Who is Black Lightning?

Jefferson Pierce exists between the two extremes of the DCU: Superman & Batman. He’s a normal human of high moral fiber, from the ghetto of Metropolis, an Olympic decathalete, who comes back home to teach school. One of his students gets crucified on a basketball goal by a drug dealer and Jeff decides the neighborhood needs more than just another teacher. Paul Gambi, (whose brother made all the uniforms and gadgets for the Flash’s Rogues in Central City, yeah, that’s how we rolled in the 70’s!) made him a uniform and an electrical gadget in his belt, that he soon internalized.

The ghetto was called “Suicide Slum”, not “Freeland”, from way back in the Golden Age. I don’t recall any mentions of the ex-wife, Lynn, in the original eleven comix, and I’m pretty sure that the daughters are the result of Kingdom Come, where they’re adults.