American Indians Go Graphic
THE INDIGENOUS MARVEL
American Indian and Indigenous characters had existed in the Marvel Universe for decades, but it wasn’t until 2020 that “the House that Stan Built” invited Indigenous creatives, writers, and illustrators to bring their insight and imagination to several of the Indigenous characters in the Marvel pantheon. The showcase was part of Marvel’s Voices series, which sought to give illustrators and writers from marginalized communities a chance to bring new life and authenticity to what had been tired tropes and played-out stereotypes. The success of the Indigenous Voices anthology led to the creation of one of the first new characters in the Marvel Universe in recent years, Kahhori, who was developed in collaboration with the Haudenosaunee community.
Roanhorse, Rebecca (non-Native), Darcie Little Badger (Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas enrolled), Kyle Charles (Whitefish Lake First Nation citizen), David J. Cutler (Qalipu First Nation citizen), Natasha Donovan (Métis Nation of British Columbia member), Shaun Beyale (Diné/Navajo citizen), Jeffrey Veregge (Port Gamble S’Klallam Nation), et al. Marvel’s Voices: Heritage. Marvel Worldwide, Inc., 2022. Lilly Library, Duke University.
This anthology began as a one-shot* (Marvel's Voices: Indigenous Voices) in 2020 featuring Indigenous writers and artists reimagining Marvel characters through Indigenous perspectives and art. Showcasing American Indian artists such as Nyla Innuksuk (Inuit citizen), Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk descendant), Steven Paul Judd (Kiowa-Choctaw citizen), and Stephen Graham Jones (Blackfeet citizen), the anthology reclaims space in mainstream comics and brings the humanity and deep storylines of Indigenous peoples from the periphery to the center within the Marvel Universe.
*“One-shot” refers to a standalone comic book that tells a complete story in a single issue.
Little, Ryan (non-Native), Arihhonni “Honni” David Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk citizen), and Kelly Lynne D’Angelo (Tuscarora). Kahhori: Reshaper of Worlds. Illus. by Todd Harris (Non-Native), David Cutler (Mi’kmaq citizen), and Jim Terry (Ho-Chunk citizen). Marvel Worldwide, Inc., 2024. Lilly Library, Duke University.
Kahhori is a Mohawk superhero who debuted in Marvel’s What If…? streaming series in 2023. While not written by American Indians, it was created in collaboration with Mohawk citizen-advisors. Kahhori (meaning “she stirs the forest” in Mohawk) envisions an alternate history where a young woman gains power from the Tesseract and fights colonial invasion. The episode centers the Mohawk language, community values, and themes of resistance, offering a rare American Indian-led narrative within the Marvel Universe.
Edmondson, Nathan (non-Native). Red Wolf. Illus. by Dalibor Talajić (non-Native), cover illustration by Jeffrey Veregge (Port Gamble S’Klallam Nation). Marvel Worldwide, Inc., 2016. Lilly Library, Duke University.
Thomas, Roy (non-Native). The Avengers. No. 80. Illus. by John Buscema (non-Native) and Tom Palmer (non-Native). Marvel Worldwide, Inc., 1970. Edwin and Terry Murray Comic Book Collection, Rubenstein Library.
Red Wolf is Marvel’s first American Indian superhero, originally created in the 1970s. Early issues portrayed him using racist tropes—with buckskin, feathers, and savage animalistic warrior imagery. In contrast, the 2015 reboot featured a Lakota version of Red Wolf, drawn by Jeffrey Veregge (Port Gamble S’Klallam citizen), who infused the character with gravitas and Pacific Northwest design elements. Veregge’s cover art reclaimed Red Wolf visually, offering an inspirational, modern representation.
Mack, David (non-Native). Echo: The Saga of Maya Lopez. Illus. by Joe Quesada (non-Native). Marvel Worldwide, Inc., 2023. Courtesy of Prof. Courtney Lewis.
Echo (AKA Maya Lopez) debuted in Daredevil (1999) as a deaf and disabled Cheyenne (sometimes Blackfeet) assassin who can “echo” others’ powers, with early portrayals leaning on stereotypes. In the 2024 streaming series, her nation is changed to Choctaw, allowing collaboration with Choctaw Nation cultural advisors in story and design. She is played by Alaqua Cox (image above), who is Menominee and Mohican, and also deaf. Echo’s evolution reflects a broader move toward Indigenously-informed representation in mainstream media.
Allor, Paul. Legends of LAX. No. 1. Illus. by Shawn Beyale (Diné/Navajo citizen). Marvel Worldwide, Inc., 2023. Courtesy Lee Francis IV, Ph.D.
In 2023, the U.S. National Lacrosse League established a partnership with Marvel to create a multiyear program celebrating the Indigenous origins of lacrosse, known as “stickball” to the Southeastern American Indians who play, and as “Ddehoñtjihgwa'és” to the Haudenosaunee. Diné (Navajo citizen) artist Shawn Beyale was selected to illustrate the books, which highlight the history of lacrosse, its Haudenasaunee* cultural roots, and its modern transformation after early appropriation by Europeans and renaming by the French.
*Haudenasaunee: The Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, also known as Haudenosaunee, meaning “people of the longhouse,” is located in what is now New York State and Ontario, Canada. The confederacy, made up of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, and Senecas, was created to ensure peace through careful decision-making processes; many of these processes were then used by settlers to form foundational US democratic principles.
Rowell, Rainbow (non-Native). The Sensational She-Hulk. Illust. (variant cover) by Roy Boney, Jr. (Cherokee Nation citizen). Marvel Worldwide, Inc., 2023. Courtesy of Lee Francis IV, Ph.D.
As part his collaboration with Marvel on the Indigenous Voices series, Roy Boney, Jr., was tapped to create an alternative cover for She-Hulk. These alternative covers are a chance for Marvel to showcase an artist. They are usually very limited runs and, consequently, also very rare.
Pins from the Roy Boney, Jr. Collection #1. Produced by ATCG Books and Comics. Courtesy of Lee Francis IV, Ph.D.
Series designed by Roy Boney in conjunction with his first full-length graphic novel ᎦᎸᎶᎯ (Sky).
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