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Black Lightning is an inner-city vigilante with powerful bioelectric powers, Jefferson Pierce is a school teacher and principal, and in both identities he fights the influence of gangs like the 100 in Suicide Slum, Cleveland, and Brick City.
History
Early Life
Jefferson Pierce grew up in Suicide Slum, a neglected part of Metropolis which got its name from the idea that people only escaped its degradation by killing themselves. His father was accidentally shot during a mob hit, and times were quite tough for Jeff and his widowed mother. A month or so later, Italian tailor Peter Gambi opened a shop beneath their apartment and helped them through their financial difficulties. Peter was there to care for Jeff while his mother worked long hours to support them. Over time, Gambi began to fulfill Jeff's need for a positive father figure in his life.
Growing up, Jeff pushed himself in athletics and in his studies, with an aptitude for English and poetry. He even penned a few lines which stuck in Peter's memory: "Justice, like lightning, should ever appear to some men hope, to other men fear." At the age of 18, Jeff managed to make it to the Olympic Games, gaining fame from the media profiles which highlighted his rise from Suicide Slum. Jeff wanted to send a message to everyone back home that you could get out of the neighborhood with hard work.
Having won medals and attention, Jeff received scholarships and endorsement offers which allowed him to go to college and receive both an English major and a teaching degree. Four years after he left for college, he again went to the Olympics and this time won the decathlon. The gold medal winner then began a teaching job upstate in New Carthage, but returned to Metropolis for his mother's funeral.
In his time away, Jeff had married Lynn Stewart. He and Lynn were only together for a short time, but bore a daughter, Anissa. Jeff considered his future career as Black Lightning a necessary sacrifice to help provide for Anissa the freedom to live a normal (i.e., non-metahuman) life. But at the age of 11, the girl also manifested metahuman powers. She discovered that she was able to alter her density and weight at will. Regardless, Anissa conceded to her parents' wishes and pursued a pre-med degree instead of costumed adventuring. Jeff was so protective of his daughter that he never mentioned her to anyone. When Jeff and Lynn divorced, Anissa went to live with her mother. Lynn was disappointed with Jeff for not being the community activist that she was. He only seemed to care about getting himself out of the ghetto.
Overview
Upon his return to Metropolis, he noticed that nothing had changed in Suicide Slum. Pierce decided that it was time to make a difference and, indeed, back at his old alma mater, Garfield High School, he quickly made an impression when he kicked a drug pusher off the premises and followed suit by humiliating three members of the criminal organization known as the 100. In retaliation, the gunmen killed Earl Clifford, one of Jeff's students, and left his corpse in the GHS gymnasium. A distraught Jeff related the tragedy to Peter Gambi, who urged him to fight back in a persona that would not invite counterattacks on his students and presented him with a costume.
Equipped with a force field belt that enabled him to generate lighting bolts, Black Lightning was born. While in costume, Jeff played to the era's stereotypical perception of Blacks by affecting a jive-talking speech pattern and wearing a mask/wig combination that gave him a large Afro, simple devices that deflected suspicion from a well-educated school-teacher.
Black Lightning carved out a niche in Metropolis, ultimately gaining the trust of high-profile figures like Superman, Inspector Bill Henderson and reporter Jimmy Olsen. Along the way, he defeated several super-powered underlings of the 100, from Malcolm Merlyn, the Dark Archer to the Cyclotronic Man to Syonide, as well as the gang's gargantuan albino African American leader, Tobias Whale, a.k.a. "The Great White Whale" (a nickname that no one used or even mentioned whenever they were in his presence). There would be retaliation for Black Lightning's actions, but not against one of Jeff Pierce's students this time. Rather, it was Peter Gambi who paid the price, leaping in front of a gun-blast that was meant for Black Lightning. Stripped of his force field belt, the hero seemed destined for a similar fate but, in his fury, Black Lightning generated its effects from within his own body. In some unknown manner, he had internalized the electrical power. The confrontation with the 100 had also exposed Peter's darkest secret. The support and love that he had showered on Jeff and Mrs. Pierce had been a kind of penance: he had been the man who had killed Jeff's father.
During this time, Jeff's ex-wife Lynn was hired as a teacher at Garfield High, and eventually figured out that Jeff was Black Lightning.
Black Lightning next met a man who would become one of his biggest allies in crime-fighting: Batman. Together, they investigated a series of student abductions (which included Dick Grayson) and met Superman and the Black Canary before the case had closed. This led him to meet the Green Arrow as well; these two acknowledged a kindred spirit.
It seemed that Black Lightning was ready to hit the big leagues. After meeting the Green Arrow, his new friend nominated Pierce for membership in the Justice League of America, but Lightning rejected the honor.[2] The JLA respected his decision and Black Lightning soon teamed up with Superman to solve the murder of a girl named Trina Shelton, who was shot and killed by a stray bullet during an altercation between Lightning and some muggers.[3] As a result, he lost his internalized powers due to a psychological block.
Outsiders
Batman kept Pierce in mind when he, too, also grew frustrated with the Justice League after he had had an argument with them based on a philosophical dispute on the difference between justice and the law. Hoping to rescue his friend Lucius Fox from war-torn Markovia, the Dark Knight recruited Jeff to infiltrate the country, posing as Fox's brother. Inevitably, he was forced to become Black Lightning and ended up being captured alongside Batman.[4] While prisoners of Baron Bedlam, Batman managed to help Black Lightning recover his electrical powers and they escaped from prison. Black Lightning and Batman then joined the war in Markovia to defeat Bedlam and after a successful mission, he became a founding member of the Outsiders.[5]
As part of the team, Black Lightning was eventually challenged by the Masters of Disaster, who were hired to kill him and Black Lightning surrendered to them in order to prevent them from killing innocents.[6] The Outsiders rescued Black Lightning, and he learned that the parents of Trina Sheldon had hired the villains to kill him. At the end of the affair, the mother of Trina forgave him.[7] Later on, Black Lightning protected Suicide Slum against the Ghetto-Blaster.[8]
The next four years saw a new confidence envelop Black Lightning, as he forged new friendships with the Outsiders, found a teaching post at Gotham City's Edison High, gained a bit of closure in Trina Sheldon's death after a confrontation with her parents, revisited the Olympics and even had an amicable reunion with Lynn Stewart, now the president of a public relations firm.
After several years, the Outsiders disbanded and Jeff settled into a teaching job in yet another city. His powers went berserk upon the detonation of the Dominators' Gene Bomb[9] and Jeff could no longer deny that the power was now part of him.[10] Reflecting on his new-found goals, he explained that he had moved to the so-called Brick City, a neighborhood in his father's hometown.
The ongoing menace of a gang known as the Royal Family figured into a school shooting that left Jeff critically wounded and one of his best friends, fellow teacher Walter Kasko, dead. During Jefferson's physical and emotional recovery, he reflected on his career as Black Lightning and the deaths of so many along the way.[11]
Despite the Outsiders' falling out with Batman, Jeff renewed his ties with him to help clear him of charges that he was a serial killer.[12] After the Outsiders, Black Lightning kept a low profile, but continued to appear occasionally alongside his friends and allies. When seven "heavy hitters" reformed the Justice League,[13] Black Lightning became a reserve member. His efforts during the Maggedon crisis, in particular, were critical as he taxed his abilities like never before, attempting "to tap the electrical field of the planet."[14]
Cabinet Member
When Lex Luthor was elected President of the United States, Jeff chose to retire temporarily as Black Lightning and accepted an appointment as Secretary of Education[15]. This surprised many of his former allies, but in truth, he saw this as an opportunity to keep tabs on Luthor.
In the meantime, his now-22-year-old daughter, Anissa, graduated in pre-med at the medical school. She had done this only to satisfy her parents and the very next day, she set out to fight crime, much to the disapproval of her father who had always pursued his own adventures so that his daughter would not have to. She drew the attention of the former Titans member Arsenal who, after the demise of the Titans, sought to assemble a new team of Outsiders. She accepted his offer, reasoning that her father might feel better about her crime-fighting if she was in the company of others.
Black Lightning came out of retirement to help the Outsiders battle Sabbac. Following this battle, he begged Anissa to give up adventuring, but to no avail. If anything, she was inspired by her father's heroics. When Jeff returned to the White House, Luthor's successor, President Pete Ross, asked for Jeff's resignation as Secretary of Education because the government feared the political implications of having a known super-hero on staff. Jeff complied.
Black Lightning's next year would be one of his most tumultuous. He began by reuniting with his Outsiders friend, Metamorpho the Element Man, to clean up an old Outsiders case involving the "human bomb" called Fuse. Katana also joined them on this case.
His affiliation with the Green Arrow would be his most pivotal. First, his niece, Joanna, was killed after becoming a lawyer in one of the Green Arrow's cases.[16] At the conclusion of this, Black Lightning was responsible for the death of Joanna's killer, Martin Somers—or so he believed.[17] In truth, Deathstroke the Terminator had seen the whole incident and made the killer blow himself up, but he allowed Black Lightning to believe that he had caused the death.[18]
Jeff blamed Queen in part for Joanna's death (the two of them had been intimate) but they were soon forced into action together again when they were attacked by Dr. Light. Light was acting in retaliation to the Justice League's erasing of his memories years before. Jeff then revealed to Queen that the Department of Defense had evidence of the JLA's habit of mind-wiping villains (which he had discovered while serving on Luthor's cabinet).
Dr. Light managed to surprise the heroes and critically injured the Green Arrow's young protege, Mia. Jeff was forced to attempt to jump-start her heart with his powers. Though Mia was saved, Queen's home, Star City, was not. Dr. Light detonated a bomb that took out an entire city block. The ensuing chaos ultimately led to Queen's election to the office of Mayor of Star City.
Infinite Crisis
Black Lightning was one of the eight people that Batman had considered to aid him in destroying the Brother Eye satellite, which controlled the OMACs. Booster Gold, who was not on the list of eight, but knew about the candidates from his knowledge of the future, contacted Black Lightning before Batman did, as historical data from the future had shown him who had aided Batman, and Black Lightning accepted, arriving at the Batcave to await orders. He then forged an uneasy yet effective alliance with Mister Terrific, combining their powers of electrical manipulation and invisibility to technology to strike at the villainous AI from the inside.
After the third Secret Society of Super-Villains was formed, Black Lightning began using his status as Luthor's Secretary of Education to gain information from super-villains.
An Outsider
Following this and the sacrifice of the Superman of Earth-Two and others in the "Crisis," Jeff Pierce turned himself in for killing Martin Somers. His family and friends tried unsuccessfully to dissuade him, but he turned himself over to Checkmate, who put him in Iron Heights Prison under the identity of "Derek Cooper." Meanwhile, Nightwing was approached by the Red Hood, who had evidence that would acquit Black Lightning. The Hood had eavesdropped on a conversation between Luthor (who was really Alexander Luthor, Jr. in disguise) and Deathstroke, who admitted that he had killed Somers just as Pierce's lightning struck too. Jeff's daughter, Anissa, hurried to bring her father the good news, but Jeff would not believe it, and remained in prison.
Anissa implored the Outsiders to free her father from prison, which they initially refused. It was not long before other inmates discovered the truth about "Cooper" and put out a hit on Black Lightning. The gang leader called Skeet charged the young Captain Boomerang to kill "Cooper." The Outsiders learned of this plot and finally agreed to get him out.
Jeff was also eventually convinced that he was innocent of his "charges," and realized the danger of being in Iron Heights. Boomerang had become his cellmate, but young Owen Mercer was not his father's son—he could not bring himself to kill Jeff and became his ally instead. Just as they plotted to escape, Nightwing sent the Outsiders into the prison. Things quickly got out of hand and Warden Wolfe responded by using his metahuman muscle-control powers to bring the prisoners under control. In his anger, his powers caused extreme pain and the Outsider called Shift conjured a gas to counteract the effects. Wolfe responded by increasing his control and killed dozens of guards and prisoners. Shift protected the Outsiders, Jeff and Boomerang from the effect. In this pivotal moment, the Outsiders decided to use this as a ploy to fake their deaths. They sent off a decoy craft which was destroyed. Jeff resumed his life while the world believed that Thunder and the others had died.
The Justice League of America
Black Lightning renewed his career as a costumed adventurer and eventually met up with Hawkgirl on a case in St. Roch, Louisiana. He followed a trail from Metropolis about the recent super-villain activity involving the android body of the Red Tornado. Black Lightning and Hawkgirl brought one of the villains, Trident, to the Batcave, to show Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman evidence that the Star Conqueror had returned. He aided these heroes in saving the Red Tornado from exploitation by Professor Ivo and Solomon Grundy.
All of the heroes participating in this case agreed to form a new Justice League, of which Black Lightning was a founding member. Ironically, it was Black Lightning who was sent to invite Batman to officially join the group.
He appears to be primarily based in Washington, D.C. again and was the first member of the League to respond to the recent attacks made by the Amazons of Themyscira, and even managed to save the life of the President of the United States.
Black Lightning learned of Thunder's accident that left her in a coma and he rushed to Gotham to check on his daughter.[19]
Final Crisis
Main article: Final Crisis
Jeff was seen trying to deliver newspapers to those survivors still in need of world information, as all the electronic forms of communication had been taken over by Darkseid's Anti-Life Equation message system. In doing so, he ran into the Tattooed Man and his family and helped them escape Darkseid's Justifiers. Eventually Jeff was captured and forced to become a Justifier himself, but not before setting the Tattooed Man on a mission to the Hall of Justice to deliver a message to the Green Arrow and carry "The Circuit." As part of the Justifiers, Jeff joined the Green Arrow and travelled to the Justice League Watchtower, where they tried to convert the Black Canary and the Tattooed Man into Justifiers without any success.[20]
Powers and Abilities
Powers
- Electrokinesis: Black Lightning can generate raw electricity which courses through his body, which he has learned to both manipulate and control.
Abilities
- Athletics: Olympic-level decathlete; excelling as a runner, sprinter, swimmer and track and fielder.[21]
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Under Batman's tutelage, Black Lightning has become a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant.[21]
- Pedagogy: Jefferson Pierce is a highly educated and skilled schoolteacher and school principal.
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Electric Power Belt (Formerly): Black Lightning had to access his powers through a belt; he has since internalized these powers.[21]
Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
Trivia
- According to his biography, Jeff took part in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and since he was 18 when he did this, that would place his birth year in either 1957 or 1958.
Recommended Reading
- Black Lightning (Volume 1)
- Black Lightning (Volume 2)
- Black Lightning: Year One (Volume 1)
- Outsiders: Sum of All Evil
Related
- 416 Appearances of Jefferson Pierce (New Earth)
- 140 Images featuring Jefferson Pierce (New Earth)
- 24 Quotations by or about Jefferson Pierce (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Jefferson Pierce (New Earth)
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 DC Comics Encyclopedia, 2008 p. 31
- ↑ Justice League of America #173
- ↑ DC Comics Presents #16
- ↑ Batman and the Outsiders #1
- ↑ Batman and the Outsiders #2
- ↑ Batman and the Outsiders #9
- ↑ Batman and the Outsiders #10
- ↑ Batman and the Outsiders #21
- ↑ Invasion! #3
- ↑ Black Lightning (Volume 2) #5
- ↑ Black Lightning (Volume 2) #4–#5
- ↑ Black Lightning (Volume 2) #12–#13
- ↑ JLA #1
- ↑ JLA #41
- ↑ Superman (Volume 2) #166
- ↑ Green Arrow (Volume 3) #30
- ↑ Green Arrow (Volume 3) #31
- ↑ Outsiders (Volume 3) #45
- ↑ Batman and the Outsiders (Volume 2) #12
- ↑ Final Crisis #6
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #3
  This character is or was a member of one or more of the teams known as the Outsiders. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Outsiders members" category. |
 This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or simply the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. |
 Justice Society of America member |
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