Thunder and Lightning (comics)

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caption=Thunder and Lighting in their first appearance, by George Pérez
comic_color=background:#8080ff
character_name=Thunder and Lightning
real_name=Gan and Tavis Williams
publisher=DC Comics
debut="New Teen Titans" #32 (1983)
creators=Marv Wolfman
George Pérez
alliance_color=background:#cccccc
alliances=
aliases=
powers= Can generate thunder and lightning; psychic link.|

Thunder and Lightning are a duo of superpowered brothers of DC Comics that had encounters with the Teen Titans. Not to be confused with the two superheroines Thunder and Lightning, sisters introduced at different times who are the daughters of Black Lightning.

History

Gan and Tavis Williams are twin brothers that were born of a Vietnamese woman and an American soldier named Lt. Walter Williams. Originally conjoined twins, they were separated with magic. As children, they found themselves beginning to manifest superpowers. However, they had little control over these powers, and without an infusion of their father's blood, they would quickly burn themselves out. So, they took the aliases Thunder and Lightning, respectively, and set off to America to search for their father. They caused major disturbances in St. Louis and engaged in battle against the Teen Titans. However, after their aims were revealed, the Titans decided to help the pair. ["New Teen Titans" #32, June 1983]

Months later, the Teen Titans and S.T.A.R. Labs were working on a cure for Thunder and Lightning's powers. At the same time, Raven, using her powers, discovered that their father was actually an alien who had crash landed in Cambodia six hundred years ago, and was currently being held hostage by the H.I.V.E. as they tried to exploit knowledge from him. When they located him, H.I.V.E. controlled the alien in a fight against Thunder and Lightning and the Teen Titans. In the end, Thunder and Lightning were forced to kill their father to protect their new friends. However, a blood sample from their father allowed S.T.A.R. Labs to create the cure that would allow Thunder and Lightning to control their powers. ["New Teen Titans" #36, Nov 1983]

They resettled in San Francisco, where S.T.A.R Labs helped them control their powers. While there, they helped stop the Atomic Skull. ["Teen Titans Spotlight" #16, Nov 1987] They worked as security guards for S.T.A.R. until Trigon briefly took control of them. They were captured and held in stasis at S.T.A.R. Labs until they could be free from the demon seeds. ["New Titans" #s 118-121, Feb-May 1995]

At some point they were freed of the seeds, as the two of them later returned to help the Titans battle the Justice League, via transport arranged from the ultra-powerful Cyborg. Thunder and Lightning came in too late to actually fight any of the Justice League but they still assisted in neutralizing the threat posed by Cyborg. After that, they returned to Southern Vietnam to defend it from an unknown alien threat. ["JLA/Titans: The Technis Imperative" #s 2-3 Jan-Feb 1999]

During the Infinite Crisis, they were subdued by the League of Assassins in Vietnam, who were being paid to break open a prison as part of a worldwide scheme to attack Metropolis with dozens of supervillains. ["Villains United" special, Jun 2006]

For some reason, Thunder and Lightning are featured in "Salvation Run" even though they aren't villains. Thunder and Lightning arrive to give food to Martian Manhunter. Martian Manhunter asks why they are here on this planet. When they offered to help Martian Manhunter, Bane attacks them. Despite being shocked by Lightning, Bane defeats the both of them as Lex Luthor arrives. [Salvation Run #6] Luthor keeps the two alive, later using them as power sources for his teleporter. The two are seemingly killed when the device self-destructs. [Salvation Run #7]

Powers

Thunder is able to control thunder as he manifests as rumbling noises which he can control to varying degrees. Lightning is able to release bolts of electricity and harness lightning. The two have a psychic link that allows them to communicate with each other.

Alternate Versions

uperman villains

An unrelated Thunder and Lightning appeared as Superman villains in "Superman" #303 (September 1976). These were actually two entities in the body of a sentient android used by a super-villain called Hurricane (who had previously fought Superman in "Action Comics" #457), who wanted to conduct a series of terror acts across the US. Not knowing about his android origin, Thunder/Lightning hoped for his release by Hurricane when his tasks were finally fulfilled, but then Superman exposed the truth. Going mad over the realization, Thunder/Lightning released a massive lightning burst, destroying himself, Hurricane and his base; Superman escaped unscathed.

Other Media

In the "Teen Titans" animated series, Thunder and Lightning (voiced by S. Scott Bullock and Quinton Flynn respectively) are seemingly supernatural brothers who just want to have fun, but they make life miserable for everyone else with their disregard for the safety of others. Their powers are thunderous sound blasts and lightning bolts respectively, as well as the shared power of flight (Thunder conjures a flying cloud, and Lightning transmutes his lower body into electricity). When they combine their powers, they can cause rain, and this is possibly how they are able to teleport, manifesting in massive blasts of lightning. Thunder is rather large, has a deep voice, and wears blue samurai armor. Lightning is skinny, speaks in a high, fast voice, wears a yellow-orange suit of samurai armor, and wears his hair in a style reminiscent of a lightning bolt. Slade, disguised as the "Ancient One", tricked Thunder and Lightning into setting fire to some posts which created a giant fire monster bent on destroying the city. It was stopped when Thunder and Lightning joined their powers to make it rain, therefore putting out the Fire.

The two of them are also watched by the Brotherhood of Evil in "Homecoming: Part 2", although they were not given their own communicator in "Forces of Nature" (chances are they received communicators from the Teen Titans during one of the unaired missions). They both later appear as Thunder attempts to fight off the I.N.S.T.I.G.A.T.O.R. and Steamroller, while Lightning takes on Overload, all sent by the Brotherhood of Evil. They are overpowered and flash-frozen by Professor Chang. However, Más Y Menos free them, and they join in the final battle in the Brotherhood headquarters. Thunder is seen attacking a group of villains with a giant thunder explosion. They later appear with the other Titans to confront Dr. Light.

The brothers also appear in "Teen Titans Go!" #6. Thunder and Lightning were the first honorary Titans to appear on the show and in the comic books based on the show.

References

External links

* [http://www.titanstower.com/source/whoswho/thunder.html Thunder and Lightning] at Titan's Tower