Captain Marvel and the 25 most empowering female superheroes of all-time

6. Thunder – Black Lightning

Who plays her: Nafessa Williams

Powers/Abilities: Density manipulation

Why she’s so empowering: Worried I was going to leave out Anissa Pierce? If this was just based on comics, maybe I would. There’s something about the comic character that just isn’t as fleshed out or developed as Black Lightning’s creation. Maybe part of that is due to lack of time and there’s time to fix that.

In the TV series, we have our first black lesbian superhero. That’s empowering in its own right, but there’s far more to Anissa (superhero name Thunder) than that. She’s also a woman who will stand up for her beliefs and fight for what’s right. Unafraid of controversy, she will go on marches and make her opinions known.

When Anissa initially learns about her powers, she doesn’t shy away from them. In fact, she takes the time to learn more about them, heading out to a junk yard to practice. It’s only when she finds out her dad is Black Lightning that she’s able to fully understand and control her powers, but she shows that willingness to learn.

Her own personality in standing up for what’s right continues through her need to protect the city. This puts her at loggerheads with her younger sister when Jennifer learns about her own powers, not able to understand why someone with superhuman abilities would want to get rid of them. In a way, she took a view for many fans, who believed Jennifer had a duty to use her powers for good.

With her personality and her willingness to do what’s right, Thunder is one of the female superheroes we can all follow. There’s something positive for everyone to take away.