Peter Cannon, alias Thunderbolt, is a superhero originating in Charlton Comics in The '60s. Unlike the other Charlton heroes, the rights to this character reverted to his creator, Pete Morisi, when Charlton Comics disappeared. Hence, while full rights to those other characters were purchased by DC Comics and they were fully incorporated into The DCU, DC only acquired the license to Thunderbolt on a temporary basis. It eventually again reverted to Morisi and then his estate, and Peter Cannon has since been licensed out elsewhere.
Thunderbolt also shares with other Charlton characters the odd distinction of probably being better known for an Expy/Captain Ersatz than for their original persona — much better known in Thunderbolt's case, because of those rather patchy appearances under temporary licenses. The expies are the major characters in DC's classic Watchmen, by Alan Moore, which was quite openly based on Charlton's line-up; Thunderbolt became the (in)famous Ozymandias.
Peter Cannon's backstory has been reasonably consistent across his various incarnations, being a version of the ever-popular "Westerner learned amazing martial arts or some kind of mystical secrets in the Far East" origin story, which goes back to the 19th century and had previously appeared in comics in another form with characters such as Doctor Strange and the Golden Age hero Amazing-Man, who Cannon quite closely resembles. However, Peter Cannon was one of the first versions in American culture to focus on martial arts abilities (though he also acquired some quasi-mystical lore). In fact, his story also has a noticeable amount in common with that of Marvel Comics' Iron Fist, who appeared a few years later.
Specifically, Peter Cannon was taken to Tibet by his parents, who were American medical workers. Unfortunately, his parents died while working to save a Tibetan village from the "dreaded Black Plague,"note leaving their infant son to be brought up by the surviving villagers and the local lamasery. Cannon became a master of physical and mental disciplines under the monks' tutelage, learning so well that he was entrusted with "ancient scrolls that bore the secret writings of past generations of wise men." then, when he was an adult, the Black Plague returned, wiping out the village. So Cannon returned to his parents' homeland with his Indian friend Tabu. There, he took the identity of the superhero Thunderbolt.
Comic series in which Peter Cannon has starred include:
- Peter Cannon ... Thunderbolt (Charlton Comics, 1966-1967)
- Peter Cannon – Thunderbolt (DC Comics, 1992-1993)
- Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt (2012) (Dynamite Entertainment, 2012-2013)
- Peter Cannon: Thunderbolt (2019) (Dynamite Entertainment, 2019)
Tropes common to most or all versions of Peter Cannon include:
- 90% of Your Brain: Peter Cannon's training was said to enable him to access the portions of the brain that most people don't use, though some recent comics have implicitly acknowledged the mythical status of that number; Cannon simply perceives things nine times as well as most people.
- Charles Atlas Superpower: Cannon has excellent physical and martial arts skills, and this and his mental training give him “mind over matter” abilities that are borderline superhuman.
- Domino Mask: The original version of Thunderbolt simply added a domino mask for identity concealment to what was said to be his training outfit (which happened to look remarkably like a fairly Standard Superhero Suit). Recent redesigns of the character have made his mask a bit more non-standard.
- Eastward Endeavor: The young Peter’s parents took him with them to Asia, where he ended up learning martial arts.
- Enlightenment Superpowers/Supernatural Martial Arts: Along with his “mind over matter” Charles Atlas Superpower, the "ancient scrolls" Cannon may or may not have in his possession in different versions may provide outright mystical powers when he consults them — though this usually downplayed.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: Cannon’s costume has an asymmetric color scheme. The original design was apparently borrowed from the Golden Age superhero Daredevil, who was one inspiration for the character.
- Mighty Whitey: The Tibetan monks were experts in martial arts and mental and physical disciplines, but it was a white kid who turned out to be the best student of his generation in the monastery. Downplayed in that this is a one-off case, the skills he employs are distinctly non-western, and he rather disdains his parents’ culture.
- Non-Indicative Name: There is little obviously thunderbolt-like to Peter Cannon’s powers. Different versions of the character have “Thunderbolt” be a nickname attached to him by a news reporter because he’s just quick and impressive, or refer to the significance of the thunderbolt in Buddhist iconography.
- Refusal of the Call: Cannon realizes that his powers can help people in the West, but isn't very enamored of materialistic western civilization, so he often has to be persuaded to act as a hero. Frequently, persuading him is Tabu’s job.
