Warning: Spoilers for Black Lightning #1!The next big star of DC’s younger generation has been crowned courtesy of Wonder Woman. As far as female superheroes go in the DC Universe and, frankly, in every superhero community, Wonder Woman has been the standard that has strived for since her first appearance in 1941. Wonder Woman is not just one of the first superheroines, she is the female superhero.
Wonder Woman uses her high position in the DC Universe to sign Lightning, daughter of Black Lightningin Black Lightning #1 by Brandon Thomas, Fico Ossio, Ulises Arreola and Lucas Gattoni. It’s a moment that happens off-panel, but it’s a big enough moment to merit multiple mentions in the same comic.
Clearly, DC doesn’t want the public to forget or take Wonder Woman’s endorsement for granted. It could be the first step towards being Lightning’s godfather as the brand’s next big female star.
Wonder Woman praises Lightning, Black Lightning’s daughter
What does the Lightning do to earn endorsement?
Wonder Woman’s endorsement is expressed in Black Lightning #1, where the title character rants to his ex-wife, Dr. Lynn Stewart, in her office about everything he wishes he could do during Absolute Power. Absolute Power is the latest DC event where Amanda Waller conquered the world and almost defeated superheroes across the world. Next, Waller’s global dominance was enough to unite heroes across the world. In other words, it brought the Justice League out of hiatus with a new lineup and Black Lightning among its youngest members.
As such, his new position allows his daughter, Lightning, access to the Justice League, its Watchtower, its resources and, of course, its members. While talking to his ex, Jefferson Pierce mentions in passing that Wonder Woman had praised his daughter the other day, almost making Lightning faint. Considering Lightning would address this in a later panel in a phone call with her sister, Thunder, it certainly left an impression. Mentioning this off-panel moment twice in the same comic also indicates that the creative particularly wanted to highlight the moment in readers’ minds.
Who is Lightning (aka Jennifer Pierce)?
Origins and powers, explained
Lightning (not confirmed as Jennifer Pierce, as she is unnamed in this story) makes her first panel appearance in Kingdom Come #1, introduced as the daughter of Black Lightning and Jonni Thunder, having joined Batman’s Silent Calvary. However, his debut was not canonical, as Kingdom Come is an Elseworlds tale from Earth-22. Lightning (as Jennifer Pierce) would not make her official, canonical debut in DC Comics until 2008 Justice Society of America #12. The issue features 16-year-old Jennifer as one of the new recruits being considered for a renamed JSA.
Mister Terrific, Stargirl and Cyclone visit the Lynn and Jefferson Pierce (who, at the time, had moved from the suicide slums of Metropolis to Chicago) who personally requested that Jennifer join the JSA. The reason is twofold for Black Lightning. The first is that he didn’t allow his other daughter, Thunder, to become a superhero until she graduated high school, becoming involved with the Outsiders before receiving her parents’ approval. Jefferson didn’t want Jennifer to make the same mistakes Anissa made growing up.
The other reason is that, as Jennifer’s powers begin to manifest, Jefferson simply doesn’t have the same level of patience as his JSA compatriots to help her adapt to the change. He wants them to train her properly. Speaking of which, Jennifer’s powers are, like her father’s, based on electricity. Unlike his father, She is capable of producing an electric field around her, personified by a form of electricity that is generated throughout her body, lasting for five to 10 minutes at a time..
What a Wonder Woman endorsement from DC Comics means
Heroic approval goes a long way
All of this context can bring readers back to Wonder Woman and how she personally approves of Lightning as a superhero. The audience doesn’t get the chance to see the moment that impressed Diana of Themyscira, nor do they have the exact context as to what exactly Jennifer does to impress the Amazon so much. However, The fact that Wonder Woman is able to validate Jennifer’s approach as a hero cannot be overlooked, especially looking at how this follows a precedent from Diana’s previous endorsements..
Wonder Woman’s presence alone is enough to uplift anyone she supports. A hypothetical Birds of Prey team seems like the coolest iteration of the brand just by having Wonder Woman at the helm. The Wonder Woman admired by Kyle Rayner helped Green Lantern shine even brighter as a hero. Meanwhile, his influence can be found in his relationships with various characters who held the mantle of Robin, shaping them as heroes. Wonder Woman’s influence and endorsement over other heroes not only helps shape them into better heroes, but also elevates them in the grand scheme of the DC Universe.
Wonder Woman endorsing Lightning could propel her into DC’s future
Leading the next generation of heroes
This could all be great news for Lightning as she embarks on the next chapter of her journey. Although she has existed in the official DC Comics canon for just over 15 years, she is still relatively new to her superhero career, still a young girl working alongside her father. However, in those 15 years, she has come a long way from being just a rookie member of the Justice Society of America who needed her father’s blessing and investigation to be on the team in the first place.
Now, she’s working closely with the biggest superteam in the universe, already gaining the quick support of a key member and former leader of that same team. Lightning is already in a position to thrive as a superhero, but with Wonder Woman’s endorsement and support, she could rise through the ranks of DC’s next generation.. It also comes at the perfect time, as DC is in the early stages of a whole new era, the All-In era. The new initiative isn’t just DC going all-in on changing the status quo, but going all-in on pushing new heroes into higher positions.
This includes younger heroes, as Lightning is already positioned higher on the DC totem pole than ever before thanks to Black Lightning #1, specifically through Wonder Woman’s endorsement. This could open the door for a real-life Wonder Woman appearance in future issues, or even for Lightning to appear in Amazon’s ongoing installment. Yet, above all, being able to claim receipt Wonder Woman validation in the hero community elevates Lightning and her potential as DC’s next big thing.
Black Lightning #1 is now in DC Comics stores