Star City: Team Arrow (Oliver Queen / Dinah Laurel Lance) | Family Members | Citizens | Criminal Groups (Malcolm Merlyn / Slade Wilson / Prometheus) | Independent Criminals
Central City: West-Allen Family (Barry Allen / Iris West-Allen) | Team Flash (Caitlin Snow & (Killer) Frost) | Citizens | Criminal Groups (Rogues / Clifford DeVoe) | Independent Criminals
National City: Citizens (Kara Zor-El) | Luthor Family & Associates (Lena Luthor / Lex Luthor) | Criminals
Freeland: Pierce Family | Citizens | Criminals
Gotham City: Bat-Family | Citizens | Criminals
Smallville & Metropolis: Smallville Citizens | Metropolis Citizens | Metropolis Criminals
The Legends: The Team | Current Members (Sara Lance) | Former Members (Leonard Snart / Mick Rory)
Organizations: U.S. Government | U.S. Military | A.R.G.U.S. | The D.E.O. | The J.S.A. | The League of Assassins | Criminal Groups (H.I.V.E. / Savage & His Followers)
Time Travel: Time Travelers (The Legion / Eobard Thawne / Damien Darhk / Savitar) | The Past | The Future
Miscellaneous: Other Locales | Metahumans (Firestorm / The Hawks) | Aliens | Mystics | Other Entities (The Speed Force & Forces of Nature)
The Multiverse: Other Earths | Earth-2 (Hunter Zolomon) | Earth-38 | Earth-90 | Earth-X | Bizarro World
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Criminal Groups
The One Hundred
In General
The One Hundred, or The 100, is a gang of criminals who reside in Freeland, terrorizing the city at any given chance. The leader of the gang is Tobias Whale.
- Gangbangers: Their whole shtick, although Tobias is more refine in his choices and talks down to those who does the ghetto life.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: It's not clear what became of the rest of the gang after it got forcefully dissolved due to Tobias' imprisonment.
Latavius "Lala" Johnson
Latavius "Lala" Johnson
Species: Metahuman
Known Aliases: Lala, Tattooed Man
Played By: William Catlett
First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
A former student of Jefferson's, and later a high-ranking member of the 100, before being killed and resurrected by Tobias. He's since experienced death several times, gaining the memories and visions of those he kills, and is currently trying to parlay his experience into taking over the power vacuum created by the occupation of Freeland. By Season 4, he has taken over The 100.
- Achilles' Heel: Tobias had failsafes should Lala revolt against him post resurrection. The first is the phrase "The Devil deals the cards" which hypnotizes Latavious to do his bidding. The second is the phrase "E Pluribus Unum" (Out of many, one); which causes the tattoos in Lala to revolt and incapacitate him. Season 3 reveals that these failsafes are also known to Lady Eve, allowing her to take over his leash while Tobias is away.
- And I Must Scream: In season 4 Lala is frozen in concrete, and as Ishmael explains, this means he will constantly come back to life and die again until the end of time. However, thanks to external circumstances he manages to break out in the final scene of the series.
- Asshole Victim: Gets murdered by Whale; even when resurrected, Lala is still under Tobias' thumb and is forced to do his bidding.
- Back from the Dead: He comes back to life at the end of "Equinox: The Book of Fate". Tobias spent a million dollars to do so. Season 2 reveals that the newfound gift of life when combined with a curse that keeps reminding him and haunting him with the people he's killed, makes him completely miserable to the point of being a Death Seeker.
- Big Bad Ensemble: With Tobias Whale and Lady Eve in Season 4.
- Came Back Wrong: Along with the obvious, hallucinating his murder victims and being under Tobias' control, Lala's demeanor noticeably changes with his resurrection. Pre-death, Lala was a Large Ham, with almost every scene he was in yelling at someone or making threats. Post-resurrection, he shifts to being more soft-spoken, both in conversation and in conversing with his hallucinations.
- Canon Character All Along: He's the show's version of DC Comics villain "Tattooed Man".
- Death Is Cheap: Killed by Tobias at the end of "Lawanda: The Book of Hope"; but comes back through resurrection.
- The Chew Toy: Is constantly being beaten up and abused by Tobias, who admits that he just loves messing with Lala. Considering he's a murderous gang leader though, it's hard to feel very sorry for him.
- Cold Ham: By season 2, he has a near monotone voice when he speaks.
- Do Not Call Me "Paul": He really doesn't like to be called Latavius.
- Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Averted; when the supply of Green Light dries up after Black Lightning and Thunder destroy the factory, Lala decides to corner the market on old-school illicit drugs by buying vastly more quantities than he used to. His supplier is suspicious it's a setup...so as collateral, Lala tells him where his mother lives, to let him know he's serious.
- Evil Sounds Raspy: He's the raspy-voiced gang leader that talks in a very raspy voice.
- Evil Versus Evil: In Season 3, he starts a conflict with the recently revived Lady Eve.
- Expy: In a series rife with biblical allegories, he is Cain. A man who took the life of an innocent, he is later cursed with the power of immortality and forced to walk the earth for his sins.
- Faux Affably Evil: When talking to Will about getting his money back, he's deeply amused when Jennifer sucker-punches Will. He acts polite when he speaks with Jefferson at first, and pretends to keep the gangs out of the school out of respect for his old teacher but this quickly crumbles when Jefferson interferes with his abuse of a kid and he pulls a gun on Jefferson.
- Fluffy the Terrible: "Lala" is not the nickname one would expect from a ruthless and feared gang boss. His name Latavius sounds more awesome.
- Miles to Go Before I Sleep: Hates the reanimation and being back alive due to the guilt he's got to live with. He's hoping that once he kills Tobias, he'll finally get to rest in peace again.
- Murder Is the Best Solution: Lampshaded, as Lala's first response to almost any problem is to put the problem down permanently.Will: You always murking somebody. Just like how you killed me.
- The Oldest Profession: As a high ranking member of The 100, he is in charge of the Seahorse Motel which is used as a brothel.
- Only Known By His Nickname: No one really calls him by his first name, only Jefferson does.
- Pragmatic Villainy: The only thing stopping him from targeting the Garfield students is that he knows trying to attack the "Black Jesus of Freeland" would properly galvanize the cops to take action. However, this doesn't stop them from ordering the Pierce sisters' deaths so they can hide the bodies to prevent them from testifying.
- A Pupil of Mine Until He Turned to Evil: Jefferson's former student turned gang banger.
- Resurrective Immortality: He can't die, at all, and if he suffers a fatal injury he might be knocked out for some time but will ultimately just get right back up again. In season 4, Ishmael and the Kobra Kartel try to find a loophole to this by freezing him in concrete. In the series finale, however, he maanges to break out.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Lala's Large Ham tendencies seemingly died with him, and he almost never raises his voice after his resurrection.
- Starter Villain: Lala's the driving force of Jefferson's torment, Will's actions and has connections to the antagonists but after Black Lightning puts him in jail and Whale kills him, his status places him as that.
- Talking to the Dead: To Lawanda and Will after he comes Back from the Dead, but only he can see or hear them. According to Tobias, this is a side-effect of the "reanimation" process - that Lala will encounter all the people he's killed, with images of them literally tattooed to his body.
- Took a Level in Badass: By season 3, his ability to come Back from the Dead works almost instantaneously and he's developed the ability to manifest the people in his tattoos at will to use as Mooks.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: He was a straight-A student before he met Tobias, and Jefferson seems to have had some regard for him before he became a criminal.
- Who Wants to Live Forever??: Part of his vendetta against Tobias is a result of the despair of the constant painful resurrections and the guilt of hearing the voices of his victims.
- Wild Card:
- In Season 2, being wildly unpredictable due to constantly hearing voices. He first assaults Jefferson, but then decides to go after Tobias instead. He later saves Black Lightning's life, saying that he's only interested in stopping Tobias' plans.
- In Season 3, he goes back to being a criminal again. While he seems more concerned with helping the public than before, he still turns down Jefferson's request to help him fight the Markovians, being preoccupied with his own power struggle against Lady Eve and his quest for revenge against Tobias. In the Season 3 finale he finally steps in, saving Henderson, Two-Bits and other members of the resistance from a bunch of Markovians.
- By Season 4, he is once again back to being a straight-up villain.
- Would Hurt a Child: Is seen beating a boy probably no older than twelve for playing video games instead of dealing weed. He was also perfectly willing to kill the Pierce sisters and have them "disappear".
Devonte Jones
Devonte Jones
Species: Human
Played By: Rafael Castillo
First Appearance: "The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of Blackbird" (Black Lightning 3x1)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
Lala's second-in-command. An overweight young man with diabetes, he was wrongfully swept up by the ASA and spent time in The Pit before being released. With Freeland still under occupation, he has fallen in with Lala in order to profit.
- Badass Normal: He is competent enough to survive in a crime ecosystem where other players have actual superpowers.
- Fat Bastard: He is large and not terribly pleasant. His fatness actually bites him in the ass in Season 4, where he is too slow and out of breath to escape from a shootout with the police and gets arrested by Shakur.
- Number Two: To Lala starting with Season 3.
- Too Clever by Half: He was smart enough to find out that Lady Eve was still alive, but apparently not smart enough to avoid a Honey Trap that resulted in Lady Eve learning about the stolen briefcase.
Former
Will
Will
Species: Human
Played By: Dabier
First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
Lala's cousin and a low-level thug in the 100.
- Asshole Victim: Lala absolutely believed he deserved to die, being a coward and misogynist who was willing to force Jennifer into prostitution to fix his issues.
- Character Death: Brutally executed by Lala in "Lawanda: The Book of Hope".
- Entitled to Have You: Seems to think he still has a shot with Jennifer, even after he almost got her trafficked into prostitution.
- Evil Is Petty: Kidnaps the Pierce sisters after Anissa came to Jennifer's rescue and Will couldn't take the hint to leave.
- No-Respect Guy: Every scene Will is in has him being beaten, insulted, or otherwise humiliated.
- Not-So-Harmless Villain: He gets his ass handed to him so much, that it's a sobering shock when he busts into the school with his armed cronies to kidnap the Pierce sisters.
- Stalker with a Crush: Jennifer references this trope by name when he reveals he followed her to school after using her social media to find out where she attended.
- Stupid Evil: Kidnaps Jefferson's daughters right out of the school in front of dozens of witness and security cameras which results in the cops bringing real heat against the 100 — which is exactly why Lala never targets the school.
Tori Whale
Tori Whale
Species: Human (enhanced via serum)
Played By: Edwina Findley
First Appearance: "Black Jesus" (Black Lightning 1x4)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
Tobias' younger sister, who comes from Miami to Freeland to help him kill Black Lightning.
- Canon Foreigner: Created exclusively for the show as the comic book version of Tobias Whale never had a sister.
- Character Death: Dies in "Equinox: The Book of Fate" due to a stray bullet.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: She's just as ruthless as her brother is, but genuinely cares about him since they were both abused by their father.
- Freudian Excuse: Her father was verbally and physically abusive.
- Older Than They Look: She and Tobias were given a serum along years ago that keeps them from aging, so her actual age is indeterminate.note
Joey Toledo
Joey Toledo
Species: Human
Played By: Eric Mendenhall
First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
One of Tobias's top lieutenants. He's been around since Black Lightning's first crusade.
- The Aggressive Drug Dealer: He was the major supplier of Green Light in Freeland.
- Character Death: Gambi kills him, on the advice of Lady Eve, as a method to suppress Tobias.
- Co-Dragons: To Tobias, alongside Syonide
- Giggling Villain: To highlight that he's a little off-kilter.
Syonide
Syonide
Species: Human (Enhanced via cybernetics)
Played By: Charlbi Dean
First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
Tobias's right-hand woman, who was trained to become an assassin when he took her from an orphanage when she was eight years old.
- Awesome by Analysis: Syonide is the first person to deduce Thunder's Psychoactive Powers and exploit them to her advantage during their fight in one of Garfield High's classrooms.
- Co-Dragons: To Tobias, alongside Joey Toledo and later Khalil.
- Composite Character: She is based on the same-named DC Comics villain, the second "Syonide" who was an unnamed female assassin. However, she carries the first Syonide's background of working for Tobias Whale.
- Cyborg: She has armor plates grafted beneath her skin that enhance her durability and strength.
- Dark and Troubled Past: According to Gambi, she was found in the trash as a baby with its umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. She was abused and malnourished at an orphanage until she was eight. Then Tobias got ahold of her and he fed her, clothed her, augmented her, and turned her into an assassin 100% loyal to him.
- Dual Wielding: She prefers to go Guns Akimbo; in close-quarters, Syonide will whip out a pair of nightsticks.
- The Quiet One: To the point she was The Voiceless until the season one finale.
- Made of Iron: Tobias had carbon fiber armor grafted to her body beneath the surface of the skin.
- Navel-Deep Neckline: Prone to having plunging necklines when not Baring Her Midriff.
- Sadist: She enjoys the tasks her boss gives her; Gambi states Tobias trained her to inflict pain unto others.
- Shout-Out: Compare Syonide's Dark and Troubled Past to the same origins of the eponymous character from The Chronicles of Riddick.
- Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome: Dies a few minutes into the Season 2 premiere, after acting as a recurring secondary antagonist throughout the first season.
- Tyke Bomb: Taken by Tobias as a young child to be molded into a deadly and ruthless assassin.
- Undying Loyalty: No matter where Tobias goes, Syonide is almost always seen with him, defending and carrying out his orders.
- The Worf Effect: Is killed off in "The Rise of the Green Light Babies" by Kara Fowdy of all people.
Khalil Payne / Painkiller
See the Arrowverse: Other Locales page
Todd Green
Todd Green
Species: Human
Played By: RJ Cyler
First Appearance: "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Two: Gift of Magi" (Black Lightning 2x9)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
A brilliant computer and robotics student who after burning his bridges at his college, falls in with Tobias.
- Bullying a Dragon: His little outburst at the grant board results in him being escorted out of the building by security and, as implied by the Cardboard Box of Unemployment he's carrying, expulsion.
- The Corruptible: Some flattery and $100,000 was all it took for Todd to sign up with Tobias.
- Damn, It Feels Good to Be a Gangster!: Adapts to the criminal lifestyle rather quickly and even develops a sense of flamboyant pride in serving as a representative of Tobias Whale.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: Todd's an undisputed genius, but always had doors slammed in his face because of his background and lack of connections.
- The Dragon: To Tobias after Syonide dies and Khalil goes rogue.
- Hates Being Touched: As displayed when being escorted out by two guards in his debut episode, he shakes them off and insists they stop touching him when they have his arms grabbed, then later when Tobias is recruiting him, he has two ladies sit at each of Todd's sides and be flirty with him, and though not hating the attention, Todd is clearly uncomfortable with the ladies being so close and having their hands all over him. Tobias takes notice of this, as in a later episode, he simply gives a light tap on Todd's arm while complimenting him on a job well done, which Todd appreciates.
- Hypercompetent Sidekick: Unlike Khalil, he adapts to working for Tobias very well, able to do anything the man asks efficiently and without any twinge of a guilty conscience.
- Foil: To Khalil. Both were promising students who had their dreams shattered — Khalil because of his injury and Todd because of racism and classism. But unlike Khalil, Todd adapts extremely well to working with Tobias, and shows no hesitation for any of the illegal activities Tobias asks him to do. For emphasis, Khalil was a physical threat, whereas Todd is a Techno Wizard.
- Tragic Villain: A promising student with a bright future in robotics who got his research grant denied because of blatant favoritism on the Board's part — they gave it to a rich white kid whose dad made a sizable donation the week before — then ended up being corrupted by Tobias.
- Used to Be a Sweet Kid: He was a hopeful and optimistic kid in science before Tobias got his hands on him.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: When Todd does all he can to help Tobias with the pod kids, he's of no more use, so Cutter lets him go with a new car... that's rigged to explode.
Masters of Disaster
In General
Four criminal metahumans who were put into pods, revived by Tobias Whale and forced into his service.
- Adaptational Villainy: The Masters of Disaster fought by the Outsiders in the comics had moments of genuine sympathy and humanity, with Shakedown being a somewhat dim-witted but loyal Gentle Giant as well as Coldsnap and Heatstroke being a couple seeking a cure for their abilities, as their powers ensured they could never again be in any form of intimate proximity with one another. Here, the Masters are unrepentant and ruthless criminal psychopaths, with little screentime to flesh out their characterization beyond being violent superpowered thugs.
- Boxed Crook: Former criminals that were forcebly used in government black ops, and now by Tobias Whale.
- Elemental Powers: Each of them controls an element.
- Explosive Leash: Tobias puts lethal devices into them to control them.
Marcus Bishop / Shakedown
Marcus Bishop / Shakedown
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Hosea Chanchez
First Appearance: "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Three: Pillar of Fire" (Black Lightning 2x13)
Appearances: ''Black Lightning (2018)'
The first Master of Disaster released by Tobias. He has vibrational powers.
- Race Lift: This is the first Shakedown that is African American. The previous versions were white.
- Vibration Manipulation: Shakedown has earth powers in the comics. The show depicts him with vibration powers instead.
Darryl Robinson / Coldsnap
Darryl Robinson / Coldsnap
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Derrick Lewis
First Appearance: "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter One: The Alpha" (Black Lightning 2x15)
Appearances: ''Black Lightning (2018)'
A Master of Disaster released by Tobias. He has cryokinetic powers.
- An Ice Person: His powers.
Rebecca Jones / New Wave
Rebecca Jones / New Wave
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Brooke Ence
First Appearance: "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter One: The Alpha" (Black Lightning 2x15)
Appearances: ''Black Lightning (2018)'
A Master of Disaster released by Tobias. She has hydrokinetic powers.
- Designated Girl Fight: She is the only female of the group and off course fights Thunder during the finale.
- Making a Splash: Her powers.
Joe / Heatstroke
Joe / Heatstroke
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Estaban Cuete
First Appearance: "The Book of the Apocalypse: Chapter One: The Alpha" (Black Lightning 2x15)
Appearances: ''Black Lightning (2018)'
A Master of Disaster released by Tobias. He has pyrokinetic powers.
- Gender Flip: Heatstroke in the comics was actually a woman. In fact, she was MARRIED to Coldsnap. Hard to see that same outcome with Joe here…
- Killed Off for Real: Lala shoots him dead, saving Jefferson in the process.
- Playing with Fire: His powers.
Kobra Cartel
Lady Eve
Evelyn "Lady Eve" Stillwater-Ferguson
Species: Human
Played By: Jill Scott
First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
"I don't mind people believing in God. They just can't believe they can take back these streets."
A funeral parlor owner connected to Tobias Whale, backed by a secretive underground criminal group in Freeland. Seemingly killed in Season 1, she makes her return in Season 3.
- Aborted Arc: Her group, the Shadow Board, was hyped to be a major influence behind the scenes in Freeland, as Lady Eve had backed Tobias and was seemingly pulling his strings. With her death, the plot went nowhere afterwards. Although, this was because Tobias made sure he wasn't anywhere near her death as the Shadow Board would go after him. Season four reveals that Tobias's scheme is part of a larger plot by the Shadow Board, with him wanting to join them.
- Back from the Dead: Apparently Post-Crisis, as TC uncovers that she is the one who put a hit on Gambi.
- Character Death: Is assassinated in the mid-season by Whale's hitmen.
- Deep Cover Agent: She was a former agent of the ASA and previously a protege of Gambi. After retiring to be a crime boss, she still has links to the ASA with her death triggering the ASA's kill order on Black Lightning.
- Diabolical Mastermind: Whatever organization she's leading it's much more sophisticated than the 100 (which seems to be only a smokescreen for her enterprise). For starters they have enough pull to hire semi-truck drivers to deliver drugs amongst other things.
- Disc-One Final Boss: She's initially introduced as "the greater threat behind Tobias Whale", but is Killed Off for Real half-way through the first season.
- Early-Bird Cameo: Lady Eve appeared in the pilot during Jefferson's award ceremony.
- Expy: Fitting with the show's Biblical motif, Lady Eve parallels Lilith, an unpredictable individual who absolutely refuses to be subservient to any man. She used to work with Gambi at the Agency, but left for a life of organized crime. She has an arrangement with Gambi that she won't go after the Pierce family, while Gambi promises to leave Tobias be, but she breaks that promise by having her goons attack Lynn's lab to stop her from researching the Green Light drug.
- Faux Affably Evil: She sends out thank-you notes when people give her gifts, but she's a remorseless crime lord that even Tobias is intimidated by.
- The Man Behind the Man: To Tobias Whale.
- Minored In Ass Kicking: She shows her agent combat skills during an attempted assassination by evading and takes down her attackers, including snapping one goon's neck with his own weapon. Too bad she didn't know there was one last killer hidden in a coffin.
- Odd Friendship: Had one with Gambi, who's Black Lightning's foremost ally. Gambi still looks out for his protege when it doesn't harm the Pierces.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: She makes a few digs at Tobias's albinism, telling him how albinos used to be killed and then grounded up for magic powder. One gets the impression that if Tobias wasn't albino, she'd let him move up in her organization.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Eve has a very soft, lilting voice that she maintains even when she's subtly threatening Tobias, or embalming someone alive.
- Torture Technician: She embalmed a cadaver in "Black Jesus" while he was still alive.
- Uncertain Doom: After getting shot by Major Grey in the Season 3 finale, she is last seen wounded, but her death isn't shown.
- The Unfettered: As she herself says, she'd take out her own mother if she had to.
- Villain with Good Publicity: To Freeland, she seems to be a wealthy funeral parlor owner who likes to give back to the community, when in reality she's the one responsible for all of Freeland's woes. Tobias exploits this by having his men murder her with stun guns — that way, it appears she's died of electrocution and Black Lightning has gone off the deep end.
- Wild Card: After she is revealed to be alive in Season 3, she remains an unpredictable element, being mainly concerned with her own position of power. She rats out Gambi to Major Grey, but then attacks her when she hears that Freeland is to be destroyed.
Destiny
Destiny
Species: Human
Played By: Teesha Renee
First Appearance: "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two: Unacceptable Losses" (Black Lightning 4x2)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
A close associate of Lady Eve who also works at the Ultimate O.
- First-Name Basis: Her last name has not been revealed yet.
- Number Two: To Lady Eve.
Ishmael
Ishmael
Species: Human
Played By: Rico Ball
First Appearance: "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Two: Theseus's Ship" (Black Lightning 4x6)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
An assassin working for the Kobra Cartel, who wishes to join the League of Assassins.
- Badass Normal: Has no powers, but can casually go toe-to-toe with metahumans, even two at once.
- The Brute: An incredibly skilled meta hunter who serves as extra muscle for Tobias after joining up with him.
- Cape Busters: He's seemingly human but has a specialty in being able to defeat metahumans through Awesomeness by Analysis and developing specific counter-measures.
- Dual Wielding: He wields two swords at once.
- McNinja: An african-american Ninja.
- Only in It for the Money: He's quick to abandon Destiny when Tobias offers him a more lucrative deal as his enforcer.
- Parrying Bullets: Ishmael parries Lala's shots with his swords.
- Scissors Cuts Rock: Despite being a formidable Cape Buster, Black Lightning is able to go toe-to-toe with him in a one-on-one duel and may have even won if not for Tobias powering up a city-wide Power Nullifier that takes away Black Lightning's powers.
- Shout-Out: Introduces himself saying"Call me Ishmael."
Tobias Whale and Associates
Tobias Whale
Tobias Whale
Species: Human (enhanced via serum)
Played By: Marvin "Krondon" Jones III
First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
"Do you believe in the Resurrection, Latavius? The concept itself is beautiful, but it's a complete fantasy."
The boss of the One Hundred, formerly a city politician who killed Jefferson's father which set him down the path of being Black Lightning.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: He's not morbidly obese like his counterpart in the comics.
- Affably Evil: It is hard to pin-point if Tobias is genuinely nice to his co-horts or just a snake in the grass. While he is a Bad Boss to his men, he did love his sister, cared about Syonide, and is willing to break his father's spinal cord without a moment's notice. Essentially, if you play your cards right for him, Tobias will end up taking care of you, as if you were family to him-as long as you don't double-cross him.
- Arch-Enemy: For Black Lightning ever since he killed his father, an Intrepid Reporter, by literally shoving his articles down his throat. However, it turns out in "The Book of Revelations" that the ASA apparently ordered him to.
- Bad Boss: He does not take failure kindly.
- He feeds one man to a tank filled with piranhas and impales Lala with a harpoon in the pilot episode.
- He treats Painkiller harshly throughout his "apprenticeship", verbally and psychologically abusing him at almost every turn to mold him into a better employee. Exaggerated when Khalil can't go through with murdering Rev. Holt; after deciding that his teaching has failed because he was too lenient and friendly with the boy, Tobias proceeds to beat Khalil half to death and punch his head against the piranha tank until the reinforced glass shatters, while ordering him to kill his own mother as further punishment. Ironically, he had no idea that the reason for Khalil's betrayal is because he knew Tobias was the one who shot him.Whale: You done broke my damn fish tank.
- He predominantly employs black people, and owing to his intense dislike of black people, he rarely lets a moment pass when he doesn't throw slurs at them like they're going out of style.
- Cavalierly approves of Cutter killing Todd, despite the young man having been his most competent and loyal employee in awhile simply because he's no longer of any use and he'd be a loose end otherwise.
- Benevolent Boss: He is actually a pretty cool and reasonable boss if his men don't disappoint him. When Painkiller goes a little overboard, Tobias forgives him with no issue and tells him not to apologize.
- Big Bad: The overall main antagonist of Black Lightning as the most personal enemy to Jefferson. He's specifically the main villain of Seasons 2 and 4, but provides plenty of action in Seasons 1 and 3 as well, despite not being the main threat in those seasons.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: With Lady Eve, though he seems to be at the lower position, until he upstages her.
- Big Bad Ensemble: With Lala and Lady Eve for Season 4, though Whale is still the biggest threat as he manipulates the former two to further consolidate his power.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Is an absolutely terrible person, but he's more than happy to hold press conferences and pass himself off as a well-meaning citizen of Freeland who abhors violence. Nobody actually believes this (him being a murderous gang leader is an Open Secret) so he mostly just does it to Troll the police.
- Boomerang Bigot: He really doesn't like black people and says some pretty heinous things, even though albinism aside, Whale himself is African-American. This is because his albinism makes him an outcast in the black community — his father abused him for it.Whale: Squeeze these darkies till they crack.
Lala: ...Damn, boss. You really DO hate black people.
Whale: No, I love black people. I hate incompetent, thick-lipped, scratch-where-it-don't-itch Negroes like you. Y'all keep us acting like newly-freed slaves. - Character Tics: The man loves adjusting his suit.
- The Corrupter: According to Gambi he has a long history of bringing out the worst in people. Within the show, he pulls this on Khalil and Todd, and it's mentioned that Lala was a straight-A student before he met Tobias. Additionally, Tobias took in a homeless Syonide and molded into an assassin.
- Corrupt Politician: Used to be one until Jefferson's father exposed him. His response to that was to murder him and then become the most feared gangster in they city.
- Demoted to Dragon: After his devastating encounter with Black Lightning, the ASA nurses him back to health and Martin Proctor takes direct command of him. However, see Dragon with an Agenda below.
- Dragon Ascendant: By end of the Season Finale, Proctor and Lady Eve have been taken out, leaving Tobias as the last villain standing and apparent Big Bad of Season 2.
- Dragon with an Agenda:
- He's the subordinate and occasionally the enforcer for Lady Eve. However, he's sick of being middle management and running a gang of thugs. Instead, he wants to have a seat with the Shadow Board and be approached as an equal. Then he succeeds in offing her... and in Season 4, he takes over her Kobra Cartel operation and is working with the Shadow Board to join them.
- He is also this to Martin Proctor, after the latter provides him with medical care and orders him to bring in Black Lightning alive. He does as he is told, but plans to overthrow Proctor soon.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: He really chafes at how, despite all the money he makes for Lady Eve, she regards him as little more than another one of her minions; he used to be a city politician and he really resents being kept in what he considers a menial position instead of being allowed to move up the ranks in Lady Eve's organization. It's implied his current position is a result of a past disgrace, possibly Alvin Pierce's articles exposing his corruption.
- Entertainingly Wrong: He initially doesn't consider Black Lightning's return too worrisome as he thinks he killed the "original" Black Lightning and this is just a new person taking on the role who isn't as intent on fighting him. He eventually realizes his error.
- Evil Sounds Deep: He has a deep and booming voice, and commands quite a bit of respect from his subordinates and associates.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones:
- He loves and trusts his sister, Tori. She's the one person in the world he is willing to be vulnerable around. When she is shot and killed, he does not take it well.
- He seems to regard Syonide as a surrogate daughter, in his own twisted way. When Fowdy kills her, Tobias' response is to send a harpoon through her stomach when she's dumb enough to break into his office, and his subsequent abuse of Khalil is because he didn't try to protect her like he should've.
- Even Evil Has Standards: He's not happy about Lala killing Lawanda, although this is partially because he reasons that a man who's willing to murder "somebody's mama" is capable of anything — including "turning rat". He again shows that he does not try to get Revenge by Proxy on someone's mother, after Khalil runs away from him.
- Evil Mentor: To Khalil.
- Foil: To Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning, as far as their relationship with their fathers. Jefferson had a very loving father whose death (at Tobias hands) inspired his heroics. Tobias had a very abusive father who inspired his villainy, and who Tobias himself kills later on in life.
- Freudian Excuse: He had a very unhappy childhood - his father was abusive because he was sickly and an albino and would beat his sister, too. At his sister's suggestion, he resolves his issues in a very villainous way.
- The Heavy: Even after it turns out he's not the true Big Bad of Season 1, almost all of the major running plots of the show are connected to him in some way or another. The activities of Lala and the 100 in general (with him being the behind-the-scenes leader), the murder of Jefferson's father, the streets being flooded with Green Light, the shooting that injured Reverend Holt and crippled Khalil, Gambi keeping secrets from Jefferson, etc., can all be directly or indirectly traced back to him. Basically, if something bad is going on, it's a safe bet that Whale was involved.
- Hero Killer: Subverted; he believes he killed Black Lightning when, in reality, Jefferson finally gave up after his wife divorced him after a particularly bloody fight. He believes Black Lightning's resurgence is just somebody living up to his legacy. He isn't too happy to find out the truth, and for good reason - he built his reputation as "the man who killed Black Lightning" so it seems like he "lied on his resume" so to speak. The medical examiner who lied to him about seeing Black Lightning's corpse ends up dead.
- He Knows Too Much: One of Tobias' most frequent reasons for killing people, as he absolutely hates "loose ends".
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: How he meets his end. During their final battle at the end of Season 4, Tobias is blasted out of his office window by Jefferson, where he's impaled on a spire. He still manages to cling to life long enough to reach for his guns and attempt to shoot Jefferson before he's electrocuted to death.
- Karmic Death: In season 4, Tobais is killed by Jefferson in self-defense, and dies impaled on a spire outside of his apartment. The white whale was harpooned. For added irony, Jefferson was going to save him until Tobias pulled out two guns to try and kill him one more time.
- Karma Houdini:
- Commits heinous acts on a very regular basis, and always gets away with them because of his money and connections. Him being a murderous gang leader is an Open Secret, but he always destroys any evidence that could directly prove it.
- Played straight again after the Season 3 finale, where he is still at large in Markovia after breaking free from containment.
- Karma Houdini Warranty:
- The season 2 finale finally sees Whale get his comeuppance. After being thrashed mercilessly by Black Lightning and Lightning, Whale is imprisoned in an off the books prison for metahumans called the Pit. The season 3 premiere also reveals that the serum that slows his aging is wearing off and he is dying. Subverted when he regains his powers and takes back his criminal empire.
- Whale dies in battle against Jefferson in the series finale after Jefferson foils all of his plans for the final time. It is also likely his crimes will be exposed by Looker's testimony.
- Laughably Evil: He's a vile piece of work who will remind the audience why he's a hardened crime lord, but it's hard not to laugh at Krondon having the time of his life playing the character as he spouts loaded, creative insults at anyone who annoys him.
- Locked Out of the Loop: He's oblivious to the fact that the 100 is being used by the ASA to move Green Light in the hopes of creating metahumans. Proctor doesn't let him until the finale.
- Mayor Pain: After disposing of Billy Black, he runs for office himself in Season 4. He later succeeds in getting elected.
- No-Sell: As of Season 4, he had his serum tweaked to insulate his skin, making him immune against Jefferson's electric powers. After Jefferson gets a power boost from the Prometheum underneath Freeland (which Tobias helped create) it no longer protects him.
- Older Than They Look: He was given a serum along with his sister years ago that keeps him from aging, so his actual age is indeterminate. In the Flashback for "And Then the Devil Brought the Plague: The Book of Green Light", his father is sporting 1970s-era sideburns, so if Tobias was a teenager at the time (implied by the dialogue), it puts him in his 50s or even early 60s in the present. Jefferson explicitly states he hasn't aged in thirty years.
- Open Secret: "Officially" he's been missing from Freeland ever since Black Lightning retired and only now has just recently returned. But Rev. Holt tells a city councilman in "The Perdi", everyone in Freeland has known that Tobias was still in town and running the One Hundred for decades.
- Out of Focus: After the Enemy Civil War that results in the deaths of both his sister and Lady Eve, he remains out of the picture for the next few episodes, with the ASA taking center stage as the antagonists. That isn't the case in season 2 where he firmly takes the helm as Big Bad.
- Parental Substitute: To Syonide - he found her malnourished and abused in an orphanage and then took her in. Problem is he trained her to be an assassin too and then had a procedure done on her that turned her into something more than human.
- Pay Evil unto Evil: He breaks his abusive father's spine and leaves him to die a slow and painful death. He also had Lady Eve murdered.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: The bastard can't seem to open his mouth without spouting a load of racial slurs & stereotypes.
- Pragmatic Villainy: He eventually decides to stop selling Green Light since it kills too many junkies, reasoning the dead can't be repeat customers. He's completely unaware of Green Light's true intention — to turn people into metahumans.
- Red Herring: The audience is led to assume that he's the mastermind behind Freeland's woes, until "Lawanda: The Book of Burial" reveals that Lady Eve is the true mastermind and Whale is merely running the 100 on her behalf.
- Satanic Archetype: If Jefferson is the "Black Jesus" of Freeland, than Tobias is its Devil; he was a city leader like Jefferson, but his corrupt dealings got him cast out. He also tries to turn the people against Black Lightning. He comes to Khalil after he's been paralyzed (by a bullet fired at his own order) and poses as a sympathetic benefactor by paying off his medical bills and giving him expensive gifts, then tries to convince him to blame Black Lightning for his current state. Sadly, it works, as Khalil turns against his former friends at Garfield and falls further under Tobias' influence with the promise to walk again.
- Scary Black Man: Played with; what Tobias lacks in skin tone he makes up for with an intimidating presence.
- Smart People Play Chess: He shows off his planning skills in a match with Khalil, specifically admonishing him for throwing his pieces too far ahead and letting Tobias chip away at his defenses.
- Super-Strength: Tobias is strong enough to lift a grown man by the neck with one hand, choke him to death, and break his father's spine just by squeezing him hard with a hug. Gambi confirms it's due to the same serum that is keeping him The Ageless, and it's making him stronger as he gets older; currently he's three times stronger than a normal human.
- Trauma Button: Whale experiences a vivid Flashback at the mention of his father. This comes complete with him repeating the words aloud from the memory, and flinching at his remembered violence.
- Ungrateful Bastard: Had his henchman Dwayne killed after the latter saved his life, for supposedly leaving his sister for dead.
- Unknown Rival: Played with as he doesn't know the reason Black Lightning came after him in the first place is because he killed Jefferson's father. For a short time, he also doesn't realize this is actually the original Black Lightning and not just a successor.
- Villain with Good Publicity: In Season 4, he's now working as a philanthropist with a promise to "make Freeland great again", much to Jefferson and his family's surprise.
- Villainous Crush: He is quite flirty with Lynn admiring her beauty.
- Wild Card: He's rather unpredictable, which makes things harder for the villains and the heroes alike. Killing Lady Eve makes things difficult for Black Lightning and the ASA. It makes the community think Black Lightning has gone rogue, while the ASA loses their liaison to Freeland's underworld and their primary way of moving Green Light.
- You See, I'm Dying: In Season 3, due to being deprived of his serum, his age is catching up to him in prison. He laters gets cured by Lynn, due to using him as a lab rat.
"Red"
"Red"
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Matt Roszak
First Appearance: "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two: Unacceptable Losses" (Black Lightning 4x2)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
Tobias Whale's new right-hand man as of Season 4.
- Bald of Evil: Not a hair on his head and devoted to his boss.
- Character Tic: Loves playing around with a coin.
- Co-Dragons: To Tobias Whale with Val Seong, as of Season 4. Jefferson even calls them "knock-off Joey Toledo and Syonide".
- Mind over Matter: Demonstrates telekinetic abilities in A Light in the Darkness.
- Only Known By His Nickname: So far, he has only been called "Red".
- Signature Move: Killing people with a telekinetic bullet is apparently his. It's how Jefferson and Gambi are able to figure out him being Billy Black's killer.
Val Seong
Val Seong
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Helen Joo Lee
First Appearance: "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two: Unacceptable Losses" (Black Lightning 4x2)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
Tobias Whale's lawyer as of Season 4.
- Amoral Attorney: A lawyer working for a known crimeboss.
- Co-Dragons: To Tobias Whale with Red, as of Season 4. Jefferson even calls them "knock-off Joey Toledo and Syonide".
- Power Nullifier: Her powers, which make her a great danger to the Pierces.
The Sange
In General
The white people of South Freeland engaged in a century long feud with the African American population — the Perdi. The Sange are under the control of the Looker.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: They hate all black people, and are not above lynching to make it known. Though how much of it is due to their own hatred or the Looker's control is unknown.
- Punch-Clock Villain: Once they're free from the Looker's control they end their feud with Black Lightning.
- Super-Speed: What seems to be their only power.
The Looker
The Looker
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Sofia Vassilieva
First Appearance: "The Book of Blood: Chapter Two: The Perdi" (Black Lightning 2x6)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
- The Looker: I'm a proud White American.
Black Lightning: You're a racist.
The Looker: Now, how did you jump to racist so quick?
Black Lightning: Nice flag. [eyes the Confederate Flag on the wall]
The Looker: The joys of minority privilege. It's okay for you to wear a shirt saying, "I'm black, and I'm proud," but if I wear one saying, "I'm white, and I'm proud," I'm a racist?
Black Lightning: No, your T-shirt would say, "I kill and hang Perdi from trees".
A mysterious white woman with mind-controlling powers who took over the Sange, after the ASA's original vaccine experiment ended and rules South Freeland like her own kingdom, terrorizing the local black population - the Perdi.
- Adaptational Villainy: Because of In Name Only, the Looker becomes this on the series. She was Black Lightning's team member in "Batman and the Outsiders", here she's a full blown villain.
- Alternate Self: Has two, one on Earth-666 who is a Clingy Jealous Girl, and one on Earth-38 who is a cult member.
- Ambiguous Situation: It's presumed she's another survivor of the ASA vaccine, but it's never explicitly proven.
- The Assimilator: The "Element", a metallic substance she emits, allows her to do this to the white population of South Freeland, making them a part of her Hive Mind.
- Bad Boss: Mind controls the Sange and punishes them severely.
- Bad Powers, Bad People: She emits a mysterious liquid metallic substance that can make other people part of her Hive Mind, and she uses this horrific power for evil purposes.
- Brought Down to Badass: Even without her mind controlling powers, she gives Thunder one hell of a fight.
- The Bus Came Back: She returns in Season 4, having escaped jail during the Markovian Invasion, now being on Tobias Whale's payroll and being responsible for orchestrating the conspiracy against the Pierces with her powers.
- Cruel Mercy: Jefferson opts to hand her over to the ASA, indifferent to the inhumane experiments that she'll undoubtedly go through.
- Femme Fatalons: Through which she channels her powers.
- Filler Villain: Her side-plot is completely unrelated to Jefferson's main feud with Tobias Whale in Season 2.
- Hate Sink: Blatantly white supremacist, she's the only villain who Jefferson hates more than Tobias — not even he hangs black people from trees.Black Lightning: I'm going to enjoy taking you down.
- Mind Manipulation: She controls people via some liquid silver element she admits.
- No Name Given: We never find out her real name.
- "Not So Different" Remark: She tries to claim this between her and Black Lighting claiming they just look after their own. He shuts her down pretty quickly; Jefferson doesn't discriminate against race, only hate and that's not even going into how she uses her powers to force the Sange to be her slaves.
- Older Than They Look: She's mentioned to have come to South Freeland 30 years ago, but looks in her 20s.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Has black people lynched from trees, enough said.
- Smug Snake: Her entire behaviour oozes of smug superiority.
- Rich Bitch: Uses her powers to enrich herself but not her minions.
- There Is Another: After Jefferson, she's the only one who survived the ASA's vaccine experiment.
- You Don't Look Like You: The Looker in the comics was a bank clerk, whose metahuman powers were activated by a society of underground people (giving her telekinesis, mind-reading, and the look of a supermodel), who then became a vampire for a time (or just a vampiric model in the National Comics anthology). Here, the character only shares the name of the Looker and nothing else more. It actually causes a bit of a Plot Hole as Looker was referenced several times in the first season in a positive light, indicating she was either another superhero in this verse or (thanks to Ambiguous Syntax) a fictional character in the in-universe Outsiders comics. Her portrayal really doesn't line up with how she was initially described.
- Wrong Genre Savvy: When she has Jefferson captured, she firmly believed that Black Lightning's powers came from the suit, and not from himself or anything electrical.
Independent Criminals
Two-Bits
Frank "Two-Bits" Tanner
Species: Human
Played By: Jason Louder
First Appearance: "Black Jesus" (Black Lightning 1x4)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
A childhood friend of Jefferson's, several years younger than him, who fell into petty crime.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Invoked; he says he's done a lot of things he's not proud of to survive, but when he witnessed a child getting snatched off the street he had to tell someone.
- Friendly Enemy: Tries to take a selfie with Black Lightning. While Black Lightning is beating him up.
- Harmless Villain: By the standards of the show. While he sells Green Light, he's largely a petty criminal just doing what he needs to in order to provide for his family. After the supply of Green Light dries up he's selling (presumably stolen or bootleg) DVDs (in 2018!) off the side of the road. He later reveals he doesn't even carry a gun because he's on probation.
- Meaningful Name: Despite all the heavy crime in the city, Two-Bit was either unable or unwilling to get into anything worse than pushing drugs on the street (while Green Light isn't exactly marijuana or ecstasy, there's no way Two-Bits would be aware of its true nature).
- Motor Mouth: Almost all the time, as if perpetually nervous.
- Odd Friendship: Though they're more acquaintances than friends now, he and Jefferson give off this vibe when they meet again. Two-Bit even specifically calls him out on it, saying he's too bougie to be hanging out at the bar where Two-Bit and his crew do, and deduces that he must want something.
- Took a Level in Kindness: He was always a friendly enough guy for a criminal, but by Season 3, he has put his criminal endeavors on hold and has joined the resistance against the ASA, doing his best to ruin their plans and help innocent civilians, at one point seen bringing food to a group of young teenagers hiding from the ASA.
Cutter
Giselle Cutter
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Kearran Giovanni
First Appearance: "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter One: Exodus" (Black Lightning 2x8)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
A hitman who is hired by Tobias to bring Khalil, who ran away, back.
- Blade Enthusiast: Favors all kinds of knives as her weapons. Also uses knives to pin her targets or bystanders down in a Knife Outline, if they are in her way.
- Even Evil Has Standards: While she may have slaughtered the police trying to get Khalil, she was horrified seeing how Tobias ripped the spinal implant from Khalil's back with his bare hands.
- Improbable Aiming Skills: Can throw her knives with alarming accuracy. Justified, if she truly has telekinesis powers.
- Karma Houdini: Commits many murders and helps out Tobias in many ways, and gets away with it all with no consequences brought upon her.
- Meaningful Name: She is a knife expert who likes to cut people.
- Old Flame: Apparently, she and Tobias were a couple in the past. They hook up again in the present.
- Poisoned Weapons: Some of her blades are coated in poison. She deliberately uses one on Khalil, so he can't run away too far from her.
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: In the Season Two finale, once Tobias starts getting abusive to her as part of his Villainous Breakdown she leaves him and Freeland.
- Telekinesis: According to Gambi, she can throw knives from impossible angles that fly in an arc and that bullets never hit her, which hints at telekinesis powers.
Instant
Instant
Species: Metahuman
Played By: Tosin Morohunfola
First Appearance: "The Book of Rebellion: Chapter Two: Gift of Magi" (Black Lightning 2x9)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
A metahuman bounty hunter with teleporting abilities, hired by the Markovians.
- Bounty Hunter: Though he acts more like a hired thug.
- Not What I Signed Up For: He immediately teleports himself and Mosin out when he faces Black Lightning, as fighting him wasn't part of their deal.
- Teleport Spam: He uses his powers to great effect.
Lazarus Prime
Lazarus Prime
Species: Human, possibly empowered by Magic
Played By: Michael Wright
First Appearance: "The Book of Secrets: Chapter Four: Original Sin" (Black Lightning 2x14)
Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)
Freeland's mysterious resurrectionist.
- Ambiguously Evil: It's not really clear what his motivations are, bringing back people like Lala or Lady Eve from the dead.
