Black Lightning is a bald African American male. He wears a black and blue unitard with lightning motifs, blue sleeves, black pants and black shoes.[5] He has also worn a costume with shorter pants and blue and yellow sneakers with no socks.[6]
To hide and/or protect his eyes, he wears small goggles with yellow lenses.[5]
By 2018, he has regrown his hair and gained a beard. His costume is also slightly altered and has traded his goggles for orange sunglasses.[3]
After Nightwing displayed a holo-message telling those inside the force field about the probe that may be generating the field, Lightning went to investigate. Jim volunteered to go with him.[12]
Black Lightning and Jim Harper cracked down a group of looters at an electronics store. Batgirl called Lightning, but he could not help her with Match.[6]
Metropolis December 1, 18:31EST
With all looters arrested, Black Lightning advised people to head home, and reassured them the Justice League was on it. Jim guarded the tied-up criminals.[6]
Metropolis December 1, 18:33EST
Black Lightning and Jim Harper made it back to the park, where they helped up Batgirl. There was no sign of Match.[14]
Metropolis December 1, 19:03EST
They noticed the force field was down, but also that those who were inside were 20 percent smaller.[14]
Metropolis December 1, 22:03EST
Black Lightning stood with the other heroes as they met up to discuss the next steps.[14]
After Gamma Squad saved hostages from the Kroloteans, Black Lightning arrived on the scene with the rest of the Justice League members and the Team.[5]
Black Lightning blasted the force field surrounding the Hall of Justice, to no effect. Later, he was present when the Reach ambassador arrived and deactivated the field.[16]
When magnetic field disruptors planted by the Reach threatened the Earth, Black Lightning joined 39 other heroes of Earth in a briefing in Metropolis. The heroes would use a computer virus provided by Lex Luthor to safely disable the disruptors. The heroes were paired off with another into twenty squads: one member would run interference against weapons guarding the disruptors, allowing the other to get close enough to plant the virus.[18]
Black Lightning was assigned to Delta Squad,[19] and worked alongside Virgil Hawkins to defuse a disruptor planted in the sewers below Dakota City. He distracted the Beetle-tech drones, allowing Static to plant the countermeasure safely. When his young partner expressed a growing fondness for the hero life, Black Lightning complimented him on his natural aptitude, and offered his services as a mentor should Virgil ever desire one. A few minutes after their success, all squads had succeeded in their mission.[18]
When the Team was summoned to the mission room for a face-to-face meeting with members of the League, Black Lightning was among the leaguers present. Batman informed them that they would now operate side by side with the Justice League from the Watchtower, not because Mount Justice was destroyed, but because they earned the right to do so. The League then left the Team to its own devices.[18]
Black Lightning was part of a Justice League contingent fighting the forces of Apokolips. A strange creature died while fighting him, though Lightning thought he hadn't used enough power to kill. He was devastated when Alanna revealed the creature was a teenage meta-human girl.
Following the incident, Jeff lost the ability to generate electricity, though his ability to sense energy remained.[3]
Jeff, in civies, attended a Justice League meeting about the meta-trafficking crisis. After Batman staged a pre-planned mass walkout, Jeff also resigned separately. AS he left, Batman asked Jeff to join him, but Jeff angrily rebuffed him, not trusting him. Jeff said goodbye to Static, hoping the young hero could find a less "damaged" mentor.[3]
Jeff visited his daughters and put them to bed. He told his ex-wife he was leaving the hero life behind, but she doubted it would last. As he left, Dick Grayson attempted to recruit Jeff for a mission to take down a meta-trafficking ring in Markovia. Jeff turned him down, telling him his powers no longer worked. Dick insisted he wanted the man, not the powers, but Jeff walked away.[3]
Jeff showed up at Dick's rendezvous, making it clear he was only in for one night. The squad boarded the Super-Cycle and set off, as Dick began briefing them.[3]
Jeff and Conner slipped into Markovia on the Super-Cycle, while Dick and Artemis flew in with false IDs. While the other two infiltrated Gregor Markov's pre-coronation reception, Jeff and Dick stashed their gear at the Markovian National Cemetery, then headed to the Markovburg Children's Hospital, which they suspected was a trafficking hub. Jeff used his powers to sense unusual power usage, leading them to a secret door. When they entered the passage, they lost contact with the rest of the squad.
Inside, they planted cameras as the moved deeper into the lab. They found a dissected Motherbox and a bunch of pods containing tar and meta-humans. Before they could act, they were assailed by Count Vertigo. Conner punched a hole in the floor to enable their escape, but Vertigo sent Plasmus in pursuit. They moved through the sewers and came to an outlet over a river. Jeff jumped out, but hit his back on a rock. Conner was captured before he could follow.
Jeff washed up on shore, where he was found by Artemis. He recovered, and told her what had happened.[23]
Jeff and Artemis headed back in to the sewers to rescue Conner, leaving the amnesiac Quraci girl Artemis had found with the Super-Cycle. Dick also infiltrated the lab, and reported to Jeff and Artemis what he saw; Baron DeLamb in charge of the facility, where Helga Jace had gone against orders to give Brion Markov meta powers. Jeff and Artemis then came under attack by Plasmus. Jeff was still unable to fire back, but they were saved by the "Halo-girl" and the Super-Cycle. They then took the Super-Cycle up to the lab. Bedlam, Vertigo and their henchmen were able to escape, taking the podded meta-humans with them. Dick set the lab to explode, and the squad fled with Brion and Helga.
Outside, Brion panicked as his powers activated. Dick played news footage of DeLamb claiming Brion was in league with the meta-traffickers and had his parents killed, accompanied by a video of Brion's meta-activation. Brion stormed off to the Palace to confront DeLamb, with Conner in pursuit. Vertigo boom tubed to the squad, with Plasmus, Simon Ecks and Henchy. They attacked the squad, and Plasmus apparently killed Halo. This enraged Jeff, sparking his powers once more. He attacked Plasmus, but during the fight he noticed a control chip and shot it off, freeing Plasmus, who promptly saved Jeff from one of Eck's doubles. Vertigo was forced into retreat, but the squad celebration was cut short as a farmer shot Plasmus dead, thinking he was a monster. Jeff angrily disarmed the farmer. Conner and the now-banished Brion returned, and Artemis asked Dick what they could do next.[24] Dick had little interest in taking responsibility for the Markovians they had picked up, and Jeff ended up taking care of Helga.[25]
Jeff had put Helga up at the Luthor Grande Hotel. While he waited for her to come out, he called Dick, but only reached his voicemail.
Later, Jeff and Helga had hotdogs on a bench. Helga talked about her guilt for hero role in events in Markovia, and her sense of responsibility to Brion and Halo. Jeff reminded her Bedlam had coerced her, and noted his own responsibilities as a parent.[25]
Jeff Zeta'ed to the Carr house to meet with Dick, Artemis and Conner. After Dick set up a search for Halo's identity, they discussed what to do with Brion and Halo. Jeff also wanted to bring Helga in, but the others were reluctant. They were distracted by noise outside, and joined an impromptu training session for Brion and Halo. Later, Brion wanted to leave, but was convinced to stay to find his sister.[4]
Jeff arrived at the Carr house to allow Helga to talk with Brion over video phone. Brion was eager to search for his sister on Infinity Island, but Dick warned him they needed more intel and preparation. Jeff and the other older heroes went inside, but when Dick was contacted with information about Halo, they went outside to find Brion, Halo, Forager and Sphere gone. Figuring they had gone to Infinity Island, they took the Bio-Ship in pursuit.
They found their young protégés in a prison cell, and quickly freed them. On the way out they were confronted by Sensei. The two groups fought briefly, before Ra's al Ghul intervened, telling them that he no longer was part of the League of Shadows or the Light, and that Tara Markov was not there. He then allowed the intruders to leave.
On the Bio-Ship, Brion, Halo and Forager wanted to stick together, and a new team formed under Nightwing's leadership.[26]
Jeff picked up Helga for a dinner date. Over dinner they talked about how Halo and Brion were getting on. Helga regretted she was not part of their lives now and thanked Jeff for his efforts to include her, but Jeff assured her he was not done trying.
Later, they stumbled back to Helga's hotel room, drunk. They both went inside.[27]
Jeff talked with Helga in bed. He regretted leaving the League at such a difficult time, but thinks he is better off "freelancing" with Dick. Just then, he received a message from Dick.[28]
Jeff Zeta'ed to the Carr house to join a mission briefing with Nightwing's team. They had intel on Cheshire's location, and hoped to get her to reveal what she knew about the League of Shadow's new leadership.[28]
Nightwing's team found Cheshire's jet at a Detroit airfield. While Tigress boarded the jet to talk to her sister, the rest faced Cheshire's squad outside. Lightning fought Livewire. Despite her ability to absorb electricity, she was no match for Jeff.[28]
Jeff brought Helga to a training session for Nightwing's team. When they came under fire, he pulled Helga away, leaving the kids to handle the situation. It was in fact Nightwing shooting, as a test on surprise attacks. Soon after, they came under a real surprise attack as Lobo arrived with a contract to kill Forager. Jeff and the others did their best to defend the Bug, until it appeared Lobo killed him and left. However, Forager had shed his exo-shell to fool Lobo.[29]
Jeff and Helga observed another training session. Jeff reminded Helga that she had called them "her" kids during the fight with Lobo, and she admitted she feels responsible for them.[30]
Jeff joined the rest of Nightwing's team at the Carr house, to discuss Violet's unusual first day at school, and the arrival of Vic Stone. The group deduced Violet was the soul of a dissected Motherbox in the dead body of Gabrielle Daou.[31]
When they arrived, they found there was also a meta-human fight club going on, with Tara as one of the combatants. Jeff, Artemis and Brion infiltrated the auction. Brion's anger caught the attention of Psimon, but Jeff was able to discreetly knock out the telepath. They bought Tara, taking her away in the Bio-Ship, disguised as a limousine.
The team then geared up to take down the facility and rescue everyone else. Inside, Jeff found himself fighting Devastation. He initially made little headway against her, as he was holding back on his powers, but eventually she goaded him into giving her everything he had, knocking her out. With the metas freed, the group evacuated in the Bio-Ship.[32]
After dropping the other metas off at the Meta-Human Youth Center, the team returned to the Carr house with Tara, to find that Violet had permanently freed Vic of Fatherbox's influence.[32]
Jeff and Helga had coffee with Artemis and Will at the Harper house. Helga commented that she wanted to do more to help, and suggested she could help Vic if she had access to a lab.[33]
They emerged in the middle of a battle between Superman and some Parademons. After defeating the Parademons, Metron appeared with a warning that "Granny" now had all she needed to finish her device. Forager and Jeff were able to convince Metron to come with them, and they all boom tubed to the Premiere Building.
Once there, it soon became clear that Metron had no intention of helping, he merely wanted to watch the process complete itself. Jeff remembered that they only needed the chair not Metron, and kept the New God subdued with blasts of lightning, while the others got Vic into the chair. After Vic was saved, Metron went to leave, but not before Jeff asked if "Granny" was the same as Gretchen Goode. Metron cryptically replied no and yes.
That night, Jeff and Helga giggled and fooled around in the kitchen, until they smashed something.[34]
Jeff joined Dick for a darkwear mission to search Gretchen Goode's house. After Motherbox sensed Apokoliptan tech inside, they went it, despite Jeff's misgivings over the legality and ease with which they did. Soon after entering, a boom tube opened up beneath them, sending them to an X-Pit.[35]
After a day in the Pit, Jeff and Dick were rescued by Kaldur'ahm and Wyynde, who took them with Gretchen's blessing. Once returned to Gretchen's house, however, she objected to Wyynde saving the Motherbox, and had Jeff and Dick attack them. Kaldur and Wyynde were easily able to handle their mind controlled friends. When Goode had the Motherbox attacked, Vic and Halo sensed it and boom tubed in with help. Halo was able to cleanse Jeff and Dick of Gretchen's control. When Gretchen went to attack, she was struck by a missile, which Jeff saw came from a Bat-drone. The group boom tubed out.
Back at the Premiere Building, Jeff had recovered, but Dick was suffering severe after effects from the Pit.[35]
Dick was still suffering severely. Jeff was at a loss to explain why he had recovered and Dick hadn't. After stabilizing Dick, Helga admitted to Jeff that she was in over he head, but he reassured her. As Bruce went to talk with Barbara, Tim, Kaldur and M'gann, Jeff recalled seeing the Bat-drone at Goode's house, and began to piece together what had happened. Realizing the group had been secretly working together the whole time, he loudly and angrily confronted them, correctly deducing that the break-up of the Justice League had been pre-planned, that they had set up the Outsiders' first mission to make them look good, and that Dick had recruited him for Markovia to keep him in the fold.
Later, Jeff spoke with Bruce and Kaldur privately, but stormed out, unsatisfied with their answers. Bruce refused to apologize for putting the mission first, but Jeff was concerned with losing themselves trying to fulfill it. A newly conscious Dick then approached Jeff, suggesting he was the one Jeff was truly mad at.
Later, as Jeff prepared to leave, Brion and Tara returned to the Premiere Building. They described their and Violet's kidnap by Helga, how they were turned over to Gretchen Goode, how Goode used Violet to spread the Anti-Life Equation, and that Helga had confessed she had used Jeff and everyone else to keep close to Brion and Tara, who she saw as her children. Jeff was despondent at yet another betrayal, and stormed out.[36]
Jeff went to Barbara's apartment to find out what was being done about the coup in Markovia, concerned for Brion and Tara. Barbara explained the squads of the Team and the Outsiders being sent in, but Jeff correctly guessed there was more that he wasn't being told. Barbara explained that they knew Tara was working for Deathstroke but were hoping they could bring her over to their side.
This led Jeff to come up with his own plan. He contacted Cyborg and instructed him to be ready to take Tara's communicator. When Tara refused Deathstroke and threw it aside, Cyborg hacked into it, allowing him and Jeff to access the computers of Tara's handlers. At LexCorp HQ a holographic Jeff appeared to find Lex Luthor with Deathstroke, as Cyborg accessed various incriminating files.[37]
At the United Nations, Black Lightning and Cyborg presented the evidence of Luthor breaking UN regulations by continuing to secretly run LexCorp, as well as his involvement in meta-trafficking, to the General Assembly.[37]
Lightning joined a meeting of the Justice League, the Team, the Outsiders and Batman's team at Nightwing's request. After he officially came clean about the "Anti-Light"'s activities, Dick nominated Jeff as new leader of the Justice League. Jeff was reluctant, despite the unanimous vote in his favor. He asked Batman's position, and he agreed to fold his team back into the League on Jeff's terms. Jeff then made a speech, saying the ends must not justify the means, lest they, like Geo-Force and others, become what they are fighting against.[37]
Black Lightning offered to stay on as League leader to follow through on some initiatives he started, and was elected to a second term.[38] He placed a focus on mental health, and set up a policy of mandatory annual mental health checks with Black Canary or Miss Martian for members of the League, the Team, and the Outsiders.[39]
On May 14, Child created numerous disasters across the globe. As part of the League's response, Lightning radioed Superman to join him in Agra.[40]
Lightning, Superman, Nightwing and Garth responded to the pillar of fire and blizzard created by Child. Once the situation was under control, Superman suggested to Lightning that the League should set up an official reserve system for future global emergencies.[41]
Miss Martian arrived at Black Lightning's request to make psychic contact with the Kaizer-Thrall, who she soon discovered was a trafficked meta-human boy named Danny Chase. Jeff promised Danny they would do all they could to help him. Soon after, J'emm J'axx contacted M'gann to tell her he had reason to believe Superboy was still alive. J'emm and Phantom GirlZeta'ed aboard, and after Phantom Girl explained her story, the group came up with a plan to rescue Conner from the Phantom Zone with a modified boom tube on Trombus.[44]
The group boom tubed to Trombus, and Danny and the Motherbox opened a boom tube to the Zone. M'gann reached out to Conner psychically, but he refused to come out. She went to lead the group into the Zone to get him, but Ma'alefa'ak took control of the Kaizer-Thrall and used it to subdue Lightning and the others. He was helpless as Conner and three other Kryptonians exited the boom tube, and Conner collapsed due to his injuries.[44]
Lightning and the others remained pinned as Lor-Zod introduced himself to his parents. Forager was able to overcome the Thrall and make a brief attack, before being taken down by Ma'alefa'ak. The Zods retreated via boom tube, taking Conner and the Thrall with them.
Lightning and the others eventually recovered. The group boarded Bio-Ship and headed for Earth, the most likely place the Zods had gone.[45]
Powered by both the Cosmic Treadmill and Forager's ring, the Bio-Ship flew at incredible speed. Lightning checked up on Superman, asking how he was handling finally finding some other Kryptonians.[45]
The Bio-Ship arrived, and the group quickly detected boom tube activity at the Fortress of Solitude. Ursa Zod, now empowered by the Eye of Ekron, detected them and blasted them out of the sky as they approached. Saturn Girl was able to get off a warning, which allowed Superman and Orion to take the brunt of the blast. Bio-Ship crashed to the ground, and M'gann and Saturn Girl created a psychic illusion to make it appear everyone but Superman had died. Lightning was among those who were really knocked unconscious by the crash. The Zods eventually left with Superman as their captive.[45][46]
A recovered Black Lightning attended Conner and M'gann's wedding. Before the ceremony, he listened to Black Canary discuss her idea to create a mental health sanctuary for the League and its allies. Later, he joined a conversation where a plan was hatched to release the Phantom Zone prisoners on Trombus under the watch of the Justice League, New Genesis and the Green Lantern Corps.[46]
Black Lightning participated in a leadership meeting about Perdita Vladek's abduction, where King Brion barred the League from entering Markovia. Cyborg wanted to help, but Lightning reminded him that as a Leaguer he was too high profile, and that was what their covert team was for.[47]
Powers and abilities[]
Powers[]
Black Lightning's electricity generation.
Electricity generation: Black Lightning is able to create bolts of black and blue electricity from his hands. They are capable of harming fellow electricity manipulators such as Livewire.[12][16]
Electrical sense: Black Lightning can sense electricity running through power cables by touching walls.[23]
In the comics, Black Lightning is Jefferson Pierce, one of the first African-American heroes. He was a teacher in Metropolis's Suicide Slum, a member of Batman's Outsiders, and after a term as Secretary of Education under Lex Luthor's presidency, he joined the Justice League. The uniform he has here resembles the one he wore when he was with the Justice League.
This is his fourth animated appearance; he previously appeared in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. He was planned for inclusion in Static Shock, but legal issues caused the character to be changed to "Soul Power".
