Native American heroes in comic books are listed below by the year of their introduction along with links to associated articles. In the early forties, when Western comic books were quite rare, Indian characters–if featured at all–were typically portrayed in contemporary settings. Once Western comic books became all the rage in the late forties and fifties, Native American heroes were almost always set in the Old West. With the return of superheroes in the 1960s, contemporary heroes once again to appear. Today Native American characters in comic books remain fairly rare.
Portrayals of these Indian characters ranged from highly stereotypical to quite admirable for their time. Two Native American heroes that stand out to me are Johnny Fox, a hero from the 1940s and Wyatt Wingfoot, a Marvel character introduced in the 1960s. Wingfoot had not superpowers, but readily stood his ground and established meaningful connections with the Fantastic Four and She-Hulk.
Michael A. Sheyahshe, a member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, has written a wonderful critique of the treatment of Indians in this medium, entitled Native Americans in Comic Books. It was published in 2008. Sheyahshe evaluates dozens of Native American comic book characters based on the degree to which they embody or break free of existing stereotypes such as wearing traditional dress in contemporary times, are overly fond of fringes, speak in stereotypical dialect or are only seen as engaging in Indian mysticism. Many of the heroes listed here fall into one or many of those traps.
Why I think this list is helpful is that it helps place the development of Native American heroes in chronological perspective. After an extensive and I hope comprehensive searching of forties comic books, I also have identified a number of forties characters that Sheyahshe doesn’t discuss. In any case, this timeline is offered in celebration of diverse heroes in comic books, then and now.
Native American Heroes of the 1940s
1940
Bird Man
Mantoka
1941
1944
Red Hawk
1948
Young Falcon
1949
Pow-Wow Smith, Indian Detective
Other Heroes and Villains of the 1940s
Native American Heroes of the 1950s
1950
Straight Arrow
Five Indian Superheroes of the Old West
1951
American Eagle
Green Arrowhead
Tonto
1953
White Eagle
1954
Arrowhead
Man-of-Bats (Batman 86)
Turok, Son of Stone
Other Heroes and Villains of the 1950s
Native American Heroes of the 1960s
1960
Johnny Cloud, Navajo Ace (All-American Men of War 82)
1961
Super Chief
1963
Little Sure Shot of Sgt. Rock’s Easy Company (Our Army at War 127)
1966
1969
Private Jay Little Bear (Captain Savage’s Leatherneck Raiders)
Native American Heroes of the 1970s
1970
Hawk, Son of Tomahawk
Red Wolf (Avengers 80–9/70)
1975
Thunderbird
1977
Dawnstar
1979
Snowbird (Uncanny X-Men 120, 4/79)
Native American Heroes of the 1980s and 1890s
1981
American Eagle
1982
Dani Moonstar
1983
Coyote
Shaman (Alpha Flight)
Talisman (Alpha Flight 5, 12/83)
1984
Black Crow (Captain America 292, 4/84)
Forge
Puma (Amazing Spider-Man 256, 9/84)
Scout
Warpath
1985
Spirit of G.I. Joe
1989
Silver Fox (Wolverine v2/10)
Native American Heroes of the 1990s
1990
The Butcher
1991
Portal (Darkhawk 5, 7/91)
1993
Stalking Wolf (Shaman’s Tears)
1994
1996
Risque (X-Force v1/51, 2/96)
Tribal Force
1999
Echo
Indian Heroes of the New Millennium
2002
Manitou Raven
2006
Black Condor (Uncle Sam and the Freedom Force 3)
2007
“Dash” Bad Horse (Scalped 1)
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