Ethnically black characters have been featured in comic books since their inception, but they usually served small roles in the story and were often shown in a racist light. One of the most commonly cited examples is Ebony White from Will Eisner’s Spirit.
http://www.answers.com/topic/ebony-white
It was not until 1966 that Stan Lee created the first black superhero. Named the Black Panther, he was a vigilante like Batman, but unlike Batman, he had political immunity since he was the king of the fictional African country of Wakanda. (Actually, Eddie Murphy came from Zamunda.)
