6. Red Wolf
Marvel ComicsMarvel's Executive Editorial Director, Ryan Penagos,
answered a question on his Tumblr the other day about Native American superheroes in the Marvel Universe, vis-à-vis are there actually any? Penagos did his best, bless him, and he certainly has an encyclopaedic knowledge of his company's obscure characters, as he rattled off former X-Men Thunderbird, Warpath, Dani Moonstar, but...well, they're not exactly the most popular characters. Heck, we're not even sure they're alive. They're also not the most sensitive portrayals of the Native American culture, either. The last time Marvel really went all in on a proper Native American character was Red Wolf, who first appeared in 1970's Avengers #80. William Talltrees was spurred into action by the murder of his family, adopting his native dress and battling superheroes in the American southwest. He got pushed aside a couple of years later in favour of a character with the same name and motif who had adventures in the old west and had the less exciting alter ego Johnny Wakely. Regardless of which Red Wolf was on the page, he was a total badass, relying solely on his training to fight the bad guys. He was also one of the few positive, ongoing examples of a Native American superhero. At least he was for the short run of his solo title, which lasted nine issues before being cancelled. Both Red Wolves have made only fleeting appearances in Marvel comics since, more's the pity.