There's really 2 - Black Lightning & Static. s = d.createElement('script'); June 15, 2022 . In that vein, maybe electricity can be an unconscious expression of the heros tamable nature?. A. [CDATA[ */ The Coli - The Best Hip Hop, Rap, Sports Forum and Message Board. The Black Electricity Trope reads like a distant cousin to the Magical Negro, in that theyre both established formulations of a character whose most defining qualities are a preternatural understanding and command of natural force. Falcon (1969) The first Black superhero in mainstream comics whose life was based in the US was Sam Wilson, alias "Falcon." Raised in Harlem, he works as a social worker after the violent death of . Still, the popularity of Black electrical superheroes like Black Lightning, Storm, and Static doesnt seem to be waning anytime soon. Thick masks and helmets limit peripheral vision. Masked and entirely human heroes like Batman shouldn't be able to see attackers sneaking up on them from the sides . DC surprisingly did not use this trope in, Miles Morales's Venom Strike is a bio-electric attack in, Though he's an anthropomorphic dog using lightning-like pyrotechnics rather than a human superhero, Powerline in, Soul Power, a retro funk character from the, Interestingly, Static gets to be a Black Lightning stand-in in a series. Most commonly, users would be able to discharge large amounts of electricity in order to shock their opponents, potentially paralyzing them, burning them, or even stopping their hearts in severe cases. i realized this influence also extends to black characters in anime, specifically Naruto: shippuden. Without empathy, Superman would just ignore people in need of help. Heres a list of major Black superheroes who have primary or secondary electrical powers, or whose name/heroic identity ties into such somehow. So, it seemed like a coincidence with Storm and Black Lightning being two different characters who had electricity powers. Storm isnt just a black hero who throws lightning bolts, shes one of the most complicated and nuanced comic book characters created in the past 40 years. Black Lightning wouldnt defeat a villain the same way that Static would, Wayne said. It looks flashy and impressive on the comics page, as well as in movies and TV shows. This eventually developed into a consistent pattern in which African-American superheroes, or black superheroes in general, had Shock and Awe powers. Back then, it felt odd flipping through my mental Rolodex of characters and realizing that, if I wanted to play as a black hero, it was almost guaranteed that Id be doing jazz hands to simulate zapping people with lightning. If he's injured, Black Lightning can heal himself at a faster rate than the average human. Black DC Characters | Complete List and Descriptions