chosen Ayesha, She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, as a template. She was an immortal Arabian sorceress ruling a tribe of cannibals somewhere in central Africa amid the ruins of a lost civilization. Seductive, ruthless, able to kill with a word, She would have beat out Luthor as leader of the bad guys.