When black characters replace white ones, look out!

Green Lantern (John Stewart)- War Machine (Jim Rhodes)

At any particular time, you can count on that visitors to the DC comics message boards are complaining about which Green Lantern should be emphasized. In fact, seeing as comic book nerds are pioneers in the field of computer-enabled crying and bitching, the replacement of Kyle Rayner for Hal Jordan as Green Lantern set the nascent ‘Net aflame in the early ‘90s.

These days, there’s a fierce debate re: John Stewart taking Jordan’s spot in Justice League book on the boards. does African-American writer Dwayne McDuffie have a anti-white agenda, these absurd people wonder (http://dcboards.warnerbros.com/web/forum.jspa?forumID=29209048&start=15)? Their outrage is further fueled by the fact that Stewart took Jordan’s place in the animated Justice League Unlimited program, and that the rapper Common was mooted to play Stewart in the now aborted JLA film.

As for Rhodes, the character took Tony Stark’s place as Iron Man when the former succumbed to alcoholism in the early-mid ‘80s, has kicked around since and has been immortalized by Terence Howard in “the best reviewed super hero film ever.

Commonalities:
Both took over for the respective franchise’s primary characters in the 1980s, probably for the sake of diversity. And both have military backgrounds.

Differences:
Only that Stewart is an architect and a space cop, Rhodes isn't; so again, we cheat…

Alternate histories:

GL: John Stewart is a marine who brings Ferris Aircraft chairman Hal Jordan back to America shortly after Jordan escapes from hostile forces via his prototype “power ring.” Stewart is then employed as an architect at Ferris Aircraft and is one of Jordan’s most trusted aides. When Jordan becomes debilitated by alcoholism, Stewart assumes the role of Green Lantern alongside the west coast Justice League expansion team. Stewart then works alongside a recovered Jordan; becomes paranoid when the ring affects his thought processes; recovers and then takes over again when it appears that Jordan has died; and has since worked sporadically with Jordan and other operatives.

WM: Jim Rhodes is chosen by the Watchers as an alternate for Tony Stark, the main representative of the Nova Corps for Earth’s solar system. When Stark leaves the Corps for a time, Rhodes takes over; when Stark loses his mind and then becomes an ethereal spirit of vengeance, Rhodes and Richard Ryder divide his duties. Finally, Rhodes serves with a resurrected Stark as the dual representatives of the Nova Corps and as a member of the current lineup of the Avengers.