No Black Lighting pilot has been filmed. The cast has only read the script for episode 1 and filmed enough footage for a 15-minute presentation. This leaves the fans, and the actors, with a lot of questions about what direction the series will go. One of the most exciting arcs the series could adapt is The Outsiders. Black Lightning was a member, and so was his daughter Anissa, aka Thunder. We asked Nafessa Williams, who plays Anissa, about The Outsiders at San Diego Comic-Con, and she just so happened to have finished the comic book series last week.
“That was really cool, just to see the dynamic and the relationship between my father and I, and me wanting to join this universe, and he’s like listen, ‘That's not what I want for you.’ And me having a mind of my own. I just love how powerful… she’s just a force of her own thunder. I’m learning from her. She stands up for what she believes in and she’s ready to fight the crime and the injustice that's going on. The Outsiders was dope, it helped me as an actor to understand who she is and why she’s doing what she’s doing. She’s just so passionate.”
When the series starts, Anissa’s younger sister, Jennifer, will not have her powers, but it appears Anissa will. She has the power to increase her body density, which gives her the ability to create shockwaves and have impenetrable skin. She’s older and out of high school, capable of making her own decisions, an arc explored in The Outsiders. While Williams says she’ll be a mentor for her younger sister, there are a lot of opportunities for her character growth. Series star Cress Williams told us last week he doesn't want his daughters to follow in his footsteps, but also won’t be ignorant to the fact that they probably will. In this case, he wants them to be educated and well trained. Given this dynamic, it seems unlikely we’ll see her and her father fight side by side, considering he doesn't exactly approve. Will Anissa find a group of powered friends, and a girlfriend, to run with?
The Outsiders was founded by Batman. Black Lighting was won of the core members, joining in The Brave and the Bold #200 (July 1983) along with hero like Geo-Force, Katana, Halo and Metamorpho. Black Lightning had turned down Justice League membership, which is why he was approached by Batman, who was not on the best terms with the League at the time.
The team’s third incarnation included Thunder, first in Outsiders Vol. 3 #1 (August 2003). It was Arsenal who approached Thunder for the job, convincing her she could best learn to use her powers with a team. She suited up right after she graduated college. She came to hit it off with teammate, Grace Choi, and the two began a romantic relationship. As an Asian-American hero who is later revealed to be half Amazon, Grace carries the gifts of the gods -- superhuman strength, durability, speed, stamina and healing. She’s tall, muscular, feminine and unapologetically bisexual. She had much different and more traumatic upbringing than Thunder, surviving a human trafficking ring. When Black Lightning refused to accept Thunder’s desire to follow in his footsteps, it was Grace who was there for her through it all.
It will be interesting to see if the Black Lightning TV series goes this route. While Jennifer Pierce will be learning to control her powers, Black Lightning back on night duty, and Lynn trying to hold the family together, it seems the character we know the least about is Anissa. While the creators are still developing the script, Williams said she expects them to stay true to the comics. If they do, we can expect to see Thunder’s full storyline explored in due time.
Would you like to see The Outsiders in the series? Let us know in the comments.
