Warning: Spoilers for Absolute Power #3 ahead!Amanda Waller’s Assault on the World of DC Comics was so devastating, it accidentally broke one of DC’s greatest unspoken clichés. With the fate of all superheroes on the line, Waller faces resistance not only from the usual DC roster but also from heroes readers haven’t even heard of—because they’re not American.
The situation is difficult Absolute power #3 by Mark Waid and Dan Mora. The majority of DC’s heroes are launching desperate rescue missions from the haven of Themyscira, while Waller and Failsafe have cowed most of the world’s governments. But not all hope is lost: when one of Waller’s Amazons chases down Zealot, Cassandra Kane and Black Orchid, Rescue comes unexpectedly in the form of two new heroes.
The newcomers— Cadejos and Rana Dorada – are implied to be superheroes from Central America, giving readers a rare glimpse of superheroes from outside the United States.
DC reminds readers that superheroes are worldwide
Absolute power #3 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sánchez and Ariana Maher
on the one hand, It makes sense that the bulk of DC’s heroes would consist of American characters; DC is an American publisher that writes stories for a primarily American audience, in a medium that has its roots heavily in pro-American propaganda from World War II.
As such, American ideals and virtues are often exalted—Superman’s own motto originated as “Truth, Justice, and the American Way”—with American colors and motifs often incorporated into character designs. Foreign heroes like Wonder Woman (Greek, of course) are presented as devotees and ambassadors of American values, while foreign metahumans who are not are often villains.
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It’s not just the cultural bias that DC needs to overcome either. It takes dedicated research and effort to write accurate images of other countries, so that the attempts instead come off as tokenism – see, for example, DC’s Hispanic Heritage Month controversy, when variant covers were criticized for equating Hispanic culture purely with food. This difficulty tends to lead to publishers playing it safe, expressing internationality Through the lens of DC’s pre-existing and mainly American Justice League heroes – Like the teams Batman Incorporated and the Justice League of China. In a world full of heroes, it’s rare to see one without American ties.
DC Comics recognized his new world
Superheroes aren’t just from the United States
Absolute power #3 does a better job than most in recognizing DC’s worldwide metahuman presence, starting with China’s Big Ten. The Big Ten have been a steady background presence in the DC Universe since their introduction in 52 #6 by Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka, Mark Waid, Keith Griffin, Joe Bennett, Ruy José, Alex Sinclair, and Nick J. Napolitano.
Although their depictions lend themselves to pastiche, they remain examples of DC characters who exist outside the American sphere of influence—in contrast to characters like Avery Ho and Kong Kennan, who are, when pared down, Versions of the American heroes Flash and Superman, only from China.
2023s We Are Legends publishing line also made a push to emphasize Asian and Pacific Islands characters. Created by Ram V and Lalit Kumar Sharma, The Vigil is an Indian superhero black-ops team with the closet-shifting Saya, the unwieldy Dodge and the electroconductive Arclight acting as their heart, in a series rife with secrets, espionage and government interference.
rather, City buildingS Cameron Kim – created by Greg Pak and Minkyu Jung – is a more street-level hero, able to communicate with and shape the mood of the cities themselves. The characters from the We Are Legends line Acts as a wonderful first step, however So much more of the world is underrepresented in the DCU – For example, Australia, Eastern Europe and the entire continent of Africa.
Is DC finally overcoming the greatest superhero cliché?
All signs point to yes
how so Absolute powerThe inclusion of the Big Ten alongside Rana Dorada and Cadejos (whose naming conventions imply Central American origin) Does an excellent job of emphasizing how Waller’s outreach affects the entire world. Combined with Themiscyra acting as the last haven for metahumans, with the nation at odds with the United States since 2023 Wonder Woman Series by Tom King and Daniel Sampere, the issue manages to paint the picture of a world where superheroes are a part of life all over the world and do not only exist in American cities – something that DC often implies but rarely displays.
Get to know the Vigil, City Boy, and more in the 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 superheroes from another country, but Inclusions like Rana Dorada and Cadejos help flesh out the world of DC. It’s one thing to treat Superman as a hero that belongs to the whole world (he has a proportional power-set) but another thing entirely to act as if there are no superheroes outside of America. It’s a persistent cliché with little justification – but one that does DC Comics is finally pushing back against.
Absolute power #3 is available now from DC Comics.