The recent power upgrade to Black Lightning‘s daughter may make her even stronger than her father. Black Lightning is one of the characters in the DC Universe who has turned being a hero into a family affair. His daughters go by the codename Thunder and Lightning, but Thunder has been experiencing issues with her powers ever since Absolute Power ended. Heroes and villains have seen their powersets drastically change, and now Thunder is feeling those repercussions. But while the Justice League initially saw Thunder’s changes as a negative, they wind up helping Thunder save Black Lightning and Lightning. WARNING: Spoilers for Black Lightning #5 below!
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Black Lightning #5 comes from the creative team of Brandon Thomas, Fico Ossio, Ulises Arreola, and Lucas Gattoni. After Thunder’s powers started malfunctioning, Black Lightning took her to the Justice League Watchtower for observation. Of course, Batman’s form of observation means confinement. But it couldn’t have come at the worst time, because Black Lightning and Lightning are smack dab in the middle of a fight against the Sons of Liberty in a warehouse. They’ve been working to stop Volcana and her Masters of Disaster, but the numbers just aren’t on their side.
But apparently, Thunder has been using her time in the Watchtower to get a handle on her powers, and once she breaks out she puts those powers on display in perfect fashion to rescue her family.
DC reveals Thunder’s new concussive force powers
Black Lightning #5 begins with Thunder speaking to Batman — who she knows is watching her — from inside her room in the Justice League Watchtower. While the Justice League has kept Thunder locked away, she’s been training to get her powers in check. But her family needs her help, so Thunder is ready to get back into the superhero game. And God help anyone that stands in her way of that.
“So what’s it gonna be, Batman?” Thunder asks. “Are you and me gonna have a problem… or not?” Batman answers by opening the door to Thunder’s room so she can escape. Thunder makes a quick call to her former flame, Grace Choi, and heads out to save her father and sister.
Black Lightning and Lightning are taking a pounding, with the Sons of Liberty getting the better of Black Lightning with baseball bats. A power nullifier has taken away Black Lightning and Lightning’s powers, but they work together as a team to stand a fighting chance. Lightning calls out where the bad guys are so Black Lightning can punch and kick while being stunned. Black Lightning then picks up a crash sound, which is Thunder making her heroic entrance and unleashing her new electrically charged concussive force powers.
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Thunder always had superhuman strength and density control, but now she’s added a powerful concussive force attack to her arsenal. When she lands on the ground it explodes underneath her, sending the goons and electrical bolts flying through the air. It’s an impressive display and just enough to save the day. However, when the Metropolis City Police Department shows up in a helicopter and demands Thunder put her hands in the air, she worries that she won’t be able to control her powers again. Luckily, Grace Choi is there to help calm Thunder down enough for her to get her powers in control.
Reunited with her family, Thunder, Black Lightning, and Lightning team up with Grace Choi and Windfall for a final fight against Volcana and the Masters of Disaster. Thunder and Volcana square off, with Thunder coming out on top. With everything wrapped up, Thunder has a session with her therapist, and we learn Black Lightning has promoted Thunder as the lead for the Justice League’s metahuman outreach initiative.
Black Lightning accepts a new role in the DC Universe
We end Black Lightning #5 with Jefferson Pierce having a secret meeting with Josiah Power at a barbershop. Josiah previously tried to recruit Black Lightning for the reformation of his Power Company, but Black Lightning declined since he was busy helping the Justice League. However, with Councilman Harriman being revealed to be the mastermind behind the unrest in Southside Heights, Black Lightning realizes these types of threats can’t be punched away. If they’re to defeat these anti-metahuman movements, the Power Company is going to be needed.
DC has already announced The Power Company: Recharged, a new one-shot spinning out of the DC Power: Rise of the Power Company and Black Lightning, debuting in April. The comic will reveal how this iteration of the Power Company is rising up to fight against the anti-metahuman movement, along with a serial killer targeting metahumans in Atlanta.
The Power Company: Recharged will feature Black Lightning, Josiah Power, Batman (Jace Fox), the Signal, and Vixen. So Black Lightning’s story will continue here, and there’s a good chance fans will get to see even more of Thunder and her new powers elsewhere as well.
