| Black Vulcan | |
|---|---|
Black Vulcan as he appeared in Hanna-Barbera's Super Friends TV series in the 1970s & '80s |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| Created by | Dave Gibbons Alan Moore |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Super Friends |
| Abilities | Electricity manipulation |
Black Vulcan is a fictional African American superhero on the animated series Super Friends created by Hanna-Barbera and illustrated by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore. He was voiced by Buster Jones.
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Unlike most of the Super Friends, Black Vulcan was not a pre-existing DC Comics 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.[1]
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,[2] 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[3] 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).[4]
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.
Juice is a fictional 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.[5] 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.[5]
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.[6]
Black Vulcan has made several appearances on the show Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law 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".
Black Vulcan has been released in a Justice League Unlimited three-pack, accompanied by his Super Friends teammates Apache Chief 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.[7]
In the first episode of the series Static Shock, 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.)
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 Marvel 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.[8]
Black Vulcan made a cameo appearance in the DC One Million 80-Page Giant special as part of one of the many alternate Justice Leagues that accidentally ended up in the headquarters of the Justice Legion Alpha.
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