The actual first black superhero movie is available on YouTube, and it is insane
This week, Black Panther became only the fifth movie ever to have an over $200 million opening weekend, disproving once and for all the old Hollywood belief that films centered around “nonwhite” protagonists—particularly in the superhero genre—won’t perform well. Hopefully, the film’s undeniable success will inspire audiences to rediscover the often forgotten black superheroes of cinema who paved the way, like Blade, Spawn, Meteor Man, and Blankman. But, as Slate reports, if we’re going to be celebrating those heroes of the vanguard who broke down barriers for future generations, we need look no further than the real first black superhero movie: Abar, The First Black Superman.
Abar, which was recently unearthed for the Brooklyn Academy Of Music’s film series on black superheroes, is a low-budget blaxploitation film from 1977 that follows the adventures of the titular Abar, a black revolutionary turned indestructible vigilante. (It can be viewed in its entirety on YouTube, where it is conveniently broken up into seven 15-minute chunks.) Like other films of the genre, it deals with issues of race relations, empowerment of the black community, and the nefarious machinations of “The Man,” all underscored by a near-constant funky guitar riff.
