Research[Cre]Action

In the Blink of Darkness is a research-creation project that emerged from the Afrofuturism & the Black Superhero course, where Professor John Jennings challenged us to reimagine a hero from the public domain as a Black protagonist. Acknowledging that I am not a Black creator or researcher, I approached this creative provocation by exploring the Afrofuturist genre and the superhero archetype in sequential art. Additionally, I integrated artificial intelligence tools into the process, not only reimagining the classic superhero through an Afro-American lens but also critically engaging with the biases present in AI-generated content. Using platforms like ChatGPT for narrative development and MidJourney for visual representation, I wrote the script and characters while experimenting with these tools to explore how they could both enrich and challenge the creative process.

The narrative follows Captain Marcia Battle (a reimagined spin-off of the public domain character Captain Battle), an Afro-American military superhero, as she navigates the complex political and social landscape of El Darién, a region deeply impacted by its migration crisis and humanitarian struggles. She confronts the enigmatic Black Ink, an antagonist tied to a larger conspiracy within her agency, S.H.I.V. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Vanguard). The story delves into themes of power, identity, and representation, challenging traditional heroism and introducing social critiques of military and governmental structures.

One of the central themes of the project explores the migration and humanitarian crisis in El Darién through speculative fiction. It critically examines how large language models (LLMs) interpret and portray the people of this region based on my prompts, creating a reflective narrative process that challenges the inherent biases in AI-generated content. This not only shapes the narrative but also contributes to broader discussions on the intersection of technology, migration, and representation.

My exploration with AI tools adds another dimension to the project, serving both as a creative aid and a subject of critique. By engaging with the limitations and biases of these models, I explored how they reflect or distort racial representation in media. This hybrid approach allowed me to craft a multi-layered narrative that redefines the superhero genre while opening critical dialogues about technology, race, and storytelling.

Ultimately, In the Blink of Darkness serves as a provocative reimagining of superhero lore, offering both a celebration and a critique of the genre through an Afrofuturist lens. It also engages critically with AI tools that increasingly shape creative landscapes. The project will be developed using Twine and published as an illustrated narrative, available for free on Niebla Games' itch.io page, offering deeper insights into the research-creation process behind this experimental work.