Superman himself gives Black Lightning the nod of approval, but not every first meeting goes nearly so well… “Encounter With A Dark Avenger!” World’s Finest Comics #256 (April/May 1979), p.30, DC Comics Inc.The irony of it all is that Green Arrow is probably the most bleeding-heart liberal, socially conscious of the major heroes of the time (though he did kind of start the fight himself.) Black Lightning continues his activities in Metropolis, completely unaware of the attention he has garnered for himself. Focusing on the common man, Black Lightning makes enough of a name for himself that even the bigger heroes take notice. He continues fighting for the people of Suicide Slum, using his athletic skill and electrical might to take down bad men wherever they may be. Having broken the 100 syndicate’s control and taken out their top man, Black Lightning doesn’t give up, however. 1 #8 (April 1978), p.15, DC Comics Inc.…suffice to say, it does not go well for The Whale. Clashing repeatedly with The Whale and his lieutenants, Black Lightning eventually gets his chance to match Tobias Whale mano-a-mano… “Deadly Aftermath.” Black Lightning Vol. Working his way up the ladder, Jefferson Pierce eventually finds the man who masterminds the 100, a monstrous albino known only as Tobias Whale. 1 #1 (April 1977), p.14, DC Comics Inc.As the two men commiserate, it’s Gambi who reminds Jefferson of the motto his late father lived by, a motto that would shape not only the younger Pierce’s superhero career, but his entire LIFE… “Black Lightning: Year One.”īlack Lightning: Year #1 (March 2009), p.18, DC Comics Inc.Black Lightning finds Joey Toledo, but finds him to be only the smallest fish in a very large, very polluted pond. (As an Olympic Champion, the people of Suicide Slum think of Jefferson as a local boy made good.) His family friend, Peter Gambi comforts him after Earl’s murder… and offers an alternative. Jefferson watched as his students got hooked on drugs, and worst of all, he believes that his own actions caused the death of a promising young student athlete named Earl Clifford, a boy whose promise causes people to compare him to Jeff himself. 1 #1 (April 1977), p.4, DC Comics Inc.Returning home, Black Lightning reveals himself to be high-school teacher Jefferson Pierce, a man who returned to the streets where he grew up, hoping to give back, but only found death. Grabbing the shaken would-be drug-lord by the lapels, the mystery man announces himself… “Black Lightning!” Black Lightning Vol. #1 (April 1977), p.2, DC Comics Inc.The mystery man cuts a swath through the criminals, using incredible fighting skills, electrical bursts and a seeming invulnerability to their bullets, thrashing them all soundly on his way to his goal: a minor-league drug-pusher named Joey Toledo. This night, however, their thugs are stunned to find their bosses’ interests threatened by an angry man in a midnight-blue costume… “Black Lightning!” Black Lightning Vol. Even Superman can’t patrol every single side-street, every minute of the day, which has allowed a criminal syndicate known as The 100 to take control of the racketeering, drugs and minor-league criminal activity there.

Instead, we’ll start where it all begins, in the streets of Suicide Slum, the bad part of the city of Metropolis. This, then, is your Major Spoilers Hero History of Jefferson Pierce, Olympic Gold Medalist and all-around badass, known to the world as… BLACK LIGHTNING!įirst and foremost, Faithful Spoilerites, be advised that there will (other than this brief disclaimer) be NO Sinbad jokes or references in today’s Hero History. An multiple-time Olympic champion as well as a teacher, he has trained both mind and body to peak of perfection, and you can’t begrudge the man his unique style. After years of nearly no super-heroic representation of anyone who wasn’t Caucasian (and even that one green kid had blonde hair) the streets of Metropolis gave birth to a hero whose mettle and courage are the equal of any who came before, and whose feats of power quickly made him one of the most respected heroes around. Many times, the first iteration of something isn’t the most iconic, the best or even the most well-known, but today’s Hero History entrant puts the lie to that expectation.

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