January 1st Independence Day is a public holiday in Haiti. Although celebrated by many Haitians as New Year’s Day, the date commemorates the declaration of independence from France that was made on this day in 1804. This is the National Day of Haiti.
Haiti and Haitians do not get the respect they deserve. It’s scary to me that the first free black nation and its nationals are constantly disrespected, belittled, and looked down upon in the Americas. Here on World of Black Heroes we embrace and celebrate our blackness, all day every day! Below is a small taste of the superheroes and villains of Haitian descent littered throughout the superhero landscape.
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- Doctor Voodoo
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Created by: Len Wein and Gene Colan
1st appearance: Strange Tales #169 (1973)
Biography
Jericho was born with twin brother Daniel, as a child growing up in Haiti, a culture that embraced Voodoo, Magic, and superstition the academically adept Jericho was out-of-place. He was very skeptical about magic actually existing until his parents died from a magic curse. Granted a scholarship to the United States he stayed away for ten years. While there he became an accomplished author, scholar, and noted psychologist. He finally returns to Haiti when his brother lay sick and dying. After his brother died he trained with Papa Jambo to seek revenge. Jericho spent most of his years after this allied with many superheroes and being seen as the next go-to the magic practitioner in the Marvel Universe besides Dr. Strange. When the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme was left vacant Jericho became the new Sorcerer Supreme and Houngan Supreme; become the first to hold both titles at once. He later joined the Avengers and died a heroic death saving Earth in the process. Jericho later resurfaced during AXIS and joined the latest Uncanny Avengers team.
~DIG DEEPER INTO DR.VOODOO HERE~
- Spirit
Created By: Dorphise Jean
First Appearance: Spirit’s Destiny #1
Biography
On the surface, Destiny Mitsu Jean is a typical troublesome 16-year-old teenager who attends Bottom Creek Senior High. She is a lonesome, eccentric, ill-tempered, competitive, compassionate, and sarcastic individual. She is often judged as a disobedient hoodlum by many of the adults and the teachers in her community. She can come across as very anti-social when it comes to the general public. All of these traits stem from a history of abuse at the hands of a former caregiver. After a freak accident, an eccentric teenage girl, Destiny, is resurrected from the dead with new found abilities using the help of malevolent spirits and she restores order in her city.
- Calypso
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Created by: Dennis O’Neil and Alan Weiss
1st appearance: Amazing Spider-man #209, 1980
Biography
Born and raised on the Caribbean island of Haiti, she showed an affinity for magic from an early stage. Her family itself had a strong magical lineage, her sister also wielded magic. She was a natural with Voodoo and reveled in the dark arts. When Kraven the hunter came to her land after he had given up the hunt, it was she who’s lust and thrill of the hunt reignited his fire. As his lover she got him to resume his hunt of Spider-man. After Kraven’s suicide, she fell deeper into the dark magics and truly became evil. Returning to Haiti she increased her powers by sacrificing her sister, the sorceress Mambo and added her considerable powers to her own. To avenge her fallen love she used her powers to enthrall the Lizard and had him attack Spider-man. She spent the next few years as an adversary of Spider-Man and Daredevil before being killed. Having placed her soul inside a talisman she resurrected herself. Calypso is a powerful magic-based villain to whom death means nothing.
~DIG DEEPER INTO CALYPSO HERE~
- Nadia
Publisher: G7 Comics
Created by: Kenneth Gaynor/Wilson Guilluame/Milton Howel
1st appearance: Dark Child 1
This type of “Lougarou” (loo-ga-roo) stands at about 7ft 4in tall and weighs over 450. With its powerful legs, it can leap great distances up to 100 feet in a single thrust. It has the strength of a grizzly bear yet gallops like an ape. Its retractable whip-like tentacle act as a defensive mechanism that can grapple trees for escape and ward off enemies’ attacks.
- Nightingale
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Created by: John Byrne, Roger Stern
1st appearance: Marvel: The Lost Generation #2 (February 2000)
Not much has been revealed regarding the history and origin of the being known as Nightingale. At some point during the 1950s, the heroic Yankee Clipper was on a mission in the Caribbean Sea where he encountered the mysterious woman. The Yankee Clipper then called upon her to help heal his friend, who became the hero Effigy upon recuperating. Nicknamed “Nightingale” by the Clipper’s allies in remembrance of Florence Nightingale, she was invited to join the formative hero team, the First Line. Nightingale served with the First Line throughout its tenure, going on many missions with the team. However, after many years, she would appear only as a team associate on an as-needed basis.
- Damballah
Created by: Len Wein and Gene Colan
1st appearance: Strange Tales #169 (1973)
Nothing is known of his early life until he came into possession of the Wangal which he used to try and establish himself as the Houngan Supreme of Haiti. As he amassed power and followers he was opposed by Daniel Drumm. When he was defeated by Daniel he vowed revenge and using a voodoo doll effigy of Daniel he sapped the boys power and eventually killed him [Strange Tales #169]. Jericho who had returned to Haiti to aid his brother was easily defeated by Damballah who taunted him and allowed him to live [Strange Tales #169]. He then called together the Voodoo priest and priestesses across the globe to declare himself Houngan Supreme. When the Asian representative scoffed at his claims he incinerated him to intimidate the rest of the ‘Council of Vaudou’ into submission [Strange Tales #170]. Jericho Drumm now Brother Voodoo challenged him to single combat and after he was stripped of the Wengal he was killed by the very snakes he once controlled.
- Daniel Drumm
Created by: Len Wein and Gene Colan
1st appearance: Strange Tales #169 (1973)
Born with his twin brother Jericho Drumm in Haiti. As children, he embraced their culture and superstition of magic while Jericho was the scholar. After their parents were killed they moved in with their aunt Matilda. When Jericho went to America on a scholarship he remained in Haiti and studied voodoo under Papa Jambo until he was skilled enough to receive the title of, Brother Voodoo. In his brother’s absence, he was defeated in battle by a rival sorcerer Damballah. Before dying, he begged his brother to return home. When Jericho arrived he got a promise from him that he would follow in his footsteps and the ways of magic. He then died but found his spirit bound to his brothers as he became the new Brother Voodoo and later Houngan Supreme.
- Houngan
Created by: Marv Wolfman and George Perez
1st appearance: The New Teen Titans #14, 1981
Born in the poverty-stricken Haiti of the Caribbean he got a scholarship to America where he studied computer science. Upon graduating he got a job as a computer scientist in a large computer company. He eventually returned to Haiti when news of his father’s illness reached him in America. Modern medicine however was unable to heal him so he turned to a local “magic man/Houngan”. The houngan (or voodoo priest) completely cured his father leading Jean to a new life of obsessive fascination with the ancient art.
Over the next two years, he became a voodoo master after training and studying night and day. With his background in computer science, he merged his two arts together to become a “Techno Pagan”. Newly christened the Houngan he joined with the Brotherhood of Evil, Legion of Doom, The secret society of Super-Villains, and later the Society of Sin and faced the Teen Titans and the Justice league multiple times.
- Papa Jambo
Created by: Len Wein and Gene Colan
1st appearance: Strange Tales #169 (1973)
Nothing is known of his past before he trained Daniel Drumm in the use of Voodoo. Daniel was a powerful student but eventually fell ill and died at the hands of a rival. Jambo then instructed his brother Jericho Drumm in the ways of “Brother Voodoo” and set him up as his successor. Once the training was complete Jambo died having passed on his many years of knowledge he died in peace knowing he had entrusted someone with far more potential than him. Jericho eventually transcended the rank of Brother Voodoo lord of the loa and became the Houngan supreme, wielding the staff of Legba and eventually the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme as well.
- Obeah Man
Created by: Alan Grant · Norm Breyfogle
First Appearance: Detective Comics #618 (July 1990)
The Obeah Man was a mighty Haitian criminal and alleged black magician (“obeah” is a voodoo word meaning, approximately, “black magic”) who kidnapped the parents of Tim Drake and demanded a ransom from Drake Industries for the couple’s safe return. He brutally murdered one of the Drake’s friends with a knife on tape to prove he meant business, sending the tape to the Drake Industries branch in Gotham City. The Obeah Man later bribed his way out of prison and returned to Haiti. Robin followed him and was forced to confront illusions of his dead parents. Robin wasn’t fooled, however, and defeated the Obeah Man. He then returned him to Gotham so he could be properly prosecuted
- Papa Midnight
Created by: Jamie Delano and John Ridgway
First Appearance: Hellblazer #1, 1988
Linton Midnite, better known as Papa Midnite, is a Haitian voodoo magician and rival to John Constantine. In addition to that, Midnite is also the owner of his own nightclub – Club Midnight – in New York City where he usually operates.
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