Marvel meets Orishas: Transforming African gods into superheroes

Brazilian illustrator Hugo Canuto turned Yoruba African gods into western superheroes.

Brazilian illustrator Hugo Canuto combined his passion for comics and his fascination with Nigerian Yoruba mythology to create African god superheroes. Replacing American superheroes are equally capable black-skinned African gods found in Nigeria and Benin’s Yoruba mythology.

Canuto first reimagined the classic #4 Avengers cover without the famous characters and instead with Orishas (Orixas in Portuguese), the deities of modern-day Afro-Brazilian religions, which trace their origins back to Nigeria and Benin. He named his spinoff “The Orixas”, deliberately mixing English and Portuguese.

Canuto released his spinoff in honour of what would have been comic mastermind, Jack Kirby’s 99th birthday.

See some of his covers below. 

The Orishas Hugo Canuto 

The Orishas by Hugo Canuto 

The Orishas by Hugo Canuto 

The Orishas by Hugo Canuto 

The Orishas by Hugo Canuto 

The Orishas by Hugo Canuto