Milk Carton Characters: Latin / Bicultural Edition

This second installment of what characters DC might choose to reintroduce with The Dawn of the DCU focuses on some Latin characters who've fallen by the wayside.

13-14. Yolanda Montez.  I know; there's really nobody I seem less likely to want back than Yolanda *hic* Montez, especially now that she's already back as the whingeing Catholic-guilt–crippled JSA member from television's Stargirl. I mean, really; ANOTHER woman in a skintight catsuit? Isn't THAT just what comics needs in 2022. BUT there are two reasons I want her back. First of all, Wildcat is funny, as in ridiculous-funny to make fun of.  

omg, I forgot she was a journalist.
A ROCKSTAR journalist.

Second, I still have a crush on Alex Montez, her brother, who could become a low-key heroic (or non-heroic, or anti-heroic) version of Eclipso again, and you can't have Alex Montez without Yolanda.

If he won't, Alex, PLEASE give me a call.

15.  Jose Delgado.  Do you remember him? He was around during "The Triangle Era" of Superman titles (the one that DC now hopes to recapture), when the supporting cast mattered.  He was kind of modern Wildcat: a boxer/MMA-type with a costumed crimefighting identity ("Gangbuster"). José Delgado actually was like what Robert Beltran imagined himself as being.  Obviously, Delgado couldn't be brought back as a romantic rival for Clark Kent.

OR COULD HE?!
No; no, he really couldn't.

But he could be something; he could certainly be Gangbuster again.

16-18.  The Brothers Ramon. Vibe (whether you call him "Paco" or "Cisco") is simply the sign of healthy DCU eco-system, of a healthy SOCIETY. And his brothers, Dante and Armando, go with him.  Since there are three of them, you could have your bizcocho mojadito and eat it, too.    

If Vibe had a sister, "Ruptura" would be a great codename.

You could have the revised 'modern' version of Vibe, you could have the classic breakdancing Vibe, and you could have the tech-savvy Vibe (or powerless Cisco) of The Flash tv show, all in one family. The potential for drama and comedy is all there.

19. El Dorado. Television's Young Justice did a clever revamp of this originally paper-thin Super Friends character, which could work in comics.  

"Ed Dorado" was a ... straightforward name choice.

He doesn't need his own title, or even to be IN a regular title. DC makes that mistake too often. He doesn't even need to do that much; he's a kid, not a professional hero.  Just acknowledge that he exists every once in a while in the Southwest.  

20. Bunker.  Bunker (Miguel Barragan) is so often cited as The Gay Teen Hero that's it's easy to forget he's The Mexican Teen Hero. 

Personally, I think of him as the Teen Hero with Freakishly Large Thighs.
Seriously, brah, are you AMRAPping those kneebucklers or what?

Sure, it's a bit awkward having a Mexican-American hero whose power is constructing walls, but you can't help your power set. Bunker's vivacious; stop shopping for new spices and use the ones you already have, DC (and I DON'T mean just trotting him out for a panel in your annual Pride issue).

21. René Ramirez. Yeah, I'm going there.  

As often as possible. Who wouldn't?

René Ramirez was the best character on all of Arrow, and no one's done anything else with the Wild Dog character for decades.  Put the René Ramirez version into comics (and give me a reason to read Green Arrow).

22. Lourdes Lucero. Encantadora (as she was known)!  She was a charming, fun, femme fatale.

Whose breasts defied the law of gravity and possibly unrelated local ordinances.

Superman deserves a low-key, mystical villain who's not out to kill people. So do we.

23. Before there was Bunker, there was... Hero Cruz.  His story is complicated, but basically: gay black latin teen with the H-dial.  

And a VERY early start on the daddy look.

There are lots of ways to introduce a swiss-army-knife hero without using the H Dial and, almost by definition, he'd be useful anyway and fit in anywhere.  DC could use some more utility players and an updated Hero Cruze would be a great choice.