A color image forming apparatus has developing unit, an image bearing member capable of bearing thereon toner images of plural colors formed by the developing unit, a rotatable intermediate transferring member, transferring unit for transferring the toner images of plural colors on the image bearing member to the intermediate transferring member at a first transferring position in electrostatically superposed relationship with one another, and a charger for charging any residual toner remaining on the intermediate transferring member after the toner images on the intermediate transferring member transferred by the transferring unit have been transferred to a transfer material at a second transferring position to a polarity opposite to the regular charging polarity of the toners in the developing unit. Simultaneously with the next toner image on the image bearing member being transferred to the intermediate transferring member at the first transferring position by the transferring unit, the residual toner charged by the charger is transferred to the image bearing member at the first transferring position by the transferring unit, and the first toner image transferred from the image bearing member to the intermediate transferring member at the first transferring position by the transferring unit is a black toner image.