Black Superheroes: Lightning

I don't know why she's naked in her powered form
Seems kind of weird for a teen hero

Name: Jennifer Pierce

First Appearance: Kingdom Come #1 (1996); Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #12 (2008)

History: Jennifer Piece is the youngest daughter of the legendary protector of the Suicide Slum, Black Lightning. As with her older sister Anissa, she was born with a dormant metagene that emerged in her adolescence. Despite this, Black Lightning made it clear that he would not allow either of his children to follow in his footsteps as a hero. Where Anissa gained to ability to control her density, Jennifer instead gained powers similar to their father; the ability to generate and control electricity. In addition she gained the power to fly and to generate an electric aura that came in the form of a golden and spiky appearance. The day she graduated college Anissa, defied their father and became the hero known as Thunder. Over the next few years Black Lightning watched his oldest daughter struggle to find her footing without his help and it made him second guess his decision. With Jennifer, who was having a hard time controlling her abilities, he decided to take the opposite route and make sure she was trained properly in the use of her powers and in fighting crime. To that end he had Jennifer join the Justice Society of America so that they they could give her the mentorship she needed. Soon after she became known as “Lightning.”

Beta Says: If she, along with her sister, hadn’t appeared in the CW Black Lightning show a few years back I’d be certain that Jennifer would be forgotten. In the comics it has been quite a long while since we’ve seen the second daughter of Jefferson Pierce. Hell, the last time we saw was I think at least two reboots ago, so I’m not even sure if she still exists in the current DC continuity. I would say that she is a whole category below Thunder in relevance in the DC Comics, which is a bit annoying considering she debuted with a bit of hype. It’s interesting that she fell in the background, as Jennifer is actually a much older character than you’d think, because the character actually debuted twelve years earlier in the fantastic and historically relevant miniseries Kingdom Come. Sort of.   I shall explain.

 More on the golden child of the Black Lightning clan after the jump.

Black Superheroes: Thunder

Thunder subscribes the "Black Canary Method" of secret identities
"Wear a blonde wig and hope for the best"

Name: Anissa Pierce

First Appearance: Outsiders #1 (2003)

History: Anissa Pierce is the oldest daughter of Jefferson Pierce, known throughout the world as the (Then retired) superhero Black Lightning.  As a kid her family discovered that she had inherited her father’s metagene which allowed her to increase her density.  Elated the young girl wished to follow in her father’s footsteps but he forbade it.  She made a compromise with her parents that she wouldn’t even think about such things until she finished college.  Years later, the very same day she earned a Pre-Med bachelor’s degree and walked the stage, twenty-two year old Anissa Pierce put on a costume and a wig and proceeded to start fighting crime.  Despite Jefferson's extremely vocal protest Anissa sets out to do what she feels she was born to do, taking the name “Thunder” to honor her father…even if he is against her decision.  She is immediately recruited by Arsenal to join his new version of The Outsiders.

Beta Says: Thunder is the youngest character to appear in this series of blogs, both in real life and in-comic.  Created by Judd Winick and Tom Raney in 2003 Anissa was one of several new or relatively new characters created for DC Comic’s newest incarnation of the Outsiders, likely created as sort of throwback to her father (Black Lightning was a co-founder of the original team).  Thunder has one major thing going for her, and in greater abundance than every other character I’ve talked about: potential.  She’s such a young person (No older than 24 at this point, I’d wager) and she’s been so underused that the sky is the limit for a bold writer who is willing to give her a chance.  She’s not a blank slate or anything like that but in a world crying out for more female heroes of color Thunder could be the perfect example we’ve all been waiting for.

Also she’s just as gay as Batwoman but with none of the latter’s publicity.  Unfortunate Implications, indeed.

Click below for more on Thunder.