Black Superheroes: Isaiah Bradley, Josiah X, and Elijah Bradley

If anybody told you Steve Rogers was the first captain America, they're a liar. That road was paved by the blood, bodies and souls of many Black Men. Isaiah Bradley was the first captain America. The only reason they changed the story is because he gained popularity.  Bradley was moved back in the continuity to keep Steve Rogers as the first captain America. Bradley was supposed to predate Rogers but was moved in to the main marvel timeline so he had to be pushed back. In the original story Bradley was supposed to be one of the few survivors of preliminary Super Soldier testing that lead to Steve Rogers. However they changed this so now he was simply an attempt to replicate the serum. Rant over. And Luke Cage is still a better Avengers leader than Steve Rogers.

Captain America: Isaiah Bradley

I guess I'll cover the accepted history. Isaiah Bradley was part of a platoon of African American soldiers ready to ship over seas for World War 2 but they were forced into an unexpected detour. The American government wanted to replicate the Super Soldier Serum used to make Steve Rogers. However they had no notes on how to replicate the serum. They started from scratch and tested on African American soldiers. Most died and their families were told they had died in battle. But Isaiah and a few members of his team survived the testing and were a new stronger breed of Super Soldier.

Isaiah engaged in many raids during the war his team of Super Soldiers. Why wasn't it mentioned in the Captain America film that they took out more Red Skull bases than he did? Bradley was captured by German gunners. After his escape and return to camp he was court-martialed for being an unwilling subject in the super soldier project and placed in prison for thirteen years. Bradley returned to his wife and unsuccessfully attempted to have a child.

Bradley was known well throughout the black superhero community as a legend. He was even a guest at both the marriages of Storm and Black Panther as well as Luke Cage and Jewel. However Steve Rogers didn't even know who he was until he overheard Black Panther and Luke Cage mentioning him. Steve Rogers searched him out. By this time Isaiah was in his 90s and the beginning stages of Alzheimers and didn't remember his time as Captain America. However upon seeing the red white and blue costume of Steve Rogers he remembered. Isaiah has been quietly living with his wife since. However when he was in prison he was cloned 39 times but he didn't know that. We'll come back to that later

Abilities and Equipment

• Super Human Strength
• Super Human Durability
• Trained in hand to hand combat
• Trained in various weapons
• Slowed aging due to Super Soldier Serum
• Immunity to most diseases
• Steel Shield: Only steel for him. Branded with the Double V Victory Crest
• Mesh armor: Couldn't even give him a bullet proof.

Justice: Josiah X 

Josiah is the clone of Isaiah and considers himself his biological son. Josiah was smuggled out of his cloning facility by his mother, a prostitute they forced to be a surrogate. She dropped him at a Catholic orphanage and faded into the night to never be seen again. Josiah was often treated poorly and outcast, as the only African American teen in the orphanage. When he was teenager he discovered his power when he thought he killed a nun by smacking her hand away and knocking her through a wall, she was okay. He fled and joined the army under the name Josiah Smith.

Josiah served a few tours of Vietnam. Josiah became an expert soldier and lead a platoon of black soldiers on many successful missions. Another platoon leader bombed an area while Josiah's team was still on patrol killing most of his men. Josiah, uninjured attacked and almost killed the man for his actions. Stating death was too good for him so he left him crippled. Josiah was court-martialed and sent back to the states to serve out his prison time.

During this time he was blood tested to confirm that he was the missing clone. His surrogate mother was still alive. She had been captured a few years after leaving him at the orphanage and never told them where he was. She told him the truth about being a clone and where to find his real parents. She once again helped Josiah escape.

For four years he followed a list of African Americans abused by the Super Soldier program to track down his parents. Sadly along the way he learned most of the men on that list had died due to side effects and began to lose hope. But when he arrived at the home of Isaiah he knew he had found the right place because Isaiah's wife fainted claiming he looked just like Isaiah when they met.

After that meeting he became a private military contractor and traveled the globe. During his time in Africa he discovered the Muslim Faith and converted. He returned to Brooklyn and created a mission. He raised a son, Elijah/ Eli. Eventually he was framed and attacked by a team of heroes known as the crew. Once they got beat up and realized he was innocent he joined them and left to clear his name and find out who framed. He hasn't been mentioned by Marvel in a few years.

Abilities and Equipment

• Super Human Strength
• Super Human Durability
• Trained in hand to hand combat
• Trained in various weapons
• Slowed aging: Over 60, looks 25.
• Immunity to all diseases known
• Steel Shield: He received it as a gift from Isaiah.
• Mesh armor: except he has bullet proof vest underneath

Patriot: Elijah Bradley 

When Iron Lad came looking to recruit for the next generation of Avengers Eli lied. He said he could fill his father's shoes because he gained powers through a blood transfusion from Isaiah, his grandfather. In actuality Eli had been popping pills and stabbing himself with needles to replicate his father and grandfathers abilities. However, he still became one of the founding members of the Young Avengers.

The media said his costume was based off of Bucky's, Captain America's old side kick. Eli wasn't having that so he schooled the media. He explained that his costume was a redesigned version of Isaiah's. However, the Shield Eli caries is Captain America's original Shield. When the team found out he was using drugs he quit before they could discuss it.

Some time later he returned to lead the team, powerless. His superpower was his heart and leadership skills because the team fell apart with out him. However he was seriously wounded. Not to worry, he received a blood transfusion from Isaiah. This time he really did get superpowers.

Patriot recovered in time to lead the Young Avengers in siding with Captain America in the civil war. After that Eli and the Young Avengers appear  rarely. They show up and complain or get beat up or hold the city down while the Avengers are gone.

Abilities

• Super Human Strength
• Super Human Durability
• Trained in hand to hand combat
• Slowed aging due to Super Soldier Serum
• Immunity to most diseases
• Steel Shield: Captain America's original
• Throwing Stars: When Powerless he carried throwing stars painted red white and blue
• Pistol: No powers means he had to stay strapped.

Now let me talk. Most of their stories can be found in the series Red White and Truth. It was either criticized heavily or praised depending on who you asked. The problem with the series is people weren't ready to acknowledge the fact that race relations in America were and still are fucked up. The series explores race relations on many levels. The fact that so many African American heroes in real life are simply tossed aside and never mentioned again. George Washington wasn't the first president of the United States of America and Barack Obama isn't the first black president. A black man was, a Moore from England named John Hanson was the first president and there were six more presidents after him and before Washington. But they've never been mentioned by most history books. People weren't ready for that to be brought to them in any form yet. Whether it was Truth: Red, White and Black or Django Unchained. People still aren't ready to discuss race relations in America yet and it's sad.We've come so far yet we still have a long way to go.

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