Both Captain America TFA and Wondy got me thinking, how would a society react if not only a superhero, the first, appeared very publicly in the 1930s, but they were a woman (or black person)? How would women's/black rights change throughout the 40s-70s?
Would people start to dismiss her as an urban legend or war propaganda? Even easier than they did with Cap in some continuities? Or would women hold more positions of power?
Irl or in universe?
Look at blue marvel
I think that if it was a woman, you might get some grumbling back home but on the front they'd love her. Seeing an attractive woman with superpowers stick it to the Nazi war machine would be like seeing the pin-ups on your planes fighting in reality. Big morale boost.
If it was a black person, however, I think there'd be more efforts to keep it suppressed.
As close to our universe as the DC or Marvel universe, I suppose?
Recorded history is exactly the same as ours, up to the point of her appearing.
New Frontier nigga
30's were decades after women's suffrage.
There were tons of female superheroes in the Golden Age that debuted right after Superman.
Maybe a real life female superhero would be an icon for women's lib in the 60's at best but there attitudes before that wouldn't have changed unless that superhero was really outspoken about it and tried to launch it early. But I don't think it would have helped because teens didn't become "woke" until baby boomers were in their teens.
>like seeing the pin-ups on your planes fighting in reality.
I've got to go ask /tg/ about the best system for a WW2 game where fighting is done using mechs piloted with the assistance of AI pin-up girls.
I want this now
>How would women's/black rights change throughout the 40s-70s?
You know people would downplay the fuck out of the abilities and accomplishments of either. Although it'd also probably help women's/black rights.
Not women, but look up "The American Way." It's about a superteam in the 1960s whose leader has a heart attack and dies mid way through a staged fight, and the new PR guy that the team hired decides to replace him with a black man.
There's a sequel set ten years later that is coming out right now.
There have been powerful women throughout history. The only difference is this one can lift trucks and fly. They'd find a way to downplay that too.
This is your answer right here
>Say the female superhero is long lived for whatever reason
>She becomes vilified and hated by women's lib because she's a more traditional and devoted 30's gal and doesn't agree with them on some things
Like a lady Captain America waking up today, and being seen as problematic because she's fine and happy with women being housewives and mothers under the man of the house.
This and are the answers. At least for a female. For anything else we have Blue Marvel.
If Superwoman was loyal to America, I highly doubt we would give a shit. It might also help us avoid taking so many losses fighting various wars.
I mean I can see optics issues if the person was black but we let black people fight for the North and during world wars. The problem is it showed hypocrisy of our country, fighting for freedoms that they didn't have back home. Especially people like harlem hell fighters. So it might have changed the dynamic. In most cases it would have been easier to swallow if it was a woman. Mostly because it would be a major advantage having a nigh unkillable superwoman. It probably would have made women's issues easier to swallow having a flying nuke as the trade off. I mean I'm just spitballing but civil rights was far more disruptive than anything dealing with women.
Largely speaking fathers, brothers, sons were the ones that gave women right to vote. And even at that point for almost 60 to 70 years, women largely voted how their families voted. So one part of your hypothetical is easier to deal with than the other.
Even if superhero was black, I think it would cause major problems and lead government to either trying to kill or capture the person. If i'm being completely honest.
Tangential but what would a DC multiverse (where superheroes could change the status quo) be like if Superman debuted in the 30s and stayed as the kind of socialist icon he was in the initial comics and only barely calmed down over time? Would he be able to inspire enough change to make America really different, or would cultural inertia prove too strong even for Superman?
FemClark/Bruce is still the objectively best fucking couple in existence.
Also assuming he still has no interest in conquest
Comics can and have been extremely influential, but like all things, people can reject or disparage or discredit and disown things.
Theyd cite it as outdated and of a different times mindset, barely regarding it anymore than we would a mass murder spree or an American killing spree.
I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED.
The real question is this: do you want mechas with AI-assistance, or do you want mechs/planes who invoke their plane art like Stands. Pinups work, sure, but if your plane has a sick flame job you can just light some motherfuckers on fire.
I meant in-universe assuming it's written as realistically as can be managed, but in the real world that's about my understanding, sadly wouldn't survive the 50s
The type of superhero, and the country we're talking about would make a HUGE difference.
Also, the specific hero's beliefs would matter as well.
The real world was not as racist as what comic books show.
And there of course would be various ways to want to sell idea. He could be sold as the paragon for all of black america to live up to, or say attached to a white hero as a sidekick, or part of a sentai sort of team. The Blue Marvel idea of a Zentai suit isn't unreasonable for the time at all either. Branding him as some sort of exotic tribal voodoo wizard would also be fitting for the time.
If there was even the SLIGHTEST hint of communisim in him, all bets are off starting around 1950.
Of course there are parts of America that of course would absolutely lose their shit, like the Klan, but that's not all of America.
Pic related. Time's man of the year around 1930.
>Seeing an attractive woman with superpowers stick it to the Nazi war machine would be like seeing the pin-ups on your planes fighting in reality. Big morale boost.
This would also happen. The troops would absolutely love her. The Age of Waifus would arrive earlier.
>Top brass manipulates troop love of her to send her on what should be suicide missions, to encourage the boys to go after her
>Our Valkyre is there! Let us follow her to victory or death!