Originally inhabited by the indigenous Arawak and Taíno peoples, the island came under Spanish rule following the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1494. Many of the indigenous people were either killed or died of diseases to which they had no immunity, and the Spanish thus forcibly transplanted large numbers of African slaves to Jamaica as laborers. The island remained a possession of Spain until 1655, when England (later Great Britain) conquered it, renaming it Jamaica. Under British colonial rule, Jamaica became a leading sugar exporter, with a plantation economy dependent on the African slaves and later their descendants. The British fully emancipated all slaves in 1838, and many freedmen chose to have subsistence farms rather than to work on plantations. Beginning in the 1840s, the British began utilizing Chinese and Indian indentured labor to work on plantations. The island achieved independence from the United Kingdom on 6 August 1962.
With 2.9 million people, Jamaica is the third-most populous Anglophone country in the Americas (after the United States and Canada), and the fourth-most populous country in the Caribbean. Kingston is the country’s capital and largest city. The majority of Jamaicans are of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, with significant European, East Asian (primarily Chinese), Indian, Lebanese, and mixed-race minorities.
Happy Emancipation day 2020 Jamaica!
- Jet
Publisher: DC Comics
Created by: Steve Englehart and Joe Staton
1st appearance: Millennium #2 (1988)
Nationality: Jamaican
Biography
Celia Winward was a Jamaican living in Great Britain when the guardians of the universe (creators of the Green Lantern) decided to recruit and empower ten earthlings to be their successors as the “new guardians”. Celia was the fifth person empowered by them. Over the course of her adventures Jet apparently contracted a celestial class disease and sacrificed her life to save the earth.
Years later she returned to life since she had been granted Immortality by the Guardians. Celia also became the leader of the new Guardians now with additional members called the “global guardians”. Fellow black superhero Freedom beast of Africa also joined their ranks. The team was then mind controlled into fighting Green Lantern Hal Jordon. Once freed they continued to police the globe and assisted Checkmate in stopping an impending apocalypse.
- Steel Pulse
Publisher: Image Comics
Created by: Todd Johnson and Larry Stroman
1st appearance: Tribe #2
Nationality: Jamaican
Biography
A Jamaican-born skilled metallurgist, Desmond Negril’s past is a mystery. He is identified as “Rastafarian,” meaning he believes in the divinity of Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie.
He was put in charge of a $2 million private research facility, Allotech, located on Strong Island. His life changed the day he was in the middle of an experimental liquid metal bonding process. His complex was attacked and exposed to his liquid metal chemicals. This changed the chemical composition of his body into a malleable liquid metal, yet still alive, form. Alongside the rest of Tribe they clashed with Diemos where it was revealed he was now nigh immortal.
~DIG DEEPER INTO STEEL PULSE HERE~
- Ty
Publisher: ?
Created by: James Mason
First Appearance: ?
Citizenship: Jamaican
Biography
Along with her older ½ brother Jalen/Tiger Style, Ty is the latest in a long line of Jamaican-born Muay Thai kickboxers. At the age of 21, Ty was crowned the youngest ever Muay Thai Grand Champion. Eager for new challenges, Ty travelled to “Void City”, seeing it as the best place to test her fighting skills. After losing a close bout to future heavyweight champion Indigo, she went on a two-fight win streak before leaving Void City to relocate to New Kingston, Jamaica. Tyra is currently retired from professional fighting, but has moved back to Void City after a loss to the infamous Ayumi. She now runs the Bad girl Yardie Gym where she continues to develop her fighting skills and help train others in Muay Thai and kickboxing.
Ty and Jalen share the same father, who was a professional fighter. While Tiger traveled to the United States with his mother, Tyra remained in Jamaica. The Two siblings remain in close contact.
- Hairbag
Created by: Peter David and Larry Stroman
1st appearance: X-Factor # 75, 1992
Real Name: Michael Suggs
Nationality: Jamaican
Biography
His early life in Jamaica is unknown but he came to the attention of Mr. Sinister who quickly recruited him into his second team of operatives called the Nasty Boys. This team mainly fought the government-sponsored X-factor lead by Havok. In most clashes,, he fought fellow feral mutant Wolfsbane. In a final showdown with X-factor, his team was defeated and jailed. They were freed by Black Supervillain Reignfire’s Mutant Liberation Front and later returned o the nasty boys. He fought the X-men’s wolverine soon after and survived but hasn’t been seen since though he has been confirmed as retaining his powers after M-day.
~DIG DEEPER INTO HAIRBAG HERE~
- Tiger Style
Created by: James Mason
First Appearance:?
Nationality: Jamaica
Biography
Jalen is the strongest member of the Dragon Clan and is a master of the Tiger Style. He’s the number one student of the young forest Dojo and serves as the leader of the Dragon Clan. A third generation martial artist, Jalen was taught by both his Japanese grandfather and his Jamaican father in the arts of kung fu and MMA (Mixed martial arts) from a very young age. This broad foundation allows him to neutralize most techniques and makes him an ideal training partner for most members of the Dragon Clan. Similar to Mary Free-Man/Crane Style, he’s studied a variety of techniques and can defend well against most styles. Due to his great skill and past associations, yellow Dragon believes that he would make a prized ally for the Venom Clan and is seeking to recruit him to their cause. The strength of the Tiger style is only rivaled by the Scorpion Style. Jalen and Hector were once close childhood friends but had a falling out over circumstances surrounding the imprisonment of a mutual acquaintance. They remain bitter rivals to this day.
~DIG DEEPER INTO TIGER STYLE HERE~
- Masquerade
First Appearance: Blood Syndicate #1, April 1993
Publisher: Milestone Comics
Created by: Dwayne McDuffie, Ivan Velez Jr. and Denys Cowan
Nationality: Jamaican
Biography
Born biologically a woman, most of his past is shrouded in mystery. From an early age he realized that his gender identity did not fit with his biological makeup, he was a man trapped in a woman’s body. He joined Holocaust‘s gang the Paris Bloods along with his older brother who accepted his lifestyle. Only his brother knew he was a biological female dressed as a man in the gang. On Paris island during the Big Bang his brother was killed and he gained the power to shape shift and immediately used his powers to make his body reflect what’s always been in his mind, he changed his biology to match is gender identity, becoming a man (Revealed in Interview with Ivan Velez).
As Masquerade he joined the Blood Syndicate. He was one of the more bloodthirsty members often reveling in the slaughter of their enemies. Masquerade was also present when Tech-9 died suddenly and witnessed the emotional breakdown of Fade. He kept the secret of his biological gender from his teammates for a long time becoming fast friends with Fade and often mocking the budding relationship of Brickhouse and Third Rail. Despite his seemingly outward happiness he still visited his mother and little brother in animal forms. While the team battled the Demon Fox he overheard Fade‘s secret that he was homosexual, Masquerade was also the last member of the team to fall. Fade found out her birth gender and he freaked out despite Fade agreeing to keep his secret. Not trusting that Fade would keep his biological gender a secret he blackmailed him. He was eventually ousted and was kicked off the team
~DIG DEEPER INTO MASQUERADE HERE~
- Drew Mcintosh
Publisher: Zoolook
Created by: Nicholas Da Silva
1st appearance: Dread & Alive #1, feb 6 2010
Nationality: Jamaican
Biography
Drew Mcintosh is a direct descendant of the Jamaican Maroons who fought for Jamaica’s Independence. His father was a cultural anthropologist who died a mysterious death. Drew grew up with the maroons and was granted the mantle of “keeper of the medallion”. He must keep a constant vigil for the evil Shadowcatcher draws ever closer. As a man he has followed in his father’s footsteps as a cultural anthropologist though with all the prowess of a Lion. Drew is Jamaican positivity given physical form, from the mind and heart of Brazilian born Nicholas Da Silva.
~DIG DEEPER INTO DREW MCINTOSH HERE~
- Kendra
Created by: Joss Whedon
1st appearance: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 1997
Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Ring of Fire (1st comic book appearance), 2000
Nationality: Jamaican
Biography
Kendra Young was a Slayer born on the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Unlike Buffy, she was identified as a “potential slayer” at an early age and was taken in and trained by Sam Zabuto in weapons and martial art. Kendra was the modeled slayer in training mastering the “slayer handbook” and carrying out orders to the letter. Before she received her powers she carved a stake she affectionately called “Mr. Pointy”. When Buffy Summers suffered a temporary death the slayer line and powers were activated in Kendra in 1997.
Investigating a supposedly “slayer-less” Hellmouth she fought Buffy and later allied with the Scooby Gang in battling the vampires, Spike and Drusilla. After Angel was reverted to “Angelus” she returns to sunny dale to aid her friends but is killed in battle with Drusilla in 1998. after only a year-long tenure as Slayer. Her death activated “Faith”.
- Serge
Publisher: Wildstorm
Created by: Brett Booth
1st appearance: Backlash #12, (September 1995)
Nationality: Jamaican
Biography
Leon lived a happy life in Kingston Jamaica with his parents until one night they were gunned down by a Jamaican Gang. Witnessing this at age twelve was too much for the boy whose powers activated for the first time and he decimated them. Fearing for his life a close friend of the family sent him to live with his godparents in New York. He would spend the remainder of his teenage years there.
After graduating from high school he joined the CIA where his special abilities were put to use. For several years he was one of their top agents but due to a short fuse and his inability to work with others he was fired. Since then he has made a name for himself as Serge, gun for hire. He primarily works as a bodyguard or avenger for those who have been done an injustice.
- Shadowcatcher
Publisher: Zoolook
Created by: Nicholas Da Silva
First Appearance: Dread & Alive #2, 2010
Citizenship: Jamaican
Biography
Shadowcatcher was born to the Maroons of Jamaica. His birth name was Quaco, the male West African name for Wednesday. He was one of two rulers of the cockpit country along with his brother Cudjo. As the years went by, he delved into the dark magic of Obeah, which caused him to have a falling out with his tribe. In the end, his brother and the council banished him from the village. Left to his own machinations, he delved even deeper into the dark Obeah arts and became possessed by them. His physical body transformed to resemble the darkness within. He has taken up residence in the Windsor caves, where he plots the demise of the maroons, his brother, and the entire cockpit country.
~DIG DEEPER INTO SHADOWCATCHER HERE~
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If you enjoyed this list be sure to check out
the Top 30 Black Superheroes- Traffic Edition,
the Top 30 Black Superheroes-Fan Edition,
the Top 20 Black Superheroes-Milestone Comics editions.
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