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.[8]
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.[10]
Metropolis December 1, 19:03EST
They noticed the force field was down, but also that those who were inside were 20 percent smaller.[10]
Metropolis December 1, 22:03EST
Black Lightning stood with the other heroes as they met up to discuss the next steps.[10]
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.[12]
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.[14]
Black Lightning was assigned to Delta Squad,[15] 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.[14]
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.[14]
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.[8][12]
Electrical sense: Black Lightning can sense electricity running from power cables by touching walls.[16]
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".
