Lightning (DC Comics)

Lightning
Jennifer Pierce as Lightning, art by Dale Eaglesham
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Kingdom Come #1 (1996)
Created by	Mark Waid (writer) Alex Ross (artist) Geoff Johns (writer) Dale Eaglesham (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Jennifer Pierce
Team affiliations	Justice Society of America
Abilities	Electricity manipulation Electrical aura Flight

Lightning (Jennifer Pierce) is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. A member of the Justice Society of America, she is the youngest daughter of Black Lightning and sister of the heroine Thunder. The current version of Lightning debuted in Justice Society of America vol. 3 #12 (March 2008), and was re-envisioned by Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham.

Lightning first appears in the DC Comics miniseries Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross, a tale of a dystopian possible future. She is among the lawless generation of superheroes who arise after the retirement of Superman. Though not identified within the story, supplemental material in the collected edition of the series refers to her as "Black Lightning's metahuman daughter." During the course of the story, Lightning joins forces with Batman's covert team of heroes as they attempt to reclaim the planet for normal humanity. It is unclear whether she survives the bomb blast that kills most of the superhumans at the story's conclusion.

A version of Lightning is later introduced into the mainstream DC Comics universe by Geoff Johns and Dale Eaglesham, debuting in Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #12 (March 2008).

Jennifer Pierce is the younger daughter of the superhero Black Lightning (Jefferson Pierce) and his ex-wife Lynn Stewart. She inherits a metagene from her father which causes her to manifest superpowers when she becomes a teenager. However, like her father in his youth, she lacks the ability to properly control her electrical powers. This results in the shorting out of any electronic device that she touches. This side effect has left her feeling alienated and freakish among her peers, who have access to cell phones, televisions, the internet, and other conveniences of the modern world.