Black Vulcan
Encyclopedia
Black Vulcan is a fictional
African American
superhero
on the animated series Super Friends
created by Hanna-Barbera
. He was voiced by Buster Jones
.
character. This is particularly notable since DC Comics' roster did include an African American superhero with electricity-based powers, Black Lightning
, who could not be used on the show due to disputes between DC and Black Lightning's creator Tony Isabella
.
Originally introduced as a way to add a more culturally diverse roster to the team in the All-New Super Friends Hour series, Black Vulcan was the Super Friends' resident black superhero, although his character mostly refrains from being seen as a harsh stereotype. As originally depicted, Black Vulcan's costume had the super-hero equivalent of pants, but in later episodes his legs are bare.
His powers include the ability to emit electricity from his hands, as well as fly by charging his lower body with energy.
On a few occasions, he exhibited powers he had not shown before, such as the ability to assume a form of pure energy and travel at the speed of light (Challenge of the Superfriends: The World's Deadliest Game, September 23, 1978) (in an unsuccessful attempt to escape a black hole
, which, according to theory, is a feat not even light is able to accomplish once it has passed inside the event horizon
). He was even able to travel back in time
by fluctuating his body's energy in such a way that it opened a rift in space-time (Challenge of the Superfriends: Secret Origins of the Superfriends, October 28, 1978). Finally, Black Vulcan is able to spot-weld microelectronics (World's Greatest Superfriends Episodes: Dive to Disaster).
In the final incarnation of the series, The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
, he was replaced with Cyborg
, another black superhero that was already well established in the DC Comics
lineup and possessed a more developed personality.
al character featured in the animated series Justice League Unlimited
and is a member of the Ultimen. He has the ability to emit electricity
from his body, which he can use to create small electric bursts or even fly by charging his lower body with energy. He can even assume an electric form which he can use to travel quickly and discreetly. Undoubtedly the most softspoken member of the Ultimen, Juice rarely speaks, but when he does his voice sounds raspy and broken up, like a low-quality speaker or radio. He was voiced by an uncredited CCH Pounder
.
After discovering their true origins and short life expectancies, the Ultimen battled the Justice League
in a desperate plan by Wind Dragon. Juice battled Batman
and was defeated when Batman knocked him into some water pipes that shorted out his power supply. Juice is now locked up like most of the other Ultimen, with their bodies still deteriorating.
An army of Ultimen clones were later created by Project Cadmus
in an attempt to finish off the Justice League once and for all. They were eventually defeated.
voiced by Phil LaMarr
. He debuted in the season one episode, "Very Personal Injury". In the episode, he describes his power as "Pure electricity…in my pants". This becomes a running gag: whenever someone makes a double entendre, he will often appear to utter some variation on "...in my pants." He also gives advice to the character Peanut as he goes through superhero puberty and acquires his powers. In the episode "Booty Noir" he has a menage a trois
with his ex-girlfriend Norlissa and Reducto. It is said that he used to go by the name of Super Volt before Aquaman
suggested his present name, which Black Vulcan believes is due to racism; Black Vulcan responds that maybe they should just call Aquaman "White Fish".
and Samurai. A 6" Black Vulcan action figure was released in Mattel
's DC Universe Classics
Wave 18, which was primarily dedicated to Super Friends characters.
, one of the outfits Virgil tries on when he's picking out his superhero costume is a copy of Black Vulcan's with pants. (Richie rejects it, saying the outfit makes him look like a battery commercial.)
series. The title would have had the character reimagined as Vulcan, an African American child who could become an adult superhero after accidentally gaining some of the powers of the wizard Shazam
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
on the animated series Super Friends
Super Friends
Super Friends is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes, which ran from 1973 to 1986 on ABC as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup...
created by Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
. He was voiced by Buster Jones
Buster Jones
Edward L. "Buster" Jones is an American voice actor.He is probably best known from his roles as Black Vulcan in Super Friends, Blaster in The Transformers, Doc in G.I...
.
Fictional character biography
Unlike most of the Super Friends, Black Vulcan was not a pre-existing DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
character. This is particularly notable since DC Comics' roster did include an African American superhero with electricity-based powers, Black Lightning
Black Lightning
Black Lightning was one of the first major African American superheroes to appear in DC Comics. He debuted in Black Lightning #1 , and was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden.- Publication history :...
, who could not be used on the show due to disputes between DC and Black Lightning's creator Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella
Tony Isabella is an American comic book writer, editor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath, DC Comics' first major African American superhero, Black Lightning, and as a columnist and critic for the Comics Buyer's Guide.-Marvel Comics:Before he joined...
.
Originally introduced as a way to add a more culturally diverse roster to the team in the All-New Super Friends Hour series, Black Vulcan was the Super Friends' resident black superhero, although his character mostly refrains from being seen as a harsh stereotype. As originally depicted, Black Vulcan's costume had the super-hero equivalent of pants, but in later episodes his legs are bare.
His powers include the ability to emit electricity from his hands, as well as fly by charging his lower body with energy.
On a few occasions, he exhibited powers he had not shown before, such as the ability to assume a form of pure energy and travel at the speed of light (Challenge of the Superfriends: The World's Deadliest Game, September 23, 1978) (in an unsuccessful attempt to escape a black hole
Black hole
A black hole is a region of spacetime from which nothing, not even light, can escape. The theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will deform spacetime to form a black hole. Around a black hole there is a mathematically defined surface called an event horizon that...
, which, according to theory, is a feat not even light is able to accomplish once it has passed inside the event horizon
Event horizon
In general relativity, an event horizon is a boundary in spacetime beyond which events cannot affect an outside observer. In layman's terms it is defined as "the point of no return" i.e. the point at which the gravitational pull becomes so great as to make escape impossible. The most common case...
). He was even able to travel back in time
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
by fluctuating his body's energy in such a way that it opened a rift in space-time (Challenge of the Superfriends: Secret Origins of the Superfriends, October 28, 1978). Finally, Black Vulcan is able to spot-weld microelectronics (World's Greatest Superfriends Episodes: Dive to Disaster).
In the final incarnation of the series, The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 1985 to 1986. It was produced by Hanna-Barbera and is based on the Justice League and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics.-Summary:In the fall of 1985,...
, he was replaced with Cyborg
Cyborg (comics)
Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
, another black superhero that was already well established in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
lineup and possessed a more developed personality.
Other versions
Juice is a fictionFiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al character featured in the animated series Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
and is a member of the Ultimen. He has the ability to emit electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
from his body, which he can use to create small electric bursts or even fly by charging his lower body with energy. He can even assume an electric form which he can use to travel quickly and discreetly. Undoubtedly the most softspoken member of the Ultimen, Juice rarely speaks, but when he does his voice sounds raspy and broken up, like a low-quality speaker or radio. He was voiced by an uncredited CCH Pounder
CCH Pounder
Carol Christine Hilaria Pounder , known professionally as C. C. H. Pounder , is a Guyanese-American film and television actress...
.
After discovering their true origins and short life expectancies, the Ultimen battled the Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
in a desperate plan by Wind Dragon. Juice battled Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and was defeated when Batman knocked him into some water pipes that shorted out his power supply. Juice is now locked up like most of the other Ultimen, with their bodies still deteriorating.
An army of Ultimen clones were later created by Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus
Project Cadmus is a fictional genetic engineering project in the DC Comics Universe. It was created by Jack Kirby as the DNA Project in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #133 , and was run by the former Newsboy Legion...
in an attempt to finish off the Justice League once and for all. They were eventually defeated.
Harvey Birdman
Black Vulcan has made several appearances on the show Harvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is an American animated television series comedy created by Williams Street and produced by Cartoon Network Studios that aired on Cartoon Network during its Adult Swim late night programming block. The series' pilot first aired in 2000, and later became a series in...
voiced by Phil LaMarr
Phil LaMarr
Phillip "Phil" LaMarr is an American actor, comedian and voice actor. One of the original cast members on the sketch comedy series MADtv, he is also known for his small, but memorable role as Marvin in Pulp Fiction...
. He debuted in the season one episode, "Very Personal Injury". In the episode, he describes his power as "Pure electricity…in my pants". This becomes a running gag: whenever someone makes a double entendre, he will often appear to utter some variation on "...in my pants." He also gives advice to the character Peanut as he goes through superhero puberty and acquires his powers. In the episode "Booty Noir" he has a menage a trois
Ménage à trois
Ménage à trois is a French term which originally described a domestic arrangement in which three people having sexual relations occupy the same household – the phrase literally translates as "household of three"...
with his ex-girlfriend Norlissa and Reducto. It is said that he used to go by the name of Super Volt before Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
suggested his present name, which Black Vulcan believes is due to racism; Black Vulcan responds that maybe they should just call Aquaman "White Fish".
Toys
Black Vulcan has been released in a Justice League Unlimited three-pack, accompanied by his Super Friends teammates Apache ChiefApache Chief
Apache Chief is a fictional Native American superhero from the various Super Friends cartoons created by Hanna-Barbera. He was one of the new heroes added to increase the number of non-white characters in the Super Friends ranks...
and Samurai. A 6" Black Vulcan action figure was released in Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
's DC Universe Classics
DC Universe Classics
DC Universe Classics is an action figure toyline, a sub-line of the DC Universe toy brand manufactured by Mattel. These are 6-inch scale figures based on characters owned by DC Comics...
Wave 18, which was primarily dedicated to Super Friends characters.
Static Shock
In the first episode of the series Static ShockStatic Shock
Static Shock is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered in September 2000 on the Kids' WB! block and ran for four seasons, with a total of 52 half-hour episodes....
, one of the outfits Virgil tries on when he's picking out his superhero costume is a copy of Black Vulcan's with pants. (Richie rejects it, saying the outfit makes him look like a battery commercial.)
Comics
Noted comic book artist and self-professed Super Friends fan Alex Ross intended to create a modernized version of Black Vulcan for his rejected Captain MarvelCaptain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
series. The title would have had the character reimagined as Vulcan, an African American child who could become an adult superhero after accidentally gaining some of the powers of the wizard Shazam
Shazam (comics)
Shazam is a comic book character created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck for Fawcett Comics. He is an ancient sorcerer who gives young Billy Batson the power to transform into the superhero Captain Marvel...
.