Latinx superheroes have made an explosive entrance onto the big screen recently. America Chavez teleported into the MCU in 2022, while Miles Morales and Jaime Reyes have powered their way through this year’s summer box office. And there are many more Latinx heroes — some we can even expect to see in upcoming movie and TV projects.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (also referred to as Latino Heritage Month) we’re highlighting some of our favorite Latinx heroes, a handful of memorable caped capers that only scratch the surface of the lively and fascinating history of Latinx superheroes.
Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle
With the release of a major blockbuster in theaters this summer, Blue Beetle has zipped his way into the spotlight. DC’s critter-caper has a long history, seeing three separate men take up the mantle since 1939. However, the version depicted in the film – and most often outside of the comics – is none other than Jaime Reyes. Jaime debuted in 2006, appearing for the first time in Infinite Crisis #5 as a mysterious scarab fuses with his spine after the death of his predecessor Ted Kord. He’s a reluctant hero at the start – a Mexican-American teen living in El Paso, Texas, his life is drastically changed by the sentient scarab, which doesn’t always make clear if it's friend or foe. One thing that is clear, however, is that Jaime has unlocked the powers of the scarab in ways never seen before.
Miles Morales/Spider-Man
Miles Morales also made waves at the box office this year with the much-anticipated and technically ambitious Across the Spider-Verse. And we’ll soon see him fighting alongside Peter Parker in the fast-approaching PS5 game Spider-Man 2. Proudly Puerto-Rican, Miles is one of few Latinx — and even fewer Afro-Latinx — heroes. He’s become a vital mainstay of the Spider-Man compendium after his 2011 debut. As a child of New York, Miles’ Brooklyn roots are integral to his character, but the Spider-Verse movies have introduced some multiversal messes that have whisked him away and back again.
Maya Lopez/Echo
One of a handful of Marvel’s deaf characters, Maya Lopez has the ability to perfectly mimic any physical action she sees. Echo is a fitting name for Maya as she harnesses this power to adopt the fighting styles of powerful enemies. Taken in by crime boss Wilson Fisk after the death of her father, she’s manipulated into believing Daredevil is his killer. Maya eventually discovers Fisk’s treachery but not before she goes toe-to-toe with Matt Murdock a few times. While Maya’s mother is Latina, her father is Cheyenne, and Maya’s indigeneity is the linchpin of her character and, it seems, a focus of the forthcoming Disney+ series.
America Chavez/Miss America
This queer Latina heroine packs a punch. Raised in a Puerto Rican family, America Chavez boasts super-strength, invulnerability and interdimensional teleportation via star-shaped portals. The details of her origin story vary depending on the source, but the mainstays have remained relatively the same: America is born in a peaceful dimension known as the Utopian Parallel, raised by two mothers until they sacrifice themselves for the sake of America and the multiverse. These origins are explored heavily in America, marking both the character’s first solo series and Marvel’s first ever Latina-led series. Since her introduction, she’s joined several super-squads, including the Young Avengers. America also recently made her MCU debut in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, where she was played by Xochitl Gomez.
Jessica Cruz/Green Lantern
A relatively recent recruit into DC’s Green Lantern Corps, Jessica Cruz is one of Earth’s sworn protectors. Cruz also marks the “first official female representative” of Sector 2814. A traumatic incident in her past sends Jessica into a spiral of intense PTSD and triggers the chaotic events that eventually see her fight alongside other Green Lanterns “in brightest day, in blackest night.” Jessica’s story is all about overcoming fear for the good of others, making her a pretty inspirational addition to our list.
Roberto Da Costa/Sunspot
This Brazilian firebrand is one of Charles Xavier’s New Mutants. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Roberto Da Costa can harness and convert solar energy into immense power. Marvel has received criticism for its whitewashing of the character, erasing his blackness in various runs of the comics and outside of them – especially problematic given his 1982 origin story sees him gain his powers after racist and colorist harassment. Most recently, concerns arose over a leak potentially claiming the casting of a non-Black Brazilian in the upcoming X-Men ’97 animated series. While it remains unconfirmed, we’re certainly hoping Roberto’s Afro-Latino heritage and familial history remain an enduring part of his character moving forward.
Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099
We’d be remiss not to mention Miguel O’Hara, the brooding kinda-antagonist of Across the Spider-Verse. Mister “que maravilla” himself has become the subject of many a TikTok edit after his magnetic appearance in the animated box office hit – owed in no small part to Oscar Isaac lending his voice to the character. That said, Miguel claimed the role of Spider-Man 2099 long before his Spider-Verse debut. An engineer born to a Mexican mother and Irish father, Miguel first appeared in 1992’s Spider-Man 2099 #1 with unique spider powers that included talons and fangs.
Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl
The Hawkgirl mantle originates from a line of reincarnations born of the angel Shrra. One of these iterations includes Kendra Saunders, a young Latina whose relationship to her alter ego is a complex one. In a deviation from the typical transference of the Hawkgirl persona, Kendra receives her powers after her own suicide attempt leaves her as a vessel for the winged warrior. Hawkgirl’s history is a long and muddled one and – with Isabela Merced cast to play the character in James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy – it’ll be interesting to see how Kendra’s story is explored outside of the comics next.
Robbie Reyes/Ghost Rider
A charmer in a Dodge Charger, Robbie Reyes is one of the many heirs to the Ghost Rider legacy. Just as Miles Morales and Peter Parker are New Yorkers to their core, Robbie is quintessentially LA. It's this version of the character — played by Gabriel Luna — that appeared in several episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Balancing his life as a mechanic, guardianship of his younger brother, and his exploits as the fearsome and fiery crime fighter, Robbie is definitely a worthy wielder of the Ghost Rider moniker.
Who are your favorites? Let’s discuss in the comments!
source https://www.ign.com/articles/9-badass-latino-superheroes-to-celebrate-for-hispanic-heritage-month