Red Wolf: The Dead Indian Culture

At Marvel comics, the first Aboriginal superhero was Johnny Wakely, who was an army scout before he became a superhero, and when Johnny obtained his powers from a wolf spirit, he became Red Wolf. Red Wolf is usually seen shirtless, wearing fringe leather pants, and sports a wolf’s head on his head, however it is difficult to say if say if Red Wolf’s portrayal is seen as the Dead Indian, because of the historical setting of the comics. While Red Wolf is Cheyenne by blood, he was raised in a Anglo home and around the culture as well. In addition to being an army scout for the Anglo army, he is also “the last descendant for the Cheyenne’s warriors” (Horn 112). This internal conflict is not new to comic books, however it is the first time to be …show more content…
In response to this comment, Red Wolf replies in his mind, “I do not agree with my white father - the Indian is not a savage! But I shal not argue with him”. Red Wolf wants to educate his father about his people, , that they are not savages and do not act like one, however he is too afraid of confrontation, this might be because of his fear of not being accepted by his Anglo family. Treaties are also a common issue in today’s world. Years later after Red Wolf No.1 ,writer John Ostrander creates Blaze of Glory. In this series, Red Wolf does not wish to be accepted as before. Ostrander mentions in an interview “after seeing betrayal by betrayal of every treaty how could he decide otherwise?” (2007). When treaties are broken, it is the same as a married couple getting divorced, after multiple broken promises between the two parties how can Red Wolf try to reconcile the people who gave birth to him and the people who raised him? In light of the fact that Red Wolf can serve as a case study to Aboriginal culture and issues, with status and treaty promises, this offers optimism and validity in the representation of Aboriginals in comic