Is There a Colombian National Superhero?

This chapter explores the complexity of creating national superheroes in multi-ethnic countries. Tracing the history of the comic book medium in Colombia and the development of Colombian superheroes, the chapter examines how the identifying processes of race and ethnicity function alongside a difficulty in transducing the tropes of US superheroes to make a truly representative Colombian superhero challenging to articulate. Using three case studies spanning from the late 1960s to the 2010s, the chapter gives a historical overview of how Colombian superheroes have variously adopted and moved away from the tropes of their US counterparts. Examining the articulation of Colombian identity in Maku, Tukano, and Zambo Dende, the chapter makes a case for how the development of transmedia strategies has been instrumental in moving the representation of the Colombian superhero forward, making it a profound example of how complex national identities can be embodied in the empowering cultural product of the superhero.