Although superhero comics have been around since 1938 with the debut of Superman, it would be another 30 years before the debut of the first black superhero. In 1966, the superhero Black Panther made his debut in Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four #52 as a guest character. In 1969 Marvel debuted the 2nd ever black superhero, the Falcon, a sidekick to Captain America. The Falcon became a popular character but never surpassed the popularity of Captain America. Brown states,  he was destined to remain in the shadow of Captain America; their often unequal relationship was seen by some as an unintended metaphor for the black experience in white America (20).

 Brown, Jeffrey A. Black Superheroes, Milestone Comics, and Their Fans Milestone Comics and Their Fans. University Press of Mississippi, 2000.