Marvel Comics only really started adding Black superheroes sometime in the '60s, but that doesn't make them any less famous and relevant than their white counterparts. In just a few years, these newcomers quickly overshadowed the current roster, or they took a life of their own. Those who accomplished the latter quickly became important trailblazers.

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These Black Marvel heroes started out as fan favorites before becoming cultural icons and trendsetters. These heroes were compelling characters who gave readers fun adventures and relatable personal stories. Without them, the Marvel Universe and even the superhero genre as a whole would be significantly lesser.

10 Photon (Monica Rambeau)

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #16 (October 1982)

Monica Rambeau flies into space in Photon

Monica Rambeau is canonically one of Marvel's strongest characters, but she hasn't seen much action. In fact, she only got her first solo series in 2022. Despite this, Photon (previously Captain Marvel II, and the first woman to carry the name) became an icon because she was one of Marvel's few prominently powerful Black cosmic heroes.

Thankfully, Photon became a household name thanks to her live-action debut in WandaVision. Photon has yet to reach her full potential since her resurgence only happened recently, but she's on the path to being more than a cult icon. It won't be surprising if Photon eclipses Carol Danvers (the current Captain Marvel) in the future.

9 Misty Knight

First Appearance: Marvel Premiere #21 (March 1975)

Misty Knight fights clones in Captain America: Sam Wilson

As a private eye and expert martial artist, it was obvious that Misty Knight was first made during the height of the Blaxploitation wave. Misty was stuck on the sidelines for most of her early years, but she enjoyed a resurgence when Marvel gave its street-level heroes another shot in the 2000s. Since then, Misty has become a recurring action hero.

Even if she was a B-list hero, Misty was still one of the superhero genre's few Black women in a major solo role. Because of this and the fact that her adventures were fun, action-packed romps, Misty became a cult favorite among fans. Misty's rise to prominence continues to this day, and she has nowhere else to go but up.

8 War Machine (James Rhodes)

First Appearance: Iron Man #118 (January 1979)

Rhodey removes his mask in Marvel Comics

For most of his tenure, War Machine was little more than Iron Man's best friend and closest ally. But with the benefit of time and character development, Rhodey slowly grew to become his own person. Now, War Machine is just as powerful and important as Iron Man. His MCU appearances further cemented this newfound iconography.

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Since he was Tony Stark Jr.'s professional and more mature foil, Rhodey quickly became an aspirational Black hero in a time when racial stereotypes were the norm. Now, War Machine often leads his own stories while playing larger roles than he did in the past. War Machine is still inseparable from Iron Man, but he's become more than just Stark's sidekick.

7 Ultimate Nick Fury (Earth-1610)

First Appearance: Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #5 (August 2001)

Nick Fury recruits Bruce Banner in The Ultimates

One of The Ultimates' (by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch) biggest changes was to reimagine Nick Fury as a Black man. This proved one of the most well-received character reinventions in comics history. Ultimate Fury overshadowed his Earth-616 counterpart, and his popularity increased thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Thanks to his morally complex characterization and Samuel L. Jackson's charismatic performance, Ultimate Fury became the Marvel heroes' de factor leader and even a father figure to some. Ultimate Fury became one of the most iconic non-superhuman characters and leaders in the superhero genre in ways the original Fury never achieved.

6 Blade

First Appearance: The Tomb of Dracula #10 (July 1973)

Blade kills the vampire horde in King in Black from Marvel Comics

Besides arguably creating Marvel's cinematic dominance with a Wesley Snipes blockbuster in 1998, Blade deserves credit for being Marvel's premier supernatural hero. Blade started as a supporting vampire slayer before he exploded in popularity thanks to his comic revival in the '90s and his aforementioned movie's success.

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From the '90s onwards, Blade became a permanent fixture in the Marvel Universe's darker side. More importantly, Blade became the most prominent Black Marvel anti-hero to a generation of fans. To these fans, Blade's act is a tough one to follow up. There's a reason why his long-delayed arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was met with excitement.

5 Storm

First Appearance: Giant-Size X-Men #1 (May 1975)

Storm joining Magneto's ranks in X-Men: Red in Marvel Comics

Storm isn't just one of Marvel's most powerful X-Men and metahumans; she's also one of comics' most iconic female heroes. In the '70s, Ororo Munroe broke new ground by being a leading Black hero who was also incredibly powerful. Storm when Blaxploitation-styled Black stereotypes were commonplace, but she became an icon by defying them.

Unlike her contemporaries, Storm was uniquely regal and even godlike. Such characters (especially Black ones) were rare at the time. To this day, Storm commands awe and respect. Storm wasn't the superhero genre's first Black woman, but there's a reason why critics and readers consider her to be the first true Black female superhero.

4 Captain America (Sam Wilson)

First Appearance: Captain America #117 (September 1969)

Sam Wilson picks up the shield in Captain America: Sam Wilson

In 2015, Steve Rogers retired. Rather than let the Captain America mantle remain vacant, Steve passed his shield and legacy to his longtime ally and friend, Sam Wilson (aka The Falcon). Predictably, this was met with thinly-veiled racist pushback in and out of the Marvel Universe. Sam pushed forward, and became an icon in the process.

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As Captain America, Sam embodied America's progressive and better future that's worth fighting for. Sam led the next generation of Marvel's heroes, and inspired new readers. Sam's doubt in his legacy's importance and wrestling with who or what exactly he's supposed to represent made him more human and relatable than ever.

3 Luke Cage

First Appearance: Luke Cage, Hero for Hire (June 1972)

Luke Cage opposes Wilson Fisk in Devi's Reign

As the first Black superhero to get his own solo title, Luke Cage was an important trailblazer in representation. Luke quickly got over with readers, becoming a recurring character in Marvel's wider stories. Luke's success helped convince Marvel and other publishers to give Black heroes the spotlight and introduce more.

Even after the Blaxploitation trend that birthed him faded, Luke remained relevant among readers. Thanks to his working-class background and residency in Harlem, Luke became one of Marvel's most relatable and grounded heroes. Over time, Luke grew from a power fantasy to an aspirational hero, leader, and father figure.

2 Spider-Man (Miles Morales)

First Appearance: Ultimate Fallout #4 (August 2011)

Miles Morales zips through New York City in Spider-Man: Miles Morales

The Ultimate universe famously killed Peter Parker and had a new hero, Miles Morales, assume his mantle. This then-controversial move paid off incredibly well. Miles quickly became the most popular legacy hero of recent memory. More importantly, Miles became one of Marvel's most beloved and influential newcomers.

Besides breathing new life into Spider-Man's mythos, Miles helped Marvel's push for younger and more diverse heroes go over well. To his fans, Miles is a better Spider-Man and a more relatable character than Peter ever was. The massively successful and influential Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse cemented this high praise further.

1 Black Panther (King T'Challa)

First Appearance: Fantastic Four #52 (July 1966)

King T'Challa defends Wakanda in Black Panther

It goes without saying that the Black Panther is one of the most important Black characters in history. King T'Challa stood out because he was the ruler of a technologically advanced nation (Wakanda), not another Black stereotype as was common in the '60s. He was also the first African superhero in mainstream superhero comics.

Later, Black Panther embodied Black people's potential for excellence and manifested their history. This new legacy and purpose were given credence by Black Panther's financially successful and culturally impactful MCU movies. King T'Challa was always a pop culture icon, but now he's a symbol for so much more.

NEXT: 13 Most Iconic Black Panther Villains