Mainstream² comic book superheroes -- America's modern mythology³ -- have been redrawn from the stereotypical⁴ brown-haired, blue-eyed white male into a world of multicolored, multireligious and multigendered crusaders to reflect a greater diversity in their audience.

 

Society has changed, so superheroes have to as well, said Axel Alonso, editor in chief at Marvel Comics, who in November debuted⁶ Captain America No. 1 with Samuel Wilson, the first African American superhero taking over CaptainAmerica's red, white and blue uniform and shield.

 

"Roles in society aren't what they used to be. There's far more diversity," said Alonso, who has also shepherded a gay wedding in the X-Men, a gender⁵ change from male to female in Thor and the first mainstream female Muslim hero in Ms. Marvel.

 

The change to a black CaptainAmericais already having an impact outside of comics.

 

Even before the first issue was published, unauthorized images of the black Captain America were shown at a town hall meeting in St. Louis following the funeral of Michael Brown, who was 18 and unarmed when he was killed by a white police officer. This Captain America had his hands up saying "Don't Shoot," a slogan protesters have used to highlight the number of African Americans killed by police.

 

The new diverse comic characters are far from the first: Marvel introduced the world to Samuel Wilson as the Falcon⁷, the comic's first African-American superhero, in 1969 as a sidekick to Captain America. In 1977, DC Comics introduced Black Lightning, a schoolteacher who gains electrical powers and becomes a superhero.

 

And Marvel isn't the only company looking at diversity. An alternative black Superman, one who is president of theUnited States, is part of a team in DC Comics' "The Multiversity." DC also brags⁸ of having more comic books featuring female leads than any other company, including Batgirl, Catwoman, Batwoman and Wonder Woman, the longest-running comic book with a female hero.

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