| Black Lightning | |
|---|---|
.png) Textless cover ofBlack Lightning: Cold Dead Hands #1 (November 2017) Art byClayton Henry | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Black Lightning #1 (April 1977) |
| Created by | Jenny Blake Isabella withTrevor Von Eeden |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Jefferson Michael "Jeff" Pierce |
| Species | Metahuman |
| Team affiliations | Outsiders Justice League |
| Abilities |
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Black Lightning (Jefferson Michael "Jeff"Pierce) is asuperhero who appears inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. The character, created by writerJenny Blake Isabella with artistTrevor Von Eeden, first appeared inBlack Lightning #1 (April 1977), during theBronze Age of Comic Books.[1] Although his preciseorigin story has varied over the years, he is generally depicted as ametahuman superhero who uses the ability to generate and control electricity to defend his community – and the world – as Black Lightning. Although not the first black superhero to be featured in DC Comics stories, Black Lightning was DC's firstAfrican-American superhero to headline his own series.[2]
In his earliest stories, Black Lightning was depicted as a schoolteacher from the crime-riddenSuicide Slum area ofMetropolis who acquires electrical superpowers from a technologically advanced power belt that he put to use to clean up crime in his neighborhood. Over time, Pierce establishes himself as a successful superhero in theDC Universe, and later stories depict him as having "internalized" the belt's powers as a result of his latent metagene. Laterretellings of Black Lightning'sorigins simplified his story by depicting him as a metahuman with the inborn ability to manipulate and generate electricity. The character later went on to father two superhero daughters,Thunder andLightning, and work closely alongsideBatman as a founding member of theOutsiders superhero team.
DC originally commissioned Isabella to create its first black character following on from Isabella's successful work forMarvel Comics withLuke Cage. However, only 11 issues of the series were published before DC ran intofinancial trouble in 1978 which led them to cut back the majority of their titles. The character went on instead to be featured prominently in books likeJustice League of America in DC's new slimmed-down offering of titles, exposing him to more readers, with the character being remembered for providing critical perspective on established superheroes like Batman andSuperman. Early elements of the character were controversial, and later removed or toned down. For example, in early stories, he wore anafro wig and spoke in an exaggeratedHarlem jive vernacular to disguise his secret identity.
For many years, Black Lightning did not feature in media adaptations of DC Comics stories, with the similar characterBlack Vulcan being created for DC'sSuper Friends cartoon in the 1970s to avoid the series making royalty payments to Isabella.[3][4] Nevertheless, Black Lightning was clearly influential on other comic book writers, and "whether directly or indirectly," likely established the recognisedtrope of black superheroes commonly exhibit electricity-based superpowers,[5] including later original characters such asStatic.[3] The character has been adapted into various media, including animated television series, video games, and comic strips.Cress Williams portraysBlack Lightning in aself-titled series and theArrowverse seriesThe Flash andLegends of Tomorrow. Black Lightning had proven a popular character for DC and was ranked 85th overall onIGN's "Top 100 Comic Books Heroes" list in 2011.
In her blog, Isabella wrote that the character's background as a teacher at his former high school was inspired by the sitcomWelcome Back, Kotter. The superhero name "Black Lightning" originated from aWonder Woman cover displayed onJulius Schwartz's wall, in which she asks another superhero to "stop this black lightning before it splits that building in two". Isabella liked the reference to lightning and wrote: "The words 'black lightning' sounded cool to me in the era when so many movies included 'black' in their titles, so I decided that's what I would name my creation."[6]
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The original candidate for DC Comics' first headlining black superhero was a character called the Black Bomber, a white racist who would turn into a black superhero under stress.[7][8] Comics historianDon Markstein later described the character as "an insult to practically everybody with any point of view at all".[9][10] When the editor who had approved the Black Bomber left the company before the character had seen print, Jenny Blake Isabella (whose previous writing experience includedLuke Cage, a black Marvel Comics superhero with his own title) was asked to salvage the character. Isabella convinced editors to instead use her Black Lightning character, which she had been developing for some time.[11]
Isabella wrote the first 10 issues ofBlack Lightning (before handing it over toDennis O'Neil); Trevor Von Eeden designed the character's original costume, and drew the first 11 issues. Only one issue scripted by O'Neil came out before the series was canceled in 1978 as part of a general large-scale pruning of the company's superhero titles known as the DC Implosion. Issue #12 was published inCancelled Comic Cavalcade andWorld's Finest Comics #260.
Black Lightning made a number of guest appearances in various titles over the next few years, including a string of issues ofWorld's Finest Comics written by O'Neil, then shifted toDetective Comics and a two-part story inJustice League of America in which he declined an offer of membership. In 1983, with his powers restored, he regularly appeared again as a member of Batman's spinoff superhero team, the Outsiders. WhenThe Outsiders ended, he returned to making occasional guest appearances.
In 1995, a newBlack Lightning series began with art by Eddy Newell and again written by Jenny Blake Isabella,[12] who was fired after the eighth issue and replaced with Australian writerDave de Vries. The series was canceled five issues after Isabella left the title, the decision having been made before these issues had seen print. Isabella said she believes the editor replaced her with a newer writer to consolidate his position in the company.[13]
A "Black Lightning:Year One" six-issuelimited series, written byJen Van Meter and illustrated byCully Hamner[14] saw a bi-weekly release in 2009, and was nominated for twoGlyph Awards[15] in 2010.
As part ofthe New 52, a revamped version of Black Lightning appeared inDC Universe Presents that was paired with theBlue Devil.[16]
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Agold medal-winningOlympicdecathlete, Jefferson Michael Pierce returned to his old neighborhood in the Southside (Suicide Slum) section of the city ofMetropolis with his wife Lynn Stewart and his daughterAnissa to become theprincipal of GarfieldHigh School. Southside, as it was once known, was where his father—renownedjournalist Alvin Pierce—had been murdered. Guilt over this event was a factor in his decision to leave the city of Metropolis. Suicide Slum was being torn apart by a localorganized criminal gang calledthe 100, shady corporations, and crooked local politicians likeTobias Whale. A family friend and tailor,Peter Gambi, had taught a much younger Jefferson how to suppress his inbornmetahuman abilities so that he would not accidentally hurt any of the people he cared about.[17] Upon his return, Gambi suggested to Jefferson that he should use his powers to help the neighborhood, and refers him to a plaque with the paraphrasedMilo Sweetman quote "Justice, like lightning, should ever appear to some men hope, to other men fear". (The original text of which was "Justice, like lightning, ever should appear to few men's ruin, but to all men's fear. Of mortal justice if thou scorn the rod, believe and tremble, thou art judged of God".) Appalled by the public murder of his student Earl Clifford, Pierce tried to intervene on behalf of the schoolchildren but quickly learned that the 100 objected violently to any interference. Pierce adopts the costumed identity "Black Lightning" where he had the costume, mask, and wig made by Gambi.[18][19]
Years later, he would tell fellow African-American superheroMister Terrific that he chose the name Black Lightning because he "was the only one of us around" at the time, and he "wanted to make sure everyone knew who they were dealing with."[20]
After his own series was cancelled, Black Lightning lost his electrical powers, but continued fighting without them. The loss eventually turned out to bepsychosomatic, a symptom of a crisis of confidence resulting from the accidental death of a female bystander named Trina Shelton during an altercation between Black Lightning and some gun-wielding thugs.[21] Batman, wanting to recruit him to rescueLucius Fox inMarkovia, helped him regain his powers; this eventually led him to join Batman's team, the Outsiders.[22][18] During his time with the Outsiders, a group of villains called theMasters of Disaster captured Black Lightning at the behest of the parents of Trina Shelton to avenge the death of their daughter;[23] however, upon learning that he still regretted what happened and was willing to be executed by them, they risked their lives to save him.[24] InInvasion!, theDominators detonated a Gene-Bomb that wreaked havoc with anyone possessing themetagene by making them lose control of their powers.[25] After the breakup of the Outsiders, Black Lightning moved to Brick City to continue his solo career.[26]
WhenLex Luthor was electedPresident of the United States in 2000, he appointed Jefferson Pierce asSecretary of Education,[27] with Pierce accepting as he concluded that he could do more good working within the system than outside it.[18] He resigned amidst controversy over his "worst-kept secret in Washington" identity as Black Lightning and his alleged inadvertent killing of a criminally-minded corporateCEO, for which PresidentPete Ross (who had since succeeded Luthor) then pardoned him.
Making frequentguest appearances in several DC series, Pierce has appeared inGreen Arrow (who had a one-night stand with his niece, a successful attorney named Joanna Pierce). Pierce helped theGreen Arrow track downDr. Light in theGreen Arrow "Heading into the Light" story arc. He also appeared in the newOutsiders, of which his daughter, Anissa (using the aliasThunder), is a member. He came to fight the newSabbac and help his daughter alongsideCaptain Marvel Jr. and the Outsiders. He had on an outfit that mixed his second outfit with the colors of the first. After teaming up with the Outsiders, incoming PresidentPete Ross asked him to resign as Secretary of Education, which he did.
At some point prior to his resignation, Pierce used his pull in Washington to deny the gangsterHolocaust a permit to build a casino on Paris Island in Dakota. This would come back to haunt Pierce sometime later when the enraged Holocaust attacked him while he was giving the graduation speech atErnest Hemingway High School.[28]
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In issue #5 of theInfinite Crisis storyline, it was shown that Black Lightning was one of the eight peopleBatman had considered to aid him in destroying theBrother Eye satellite, which controlled theOMACs.Booster Gold, who was not on the list of eight, but knew about the candidates from his knowledge of the future, contacted Lightning before Batman did, as historical data from the future had shown who had aided Batman. Lightning accepted, arriving at the Batcave to await orders. He then forged an uneasy yet effective alliance withMister Terrific, combining their powers of electrical manipulation and invisibility technology to strike at Brother Eye from the inside.
After thethird Secret Society of Super Villains was formed, Black Lightning began using his status asLex Luthor's former Secretary of Education to gain information from supervillains.[29]
InOutsiders vol. 3 #45, it was revealed that three years have passed since Jefferson's niece Joanna Pierce was murdered and that, upon initially learning of her death, Jefferson went after the corrupt businessman Martin Somers, the man who was responsible. He had intended to wound Somers with his lightning shot, but apparently ended up killing him. Jefferson turned himself in to the authorities. However, it is revealed thatDeathstroke was responsible for Somers' death by firing a dart of toxin to Somers moments before Jefferson shot his lightning. Hence, he was dead before he hit the ground.Jason Todd discovered the truth while eavesdropping on the assassin's conversation withLex Luthor (who was reallyAlexander Luthor Jr. in disguise) and contactedNightwing with this information. When Nightwing and Anissa told Jefferson of this in prison, he disbelieved it and intended to pay for Somers' death. Anissa herself intended to break her father out ofIron Heights Prison. Upon learning from Todd that other inmates were about to carry out a contract hit on Pierce (whose identity as an inmate had leaked to unknown parties), the Outsiders resolved to assist her. They freed him from jail and, with the audio recording of Deathstroke's conversation, cleared his name.
Years ago, theGreen Arrow brought Black Lightning to the attention of theJustice League of America, who extended an offer of membership to Black Lightning. He turned down the offer, preferring to work as a loner and focus on street-level crime, though he did offer to become a reservist.[30] Years later, when all of the JLA reservists were called in to fight a newly revived Amazo, Black Lighting was one of the heroes called, confirming that the League had accepted his offer. Black Lightning joins the JLA, once again appearing with a modified costume.[18] He appears to be primarily based inWashington, D.C. again. Black Lightning assists the JLA with intelligence gathered from the criminal community. Many supervillains still believe he is working with Lex Luthor and are thus willing to cooperate with him. Jefferson also helps the team in a battle againstAmazo. He was the first member of the League to respond to the recent attacks made by theAmazons ofThemyscira, and he also saved the President of the United States in this event.
Black Lightning was the focus of the one-shot issueFinal Crisis: Submit, in which he helpedTattooed Man and his family escape at the cost of his own freedom. He is subsequently shown in issue #4 ofFinal Crisis underDarkseid's thrall.
Alfred Pennyworth recruits Black Lightning into a new version of the Outsiders following an attack bySimon Hurt which left Thunder comatose. Unlike previous iterations of the team, these Outsiders must live "off the grid" and stay out of contact with friends and family for months at a time. It is confirmed that, due to this new commitment, Black Lightning has left the Justice League.[31]
In DC's 2011 reboot of its continuity,The New 52, Black Lightning comes into conflict withBlue Devil over their confrontation ofTobias Whale's crime wave.[32] He later made an appearance as a possible recruit for the Justice League.[33]
Black Lightning appeared inDC Rebirth in Detective Comics, and from there spun out into the seriesBatman & theOutsiders. Jenny Blake Isabella, the creator of Black Lightning, rebooted the character in a 2017 miniseries.[citation needed]
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Originally, Black Lightning had no innate powers, using a belt that allowed him to generate aforce field and project electrical bolts.[34] He was later retconned to be ametahuman.[35]
Black Lightning can produce a vast amount ofbioelectricity he can channel against his opponents to a variety of effects, from stunning to killing. With more effort, he can control the electromagnetic force-field generated by his power to use it as shield against incoming attacks and to ionise objects to throw them to enemies.
Having been a trained athlete and won three gold olympic medals.[36] Raised on the "streets" Black Lightning was already a formidable hand to hand combatant but having experience as a superhero and training with the Batman he has become a formidable martial artist ranking among the best in the DC universe.
Jefferson has had two daughters by his ex-wife Lynn Stewart, both of whom have followed in his footsteps and become superheroes. His oldest daughter,Anissa Pierce, has taken on the code name "Thunder" and served on an incarnation of his team theOutsiders.[37] His 16-year-old, younger daughterJennifer Pierce, was recruited by theJustice Society of America under the code name "Lightning".[38] A version of Lightning first appeared inKingdom Come, a 1996 miniseries published by DC Comics.
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Black Lightning's rogues' gallery consists of:
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IGN listed Black Lightning as the 85th greatest comic book hero of all time, describing him as a "true hero and a born badass who has earned his spot on the Justice League".[73]
How did you come up with the character of Black Lightning? What was he intended to be? Describe the character as you created him." "That's a long story, which has been told many times. The short version is that I'd been working toward creating a new black super-hero who would be an iconic role model. The other characters I'd written along the way were stepping stones to Black Lightning. I created Jefferson Pierce to be a reluctant warrior, a man of many extraordinary talents who would hear the call of his community and respond to it, even at great cost to his personal happiness. When DC Comics planned to publish a black hero who was actually a white racist, I talked them into dumping that character and going with my creation instead.
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