The show may be called Black Lightning, but it was clear from the very first episode that it wasn’t just going to be Jefferson Pierce’s show. The debut season reintroduced the electrified hero to the citizens of Freeland, along with his eldest daughter Anissa, who as the superhero Thunder, has the ability to make her body extremely dense and powerful through the use of her breath.
However, Black Lightning fans know that there’s a third superhero in the Pierce family. Jefferson’s youngest daughter, Jennifer, also has powers, and we’ve seen her struggle to make sense of them and get them under control all throughout this season. Viewed by Jennifer initially as an unwanted burden, recent episodes have seen her gain more control of her abilities and even put her powers to use as she’s assisted Khalil in his escape from Tobias Whale.
All of which suggests Jennifer is close to adopting her superhero identity—Lightning.
But if you had any lingering doubt about that, The CW likely put it to rest today as they’ve just released the first image of China Anne McClain in her gold-and-black Lightning suit.
It looks like Gambi (or whoever builds the suit for Jennifer on the show) had some fun playing with Jennifer’s lightning motif. Lightning’s abilities seem very similar to her father’s at first glance, but as the show has revealed, they actually work differently. Jefferson siphons electrical energy from his surroundings, which he can then manipulate to do what he wants. Jennifer, on the other hand, creates her own electrical energy. So, while the end result may look the same, they get there through very different means.
Look for more from the Pierce family when Black Lightning returns on an all-new night, Monday, January 21, 2019!