Originally, Lemar Hoskins’ Battlestar went by a different name, which was changed after it was pointed it out it could be seen as a racial slur.
Marvel Comics changed the name of Captain America’s sidekick after a writer pointed out the racist meaning behind naming a Black character “Bucky.” When John Walker became the new Captain America, he was paired with Lemar Hoskins, an ally who had fought alongside him as part of the BUCkies. However, after acclaimed writer Dwayne McDuffie pointed out the harmful nature of naming a Black hero “Bucky,” Marvel changed Hoskin’s name to Battlestar.
John Walker is one of Marvel’s most infamous antiheroes, as the former Captain America originally debuted as the Super-Patriot. As part of the task force, he attempted to smear the original Cap’s public image, using the Bold Urban Commandos (BUCkies) to make the longtime hero an enemy in the eyes of the public. After Steve Rogers resigned his position as Captain America, John Walker was appointed by the government to wield the shield as the new patriotic hero. In doing so, he named one of his former BUCkies, Lemar Hoskins, his sidekick. However, Hoskin’s superhero moniker wasn’t appropriate and would later be confronted head-on in the series.
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