Warning: Total Power #3 spoilers ahead!Amanda Waller's invasion of the world of DC Comics worse, it accidentally broke one of DC's most unspoken expressions. With the fate of every superhero in the line, Waller faces opposition not only from the regular DC roster but also from heroes readers have never even heard of — because they're not American.
The situation is bitter Absolute Power #3 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. Dozens of DC heroes launch desperate rescue missions from the planet Themiscyra, while Waller and Failsafe lure many world governments. But not all hope is lost: when one of Waller's Amazons chases Zealot, Cassandra Cain, and Black Orchid, rescue comes unexpectedly in the form of two new heroes.
Newcomers – Cadejos and Rana Dorada – are said to be heroes from Central America, giving readers a rare glimpse of heroes from outside the United States.
DC Reminds Readers That Superheroes Are Universal
Absolute Power #3 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sánchez, and Ariana Maher
On the other hand, it makes sense that a lot of DC heroes would have American characters; DC is an American publisher that writes for a primarily American audience, with roots steeped in American World War II folklore.
Thus, American ideals and ideals are often extolled – Superman's own motto emerged as “Truth, Justice, and the American Way” – by American colors and motifs are often incorporated into letter designs. Foreign heroes such as Wonder Woman (supposedly Greek) are portrayed as devotees and ambassadors of American values, while non-foreigners are often villains.
It's not just this cultural prejudice that DC has to overcome, either. It takes dedicated research and effort to write an accurate representation of other countries, lest the efforts appear as symbols – see, for example, the controversy of DC's Spanish Heritage Month, where different covers were criticized for equating Spanish culture with food only. This difficulty often leads publishers to play it safe and express nationalism through the lens of the existing heroes of DC and especially the heroes of the American Justice League – such as Batman Incorporated and the Justice League of China. In a world full of heroes, it's rare to see someone who doesn't have an American connection.
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Superheroes Don't Just Come from the United States
Absolute Power #3 does a better job than most in acknowledging DC's global metahuman presence, starting with China's Great Ten. The Great Ten has been a strong backdrop to the DC Universe since its launch 52 #6 is Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Griffin, Joe Bennet, Ruy José, Alex Sinclair, and Nick J. Napolitano.
Although their portrayals lean towards pastiche, they remain examples of DC characters who exist outside of the American sphere of influence – unlike characters like Avery Ho and Kong Kenan, who, when stripped back, versions of the American heroes Flash and Superman, only from China.
in 2023 The We Are Legends publishing line has also made a push to emphasize Asian and Pacific Islander actors.. Created by Ram V and Lalit Kumar Sharma, Vigil is an Indian superhero black-ops team with the shapeshifting Saya, the intangible Dodge, and the electroconductive Arclight serving as their core, in a series full of secrets, espionage, and government interference.
In contrast, Hometown BoyCameron Kim – created by Greg Pak and Minkyu Jung – is a street-level hero, able to communicate and shape the spirits of the cities themselves. Characters from the We Are Legends line acts as a good first step, however so much of the world remains underrepresented in the DCU – for example, Australia, Eastern Europe, and the entire African continent.
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Thus, Absolute Powerthe inclusion of the Great Ten alongside Rana Dorada and Cadejos (their naming conventions imply Central American origin) he does an excellent job of emphasizing how Waller's extremism affects the rest of the world. Combined with Themiscyra serving as the last place for metahumans, a country that opposes the United States from 2023. Wonder Woman series by Tom King and Daniel Sampere, the issue manages to paint a picture of a world where superheroes are a part of life all over the world and not only in American cities – something that DC often mentions but rarely shows directly.
Get to know Vigil, City Boy, and more at Dawn of DC: We Are Legends Special Edition #1 anthology!
It seems strange, in retrospect, that it is more common to see superheroes from another planet than to see heroes from another world, but entries like Rana Dorada and Cadejos help round out the DC world a lot. It's one thing to treat Superman as a superhero from around the world (he has a proportional powerset) but it's another thing entirely to pretend there are no superheroes outside of America. It's a persistent statement with little justification – but that's one DC Comics it eventually backfires against.
Absolute Power #3 is available now from DC Comics.