Examples Of Trope In African American

The superhero dynamic of having a partner, or the role of a sidekick, has been around for decades. This chapter of, Adilifu Nama’s book, Super Black: American Pop Culture and Black Superheroes, dives into the trope of sidekicks. The chapter highlights how the trope isn’t always expressed the same way in different stories with different characters. For example, Iron Man and War Machine have a different dynamic from Captain America and Falcon, who themselves have a different dynamic from Cloak and Dagger. However, before diving into these specific examples of this trope. I want to identify what is a sidekick. Sidekicks ordinarily act as the hero's loyal companions and helpers, often providing comedic relief and an inexperienced youthful perspective.

Captain America, as stated on page 109 of this chapter, “is America’s most propagandistic superhero, even more than Superman.” So having his sidekick be someone who is African American was a pretty bold choice. The original run of the Captain America and the Falcon run in the 70s is also often deemed as one of the most important black and white superhero titles in comic book history. While this chapter addresses the Falcons' criticisms of being “a black character that only exists in relationship to the ideas and boundaries created by the central white protagonist.” However, any interpretation of this character would be a bad one to leave out his constant desire to not stay in Cap’s shadow. As he strives to be seen and recognized as his own hero and not simply as a second-rate sidekick. Captain America and the Falcon display important values of American life in the 70s as well. On page 114, it states, “At the end of the issue, the Falcon pledges to work on behalf of black people, and Cap corrects him, saying, ‘You mean our work.’ The conclusion clearly articulates the idea that blacks and

While their relationship is slightly different than the previous one, it is nonetheless still just as influential and important to discuss. James Rhodes, who later became War Machine, first appeared in Iron Man #118 in 1979. Initially, he was a supporting character who aided Iron Man in his battle against various villains. However, in Iron Man #282, Rhodey donned the War Machine armor and became a full-fledged superhero in his own right. The dynamic between Iron Man and War Machine is one of friendship and partnership, with Rhodey often playing the role of the straight man to Tony Stark's more flamboyant personality. The chapter puts it wonderfully on page 126, “... the relationship between Tony Stark, the Iron Man inventor, and Jim Rhodes, the superhero pinch hitter, failed to generate the racial friction that was woven into Captain America and the Falcon.” However, tensions can arise when the two have differing opinions on how to handle a situation. Rhodey and Tony play off each differently than Steve and Sam. It is more often Rhodey who gives guidance to Tony, a kind of reversal of the superhero and sidekick