Thunder (comics)

Superherobox|

caption=Thunder from "Outsiders" #35.
Art by Matthew Clark.
character_name=Thunder
publisher=DC Comics
debut="Outsiders" vol. 3 #1 (August 2003)
creators=Judd Winick (writer)
Tom Raney (artist)
alter_ego = Anissa Pierce
species =
homeworld =
alliances=Outsiders
partners =
aliases=Adanna Abioye
supports =
powers=Density manipulation|

Thunder (real name Anissa Pierce) is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. She first appeared in "Outsiders" vol. 3 #1 (August 2003), and was created by Judd Winick and Tom Raney.

Fictional character history

Daughter of Black Lightning

Her father Jefferson Pierce (Black Lightning) and her mother Lynn Stewart did not want her following in his footsteps, and he struck a bargain with her: she would graduate from college before considering a career in crimefighting. She did, and the same night of her graduation she donned a costume and became Thunder. [As seen in "Outsiders" vol. 3 #1 (August 2003)]

Outsiders

Shortly after Thunder had started her solo career, she was approached by Arsenal, who offered her a spot on the new team of Outsiders. Reasoning that she could best learn the superhero trade with a team, she agreed to this offer and became an Outsider. Although she got along with most of her teammates, she seemed to come into conflict with Grace, a tough promiscuous bouncer, constantly. They were however quite effective as a team, and the two slowly came to a grudging respect between them, later on they became lovers.

Eventually her father appeared at the Outsiders headquarters, demanding her resignation from the team. Naturally, she refused and when the danger of Sabbac arose again, her father even decided to accompany the Outsiders. During that adventure, the two came to respect each other's abilities, neither having seen the other in action before, and Thunder was allowed to remain an Outsider.

The extent of her invulnerability was tested during a fight with the re-formed Fearsome Five. The matter transmuter Shimmer converted the air in her lungs to water, which caused an inflammation so great that she suffered pulmonary edema and Acute respiratory distress syndrome, which nearly killed her. She recovered and continued to serve with the Outsiders.

"One Year Later"

OYL, Anissa remains a member of the Outsiders (a team that was currently believed to be dead), and has been involved in the attempted toppling of the regime of Mali. Her role has been instrumental in the mission, having gone undercover amongst the government, a role that has required her to pretend she was having a sexual relationship with the country's ruler Ratun Bennin; in actuality Metamorpho used a hallucinogenic compound to fool the dictator. She compromised the team's mission when she revealed her cover and attacked Mali's army, who were going to slaughter a village.

It was revealed that Thunder has been in a lesbian relationship with her teammate Grace. Thunder was recently kicked off The Outsiders upon Batman's reorganization of the team, being replaced by the Martian Manhunter. [As seen in "Outsiders: Five of a Kind - Thunder and Martian Manhunter" #1 (October 2007)] She rejoined the team, when Grace invited her on a mission, without Batman's approval. [As seen in "Batman and The Outsiders" #1 (December 2007)]

Powers and abilities

Thunder has the ability to increase her body's mass while preserving volume, which effectively increases her density. In this state she is near-immovable, almost completely invulnerable (a mob enforcer once suffered a compound fracture after trying to punch Thunder in the face), and can create massive shockwaves just by stomping the ground.

References

External links

* [http://www.mykey3000.com/cosmicteams/outsiders/_docs/thunder.html Cosmic Teams: Anissa Pierce]
* [http://www.dcuguide.com/who.php?name=thunder3 DCU Guide: Thunder III]