When your dad is a hero, it’s understandable to want to live up to that even if your family worries for your safety. Anissa Pierce knows what it’s like to prove to her family she has what it takes to be a hero. So, who is Anissa Pierce and who is her father? Let’s find out!
Anissa Pierce is the eldest daughter to Jefferson Pierce and Lynn Stewart, and the older sister to Jennifer Pierce. Anissa’s father is the hero, Black Lightning, a metahuman with electricity powers, making Anissa a metahuman as well. Her powers gave her the ability to increase her body’s density, allowing her to become nearly indestructible and incredibly strong, able to make thunder claps with her hands and feet. Her sister also had powers and both girls thrilled at the idea of being sidekicks for their father.
Both of her parents were against either daughter becoming heroes, worried enough about Jefferson’s risk out in the field. Anissa and her parents were able to come to an agreement, if Anissa went and graduated college and still wanted to become a hero, her parents would accept it. The night of her college graduation, she was out, in full costume, going by the name Thunder.
Her solo career was going along well enough when she was invited to join the Outsiders by Red Arrow. Realizing this could be a perfect opportunity to learn from others as well as get to know more heroes in the community, Anissa gladly accepted. While she found herself getting along with most of the team, it was teammate, Grace, that she struggled to get along with. As the two were often teamed up together for patrols, they eventually began to respect one another, becoming friends and, with time, lovers.
While Anissa enjoyed her new life as a hero, her father was still too worried about her and came to the Outsiders to ask her to quit heroics. Just as this was going on, a villain that required the whole team was needing to be taken care of. Jefferson would join his daughter and her team in taking on this threat and allowed Anissa to show that she was fully capable at what she was doing and she got to see her dad in action, finally. Once their adventure was over, Anissa and her father finally saw eye to eye and he gave her his blessing in being a hero.
Going on many adventures, Anissa’s invulnerability would be put to the test, time and time again, sometimes leaving her at deaths door but would have likely killed anyone else, instantly. She and Grace kept their relationship private but the rest of the team would eventually learn about them. Batman would take back control of the Outsiders and found all of Anissa’s near-death experiences and would have her replaced with Martian Manhunter but Grace would reinvite her back to the team.
After one attack leads to Anissa falling into a coma and requiring time in and out of the hospital, she and Grace would go into semi-retirement together. During this time, the two would live fairly normal lives as Anissa was still recovering from all the damage she had taken. Eventually, Anissa’s father, along with a group of new Outsiders, all outlaws, would come to her seeking refuge. The Justice Society of America would come looking for these outlaw Outsiders and a fight would break out. Anissa’s sister, Jennifer, now going by the hero identity of Lightning, would fight against Anissa and Jefferson. This fight would cause Anissa and Grace to rejoin the Outsiders to help Jefferson and the others go on the run until they were picked up by Amanda Waller to do work for her.
There you have it! Anissa Pierce is one of the legacy heroes who isn’t taking on any mantle but carrying the legacy of her father by being her own hero. She’s been on the small screen in both animation and live-action. Where she’ll end up next is anyone’s guess. See you next time!
Suggested Reading
The Outsiders, Vol. 3 #1
Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files and Origins #1
Outsiders: Five of a Kind- Thunder and Martian Manhunter #1
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
