‘Black Lightning’: Lala Gets a Supervillain Name in Season 1 Finale

Black Lightning does not have a Cisco Ramon around to officially name its villains upon their first appearance, so sometimes it takes a while before the show commits to giving its antagonists recognizable names from the comics.

Spoilers ahead for tonight’s Season One finale of Black Lightning.

In the case of Latavius “Lala” Johnson (William Catlett), he first appeared in the pilot episode and only tonight, in the season finale, did he get his name: The Tattooed Man.

In the show Lala was so named, according to Tobias Whale (Marvin Jones III), for the manifestation of a seemingly supernatural tattoo on his chest. It bore the likeness of LaWanda White (Tracey Bonner), a woman Lala had murdered shortly before Whale killed him.

Whale told him that he would eventually be joined by the spectres of everyone he’s killed, his flesh filling up with familiar and hostile faces.

After that, Tobias called him “Tattooed Man,” and left him. Lala was clearly shaken by the news, but did not have much time to process it before he apparently died in a massive explosion Tobias was hoping would kill Martin Proctor at the ASA.

Of course, given the fact that Lala was already brought back from the dead once, one has to wonder whether we might still see him in Season Two.

In the comics, Tattooed Man is a name shared by several supervillains who can manipulate living tattoos on their bodies. The property is most commonly associated with the Green Lantern Corps, although the second and third Tattooed Men were anti-heroes who waffled between good and evil depending on the circumstances they found themselves in.

In the comics, though, the Tattooed Man is not haunted by the tattoos but instead possesses the power to bring tattoos on his body (usually of animals or weapons) to life and use them in combat. Whether that is something Lala might do if he somehow survives the finale is anybody’s guess, since Black Lightning is not as bound by canon as other comic book shows can be.

Black Lightning has been renewed for a second season on The CW, though it is unclear when it will return.