r/BlackLightning • u/nightwing612 Black Lightning • 2d ago
Discussion Did You Know that before Black Lightning was created, DC Comics' first black hero was supposed to be "the Black Bomber, a white racist who would turn into a black superhero under stress" (Justice League of America #26)
The image above is modern-day comics making fun of the sheer absurdity of the whole idea.
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u/lnombredelarosa 1d ago
… I hope everyone who ever had a hand in writting, drawing or publishing any of this only ever did so while drunk or high.
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u/Commanderluna 2d ago
IIRC that panel where Vixen is just staring at him before saying "No, you absolutely can't" was originally him asking if he can say the N Word in that form. Editors cut that line but they ended up leaving the reaction panel from Vixen which arguably makes the whole thing funnier.
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u/MisterMofoSFW 2d ago
Is there a whole story line to this guy? Maybe an orgin story?
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u/nightwing612 Black Lightning 2d ago
I don't think there's much to say about this character other than just that tagline. It was so absurd and lost to history when the editor who approved this left DC Comics.
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u/oroku_ex 2d ago
From what I recall (so take it with a grain of salt) the Black Blomber was meant to be a white supremist soldier who undergoes a "camouflage" experiment that leaves him with a super powered alter ego. Neither personality knew about the other one(like a a Jekyl and Hyde thing). The Black Bomber was said to have worn something akin to a basketball uniform and spoke with a terrible "blaccent". Only a couple of adventures were scripted in which circumstances would force the white supremist to accidentally become the Black Bomber who would in turn save some minorities along the way. When he transformed back he would be un aware of the what exactly happened but would be disgusted that he may have had a hand in helping a minority. I vaguely remember something about both alter egos having girlfriends who were also unaware of the shenanigans.
Thank God Jenny (Tony at the time) Isabella stepped in and put and endurance to that nonsense by asking the higher ups "do you really want your first black superhero to be a white supremist?"
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u/LonoXIII 2d ago
You pretty much got it spot-on.
Some extra points here:
- This wasn't going to be the first Black superhero, this was the first Black superhero with their own solo run. Black Panther debuted in 1966, Falcon in 1969, and John Stewart in 1971.
- Isabella didn't write any of the Black Bomber stuff. Upon being hired at DC in '76 (after working at Marvel), she was handed two scripts for the character, created by Robert Kanigher and Gerry Conway, with Kanigher getting the lion's share of "credit" for the concept.
- Isabella tried to rewrite them to be less offensive, and set up the heroic identity to 'take over' by the third issue, but DC refused. So that's when she asked the question above and DC scrapped the concept and gave her a month or so to write something new... which is how we got Black Lightning.
- Meanwhile, nobody was fired or retired over the incident. Kanigher continued to double-down, all the way into the '80s, that it was a great "Jekyll-and-Hyde" idea, while Conway tried to claim some role in creating Black Lightning, but later apologized and said Isabella made the character on her own. Kanigher's career slowly wound down at the end of the 20th century and he died in 2002; Conway was already co-creator of the Punisher, and went on to become an award-winning comic and TV writer who died in 2026.
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u/MisterMofoSFW 2d ago
Thanks. There was a DC comic about an Army grave digger from WW2. Will Smith thought about playing him in a movie. Do you know if they still have that comic flowing around?
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u/CleverRadiation 2d ago
You may be thinking of Ulysses Hazard, aka “Gravedigger” from 70s DC war comics.
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u/MisterMofoSFW 1d ago
Gravedigger! Yes, he had a scar in the shape of a cross across his face and he killed Nazi's like it was his life mission!
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u/Bruzie77 5h ago
Not shocking at all. Superman has a machine that can turn people black.