Netflix’sSupacellhas stamped itself as a gritty superhero drama that is unapologetically South London. In these ways, it stands out among its cohort of mostly white superhero series that come primarily from the lens of American idealism. In addition, it achieves another feat that should not be overlooked:its sci-fi logic isso sound. “Supacell” is a play on “sickle cell,” an inherited blood disorder that primarily affects people of African or Caribbean descent, according toNHS. The show hints at and then eventually reveals that every character with powers has or had a parent who has sickle cell disease — which also explains why everyone with powers is Black.
Ray, the main villain ofSupacellSeason 1, sums it up:
“At least one of your parents has sickle cell, or they both had the trait. And supacell is a mutation of sickle cell. It’s very rare, and even if you have it, it can lay dormant in your body forever. But it can also awaken given the right conditions. Close proximity with another activated supacell is most common.”
Is the Portrayal of Sickle Cell Disease in Supacell Accurate?
As much asSupacellseeks to empower folks affected by sickle cell disease, it doesn’t make light of it either. Early on in the series, we’re introduced to Michael’s mom when he’s in the midst of trying to talk her into a specialty sickle cell disease facility. The facility’s aim is to cut down the blood transfusion process, a standard procedure, because the disorder affects a person’s red blood cells. She hesitates, not for lack of faith, but rather for the cost. This reflects the very legitimate reality for most sickle cell disease patients. Even though there are numerous treatments, if someone’s pain inhibits their ability to hold down a job — or even if it doesn’t — how are they expected to pay for, say, a drug that costs 6,000 pounds a month?
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We also see a glimpse of how the disorder manifests itself when Michael’s mom has what’s known as a pain crisis. According to theMayo Clinic, those affected by sickle cell disease experience the following during a crisis:
“Pain develops when sickle-shaped red blood cells block blood flow through tiny blood vessels to the chest, abdomen and joints.
The pain varies in intensity and can last for a few hours to a few days. Some people have only a few pain crises a year. Others have a dozen or more a year. A severe pain crisis requires a hospital stay.
Some people with sickle cell anemia also have chronic pain from bone and joint damage, ulcers…”
We don’t just see aspects of the disorder reflected in the characters who have it, either. Clever signs are woven into the waythe superheroes' powersmanifest, too.
How Does Sickle Cell Disease Make an Appearance Among the Superheroes?
Make no mistake —the choices made when it came to theSupacellsuperpowers were deliberate.Supacellwriter/creator Rapman cleared the air about this in an interview withRadioTimes, venting about the fact that other superhero shows and movies “don’t even mention” where the powers come from. Some straight-up take ahighly unscientific approach. In contrast, everything inSupacellfrom when the supacell gene was first activated was thought over.
See, things like physical or psychological stress can trigger a pain crisis in someone with sickle cell disease. Those same triggers activate the supacell heroes' powers, too. When Sabrina needs to defend her sister from the predator outside the nightclub, her powers switch on. When Andre sees his balance at the ATM, his powers switch on. Eventually, they learn tocontrol their powersat will. But in the burgeoning stages, it’s clear that physically or psychologically stressful events trigger them.
Another tie-in is when the heroes' eyes glow a yellowish color. This probably comes from the fact that when a sickle cell person is ill or about to have a crisis, their eyes turn yellow, too. Lastly,Jasmine’s healing powers have a real-life equivalent. While merely touching an afflicted relative isn’t enough to cure them of sickle cell disease, donating your bone marrow to them can.
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Rapman already has ideas for the direction he wants to takeSupacellSeason 2. And, given the success of the first season, it’s highly likely he’ll get to. Until then, Season 1 serves as a fairly true-to-life, hard sci-fi representation of a disorder that affects more than 20 million people worldwide.You can streamSupacellnow onNetflix.
