DC: Elseworldsis getting a BlackSupermanfrom legendary authorTa-Nehisi Coates. James Gunn announced several DC projects that would be published but remain under the Elseworlds label, meaning that they would not be part of Gunn’s main narrative. Coates is one of the great African-American journalists of his generation. His writing deals with issues that are close to the heart of Black America and manifests the experience of being a Black man today. He’s known for contributing to The Atlantic, but he has also written several runs ofBlack Pantherand helped write the Marvel film as well. There is no one more qualified to writea film for a Black Superman.
As of now, there are two African-American Supermen in DC Comics. One is Calvin Ellis, the Superman of Earth-23. He was inspired by Barack Obama and in his world, he is the President of the United States. In DC canon, he is also the leader of the Justice League Incarnate which guards all worlds across reality from multiversal threats. The other Black Superman is Val-Zod. Educated by his ship on the journey from Krypton, he began life as a pacifist and values intelligence over strength, much like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Though his comic book run is much longer than that of Calvin Ellis, both Supermen are ripe with the potential for new stories. Here are some we think would fit well with the talent of Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Superman: A Nation Divided
A Nation Dividedisa classic Elseworlds comicthat takes the Man of Tomorrow and puts him in the 1860s to fight the Civil War. In this story, a young Atticus Kent leaves Kansas to fight with the Union. He’s frightened, at first, that he may never see home again, but then he takes a Confederate cannonball square in the chest and gets right back up. As Atticus Kent suddenly realizes the full extent of his powers, he leads the Union soldiers to victory and significantly shortens the length of the Civil War.
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Though this one-shot was penned with the traditionally white Superman, this is a key moment in DC history where Coates could flex his racial narrative. The comic book makes sure to point out the real reason we see Superman in the Civil War. It’s explicitly to give the Man of Steel an opportunity to show that he believes in freedom for all humanity. Atticus Kent must deal with the racial hypocrisy of his fellow Union soldiers, and he eventually meets and talks with Abraham Lincoln. The story also references several battles in which Black regiments of Union soldiers fought. Though it doesn’t show Superman in the mainstream, it’s an interesting premise for Coates to use.
Superman: Birthright
One of DC’s most iconic storylines, this new origin story was initially written to be a standalone adventure. Still, it ended up replacing John Byrne’s rebootMan of Steelas canon in the DC universe.Birthrightmight be one of the best titles for Ta-Nehisi Coates to lend his talents to. Not only does it deal with Superman’s origins and his choice to become a superhero, but it spotlights Clark Kent’s job as a journalist, something Coates can inform with his personal experience.
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Superman: Birthrightbegins with the destruction of Krypton and then quickly moves forward to show Clark Kent reporting on tensions in West Africa. Here, Clark interviews the leaders of opposing African tribes who are in a political disagreement that may soon boil over into war. The conflict seems analogous to the Rwandan genocide of the ’90s. The would-be Superman foils two assassination attempts with powers that are still unknown to him. When Clark Kent returns home to Smallville, he learns about his alien origins, and we begin the story of Superman. But arguably, Superman really finds himself in Africa.
What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way
This lengthy Superman titlepits the Man of Steelagainst a group of young upstarts called the Elite. Superman intervenes when he sees the superpowered vigilantes performing public executions and using extremely violent means to defeat criminals. The Elite has achieved worldwide recognition for its methods and arrogantly refuses to listen to Superman. The conflict comes to a head when the rash group of antiheroes fights Superman in front of a hundred floating cameras on Jupiter’s moon Io.
It’s a good foundation for Coates to build his Black Superman if only because it focuses on Superman’s core values. The Elite wants to force society to be moral. While Superman believes that humanity can find the strength within itself to rise above its misdeeds. Perhaps this isn’t exactly how the story would goif Coates were to adapt it, but elements of it, like the importance of public opinion, the ever-presence of cameras, and the new generation against the old, could all find a home in a modern narrativeabout a Black Superman.
