What Is Sickle Cell Disease? Supacell's Superpower Origins Explained

Summary Netflix's Supacell is an unconventional superhero series focusing on a group of young black people in London who discover latent powers – yet while much of the story is fantastical, a key plot element, sickle cell disease, is very much grounded in reality. Created by Rapman, the show has been acclaimed for its thrilling story and powerful social commentary.

Sickle Cell Disease Is An Inherited Blood Disorder That Disproportionally Affects Black People It's A Debilitating Condition That Can Have Devastating Consequences In real life, sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that impacts hemoglobin – a substance that helps the blood transport oxygen around the body. Ordinarily, red blood cells are circular with a partial indentation at the center – a shape that allows them to pass through the body's blood vessels smoothly.

"For parents who are each carriers of a sickle cell gene, there is a 1 in 4, or a 25 % chance of having a child with sickle cell disease." Supacell's Heroes Are All Children Of People With Sickle Cell Disease It's A Medical History That Creates An Important Connection Close Although it's not initially clear where the group's powers come from in Supacell, it soon transpires that each of them has a connection to sickle cell disease. In every case, one of the individuals with powers has a parent who had sickle cell disease, with a mutation in their own blood producing extraordinary gifts.

Supacell Is A Mutation Of Sickle Cell In Netflix's TV Show It's Sparked By The Real Disease Initially, Supacell is somewhat hazy on the details of how each individual develops their powers. However, an explanation does arrive, courtesy of the show's main villain – Eddie Marsan's Ray. As Ray explains in the show:

Why Only Black People Have Powers In Supacell It Sets The Show Apart Close On one level, Supacell's sickle cell origin story makes black characters the most obvious stars of the superhero series. Since, in real life, sickle cell is a major concern in the black community in a way that it isn't necessarily among other ethnic groups, it would be deeply strange to base a superhero series around sickle cell, only to cast white actors in lead roles.

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