DC Confirms Explosive New Superpower for Black Lightning’s Daughter

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Warning: Spoilers for Black Lightning #5 (2024) ahead!

Black Lightning has been at the forefront of the Justice League ever since the events of Absolute Power, but his newfound prominence has strained his relationship with his daughters. Now, Anissa Pierce returns to her role as Thunder to save her father in his moment of dire need, displaying her mastery over her all-new powers in the process.

Previews for Brandon Thomas, Fico Ossio, and Ulises Arreola’s Black Lightning (2024) #5 pick up right where the previous issue left off, with Black Lightning and his daughter Jennifer (Lightning), temporarily de-powered and fighting for their lives against a mob of Sons of Liberty militants. Anissa bursts onto the scene just when it seems the pair will be overrun, scattering the mob with her new powers.

Alongside her traditional power set of density control and super-strength, Thunder now displays “electrically charged concussive force,” officially defining the new powers that have plagued her since the start of the series.

Anissa Pierce’s New Powers Are Finally Named

Thunder Now Brings Her Own Lightning

Inheriting the metagene from her father, Anissa Pierce’s expression of bio-electricity allows her to generate concussive shockwaves as well as augment her strength and density. This makes her the “Thunder” to her electrokinetic sister Jennifer’s “Lightning.” Operating primarily as a member of the Outsiders since her inception in Outsiders (2003) #1 by Judd Winick, Tom Raney, and Scott Hana, Thunder’s strained relationship with Black Lightning was pushed to the brink during the events of Absolute Power when she lost her powers alongside the bulk of the superhero community, an act for which she blames her father.

Thunder’s missing powers have been a major plot element throughout the current arc of Black Lightning, with Black Lightning #1 revealing that she had been pretending to have lost her powers entirely, with the deception only uncovered after Black Lightning and her sister Jennifer are forced to apprehend her after Thunder’s new powers spiral out of control and endanger a passenger train. Since then, Thunder has been on the Watchtower with the rest of the victims of DC’s power swapping, learning to control her new abilities. Crucially, however, the specifications of her new powers had previously been kept under wraps.

Anissa Pierce’s Electrifying Upgrade Sets Her Apart from Her Sister and Father

Is Anissa Now The Most Powerful In The Pierce Family?

Thunder has already been a major powerhouse of a character, with her concussive abilities giving her a driven and direct approach to combat. Now that she is able to imbue her density and force with electricity, Anissa functionally brings “thunder” and “lightning” to any encounter, effectively eclipsing her sister’s powers. This is a huge upgrade to Thunder’s already overwhelming power set, with an errant bolt shown to be capable of nearly knocking Lightning out in Black Lightning #1. Black Lightning’s own powers make him one of the Justice League’s heaviest hitters, but Thunder’s new abilities may have him beat.

Thunder has been a major player in the current Black Lightning storyline, with two of the primary elements driving the plot being her new powers and her conflict with her father. Now, it appears that one of these threads has been officially resolved, with Thunder now fully able to control her powerful new abilities and DC finally putting a name to her new powers. Time will tell if Thunder will finally be able to reconcile with Black Lightning, but her explosive new powers mark a new chapter in the story of one of DC’s greatest Outsiders.

Black Lightning #5 (2024) is available March 12, 2025, from DC Comics!

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