Marvel's first Latina writer is a legit superhero
Iron Man's got nothing on Gabby Rivera.
The origin story? A few years back, the Bronx-raised author made history as Marvel's first Latina comic book writer. Rivera was tasked with penning a solo series for America Chavez, also known as Miss America — one of the few LGBTQ heroes to grace the Marvel universe (so far!).
Reflecting on the accomplishment with In The Know, Rivera called it a "beautiful and tremendous moment" in her life: "It was the universe being like, 'You deserve to be here. You are majestic.'"
Rivera took the stage at the 2020 MAKERS Conference, where she delivered an affecting talk on identity and representation. She also introduced the audience to her latest characters, Juliet Palante and B.B. Free.
"Hell yeah, I put myself into my work!" she told In The Know. "Who else is putting people like me in anything?"
A post shared by Gabby Rivera (@quirkyrican) on Oct 3, 2019 at 10:52am PDT
"I wanna create new narratives for kids of color, for Latino kids everywhere," she said. "And to know that it's okay to be themselves."
Those messages of self-acceptance and empowerment, Rivera said, are central to her stories.
Rivera advocates for "people of all sorts of identities being given the same opportunities," she said. "I want them to feel loved and valued and that they have a right to daydream."
Watch more with Rivera in the video above.
If you liked this story, you might like this interview with Asian-American activist and model Chella Man.
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