Anissa Pierce
Anissa Pierce is a female comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Anissa Pierce was the daughter of Jefferson Pierce who was the superhero known as Black Lightning. (Outsiders v3 #1)
When she was 11 years old, she experienced the first manifestation of her powers when she began to feel a weight pulling her down the ground of her fifth grade classroom. She attempted to pull back but instead fell through the floor and into the basement in a 25 foot drop but experienced no injuries from the fall. The next day, her father took her to S.T.A.R. Labs where she went through a thorough series of medical tests where it was discovered that she had the power to manipulate her own density. As she was growing up, she had a desire to become a superhero but promised her parents that she would first graduate from college before taking a vocation as a costumed crime fighter. (Outsiders v3 #1)
By the time she was 22 years old, she graduated pre-med from Tulane University and began to use her powers to patrol the streets for crimes with her having only done this for less than 3 weeks. Whilst on the streets fighting criminals, she was approached by Roy Harper who invited her to join the newest incarnation of the Outsiders. (Outsiders v3 #1)
At some point, she pursued a relationship with fellow Outsider member Grace Choi. (Outsiders v3 #41)
Her father then came to her to inform her that he had killed Martin N. Somers in a moment of anger and by accident due to the CEO's role in the death of her cousin Joanna. This led to him deciding to surrender himself to Checkmate out of guilt where he was placed in a cover identity in prison. During this time, the Red Hood Jason Todd approached Dick Grayson to inform him that he had learnt that Jefferson had not killed Somers but rather it was Deathstroke who masked the death to make it appear that Pierce had killed him by accident. Anissa attempted to convince her father to bring these findings to Checkmate but Jefferson had convinced himself that he was responsible for the death and decided to remain in prison instead. Afterwards, Thunder approached Grace about the idea of breaking her father out of prison. (Outsiders v3 #45)
Thus, she came to re-join the team but was kept away from missions as Batman intended to observe her to determine if she was worthy of being on the Outsiders. (Batman and the Outsiders v2 #1)
When Batman was missing, the Outsiders seemingly received a message from him requesting their aid against the Black Glove and sent an encrypted code on his location. Despite the caution of Green Arrow, Batgirl allowed the code to be studied but it contained an override that took control over ReMAC causing him to run amok and explode. The attack badly wounded Anissa and left her in a coma-like state with her father as well as Grace in mourning about whether she would ever wake up again. (Batman and the Outsiders v2 #12)
Thunder and the Outsiders were among the heroes invited to Paradise Island to welcome Superman's cousin Supergirl into the superhero community. (Superman/Batman v1 #13)
When Thunder and the Outsiders learned Arsenal was supposedly caught in an explosion at the Star City Forest Trust Bank after aiding Green Arrow against Drakon, they came to offer their help. They searched the wreckage but found no sign of their teammate. They did find a calling card from Riddler, who had Drakon kidnap Arsenal before the detonation. They stormed Riddler’s safehouse, Puertas al Infierno, a former prison, and fought off the hi-tech armored mercenaries that guarded it. Shift captured Drakon, and once Riddler learned his security had been breached he fled, noting that his act was a game, and a hint of things to come when he was serious about destroying Green Arrow. (Green Arrow v3 #50)
Black Lightning visited Anissa in the hospital to tell her he was going away for a while. He told her comatose form that he was joining the Outsiders, and going off the grid so that the world, and the future would be a better place for her. (Outsiders v4 #15)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Overview
Personality and attributes
As a superhero, she operated under the name of Thunder. (Outsiders v3 #1)
It was said that she was a good crime fighter but still had a lot to learn when she first started out. (Outsiders v3 #1)
Anissa had said that she had loved her dad and she respected her parents wishes in wanting her to complete her education. She had promised not to engage in superhero activities until she graduated from college and in fact the first night she went out as Thunder was when she got her diploma. Despite that, her father Jefferson Pierce was not happy with her becoming a crime fighter as never intended to raise his daughter as a superhero. (Outsiders v3 #1)
She also had a cousin named Joanna Pierce who had worked with Green Arrow. (Outsiders v3 #1)
Pierce was shown to be attracted to women and had pursued a relationship with Grace Choi. (Outsiders v3 #41)
Powers and abilities
As a Metahuman, Anissa had the power to control her own density and manipulate its effects. With this ability, she could increase her body's density without affecting her volume. This allowed her to become as hard as steel and 10 times her natural weight. (Outsiders v3 #1)
Notes
- Anissa Pierce was created by Judd Winick and Tom Raney where she made her first appearance in Outsiders v3 #1 (August, 2003).
Alternate Versions
In other media
Television
- In DC Nation Shorts, a young Anissa Pierce as Thunder appeared in the "Thunder and Lightning" animated shorts where she was voiced by actress Cree Summer.
- In Black Lightning, Anissa Pierce appeared in the live-action television series where she was portrayed by actress Nafessa Williams.
- In Young Justice, Anissa Pierce appeared in the animated television series during its third season. She was shown as being the daughter of Black Lightning and Lynn Stewart where she was a young girl staying with her mother.
Appearances
- Outsiders v3: (2003)
- Batman and the Outsiders v2:
External Links
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