15 Comic Book 'Firsts' You Didn't Know
4. Green Turtle - First Asian Superhero
The Green Hornet sidekick, Kato, became hugely popular in the 1960s after he was portrayed by the legendary Bruce Lee. But when Kato debuted in the 1936 radio show of Green Hornet, he was nothing more than a racist stereotype. One writer called Chu F. Hing was sick and tired of Asians being depicted this way and decided to create a Chinese superhero in response.
When he made his pitch to his publisher, Hing was told there was no market for superheroes in the Asian community. Instead of accepting defeat, Hing created a Chinese superhero but didn't mention his race or show his face in the comic. His creation, the Green Turtle, debuted in Blaze Comics #1 in 1941, making him the first Asian superhero in comic history.
Similar to Batman, the Green Turtle had no powers and relied on his martial art skills and weaponry to thwart criminals. He allied with his sidekick, Burma Boy, who Green Turtle rescued from being executed.
Unfortunately, Green Turtle's original run only lasted for five issues. He did make a handful of appearances over the years - including a reboot in 2014 - but never became popular.