As you may or may not know – considering the seeming lack of hype – it’s Black History Month. This being Wonder Woman Wednesday, you don’t have to dig deep for a fitting Wonder Woman tie-in to the theme of Black History. You read that right.
Nubia.
“The Black Wonder Woman.” Archaic and racist by today’s standards. As denigrating as “She-Hulk,” depending on whom you ask. Indeed, dear readers, Nubia was most definitely considered the black Wonder Woman.
The Not so black and white of it.
Apparently, Queen Hyppolyta was quite the Michelangelo in her day. Not only did she fashion Diana from “white clay,”‘she also molded Nubia from “black clay.” Ahem.
Nubia made her debut in January of 1973 in Wonder Woman #204 courtesy of writer Robert Kanigher and artist Don Heck, introducing herself as “Wonder Woman of the Floating Island.”
Apparently, Mars/Ares kidnapped and raised Nubia to be the guard of some lake or some bull crap, and years later Diana and Nubes wound up being roommates. The cloud was lifted from Diana’s memory, and she discovered she had an African American sister (a.k.a. “The Black Wonder Woman”). Of course, they were enemies and at odds. (Anyone, really, feel free to steer me in the right direction on this scenario. I found it more convoluted than Donna Troy’s tortured existence.)
The important thing isn’t the character’s origin or past. It’s her existence and potential. DC has an opportunity to take the “Black Wonder Woman,” give her a new continuity and makeover, and turn her into a strong, positive role model for African American girls and women.
Surely, Wonder Woman represents all women, but Nubia serves an even greater neglected part of society. There are plenty of real-life African American female heroes and role models: Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and . . . Beyonce. Oh yes, Beyonce.
If DC had the genius to build Nubia up to the point where she would hit the silver screen, who better to play the role than Beyoncé? She’s already declared herself a feminist. That’s a quality that a Wonder Woman should have (despite what Mr. and Ms. F may think).
Now, with her new song and video, “Formation,” being touted as a black anthem, she has clearly defined her next message. Beyonce proved she could easily be a superhero when she slayed a Storm cosplay not too long ago. She has the acting chops. She was nominated for an Oscar, after all. And, she’s already a powerful role model for girls every where.
So, what are you waiting for, DC? The world needs Nubia! And, Beyonce is just the person to breathe life into her (and I really want the action figure)!
What do you think? Would Beyonce make the perfect Nubia?
That’s it for this week. Make sure to “Like”‘and “share” the I Am Wonder Fan page on Facebook and be back here next week for another thrilling Wonder Woman Wednesday.
