Posted in: Comics, DC Comics | Tagged: black lightning, Bumblebee, DCBlackout, DCSoWhite, guardian, vixen.

1203 Days: It's 2026, Do You Know Where The Black Superheroes Are?

1203 Days: The DC Blackout Boycott looks at the whereabouts of Black Lightning, Bumblebee, Guardian and Vixen

Published Sun, 31 May 2026 07:57:12 -0500

Last updated Sun, 31 May 2026 13:39:37 -0500

Article Summary

DC Blackout reaches 1203 days with no ongoing DC Universe comic led by Black superheroes, fueling boycott debate.
James Portis III spotlights Black Lightning, Bumblebee, Guardian, and Vixen as key Black superheroes missing in action.
Black Lightning, DC’s first Black superhero with an ongoing, has had no solo ongoing in 30 years despite TV success.
Vixen, Bumblebee, and Guardian have major DC history, but limited solo comics and little anniversary recognition.

The DC Black Out boycott campaign against DC Comics is rolling along, with 1203 days now passed without DC Comics publishing an ongoing DC Universe comic book with a black lead character. The campaign launched on Thursday and kicked off further on Friday with the #DCSoWhite and #DCBlackout hashtags. Yesterday, Rob Liefeld got into it with podcaster Alex Moon, and there has been so much discussion since, the comic book social media feed is full, with both positive supporting and negative condemning comments, with just a few "ooh I'm not sure about this" comments. And every day, campaign founder James Portis III has been posting images of DC Comics' prominent black superheroes, pointing out when they last appeared in a DC Comics Universe title. Here are the first three, expect another later today. And tomorrow. And the day after that. And…

: Black Lightning by Raymar Brunso

: Bumblebee and Guardian by Ernie Carothers

: Vixen by Haiku Wilson

With artwork for Black Lightning by Raymar Brunson, Bumblebee and Guardian by Ernie Carothers and Vixen by Haiku Wilson, with James Portis III telling us, "Vixen has been around since 1981, but has only ever had 1 mini series. Despite CW appearances, she has been treated as only good enough to be on a team, never the lead of an ongoing series." On Bumblebee and Guardian. "This year marks Mal & Karen Duncan's 50th anniversary, and DC is doing nothing. Mal vanished after Rebirth. Karen only got a couple of appearances last year. But no celebration at all." And on Black Lightning, "DC's first black superhero to have an ongoing series has only had 41 single issues in 50 years, and hasn't had an ongoing in 30 years despite having a TV show."

Black Lightning was created by Jenny Blake Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden in April 1977 in his own ongoing series, the first DC Comics black superhero to do so. Jefferson Pierce, an Olympic athlete, martial artist, and educator gained the power to generate and control electricity, creating the black-electricity powers trope. The CW aired a live-action TV series starring Cress Williams that ran for 4 seasons, part of the broader Arrowverse. He and his family remain present in the DC Universe.

Bumblebee and Guardian are a married superhero couple: Karen Beecher and Mal Duncan. Created by Bob Rozakis and Irv Novick, Karen first appeared in Teen Titans in 1976, becoming Bumblebee in 1977, after the scientist created her own high-tech Bumblebee suit to help her boyfriend Mal prove himself to the Teen Titans. She is one of DC's earliest Black female superheroes, has been a Teen Titans member, part of the Doom Patrol, and appeared more prominently in animation, such as Young Justice, DC Super Hero Girls, and Teen Titans, than in recent comics. Mal Duncan was a long-time Teen Titans supporting character who took on the Guardian mantle, inspired by the Golden Age hero Jim Harper, the original Guardian, a Metropolis cop created by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon in 1942. Mal used a shield and a costume for hand-to-hand combat and protection.

Vixen was created by Gerry Conway and Bob Oksner for Action Comics #521 in 1981, as Mari Jiwe McCabe of the fictional African nation of Zambesi, whose family guarded the mystical Tantu Totem. Emigrating to the US, where she became a fashion model and businesswoman, she eventually claimed the totem and became Vixen to fight crime and protect her heritage, as she can tap into the abilities of any animal at will, one at a time. She joined the Justice League and Suicide Squad, and has strong ties to Animal Man, through her connection to the Red. She was featured prominently in cartoons Justice League Unlimited , Young Justice, DC Super Hero Girls, and in the Arrowverse with the Vixen tie-in cartoon and live-action crossovers, played by Megalyn Echikunwoke.

James Portis III will be posting another today, they have a lot to go through..This is a planned, drip-drip-drip campaign…