Black Lightning's Original Costume Had a Genius Detail Every Hero Needs
Black Lightning's original costume is the perfect superhero costume, thanks to one detail. It's important that heroes mask their identity for a lot of reasons. The most common reason stated is to protect their family's from danger. For Black Lightning, it's all about protecting his family, as emphasized when his daughter refers to him revealing his true identity as Black Lightning to his daughters.
Created by writer Tony Isabella and artist Trevor Von Eeden, Black Lightning first appeared in Black Lightning #1 in 1977. Not only is Black Lightning a great hero, but he's an incredibly important one too. When he was first introduced, it marked DC's first series to be led by an African-American superhero. Needless to say, Black Lightning #1 is a landmark issue. He has also been given a boost in popularity recently, thanks to Cress Williams' portrayal of the electric hero in the Arrowverse. Though Black Lightning's original costume might seem a touch goofy and outdated today, that might be more intentional than readers first assumed.
In The Other History of the DC Universe #5 by John Ridley, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Andrea Cucchi, and Jose Villarubia, fans are reminded of Black Lightning's old costume. It shows Black Lightning fighting Tobias Whale in the past as he sports an afro, which was actually part of his super suit. Black Lightning's superhero mask didn't just consist of a mask covering his face, but also the wig which he put on every time he fought criminals. While the wig seems a bit outlandish as a choice, it's been done many times. Notably, Batwoman, in the comics and in the Arrowverse, wears a long red-haired wig. The idea of using a wig is actually incredibly smart. Every person and villain interested in discovering a superhero's identity automatically goes to take off the hero's mask and that's about it. They search for what they see, whether that's through databases or through whatever means necessary.
Naturally, when trying to track down someone's real identity, it will rarely occur to the public that someone’s hair isn’t real. It’s a move that more heroes should make when forming secret identities. For Black Lightning, his afro is so distinct that an attacker would be looking for someone with a similar afro. Black Lightning's afro is a smarter version of Superman and Supergirl wearing glasses as a disguise, which has proven to be paper-thin. His original costume takes keeping his identity secret a huge step further than just going out with a simple mask.
Black Lightning's choice to sport his very distinctive afro wig is something that stands out and has the power to add an extra element of doubt to stop people hunting for who he really is. Plus, it makes for a cool superhero get-up and shows his pride in his culture as a Black hero. More heroes should take a page out of Black Lightning's original costume, including his daughters. The Other History of the DC Universe #5 is available in comic book stores and on digital platforms now.