Black Lightning may not be fighting alongside DC’s other TV heroes, but he’s got a major connection to Green Lantern. The emerald, ring-slinging hero who even casual CW fans are probably aware of by now, given the amount of Hal Jordan easter eggs Arrow has dropped. All clues and teases intended only to excite and delight the comic book fans, most assumed. But with Black Lightning now joining the network, if not explicitly the same world as Arrow and The Flash, there may be the strongest link to Green Lantern yet.
The catch is, it ain’t the version that The CW has been teasing in the past. It’s the version of Green Lantern that fans of the animated Justice League series and related features have known for years, better known for his discipline and no-nonsense attitude in a fight. That personality may be something that Green Lantern John Stewart has in common with Jefferson Pierce, a.k.a. Black Lightning. But the two men share something more important in the comics - and possibly, the TV series.
Black Lightning is married to Green Lantern’s sister. Well, was married, anyway.
Black Lightning’s Ex-Wife, Lynn Pierce
The premiere episode of Black Lightning may be all fans of DC Comics and The CW have to go on, but it makes an impact. Mainly for all the ways it’s unlike the heroes who came before. This superhero is older, experienced, and as a superhero, even retired. It wasn’t an easy decision for him to make, but as the episode reveals, it was Jefferson Pierce’s wife who convinced him to leave the vigilante heroics behind him. Not even for her sake - but for the sake of their two daughters. Jefferson turned to his family, but only after his wife turned to divorce.
The first episode is all audiences need to know that Lynn Pierce (the only surname we have to go on, based on cast listings) is not a woman to take lightly. Yet as has become the habit with comic book to TV adaptations, audiences and fans will wonder as to Lynn’s role in the comics. And, dare we say it, perhaps a superheroine identity of her own in future seasons. Well, the bad news is that Lynn Pierce’s role in the comics was primarily as Jefferson’s ex-wife and the mother to their two daughters (a combination that changed somewhat over the years).
The good news is that for fans of the larger DC Comics mythology, the shared ground between Jefferson Pierce and John Stewart as African-American superheroes is just the beginning. Not only were they introduced around a similar time in history (1971 and 1977), and designed to battle street-level crime in America’s cities (overlooked by the ‘grander’ superheroes), but they were linked by one of the most important women in their lives: Lynn Stewart.
At least, it was the plan for Black Lightning to be revealed as Green Lantern’s former brother-in-law. Will the TV show finally make a solid link to a Green Lantern on TV?
Black Lightning’s Wife is Green Lantern John Stewart’s Sister
It’s not every day that TV fans take a step into comic book industry legend or folklore, but Black Lightning and Green Lantern demand it. Because according to the unofficial canon of DC Comics. Black Lightning series creator Tony Isabella didn’t give Lynn Stewart her maiden name by accident. She didn’t make her debut until Issue #3, and even then in only a minor role, but Isabella was making a long play. Specifically, to reveal that she was the sister of John Stewart, the first black hero DC had debuted years earlier.
Unfortunately, Isabella and DC’s efforts to follow up Stewart with DC’s first African-American hero in his own series was cut short. Not due to lagging sales or any official reason, but as one of many infamous casualties of the “DC Implosion” of canceled comics. Isabella had only written ten issues before it was canceled after Issue #11, meaning his intentions to reveal the Stewart family connection were fruitless. But whether through off-the-record chatter or fan sleuthing, the connection became too good for fans to resist.
The sad truth is that comic fans were left, and at this point in the development and expanse of the DC Universe, will likely remain left without any resolution. It wasn’t until the 1980s that John Stewart returned to take over Hal Jordan’s actual Green Lantern duties on a semi-permanent basis. So at that point, writing a new sister into existence would have been a minor adjustment or retcon, compared to the others DC was fast approaching. Now, it’s not so easily achieved… in comics, at least.
So, would the minds behind Black Lightning and the larger CW Arrowverse be just as unwilling to throw a nod to Lynn’s intended family? On the one hand, it’s the kind of fan theory that the TV network has constantly dealt with even when they played no part in the hype. The idea that Oliver Queen’s bodyguard could actually be John Stewart Diggle comes to mind, and even then, it was only a similar backstory, name, and military experience to fuel speculation. Which pales in comparison to actual DC history.
By this point, hearing a character mention Lynn’s maiden name may be all that’s needed to send fans into the stratosphere. It would make sense, too, since such a detail wouldn’t be addressed in the pilot episode (there’s no reason yet) but would come up sooner or later as a point of clarification. From there, would it be too much for Jefferson to make reference to Lynn’s brother and his military demeanor? Or, sticking to his original comic origin, his temper or skills as an architect? Since Black Lightning is a family drama before a superhero TV show, bringing in Lynn’s own family would make sense on its own, not just as fan service.
Comic fans may not want to hold their breath to actually see John Stewart on screen, but it’s not impossible, either. The first episode of Black Lightning hints at Arrowverse heroes, but each parallel world in DC’s Multiverse is entitled to its own story and character destinies. Perhaps on this on, John Stewart never became an intergalactic space cop. But that would make for one heck of a twist when Arrowverse heroes see how differently the past and future could be…
MORE: Black Lightning May Exist in The Arrowverse After All
Black Lightning returns Tuesday, January 23 @9pm on The CW.
