Get ready to be struck by some seriously cool lightning!

The CW has released the first image of its newest superhero, Black Lightning, played by Heart of Dixie's Cress Williams, and it's hard not to get excited by both the picture and the premise of the pilot.

Jefferson Pierce (Williams) is the dad of two daughters who used to save the world as the superhero black lightning. He has since hung up the suit, but now that one daughter is hell-bent on justice and the other is a star student being recruited by a local gang, he puts the suit back on and gets pulled into the fight.

In the comics, Pierce is an athlete and former high school principal, and as Black Lightning, he has the power of electrokinesis, meaning he can generate and control his own electricity.

"I knew way too much about the world as a young boy growing up in Richmond, California," executive producer, writer, and director Salim Akil said in a statement. "I was no stranger to violence, death, hopelessness, or the feeling that no one cared about what was happening in my life. Comics were a great way for me to escape. I was about 13 when Black Lightning was created, and finally there was a black super hero that gave a damn about our neighborhood and our lives."

"Resurrecting him at a time in our society when a sense of hope is lacking, Black Lightning will be that hope," the statement continued. "And in updating the suit, it will signal to a new generation that it's time to harness and release our power, and become our own super heroes."

The pilot, which is currently filming in Atlanta, is also executive produced by Greg Berlanti, Mara Brock Akil, and Sarah Schechter. The suit was designed by award-winning costume desginer Laura Jean Shannon.

Source:
courtesy of E!ONLINE

by LAUREN PIESTER

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