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Black Lightning: Who is Black Lightning? (S01:E01)

Posted at 1:20 PM, Jan 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-16 13:20:39-05

Hey my Lightning Lads and Lasses! It’s Richard from Zeus Comics!

When a local gang, the 100 terrorize the city and Garfiled High will principal Jefferson Pierce return to his super-hero alter ego after a nine year absence? Is New Orleans and his family ready for the return of Black Lightning?

So who is Black Lighting in the comics? He debuted is his own self-titled series Black Lightning in April of 1977. Initially his power set came from a special belt that gave him the ability to create forcefields and toss electrical current thus lightning. He would even don a white mask and large wig to hide is identity.

Like his TV counter part he was a school teacher taking on the local gang the 100 but in Superman’s Metropolis and not New Orleans as the television show is set in.

Later changes to his character made his lightning power part of a metagene that he passed along to his daughters Anissa and Jennifer. Our preview even gives a glimpse of daughter showing signs of powers… There’s even a still of Anissa in her Thunder outfit

In the comics Anissa aka Thunder has the ability to change her body density which makes her invincible and super-heavy to generate shockwaves with movement.  Her younger sister Jennifer has electrical powers like her dad… and dropping the Black from the name she becomes Lightning alongside her sister Thunder.

Black Lightning's first super-hero group affiliation was 1985’s Batman and the Outsiders featuring Batman, Black Lightning, Halo, Geo-force, Metamorpho and one familiar face from the DC movies Katana!

But Producers have said Black Lightning is not a part of the Arrow Universe or the Supergirl Universe but they haven’t ruled out any crossovers. We also don’t have a sense of any villains coming from the comics other than the 100 gang just yet.

Debuting this week on the CW and running weekly for 13 weeks, it’s CW’s newest hit and DC comics hero Black Lightning in Resurrection!