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Freeland

Acquaintances of the Pierce Family

    Peter Gambi 

Peter Gambi

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/petergambi.jpeg

Species: Human

Known Aliases: Peter Esposito (birth name)

Played By: James Remar

First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

"Do you remember why you became Black Lightning? You wanted to give the people hope. You wanted the evil that's out there to have something to fear. Right now, there's nothing to fear and evil's running rampant like a plague through this city. Hell, through this world!"


A tailor and Jefferson's oldest friend and confidant. He made the Black Lightning costume and actively encourages Jefferson to go back to heroics. There is more to him than meets the eye.


  • Adaptational Heroism: In the comics, he was a mobster who killed Alvin Pierce, grew remorseful and helped Jefferson become Black Lightning to atone for his sins. In the show, it's complicated - Gambi's a former ASA agent who grew disgusted with their mission, so he leaked info about their illegal experiments to the press via Alvin Pierce, which got him killed. It's unclear what he did and didn't do as an agent. Nevertheless, he becomes Black Lightning's mentor for the show just like the comics.
  • Ambiguously Evil: He's done things like delete footage of Tobias Whale and lie to Jefferson about Anissa's presence at a crime scene. He's also a friend and ex-mentor to Lady Eve. However, it becomes clear later that he's on the side of good, and he's worried about Jefferson's vendetta against Tobias.
  • Anti-Hero: Gambi is firmly on the side of good, but that does not mean that he is to be trifled with. He has no problems with killing or even torturing people.
  • The Atoner: He was part of a government agency that was doing illegal experiments with a vaccine to try and keep people docile. When he found out what they were doing — and more importantly, that the vaccine was killing people or making them metahumans — he quit and leaked the project to Alvin. When Alvin got killed, Gambi trained Jefferson as his way to atone.
  • Back-Alley Doctor: He uses his tailor skills to stitch Jefferson up.
  • Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Well, 'former bad guy turned Anti-Hero', but the trope still applies. He sees himself as a monster for his past deeds and insists that Jefferson should not cross the line and leave the morally ambiguous stuff to him instead, like killing Proctor.
  • Broken Pedestal: Jefferson saw Gambi as a mentor and father figure. This starts breaking down when Jefferson became suspicious of how Gambi keeps stalling him about dealing with Tobias Whale. It ends completely with the revelation that Gambi was an ASA agent who had a role in the experimental vaccine to pacify the population and that Gambi's whistle-blowing also got Jefferson's father killed. It becomes a something of a Rebuilt Pedestal when Jefferson realizes that Gambi will never betray him; he might not be able to forgive Gambi for what he did, but knows he's a loyal friend who deeply cares for him and his family.
  • Crazy-Prepared: To the point of it becoming a Running Gag. He has cameras all over the city, if the power in the city fails, the Sanctum has a backup generator, he has placed batteries in the suits he makes in case the grid goes down, he has a mobile van that acts as a portable base when necessary. Jefferson basically describes him thusly:
    "This is Gambi we're talking about, he has contingency plans for his contingency plan!"
  • The Confidant: For Jefferson and has become one for Anissa, too.
  • Dark and Troubled Past: It's implied he is or was connected to Freeland's underground as Jefferson relies on him to find out what's going in the city and to be alerted by any new criminal activity. He was actually an agent for the ASA who quit when he found out their illegal experiments to keep people docile were either killing people or turning them into metahumans. He leaked the project to Alvin Pierce, who got killed by the ASA. He trained Jefferson to be Black Lightning as his way to atone.
  • Decomposite Character: His role as the man who killed Alvin Pierce is given to Tobias Whale.
  • Deep Cover Agent: To Freeland, he's a much-loved tailor whose shop helped revitalize down town. In reality, he's an agent for the ASA assigned to find metahumans, so he became a tailor to integrate himself into the community. He's actually stopped working for the ASA, having become disgusted with their mission, but his superiors don't know that.
  • Faking the Dead: In the opening minutes of "Requiem" he's attacked by hitmen and his SUV explodes as he's trying to escape. We don't see a body / remains, and sure enough he's alive and well. He jumped out of his car and exploded it himself, so he can lay low and figure out who ordered the hit. He finds out in season 3 that it was Lady Eve who ordered the hit.
  • Gadgeteer Genius: He's the one who designed Jefferson's new hi-tech costume, as well as Anissa's Thunder suit and Jennifer's Lightning suit.
  • Hollywood Hacking: Another of his specialties — it wouldn't be a CW superhero show without it.
  • Honorary Uncle: Jefferson's daughters affectionately address him as "Uncle Gambi".
  • I Am a Monster: He says this word for word, right before he kills Martin Proctor in the season one finale, and then disposes of the body.
  • I Have Many Names: Peter Gambi is an alias. His name is actually Peter Esposito.
  • Keeping Secrets Sucks: He learns this the hard way when events spiral so out of control that he can no longer keep his past with the ASA a secret from Jefferson. Jefferson's reaction is what you would expect — he tells Gambi to stay away from his family and makes it clear that they're no longer friends. However they are reconciled when Jefferson realizes no matter what Gambi will never betray him or his family.
  • Like a Son to Me: After the death of his father, Gambi pretty much acted as a Parental Substitute for Jefferson.
  • Living Legend: Amongst the ASA. He's able to use his connections to have Lynn examine the kids in their custody in Season Two.
  • Made of Iron: The ASA tortures him to try to get him to give up Black Lighting. It doesn't work.
  • The Mentor: Acts as one for the Pierce family, specifically Jefferson and Jennifer. Later, he acts one to Baron aka Technocrat/T.C., after Gambi was looking for him.
  • Minored In Ass Kicking: He easily wipes out Joey Toledo's thugs before assassinating Toledo himself.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: While he was always remorseful for his ASA actions, the sight of the metahumans he identified thirty year ago being kept in stasis is what really drives the point of he was part of something downright monstrous.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Gambi has a bad tendency of doing things with good intentions that blow up in his face and have unforeseen consequences that often make things worse.
    • After learning the truth about the ASA's illegal experiments, he leaked the knowledge to the press via Alvin Pierce, hoping to expose them. Instead Alvin got killed, with Tobias apparently killing him for exposing his corruption being a convenient cover.
    • He kills Joey Toledo with Lady Eve's approval, hoping it will get the increasingly cocky and reckless Tobias to back down and go back into the shadows (and get Jefferson to abandon his vendetta). Instead, Tobias sees it as The Last Straw in Lady Eve's mistreatment of him, so he has his men kill Lady Eve and frame Black Lightning for it. Not only does this turn the community against Black Lightning for killing a much-loved public figure, it also compels the ASA to order a hit on Black Lightning for what they see as his unknown interference with their operation.
  • Playing Both Sides: He pretends to be an ally of Lady Eve and the ASA, when in truth he's working with Jefferson to fix the damage they've all done to Freeland. Deconstructed as events spiral out of his control and his delicate balancing act of helping Jefferson without raising suspicion from Lady Eve and the ASA is thrown out the window when Tobias has his men frame Black Lighting for Lady Eve's murder means the ASA wants to take him out, and Gambi is powerless to stop it.
  • Parental Substitute: He's known Jefferson since he was twelve and is the closest thing to a father Jefferson has had ever since his father was murdered.
  • The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything: He's supposed to be a tailor, but sure spends a lot of his time spying on people and working the streets while Jefferson's at the school. Season 3 informs us that he took up tailoring as a way to cope with his PSTD so odds are he keeps his tailoring ability off-screen.
  • Rebuilt Pedestal: After keeping Jefferson's secret safe from the ASA (Cold-Blooded Torture be damned) and helping to free him from jail, Jefferson doesn't know if he can forgive Gambi's past misdeeds, but he does consider Gambi fully a friend and a part of the family.
  • Secret-Keeper: One of the few people who know that Jefferson is Black Lightning. He was originally the only one, before Jefferson met Lynn.
  • Sharp-Dressed Man: Justified, he's a tailor.
  • Super Costume Clothier: Like the comics he's a former mobster turned good, or at least turned Anti-Hero, who took up tailoring. In the show, he explains he intentionally got into tailoring to help him focus on something to help him deal with his PTSD. He makes Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning's outfits as well as those for his daughters Anissa/Thunder and Jennifer/Lightning. He also uses his sewing skills as a Back-Alley Doctor.
  • Token White: Sole white character in the main cast.
  • Undying Loyalty: Despite his shady past, he's 100% loyal to the Pierce family. When the ASA tortures him to find out who Black Lighting is, Gambi does not give him up.
  • Where Does He Get All Those Wonderful Toys?: For a tailor, Gambi has a ton of hi-tech computer gear in his basement, not to mention whatever the Black Lightning suit is made of. Turns out he's a former spy, and his boss still thinks he's working for them, so all of his equipment is part of that job.
  • Would Not Hurt A Child: The whole reason he turned against the ASA, experimenting on and killing kids was just too much for him. It's also why he kills Proctor with not a hint of remorse.

    Reverend Holt 

Reverend Jeremiah Holt

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jeremiah_holt.png

Species: Human

Played By: Clifton Powell

First Appearance: "Lawanda: The Book of Hope" (Black Lightning 1x2)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

"Let me tell you a little bit about your constituents. You see, the black folk here in Freeland, we always knew Tobias was still here. And we always knew Tobias was runnin' The One Hundred. And I knew it was him and The One Hundred that tried to kill me... If I'm wrong you can take that money and buy your own clinic. Name it after yo' mama for all I care. But you're not getting mine, understand? Now, if I'm right, and I know I am you can tell Tobias I said "he can keep his money and he can kiss my holy ass"."

The local reverend of Freeland United Methodist Church.

see the Arrowverse: Other Earths page for his counterpart in an undesignated Earth

  • Badass Preacher: While he prefers peaceful protests, he is not shy to draw a gun on unwanted intruders in his church.
  • Good Shepherd: A very moral and brave man.
  • Handicapped Badass: In Season 2 he is shown needing a cane to walk around after being shot. Not that this keeps him down.
  • Honour Before Reason: Him organizing a peaceful protest against The One Hundred in the light of Lawanda's death might have been noble, but also quite foolish. Indeed, it is only Black Lightning's interference that prevents any casualties and both Khalil and Jeremiah himself get critically wounded nevertheless.
  • Not Afraid to Die: When Khalil tells him he's on Tobias's hit list and needs to leave Freeland, Holt isn't scared telling the young man he's not afraid of Tobias and that his fate is in God's hands.
  • Not Quite Dead: He's apparently killed by Cutter on Tobias's orders with a poisoned handkerchief. However, he reappears in the Season finale, just having been put into a coma.
  • Took a Level in Badass: In Season 3, where he's one of the main pillars of the resistance against the ASA, now carries a gun and will not hesitate to use it to protect innocent civilians.

    Perenna 

Perenna

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4_21.jpg

Species: Metahuman

Played By: Erika Alexander

First Appearance: "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry" (Black Lightning 2x3)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A metahuman therapist, whom Lynn and Jefferson enlist to help Jennifer learn how to control her powers.


  • Beware the Nice Ones: A kind, compassionate woman, but she can inflict a vicious Mind Rape if she needs to defend herself.
  • The Empath: One of her powers.
  • Mind Rape: She inflicts this on a couple of Markovia agents who tried to kidnap her.
  • Warrior Therapist: She's specializes in helping metas who struggle to control her power.

    Jamillah Olsen 

Jamillah Olsen

Species: Human

Played By: Adetinpo Thomas

First Appearance: "The Book of Occupation: Chapter One: Birth of Blackbird" (Black Lightning 3x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A reporter, introduced during the occupation of Freeland.


    Dr. Darius Morgan 

Dr. Darius Morgan

Species: Human

Played By: Todd Anthony Dunbar Jr

First Appearance: "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter Two: Unacceptable Losses" (Black Lightning 4x2)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A new co-worker of Anissa's as of Season 4.


  • He Knows Too Much: Gets murdered after being locked out of his database and giving Anissa everything he has on the phony cystic fibrosis treatment.
  • Incompatible Orientation: He tries hitting on Anissa, but since she is gay, she quickly shuts him down. He takes it pretty well, though.
  • Nice Guy: Very friendly and supportive of Anissa, even willing to get ordained so she and Grace can marry. After she turned him down, no less.

    Dr. Bowlan 

Dr. Bowlan

Species: Human

Played By: Bethann Hardison

First Appearance: "The Book of Reconstruction: Chapter One: Collateral Damage" (Black Lightning 4x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A therapist in Freeland which Jefferson and Lynn consult in Season 4.


  • The Shrink: Her job, and she seems quite good at it too, easily deducing a lot of Jefferson's and Lynn's problems, even without them telling her about their real occupations.

Local Government

Administration

    Mayor Billy Black 

Mayor Billy Black

Species: Human

Played By: Reggie Hayes

First Appearance: "Collateral Damage" (Black Lightning 4x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

The mayor of Freeland as of Season 4.


  • Killed Off for Real: Dies in a shootout orchestrated by Tobias Whale.
  • Make It Look Like an Accident: He was shot with a FCPD gun, making it seem like he died by friendly fire.
  • Mayor Pain: After briefly standing up to Tobias Whale, he promptly cowers to him in the next episode.
  • Nerves of Steel: Initially. Despite knowing exactly who Tobias Whale is, he is not so easily threatened, outright refusing to defunding and demolishing Garfield High School and walking out on him.

Police Department

    Bill Henderson 

Deputy Chief Bill Henderson

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/inspectorhenderson.jpeg

Species: Human

Played By: Damon Gupton

First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A friend of Jefferson's and a high ranking officer in the police force, who tried for years to arrest Black Lightning, unaware he was chasing his friend. Currently, he's overwhelmed as the One Hundred throw Freeland into chaos.


  • The Commissioner Gordon: Becomes this late in Season 1. He starts out as a high-ranking cop that will grudgingly work with Black Lightning if the situation warrants it, though he'll also try to arrest Black Lighting (and talk badly about him in public) if the opportunity arises. When certain events transpire, and Henderson must put his money where his mouth is, he hits a Rank Up as a reward. Later, when he finds out about Gambi, he secretly calls on him for technical and investigative support.
  • Dying Moment of Awesome: He’s fatally wounded after taking out every single Markovian soldier guarding the Pit and saving Jefferson from an ambush.
  • Everyone Has Standards: He may be black and frustrated with the rampant racism in the department, but he will not tolerate any attack on racist officers.
  • The Friend Nobody Likes: In the black community, he's more or less become their scapegoat for everything wrong with the police. His dislike of Black Lightning also puts him at odds with the rest of his community who see him as their savior.
  • Friend on the Force: Eventually becomes this, after he figures out Black Lightning's identity.Becomes this again to the Resistance in Season 3.
  • Inspector Javert: A more sympathetic example than most but he spent most of his career trying to arrest Black Lightning despite the good he was doing — he wasn't being personally vindictive, he was just doing his job (though Black Lightning's tendency to attack racist cops might have something to do with it) . That said, he will accept Black Lightning's help in an off the books type-manner, but he's not overtly enthusiastic about it.
  • Killed Off for Real: Fatally wounded in a gunfight with the Markovian soldiers guarding the Pit, though he manages to take all of them with him.
  • Police Are Useless: Played with; he's treated sympathetically and Jefferson considers him a friend, but he's unable to either combat the 100 effectively or prevent his officers from engaging in racist abuse. His priorities are also called into question as his department is seemingly able to arrest protesters with no problemnote , and he spent his career hunting the only man capable of making a difference against the 100, while being useless in actually combating them without him. However, the second episode reveals that there are cops on Whale's payroll meaning that Henderson isn't as impotent as he seems — merely under siege from all fronts and trying to make the best of a bad situation. Averted in a later episode when he saves Black Lightning with old fashioned police work, while a flashier plan using super powers and advanced technology fails.
  • Present Absence: His death causes Jefferson to give up being Black Lightning as of the start of Season 4.
  • Race Lift: The Superman version of Henderson is white.
  • Rank Up: At the beginning of the show he's an Inspector. But near the end of season one, after he uncovered Deputy Chief Clayman's corruption in the police force and him trying to frame Jefferson Pierce, Clayman is arrested and Henderson becomes the new Deputy Chief.
  • Secret-Keeper: In Season 2, he deduces on his own who Black Lightning is, after linking Black Lightning's return to Jefferson Pierce's daughers' abduction. He quickly realizes then that Thunder must be close to Jefferson too.
  • To Be Lawful or Good: Is often torn between the two. In Season 3, he chooses 'good', as he becomes The Mole for the Resistance.
  • Transplant: Played with; in the comics, Henderson is a supporting Superman character, a member of the Metropolis Police Department, but he also had run-ins with Black Lightning when the latter had his first comic book run.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Early in Season 2, he confronts Black Lightning, having deduced that it's Jefferson Pierce. He is not happy about how many times Jefferson has lied to his friend.

    Ana Lopez 

Chief Ana Lopez

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ana_lopez.png

Species: Human

Played By: Melissa De Sousa

First Appearance: "Collateral Damage" (Black Lightning 4x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

The Freeland Police Department Chief after Henderson's death.


  • Became Their Own Antithesis: By the time of the series finale, she became a dangerous meta that attacked her fellow police officers as a last attempt at revenge against Lightning. She even points out the irony.
  • Da Chief: Takes over as this as of Season 4 after Henderson's death.
  • Fantastic Racism: Her husband, after becoming a metahuman, went insane and murdered her brothers. This has left her with a burning hatred for all metahumans, which drives her crusade against superpowered "vigilantes". After Lightning delivers a captured meta criminal to her, Lopez responds by calling her "meta filth" and claiming she and all the others deserve to be wiped from the face of the Earth.
  • Hypocrite: Despite hating metas so much, she seriously considers arming her officers with metaboosters that would give them powers to fight against them before Shakur talks her down. After she is exposed as a bigot, she injects herself with a metabooster to try and kill Lightning.
  • Inspector Javert: She and Hassan Shakur start Season 4 by investigating Jefferson due to him putting two racist cops in the hospital.
  • Psycho Electro: Once she injects herself with metaboosters, she gains electric powers, which she gleefully uses to drain a power generator.

    Hassan Shakur 

Hassan Shakur

Species: Human

Played By: Wallace Smith

First Appearance: "Collateral Damage" (Black Lightning 4x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A police detective and protegé of the late Bill Henderson.


  • Friend on the Force: He eventually fills in for Henderson, supporting Black Lightning even at the risk of being put in jail himself.
  • Inspector Javert: He and Ana Lopez start Season 4 by investigating Jefferson due to him putting two racist cops in the hospital. However, he soon becomes his Friend on the Force.
  • Remember the New Guy?: Despite having been Henderson's protegé, he was never seen until the Season 4 premiere.
  • Secret-Keeper: Jefferson eventually reveals his identity to him.

    Wesley Robinson 

Deputy Chief Wesley Robinson

Species: Human

Played By: Troy Faruk

First Appearance: "A Light In The Darkness" (Black Lightning 4x4)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A police detective on the payroll of Lala.


  • The Mole: He works as an informant for Lala.

    Cabera 

Cabera

Species: Human

Played By: Amanda Tavarez

First Appearance: "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Four: Lyding" (Black Lightning 4x9)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A computer specialist introduced in Season 4.


  • Number Two: To Chief Lopez, being the most willing to go along with her approach.

Garfield High School

Faculty

    Principal Jefferson Pierce 

    Vice Principal Kara Fowdy 

Vice Principal Kara Fowdy

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/karafowdy.jpg

Species: Human

Played By: Skye P Marshall

First Appearance: "The Resurrection" (Black Lightning 1x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

The vice principal of Garfield High, whom Jefferson often takes for granted.


  • Armed Legs: Fights Syonide in Season Two with Combat Stilettos that have literal stilettos that extend from the heels.
  • Being Evil Sucks: She wants out of the ASA in Season Two when the whole ugly truth of Proctor's operation comes to light.
  • Beleaguered Assistant: Despite being the vice principal, Jefferson treats her like his secretary.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: She seems like a harassed if nice lady, but is actually an ASA spotter - she turns in her own students who exhibit metahuman activity. Worse, she's completely aware they're being kept in stasis, and doesn't so much as bat an eye.
  • Dark Action Girl: She reveals herself as this Season Two displaying previously unseen combat and espionage skills — she's proficient enough to kill Syonide...but not enough to kill Tobias Whale.
  • Deep Cover Agent: She's uses her job as vice principal to look for students who exhibit metahuman activity after taking Green Light then sell them out to the ASA.
  • Determinator: Shows a borderline superhuman tolerance for pain in season 2; after being harpooned in the gut, maintains enough self-control to run through a plate glass window and jump off a building to avoid being killed by Tobias Whale, even while screaming in agony from, not to harp on it, the harpoon in her gut. Later turns up battered and unconscious but alive at Gambi's; it's unclear if she dragged herself there by sheer force of will before passing out or was left there by persons unknown.
  • Dirty Coward: She's clearly not of physical confrontation, but seems completely unwilling to even entertain engaging in fights she knows she can't win: in Season Two, she's desperate to leave the ASA not out of remorse but to avoid her much deserved punishment.
  • Driven to Suicide: Dies a painful but inevitable as a result of her internal injuries from jumping out of Tobias' window plus the harpoon in her stomach.
  • Expy: Keeping in line with the show's Biblical motifs, Fowdy is Judas Iscariot - not only is she working for the ASA as a "spotter" for metahuman activity, once she finds out that Jefferson is Black Lightning, she sells him out to the cops on their behalf.
  • Finding Judas: She's forced to have Jefferson arrested on trumped up drug charges, yet is very uncomfortable with it. Like the Trope Namer, Fowdy comes to regret her betrayal and finds out the hard way that it can't be so easily undone.
  • Foil: To Gambi. Both were ASA spotters. The difference is that Gambi shows genuine remorse over his actions and wishes to atone, while Fowdy does not and merely wished to avoid the consequences of her actions.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: Suffers no consequences for kidnapping her own students, even when Proctor's rogue operations are unveiled at the end of Season One. Subverted in Season Two, where she's well aware it's only a matter of time before somebody uncovers her role in Proctor's scheme and is desperate to leave the ASA before it happens. She ends up dead.
  • Moral Myopia: She hates how her ASA superiors forced her to betray Jefferson, but shows no sign of guilt for turning her students over to the ASA. She claims to Gambi that she had no idea that Proctor's operation was rogue; Gambi pointedly asks her how much of a difference that's supposed to make.
  • Out of Focus: She gets very little attention until "Sins of the Father: The Book of Redemption" when it's revealed she's working for the ASA as a spotter.
  • Retired Monster: What she aspires to be in Season Two.
  • Walking Spoiler: Certain plot points in season one become difficult to talk about with regards to Fowdy.

    The School Board 

The School Board

Played By: ???

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

The School Board that overseas Garfield High School. Despite Jefferson's success in making a Garfield a model school and his reputation, they often butt heads with him.


  • Apathetic Teacher: They care more about Garfield's reputation than the students themselves. As Jefferson point out they always find money for metal detectors and security guards, but never for stuff like computers and books.
  • Bad Boss: They could always replace Jefferson as principal with somebody else, and Jefferson knows they would if he butts heads with them one time too many.
    • In Season Two, they only agree to reopen Garfield when Jefferson offers them his resignation; he knows too well that they will gleefully exploit the chance to drag his name through the mud.
  • Hate Sink: They tried to expel an otherwise model student who screwed up one time by email.
  • Jerkass: They look down on Jefferson for being "arrogant" despite his reputation as being on of the best educators in the country and condescend him at every opportunity. Though "arrogant" in this case seems less to mean "prideful" and more "refuses to do do whatever we say without question".
  • Jerkass Has a Point:
    • While it's understandable they want to take disciplinary action against a student who publicly overdosed in the school, they go too far by avoiding kind any of hearing for the student and by failing to acknowledge that the drug dealers are deliberately targeting the student body.
    • They also have legitimate security concerns about the kids' safety in Season Two in light of all the gang attacks on it in season two.
  • Omniscient Council of Vagueness: We know little about them, save they don't see eye to eye with Jefferson on anything.
  • Pointy-Haired Boss: Jefferson is one of the best educators in the country, and yet rather than seeing him as an asset they seem him as a problem for being "arrogant" because he refuses to comply with their racist outlook on how to run the school.
  • Politically Incorrect Villain: While not "villains" per say, they are mainly affluent whites (and one black man) who look down on Jefferson as "arrogant", fail to empathize with the black students who make up Garfield's student population and make no secret of how they wish to replace Jefferson with someone who will comply with desires without question. In Season Two they get their wish.
  • Screw the Rules, I Make Them!: Jefferson has final say on disciplinary matters, but they more or less blackmail him into forfeiting that authority in exchange for letting a student they wanted expelled stay in school.
  • Ultimate Job Security: It's really a mystery how they still have their positions especially since by and large the parents and students usually side with Jefferson and not them.

    Mike Lowry 

Mike Lowry

Species: Human

Played By: P.J. Byrne

First Appearance: "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Three: Master Lowry" (Black Lightning 2x3)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

The new principal that was hired after Jefferson stepped down.


  • Apathetic Teacher: In "Just and Unjust" it's made abundantly clear he has no affection at all for his students, and in fact outright resents them for having opportunities in life that he never got at their age.
  • Double Standard: Claims to be a victim of this, since his parents were drug addicts and he had to spend time sleeping on the street and eating dog food, yet because he wasn't black nobody felt sorry him (ignoring that plenty of kids black or white would get the same indifferent treatment due to the stigma of poverty and drug addiction).... so he takes out on his black students, who he flat admits he doesn't feel any sympathy for at all.
  • Everyone Has Standards: In "Lynn's Ouroboros", he protests the detainment of a student on grounds of suspected metahuman status. He even takes a blow to the nose for his troubles.
  • Foil To Jefferson. Jefferson is stern, but fair and knows every kid in the building and makes a point of having meaningful discipline policies that are focused more on personal development that punishment. Lowry is apathetic, tyrannical, and doesn't seem to have much faith in his students and favors disastrous zero tolerance policies which cause more harm than good - i.e. kicking kids out to the street for minor infractions and into the hands of predatory street gangs.
  • Freudian Excuse Is No Excuse: He had a rough time of it when he was younger, but as Jefferson points out, he's still got a lot more benefit of the doubt due to being white, despite his claims to the contrary and it's certainly not a good enough reason to take it out on the students.
  • Green-Eyed Monster: He seems envious on how much the students admire and respect Jefferson, while they almost universally despise him. On a personal level he resents how Jefferson had an award-winning journalist for a father, while all he got for a dad was a drug addict.
  • Hate Sink: Immediately after becoming principal he starts undoing many of Jefferson's policies, including installing metal detectors at the entrances. Jefferson immediately starts hating his guts, although this evolves into pity when he learns why he acts this way.
  • I Reject Your Reality: He doesn't seem to understand or care about the racism his students and faculty face — regardless of their social position; even a famous educator like Jefferson has to put up with the indignation and humiliation of police profiling, which Lowry despite his poor background never has and never will. His refusal to recognize this is one of many sources of animosity between him and Jefferson.
  • Inferiority Superiority Complex: He wants to prove himself better than Jefferson, despite condescending at him at every turn.
  • Informed Ability: You don't get to be principal of a high school without years of experience as a teacher and further work in administration. We don't see any hint of that in Lowry's interactions with students and staff.
  • Jerkass:
    • He's very rude to Jefferson, saying that his changes to school policy that Jefferson had long fought against were necessary because of Jefferson's failures.
    • Flat out admits that he refuses to empathize with his students, because nobody showed him any compassion as a poor white boy who had to sleep on the street because of his junkie parents.
  • Lower-Class Lout: His parents were drug addicts, and despite managing to become an educator he maintains the general attitude by how he treats his students and Jefferson, believing they've been given unfair advantages he never got and relishing the authority he has as principal over them — he makes a point of Jefferson's dad being an award-winning journalist while his dad was a junkie.
  • Manchild: The reason he refuses to reach out and sympathize with his students? Because nobody felt sorry for him and his shitty home life.
  • Not Helping Your Case: He hates being called racist, then goes on to explain that since nobody felt sorry him and his shitty home life (allegedly because he was white) he doesn't' feel sorry for his black students at all, and proceeded to disrespect and condescend to them at every turn, which of course makes him come off as racist.
  • No-Respect Guy: Neither the staff nor students show him much respect due not only to Jefferson's popularity but his own disastrous policies and how he wanted his name to be addressed with Principal isn't really gonna earn him any respect either.
  • Plot-Irrelevant Villain: Has absolutely no impact on the main plot, he's just there to make Jefferson's personal/professional life hard alongside his superheroics.
  • Tyrant Takes the Helm: After he replaces Jefferson, he starts demanding strict obedience from teachers and students alike. It doesn't work out like he wants.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: He institutes a zero tolerance policy and expels a student for getting into a fight. While he may think it's to keep the student body safe, such policies generally do more harm than good.

    Napier Frank 

Napier Frank

Species: Human

Played By: Robert Townsend

First Appearance: "The Book of Consequences: Chapter One: Rise of the Green Light Babies" (Black Lightning 2x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

An old friend of Jefferson, who's also an Olympian and the only African-American member on the School Board


  • And Starring: Robert Townsend is billed as a "Special Guest Star".
  • Friend on the Force: He's Jefferson's main advocate on the School Board.
  • My God, What Have I Done?: He accuses Jefferson of caring more about his job than his students. When Jefferson resigns in order to keep the school open, he comes to regret his harsh words.
  • Old Friend: For Jefferson and they managed to go to the Olympics together.
  • Token Minority: The only black member on the otherwise white School Board. And he doesn't like any insinuation that he's subservient to the white majority.

    Anissa Pierce 

    Marcel Payton 

Marcel Payton

Species: Human

Played By: Kedrick Brown

First Appearance: "The Book of Consequences: Chapter Two: Black Jesus Blues" (Black Lightning 2x2)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A teacher at Garfield Highschool.


  • Fight Clubbing: What he does to vent his pain and anger after the death of his son. Jefferson thankfully eventually snaps him out of it.
  • Outliving One's Offspring: Loses his youngest son in a gang shootout.
  • Trauma Conga Line: After losing his home during the Markovian Occupation and getting most of his children taken by Child Protective Services, the poor guy loses his last remaining kid in a shootout between The 100 and the Cobra Kartel.

Students

    Jennifer Pierce 

    Tavon Singley 

Tavon Singley

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tavon.png

Species: Human

Played By: Jasun Jabbar

First Appearance: "Black Jesus: The Book of Crucifixion" (Black Lightning 1x11)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A student at Garfield Highschool.


  • The Heart: He was universally beloved by his teachers, classmates, friends and family alike for always seeing the best in people which is mentioned by Jefferson during his funeral.
  • Killed Off for Real: After being arrested by the ASA on false charges of being a metahuman and broken out by the Resistance, Anissa tries to bring him back to his parents on Jefferson's behalf. Unfortunately, they are attacked by Painkiller and Tavon gets fatally poisoned.
  • Undying Loyalty: He's one of the most fiercely loyal students towards Jefferson, and pretty much the first to protest Jefferson's ouster as school principal.

    Brandon Marshall / Geo-Force 

Brandon Marshall

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brandon_3.jpg

Species: Metahuman

Played By: Jahking Guillory

First Appearance: "The Book of Occupation: Chapter Three" (Black Lightning 3x3)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A new student at Garfield High School, starting Season 3. He is later revealed to be a metahuman.


  • Decomposite Character: He gets the hero identity of Geo-Force. The Arrowverse already had a Dr. Brion Markov of Earth-1 but he was killed in Arrow season 1. Since Crisis merged Earth-1 with BL-Earth into Earth-Prime and the presence of alternate selves and doppelgangers it is kinda hard to keep track.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: He can manipulate the Earth. He can even create expensive materials like diamonds out of basically nothing.
  • Missing Mom: Both of his parents are dead, but based on Jace's comments, Brandon's father might be alive, and shares the same powers as he does.
  • Nice Guy: While he seems a little shady at first, he is quite friendly.
  • Not in This for Your Revolution: He joins the mission to Markovia only out of a desire to kill Dr. Jace and he later even turns down Jefferson's request to help fight for Freeland solely so he can get his revenge. He later comes around however, due to his friendship with Jennifer.
  • Ship Tease: He gets close with Jennifer rather quickly. However, it goes nowhere due to Jennifer clearly being still interested in Khalil.
  • You Killed My Father: The real reason he is in Freeland is because he is after Dr. Jace, who killed his mom.

    Baron / TC 

Baron / TC

Species: Metahuman

Played By: Christopher Ammanuel

First Appearance: "The Book of Resistance: Chapter Three: The Battle of Franklin Terrace" (Black Lightning 3x8)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A metahuman and former pod kid with the ability to talk to computers. He befriends Gambi in season 3 and later takes shelter in Gambi's shop during the ASA crackdowns.


  • Fish out of Temporal Water: He was one of the pod kids, and thus spent thirty years in suspended animation before being freed. The shock of emerging in a world with so many smart devices overwhelmed and sent him fleeing to an old radio station.
  • Kid Sidekick: To Gambi, helping him out a lot with his powers.
  • No Social Skills: He prefers talking to computers, and doesn't much like dealing with people.
  • Power Incontinence: When first introduced, he's hiding out in an old radio station, as he can't stop the various computers, smartphones, tablets, and other devices from talking to him.
  • Ship Tease: With Erica Moran.
  • Technopath: His powers enable him to communicate with computers.

    Uriah 

Uriah

Species: Human

Played By: McKalin Hand

First Appearance: "The Book of Ruin: Chapter Three: Things Fall Apart" (Black Lightning 4x8)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

A student at Garfield High School whom Jennifer gets to know after getting her new body.


  • Nice Guy: When half the school turns against Jefferson due to the false embezzlement charges leveled against him by Tobias Whale, he sticks up for him.
  • Ship Tease: He and Jennifer (aka JJ) quickly take a liking to one another.
  • Targeted to Hurt the Hero: Red murders him during his first date with Jennifer, in order to convince her to stop being Lightning.

Citizens

    Lauren Caruso 

Lauren Caruso

Species: Human

Played By: Elena Varela

First Appearance: "Collateral Damage" (Black Lightning 4x1)

Appearances: Black Lightning (2018)

An employee of Monovista International and former lover of Peter Gambi.


  • Old Flame: She and Gambi were an item in the past and both obviously still have feelings for each other.
  • Unwitting Pawn: While Gambi does seem to have genuine feelings towards her, he also manipulates her and her work to keep the Pierce's safe. She eventually learns the truth, and while she is still angry, she agrees to work with Peter to bring Tobias down, as she never planned her work to be perverted in such a way.

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