Comic Books

Meet the black lesbian superhero ready to take over TV on The CW’s Black Lightning

Jan 05 2018
Written by Josh Jackman

(Facebook/black lightning)

A black lesbian superhero is set to make a groundbreaking entrance on your TV screen.

Black Lightning, a show coming to The CW on January 16, features the title character as a father to two daughters: Thunder and Lightning.

(Facebook/black lightning)

And it’s Thunder, played by 28-year-old Nafessa Williams, who is set to make history.

The superhero, whose real name in the show is Anissa Pierce, is “timely and necessary,” according to Williams.

(Instagram/nafessawilliams)

Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, she said: “We need it. It’s been way too long.”

And there’s even more for LGBT fans to get excited about.

(DC)

Just like in the comics, Thunder’s getting a love interest.

Played by Pretty Little Liars actress Chantal Thuy, the half-Amazonian, Asian-American Grace Choi will feature in the show as Anissa’s girlfriend.

In the comics, Grace is bisexual, and there seems to be no reason to doubt she will be in the show as well.

Another show currently on TV to feature a lesbian superhero is Marvel’s Runaways, in which one of the main characters – Karolina Dean – slowly realises her sexuality.

(YouTube/Whedonopolis Videos)

Last year, Thor: Ragnarok included Valkyrie, a bisexual superhero and woman of colour – though fans were ultimately disappointed with the fact that her sexuality wasn’t made clear on screen.

Marvel also launched a comic led by America Chavez, a queer Latina teenager with lesbian parents.

Karolina with friend (YouTube/Hulu)

The comic, called America, prompted an outpouring of support from readers who were overjoyed to finally see an LGBT Latina superhero lead her own comic.

However, Marvel also moved to quash speculation that two warriors in the upcoming film Black Panther will be in a lesbian relationship, sparking outrage and accusations of erasure.

(YouTube/Marvel Entertainment)

Safe to say, fans are getting pretty damn excited about the prospect of a lesbian superhero on TV.

One wrote: “SHES THE FIRST BLACK LESBIAN SUPERHERO!!! That’s history being made people!!!!!!

(Twitter/AMcclainnews)

“Thunder is badf***ingass and I love her already”.

“Fessa im so proud of you @NafessaWilliams #BlackLightning”

Another said: “@blacklightning dropped this INSANE promo pic of @NafessaWilliams as Thunder, and I cannot overstate the importance of a QWOC superhero on television right now.