| Jakeem Thunder | |
|---|---|
 Jakeem Thunder and Johnny Thunderbolt inJSA #80 (February 2006). Art by Alex Ross. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Cameo: The Flash (vol. 2) #134 (February 1998) Full appearance: JLA #26 (February 1999) |
| Created by | Grant Morrison (writer) Mark Millar (writer) Paul Ryan (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jakeem Johnny Williams |
| Species | Human |
| Team affiliations | Justice Society of America Justice League Teen Titans |
| Partnerships | Thunderbolt |
| Notable aliases | J.J. Thunder |
| Abilities |
|
Jakeem Thunder (Jakeem Johnny Williams), initially calledJ.J. Thunder, is a fictional character in theDC ComicsUniverse, a member of thesuperhero team theJustice Society of America.
The character appeared starting in the second season ofStargirl onThe CW network, portrayed by Alkoya Brunson.
Jakeem first appeared inThe Flash (vol. 2) #134 (February 1998), and was created byGrant Morrison,Mark Millar andPaul Ryan.[1]
Jakeem Johnny Williams is a precocious teenager fromKeystone City—home ofJay Garrick (the originalFlash) andWally West (one of Garrick's successors). Jakeem's mother left his father while she was still pregnant with the boy and later died of cancer. His aunt Lashawn was then granted custody and his father Phil, never knew (and still does not know) about his birth. Jakeem became a self-reliantlatchkey kid who grew up on the streets and adopted a tough, foul-mouthed attitude to survive.
WhenJohnny Thunder lost control over his "genie"Thunderbolt due to his declining mental health, he put the genie inside an ink pen, which Jay later gave to Jakeem.[2] He discovers the genie's powers while helping theJustice League andJustice Society fight the evil blue genie Lkz.[3]
Jakeem subsequently joins the Justice Society as a part-time member and befriends fellow memberCourtney Whitmore / Stargirl.[4][5][6]
During the battle with Grundy, theUltra-Humanite takes over Johnny Thunder's body to command the Thunderbolt's powers.[7] After Johnny is killed, Jakeem's genie fuses with him to save his life, creating a new being with the memories of both who is known asJohnny Thunderbolt.[8] With Johnny's help, Jakeem meets his biological father Phil, who is now an engineering student.[9]
During the "Infinite Crisis" storyline, theSpectre transports Jakeem to the Fifth Dimension, where he is controlled byQwsp and becomes a mad tyrant before the Justice Society free him.[10][11][12][13]
Following the events ofFlashpoint, Jakeem and the Justice Society are not present in the rebootedThe New 52 timeline, with the Justice League instead taking over as the world's first publicly-known superhero team.[14][15][16][17][18][19] This is later revealed to be the result ofDoctor Manhattan erasing them from history, withSuperman eventually convincing him to restore them.[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27]
Jakeem has the ability to summon and control a fifth-dimensionalgenie in the form of "Johnny Thunderbolt". The genie can fulfill any wish made by Jakeem, though he occasionally follows Jakeem's wishes too literally. The Thunderbolt's abilities have become limited due to certain limitations according to the new rules of theTenth Age of Magic.[28][29]
