NuPerspective Black History Month: Rocket

Rocket reference from her comic book appearance. Not sure on the artists 

With February being Black History Month, I have decided to re-release the characters posted from last year's Nu-Perspective column as a character a day. What IS Nu-Perspective you ask? Well, it's a bi-weekly column  I started with my writing collaborator Fabian Wood with the purpose of revamping and updating different underdeveloped, underutilized and all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) comic book and pop culture characters.
 
With this repost, you get the same full bio, art and our storyline concept, but also some behind the scenes thoughts on how and why Fabian and I went about doing what we did.

Last February's was Black Panther, and with March brought International Woman’s Day, so we revamped “ROCKET”, from the Milestone Universe. This former sidekick to Icon gets the Nu-Perspective below.

Nu-Perspective design by Shawn Alleyne

Real Name: Raquel Ervin

Current Alias: Rocket

Identity: Secret Identity

Occupation: Counselor

Place of Birth: Paris Island, Dakota City

Base of Operations: Dakota City

Affiliations: Icon, various Bang Babies

First Appearance: Icon 1 May 1993

Original Creators: Dwayne McDuffie, Dennis Cowan

Story: After a chance meeting with Augustus Freeman IV, (a super powered alien disguised as a human) Raquel Ervin convinced Augustus to become the superhero Icon, and to take her on as his sidekick, Rocket. Soon after she started her career as Rocket she discovered that she was pregnant. The combination of this, and Icon’s departure from Earth, led Raquel to temporarily surrender the identity of Rocket to a friend. Raquel continued to provide guidance to her replacement even after her son was born, but she was soon forced to re-assume the identity of Rocket once again. Soon after Raquel again went on a hiatus to continue to raise her son Amistad and provide a better life for him. But after a new Bang Baby epidemic, people with powers became society’s new scapegoat. With no one to defend them, and tensions rising with a new anti-powers legislation infringing on their human rights, Raquel took it upon herself one more time to fight for social justice and the new disenfranchised of Dakota. Though she runs the risk of endangering her civil identity and the family she is trying to raise, she has reached out to a new generation of Bang Babies as well as old acquaintances for help; because if there’s one thing Ervin knows about its inspiring others and making a difference.
Powers: All of Rocket's superhuman powers derive from her inertia belt. By using her belt, Rocket can manipulate kinetic energy, granting her some super strength, flight and a kinetic force field. Rocket can also use kinetic energy to increase the force with which she hurls an object, turning it into a dangerous projectile. This ability is limited to objects which she can lift and toss with her normal strength. By releasing her store kinetic energy in focus beams, Rocket can project powerful energy blasts from her hands. The belt’s functionality however has no effect on non-kinetic energy such as fire, gas or electricity. In addition, while a bullet may not penetrate her force field, slow or indirect close-range attacks or blade weapons, which have low kinetic energy, do not trigger the belt. As such, her actual costume has a special light-weight, Nomex-Kevlar bi-weave protective design. Rocket can also encapsulate foes in an “inertialess field” rendering them immobile.
Physical Abilities: Rocket is a voracious reader and a gifted writer. A former high school gymnast, she is very agile and has quick reflexes. Since her time as Rocket, Raquel has formally trained in karate and earned a black-belt.
Paraphernalia/Weapons: An inertia winder installed in her belt buckle derived from one of two from Icon's escape space pod.

Design sketch 

 

What do you like most about the original character and now the revamp? - I didn't know much about the old character but I was intrigued by the fact that the company had the stones to make her a single mom. That was a totally untapped story element in comics. And taboo.
With the revamp I love how we've elevated her from a sidekick to a force of her own.

 

What made you choose this character?- Rocket is vastly underappreciated in the comic book world. I'm not sure if most fans know of her. I felt she deserved the spotlight.

What was the creative process like for this character?- With each character Fabian usually sends me a few concepts, unless I have a basic idea first. If there are several good ones I choose my fav, adding extra elements if something missing pops out. Taking those thoughts I start to sketch and base the character's look after the important aspects of the character and what needs to be reflected. 

Did the character pose a challenge to update and if so what was the hardest part of the redesign?- The hardest thing for me was how do I keep the fast, youthful tough, ball of energy vibe, and make her a powerful looking woman who thinks more and isn't as impulsive at the same time.

In regards to the story aspect of the update, what was your main inspiration for the direction?- The main thing I wanted to drive home story-wise was that this is now a serious woman who can stand toe-to-toe with the big dogs. 

In hindsight is there anything you would do differently now?- Nah

Is there something in particular you want to point out?- Check out the nod to Icon in her chest piece.

Did this character resonate with you in anyway?- This character strongly resonated with me cause I thought of my own mom and the struggles she went through raising two boys. Now, she wasn't completely alone, he was around..but my mom raised me. She's a strong, supportive, loving woman and I wanted to do Rocket justice. 

What was the most fun part to redesign?- I based the entire costume around the belt. lol

Fine Print: Nu-Perspective is a column focused on revamps and updates of various underdeveloped, underutilized and all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) characters specifically. We aim to showcase these chosen characters in fresh, contemporary and exciting ways both visually and story-wise to show just how awesome they can truly be. All characters are copyrights and trademarks of the respective publishers and creators. This column is used solely for artistic enjoyment.