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Vathlo Island is a fictional location on the planet of Krypton in the DC Comics universe.
Publication history
In issue #234 of Superman (February 1971), the first apparently dark-skinned Kryptonian was featured, and described as being employed at "Vathlo Station", but the origin of this previously unseen Kryptonian ethnicity otherwise went uncommented on.[2]
Half a year later, in Superman #239 (June 1971), a panel drawn by artist Sal Amendola described a "Vathlo Island" in the "Old World" hemisphere of Krypton as being populated by a "highly developed black race".[2]
DC generally lagged behind its competitor Marvel Comics, and Superman comics generally more so than other DC titles, in depicting characters of color,[2] and there were few previous appearances of black characters in the series, mostly stereotypical "natives".[3] It is unknown who exactly was responsible for introducing these first nonwhite races to Krypton's demographic makeup, but Mark Waid has speculated that it was E. Nelson Bridwell, editorial assistant on the Superman books at the time.[4] The commentary on the Vathlorians being "highly developed" (as if it were peculiar and noteworthy that people with dark skin might be developed) is generally seen by modern commentators as being well-intended but "cringeworthy".[5]
Other commentators have noted that the creation of Vathlo Island inspired a whole host of other questions, such as 'If there are black Kryptonians, why are they so seldom seen, and why do they appear to live only on one island?' Gizmodo noted that a Krypton structured this way seems "segregated as hell",[6] while Gene Demby observed that this was an example of "segregation in everything".[7]
Vathlo was rarely if ever referenced beyond these few issues, although a black Kryptonian named "Iph-Ro of Vathlo" appeared in the more recent Superman: The Man of Steel #111.[8] An offhand reference to the island was made in Alan Moore's story "For the Man Who Has Everything", where "racial trouble with the Vathlo Island immigrants" are mentioned in a dream-world Krypton that had avoided destruction. It is believed, based on the appearances of black Kryptonians in recent Superman issues, that the Vathlonians eventually were integrated into Krypton proper, although there has been no canonical statement about this from DC Comics.[9]
In Final Crisis #7 a black version of Superman is shown to reside on the alternate universe of Earth-23. This Superman, whose given name is Kalel but adopts the human alias of Calvin Ellis, is shown to originate from Vathlo Island of his reality's Krypton.[11]
In other media
While the island itself did not appear and was not referenced in the television series Smallville, African-looking/dark-skinned Kryptonians have been featured. One was a disciple of Zod, who goes by the name Nam-Ek (portrayed by Leonard Roberts). Another was named Basqat (played by Adrian Holmes).
Dark-skinned Kryptonians have also appeared in the SyFy television series Krypton, including Lyta-Zod, one of the series' main characters, and General Zod himself. In this version, Vathlo Island is not mentioned.
References
^Mark Schultz (2001-04). Superman: The Man of Steel #111 (April 2001).
^Brady, Matt (2009-01-06). "Supermen of Color: The Non-White Kryptonians". newsarama.com. Newsarama. Archived from the original on 22 July 2013. Retrieved 2019-08-31. I cringe to tell you this [says DC writer Mark Waid], but the Kryptonians of Color were all on 'Vathlo Island, Home of a Highly Advanced Black Race'. It wasn't until the mid-70s, when more 'World of Krypton' back-up stories ran more regularly, that we really saw any ethnicity whatsoever on the planet.
^Pulliam-Moore, Charles (2021-04-12). "A Brief History of DC Comics' Black Supermen". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2021-07-20. Unexamined as Vathlo's existence has gone for the bulk of DC Comics' history, its creation immediately raised a number of questions about Kryptonian society that Superman comics, and much of the fandom, have never been particularly keen on asking. By presenting Vathlo as an island full of Black Kryptonians without explaining what they were doing there, Giant Superman made it impossible not to regard it as being a reflection of our reality's history of racial segregation, even if that wasn't DC's express intent.
^Morrison, Grant; Ha, Gene; Lyon, Art; Brosseau, Pat (July 2012). Idelson, Matt; Moss, Wil (eds.). "The Curse of Superman". Action Comics (Comic). Vol. 2, no. 9. DC Comics (published 2012-05-02). Their world was called Krypton, and greatest of all its mighty cities was the science-capital Jandra-La on Valtho Island in the Green Danahu Ocean. It was there, as the planet was ripped apart...that two desperate young scientists named Jorel and Lara performed their last, most daring experiment together. Unable to save themselves from Krypton's apocalypse, they placed their only son, Kalel, in a prototype rocket and shot him across the empty gulfs of space... Now, disguised as United States President Calvin Ellis, Kalel of Krypton fights a never-ending battle for Truth, Justice, Liberty and Equality as... SUPERMAN.((cite magazine)): CS1 maint: date and year (link)
