Black Lightning is a new series set to begin in January on the CW. Let’s take a quick look at who Black Lightning is. Black Lightning is a black superhero that made his debut in DC comics in 1977. Besides being one of DCs first black superheroes, he was also the first black character to star in his own series. The character was created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden
Jefferson Pierce was a kid who grew up in the Southside of Metropolis call Suicide Slums. After graduation he left Metropolis, became college graduate and a gold medal decathlon winner. He came back to Metropolis to work at a school in his old neighborhood. There he found out a criminal organization called the 100 had taken over. He stood up to some of the 100 and a young student got caught in the crossfire and was killed. This “sparked” Pierce to become the vigilante Black Lightning. During his first appearance, Black Lightning didn’t have any powers. he wore a belt that allowed his to manipulate electricity. This was later changed. Jefferson is a metahuman with electrical manipulation powers. He is able to create energy shields, fire bolts of electricity, among other various electrical abilities.
The 11 issue 1977 run of Black Lightning established the character
In 2009, the 6 issue Black Lightning: Year One arc changes Black Lightning’s origin some and rewrites the story of his initial run.
In 2017, Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands series began. This series is set for 6 issues and puts Jefferson in Cleveland, OH instead of Metropolis.
I hope this brief intro helped you and prepared you for the upcoming CW show. Are you excited about BlackLightning as I am?
