July 4th is Independence Day for the United States of America, but July 1st is the anniversary of the Constitution Act of 1867 that consolidated the three territories of Canada, and turned them into a single nation.
This act and anniversary has been celebrated ever since, and honors Canada’s rich history while looking toward the future of the nation. It is normal for people to celebrate the holiday, not unlike the 4th of July, with parades, fireworks, and community events.
In celebration of the holiday, we want to talk about some of the most impressive and important Canadian Heroes of comic books.
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Nelvana of the Northern Lights Created by Adrian Dingle Triumph-Adventure Comics #1 (1941) Nelvana of the Northern Lights, from Hillborough Studios, is a Canadian comic book character, and the first Canadian female superhero. She is also one of the first female superheroes, and even debuted before Wonder Woman! Nelvana’s superpowers included turning invisible and traveling at the speed of light along a ray of the Northern Lights. In 1995 the Canada Post issued a series of stamps called “Comic Book Superheroes” and included Nelvana alongside Superman, Johnny Canuck, Captain Canuck and Fleur de Lys. |
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Captain Canuck Created by Ron Leishman and Richard Comely Captain Canuck #1 (1975) Captain Canuck is a Canadian comic book superhero. This was the first successful Canadian comic book since the collapse of the nation’s comic book industry after World War II. The series was published by Comely Comix and Tom Evans, a Canadian secret agent who gained superhuman strength as a result of extraterrestrials. It only ran three issues in 1976 but then returned in 1979 for 11 more issues. |
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The Wolverine Created by Len Wein, John Romita Sr., and Herb Trimpe The Incredible Hulk #181 (1974) While comic #180 was his first appearance, it was a teaser for issue #181. The original character was not meant to be a major Marvel character, and was ambiguous, only allowing the readers to know he was a superhuman agent for the Canadian government. After fan response, the character returned and focused further on his adamantium skeleton, healing factor, and combat prowess. Now, Wolverine is the most famous Canadian hero and a cornerstone of Marvel’s platform. |
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Super Shamou Created by Barney Pattunguyak and Peter Tapatai Super Shamou #1 (1989) Originally created as a short films produced by the Inuit Broadcasting Corporation in 1987, 150 episodes were filmed, only three made the air. It was later released as a comic book created by Nick Burns. The comic was printed in both French and English versions which also included an Inuktitut translation. Super Shamou was a mild-mannered Inuk man named Peter who was awoken one night by a spirit who provided him with a necklace that granted super powers to protect the Arctic. Super Shamou was created by two Inuk artists, and as such was loved among the Inuit and seen as a credible Inuit representation within comic books. |
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Deadpool Created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza The New Mutants #98 (1991) Created as a new villain and foil for The New Mutants, Deadpool was then further integrated into the world of Marvel Comics by making him an earlier flawed project from the famed Weapon X program that spawned Wolverine’s adamentium skeleton. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza the character was not a traditional hero, but has grown into a rather well loved Canadian anti-hero. |
Who are your favorite Canadian super heroes?
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