1970 - Ebon
Created by: Larry Fuller
1st appearance: Ebon #1 “A Hero is Born”; Spearhead Comics 1970
Relatives: unnamed mother (deceased), Jom (alien who landed on Earth in ancient times)
Skills and abilities:
Powers: Flight, Super Strength (increases even more in the dark), Super Speed, Enhanced Vision
Weapons: Wears and Indestructible costume and a “Life Mask” to conceal his identity
Biography
Valentine Jones
…From the stars comes an advanced alien life-form…A black man arrives. His name is Oju, and he is the imperial messenger of an advanced and godlike race of humanoids. Oju tells him the story of Jom, the greatest explorer of his civilization. Near the beginning of man’s history, Jom visited Earth, found men in Africa, and taught them advanced ways and science. He married a woman and lived among them, caring for them, until his death. It was then that mankind went awry and learned war, murder, and all vile manner of evil. But Jom’s descendants still remained, unaware of their heritage and duty. But Oju has found Jom’s last descendant, Valentine Jones, and he imbues him with powers far beyond his wildest dreams. Oju arranges a test in the arena for Valentine to test his powers. After successfully defeating the challenger, Valentine is given his purpose, and flies off, calling himself Ebon.
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Larry Fuller pioneered the underground comix scene in the 1970s and is the creator of Ebon, one of the first comic books to feature a Black superhero as the main character. Ebon was a groundbreaking work exploring race, poverty, violence, and identity in a sci-fi setting.
– Larry Fuller was born in 1943 in Chicago, Illinois.
– He served in the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s and moved to San Francisco after discharge.
– He became interested in comics and wanted to create an authentic and relatable Black superhero.
– He learned how to draw using his G.I. Bill funding and self-published Ebon in 1970 with the help of Gary Arlington and the San Francisco Comic Book Company.
– He collaborated with other underground comix artists such as Rory Hayes and Jay Lynch.
– He also adapted an H.P. Lovecraft story for Last Gasp in 1971 and produced several adult-themed comics and anthologies until 1991.
– Ebon was a sci-fi comic that told the story of Valentine, a young Black man who lived in a ghetto and witnessed his mother’s death.
– He discovered that he was the last human descendant of an alien race that had renounced violence but needed a defender who could wield the immortal heart of Jom, a powerful artifact.
– He became Ebon, a superhero who could fly, shoot energy blasts, and change his appearance.
– He fought against crime, corruption, racism, and oppression in his city and beyond.
– He also faced challenges from other alien races who wanted to claim the heart of Jom or destroy Earth.
Ebon was one of the first comic books to feature a Black superhero as the protagonist, predating mainstream characters such as Luke Cage, Black Panther, and Blade.
– Ebon was also one of the few underground comix to address social issues from a Black perspective, using slang, humor, and satire.
– Ebon showed a complex and realistic portrayal of a Black hero who had flaws, emotions, and motivations, unlike some stereotypes or caricatures that were common at the time.
– Ebon influenced other Black comic creators and artists who followed Fuller’s footsteps, such as Black Kirby, a collective that pays homage to Fuller and his work.
– Ebon is a rare and collectible comic book that is hard to find nowadays.
You can also see some original art and memorabilia from Ebon at an art exhibit called “Black Kirby: In Search of The MotherBoxx Connection.”
