The Forgotten Black Superhero

Although short-lived, M.A.N.T.I.S. was one of the boldest early attempts at bringing an African-American superhero to prime-time television

We are arguably living in the golden age of the Black superhero. Costumed crusaders of a darker hue can be traced back to the 60’s, but the mainstream boom experienced in the past couple of years is unprecedented. While “Black Panther” was dominating theaters, the small screen scored victories with “Black Lightning” (just renewed for a fourth season) and “Luke Cage”.  “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” became the most critically-acclaimed project featuring the iconic web-slinger to date and it was centered on an Afro-Latino version of the character. What a time to be alive indeed. While it may be more in vogue now, seeing superheroes who looked like me on TV as a kid was a rarity. Batman was white. Superman was white. Hulk was green, but before that, he was white. This was the comic book content I consumed until “M.A.N.T.I.S.” came along and filled a void I didn’t even know needed filling.

Carl Lumbly (who would later voice Martian Manhunter in several animated Justice League incarnations) starred as Dr. Miles Hawkins, a brilliant conservative scientist who has a change of heart when he discovers a plot against the Black community. After being shot in the spine while trying to save a child (by police, no less), he becomes a paraplegic crime-fighter using a powered exoskeleton named M.A.N.T.I.S. (Mechanically Augmented NeuroTransmitter Interactive System). He would go on to battle everything from street-level thugs, to cyborgs, to invisible dinosaurs by the show's end. Touted as being from the creator of "Darkman" (Sam Raimi) and the writer of "Batman" (Sam Hamm), it was frequently ambitious beyond its means. Budget constraints were clear, but to be honest, the cheesiness only adds to my affinity for it. I mean, he had a flying submarine car, for goodness sake. Is that not awesome?

My infatuation with the show, much like its initial run, was short and sweet. I vividly remember sketching my own versions of the exosuit on sheets of scrap paper as I plopped down on the couch before episodes would start. Then, it got canceled and as is the case with most five-year-olds, my attention quickly shifted elsewhere. Still, the memories are indelibly etched in my consciousness and every so often, I find myself transported back to those nights in 1994; grinning from ear-to-ear. I can’t say it’s aged like a fine wine or that it didn’t deserve to be canceled, as it jumped the shark trying to desperately reel in viewers. Nonetheless, the decision to mix science fiction, action and adventure with an affluent Black man as the centerpiece was decidedly ahead of the curve.