History ComicBook / BlackLightning

Black Lightning was Creator/DCComics' first black superhero with his own series. He was created by Tony Isabella with Trevor von Eeden and debuted in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April, 1977), although his series only lasted a year before falling victim to a mass cutback that resulted in twenty DC titles being cancelled. He continued to make guest appearances, was a founding member of ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'', and served with the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. He got another series of his own in the [[TheNineties 1990s]], again written by Tony Isabella (with Eddy Newell doing the art), which lasted slightly longer than the first one had. In 2009, Jen Van Meter wrote a modern retelling of the 70s series called ''Black Lightning: Year One.'' Isabella returned again in 2018 to write the miniseries ''Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands.''

Black Lightning did not appear in any other media for many years, with DC on several occasions choosing to create a new character where they might have used him (e.g. Black Vulcan in ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' and Soul Power in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock''). This changed when the Outsiders appeared in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''. Since then he has also appeared in the animated movies ''WesternAnimation/SupermanBatmanPublicEnemies'' and ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'', the ''VideoGame/DCUniverseOnline'' video game, in a series of shorts for the WesternAnimation/DCNation block (alongside his two daughters, Thunder and Lightning), and in the second season of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' as a member of the Justice League who eventually offers to become the mentor of ComicBook/{{Static}} (who was ironically replacing Black Vulcan), and in the third season, titled ''Outsiders'', would become an AscendedExtra as a member of the titular Outsiders, going from a minor character to part of the main cast.

* KnockingTheKnockoff: The tenth issue of the original series had Black Lightning confront a clueless impersonator of himself named Jocko who was hired by a woman named Barbara Hanna and pointedly telling Jocko that he has the potential to be a genuine hero once he stops copying Black Lightning, which was a blatant dig at Creator/HannaBarbera creating Black Lightning as an {{Expy}} on ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' to get around licensing issues with Black Lightning's creator Tony Isabella. Isabella attributed DC Comics letting the story through to not noticing what he was doing.

* BadassTeacher : A school teacher, Olympic athlete and overall badass with or without his powers.

* NotSoDifferent: Black Lightning and the Tattooed Man have a bit of a row in ''ComicBook/FinalCrisis'', having similar origins, being family men born in the ghetto yet ending up being Justice League and AntiVillain respectively. It ends with a HeroicSacrifice.

[[caption-width-right:250:Gimme gimme shock treatment.]]

* BewareTheNiceOnes: You won't find many people [[NiceGuy nicer than him]] in the DCU. Piss him off, however, and you'll find out exactly why getting on the bad side of one of the most powerful metahumans on earth is a bad idea. For some reason, Franchise/Batman regularly does just this.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: You won't find many people [[NiceGuy nicer than him]] in the DCU. Piss him off, however, and you'll find out exactly why getting on the bad side of one of the most powerful metahumans on earth is a bad idea. For some reason, ''Franchise/Batman'' regularly does just this.

Black Lightning was Creator/DCComics' first black superhero with his own series. He was created by Tony Isabella and debuted in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April, 1977), although his series only lasted a year before falling victim to a mass cutback that resulted in twenty DC titles being cancelled. He continued to make guest appearances, was a founding member of ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'', and served with the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. He got another series of his own in the [[TheNineties 1990s]], again written by Tony Isabella, which lasted slightly longer than the first one had. In 2009, Jen Van Meter wrote a modern retelling of the 70s series called ''Black Lightning: Year One.'' Isabella returned again in 2018 to write the miniseries ''Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands.''

Black Lightning is Jefferson Pierce, who grew up in a slum in Metropolis, made good as an athlete, and returned to his old neighborhood to teach at the high school and help the next generation make something of themselves. (Some stories replace Metropolis with Cleveland, Ohio). Finding the neighborhood in the grip of organised crime, he became a costumed superhero equipped with a belt that gave him [[ShockAndAwe electrical powers]]. Later in his career, as so often happens, he developed the ability to manifest the powers without the belt.

* BewareTheNiceOnes: You won't find many people [[NiceGuy nicer than him]] in the DCU. Piss him off, however, and you'll find out exactly why getting on the bad side of one of the most powerful metahumans on earth is a bad idea.

* EvilAlbino: Tobias Whale, the BigBad of the original series, was an albino African-American. However, he is not depicted as an albino in ''Cold Dead Hands.''

Black Lightning did not appear in any other media for many years, with DC on several occasions choosing to create a new character where they might have used him (e.g. Black Vulcan in ''WesternAnimation/{{Superfriends}}'' and Soul Power in an episode of ''WesternAnimation/StaticShock''). This changed when the Outsiders appeared in ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheBraveAndTheBold''. Since then he has also appeared in the animated movies ''WesternAnimation/SupermanBatmanPublicEnemies'' and ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueCrisisOnTwoEarths'', the ''VideoGame/DCUniverseOnline'' video game, in a series of shorts for the WesternAnimation/DCNation block (alongside his two daughters, Thunder and Lightning), and in the second season of ''WesternAnimation/YoungJustice'' as a member of the Justice League who eventually offers to become the mentor of ComicBook/{{Static}} (who was ironically replacing Black Vulcan).

* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: Black Lightning's powers were initially a property of his costume. Morerecent stories just make him a metahuman.

* ClothesMakeTheSuperman: Black Lightning's powers were initially a property of his costume.

* EvilAlbino: Tobias Whale, the BigBad of the original series, was an albino African-American. However, he is not depicted as an albino in ''Cold Dead Hands."

* EvilAlbino: Tobias Whale, the BigBad of the original series, was an albino African-American.

Black Lightning was Creator/DCComics' first black superhero with his own series. He was created by Tony Isabella and debuted in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April, 1977), although his series only lasted a year before falling victim to a mass cutback that resulted in twenty DC titles being cancelled. He continued to make guest appearances, was a founding member of ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'', and served with the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. He got another series of his own in the [[TheNineties 1990s]], again written by Tony Isabella, which lasted slightly longer than the first one had. Jen Van Meter wrote a modern retelling of the 70s series called ''Black Lightning: Year One.'' Isabella returned again in 2018 to write the miniseries ''Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands.''

Black Lightning was Jefferson Pierce, who grew up in a slum in Metropolis, made good as an athlete, and returned to his old neighborhood to teach at the high school and help the next generation make something of themselves. Finding the neighborhood in the grip of organised crime, he became a costumed superhero equipped with a belt that gave him [[ShockAndAwe electrical powers]]. Later in his career, as so often happens, he developed the ability to manifest the powers without the belt.

Black Lightning was Creator/DCComics' first black superhero with his own series. He was created by Tony Isabella and debuted in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April, 1977), although his series only lasted a year before falling victim to a mass cutback that resulted in twenty DC titles being cancelled. He continued to make guest appearances, was a founding member of ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'', and served with the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. He got another series of his own in the [[TheNineties 1990s]], again written by Tony Isabella, which lasted slightly longer than the first one had. He has continued to make guest appearances since.

* {{Archenemy}}: Tobias Whale during the original run.

A [[Series/BlackLightning2018 live-action television series]] featuring the character began airing on Creator/TheCW in 2018. Black Lightning appears as a premiere skin for [[Franchise/MortalKombat Raiden]] in ''[[VideoGame/Injustice2 Injustice 2]]''.

A [[Series/BlackLightning2018 live-action television series]] featuring the character is currently airing on Creator/TheCW. Black Lightning appears as a premiere skin for [[Franchise/MortalKombat Raiden]] in ''[[VideoGame/Injustice2 Injustice 2]]''.

[[Series/BlackLightning2018 A live-action television series]] featuring the character is currently airing on Creator/TheCW. Black Lightning appears as a premiere skin for [[Franchise/MortalKombat Raiden]] in ''[[VideoGame/Injustice2 Injustice 2]]''.

[[Series/BlackLightning A live-action television series]] featuring the character is currently in the works at Creator/TheCW. Black Lightning appears as a premiere skin for [[Franchise/MortalKombat Raiden]] in ''[[VideoGame/Injustice2 Injustice 2]]''.

Black Lightning was Creator/DCComics' first black superhero with his own series. He was created by Tony Isabella and debuted in ''Black Lightning'' #1 (April, 1977), although his series only lasted a year before falling victim to a mass cutback that resulted in twenty DC titles being cancelled. He continued to make guest appearances, was a founder member of ''ComicBook/BatmanAndTheOutsiders'', and served with the Franchise/JusticeLeagueOfAmerica. He got another series of his own in the [[TheNineties 1990s]], again written by Tony Isabella, which lasted slightly longer than the first one had. He has continued to make guest appearances since.

[[Series/BlackLightning A live-action television series]] featuring the character is currently in the works at Creator/TheCW.