Over time, Pierce establishes himself as a successful superhero in the DC Universe, and later stories depict him as having 'internalized' the belt's powers as a result of his latent metagene. In his earliest stories, Black Lightning is depicted as a schoolteacher from the crime-ridden Suicide Slum area of Metropolis who acquires electrical superpowers from a technologically advanced power belt that he puts to use to clean up crime in his neighborhood. Although not the first black superhero to feature in DC Comics stories, Black Lightning was DC's first African-American superhero to headline his own series. Although his precise origin story has varied over the years, he has generally always been depicted as a metahuman superhero who uses the ability to generate and control electricity to defend his community – and the world – as Black Lightning. The character, created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, first appeared in Black Lightning #1 (April 1977), during the Bronze Age of Comic Books.

Manipulates electricity to various effects, including shooting lighting bolts, exerting electromagnetism, and deflecting attacks.īlack Lightning ( Jefferson Pierce) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics.

Textless cover of Black Lightning: Cold Dead Hands #1 (November 2017)

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