Ranking the 15 greatest DC Comics rivalries of all-time

13. Black Lightening and Tobias Whale

This rivalry kicked off in the 1970s and doesn’t get the same fanfare as some of the others on the list. Their beef began after the renowned educator, Jefferson Pierce spoke up against Tobias Whale’s gang, The 100. Since then, Whale took the vow to take out the outspoken Pierce.

To get back at Pierce, Whale murdered one of Pierce’s pupils. It was Whale’s heinous act that birthed Black Lightning. That’s wasn’t the only act Whale committed against someone Pierce cared about. It turns out, Whale was responsible for the death of Pierce’s father as well.

Their battles spanned across other DC Comics like the time Whale escaped from prison into Gotham. He made it known that he wasn’t a clown with a cane or some comedic act. He was the real deal. Tobias Whale and The 100 became too much to handle. So, Black Lightning enlisted the help of Superman.

Whale went through great lengths to defeat Black Lightning. Like the time he made a deal with a demonic entity. Of course, it wasn’t enough and Black Lighting outright comes out on top of this rivalry.

Fans of Black Lightning were gifted with the CW series, Black Lightning so they had a chance to this rivalry play out on-screen. As good as it was, it couldn’t tell the full story as told in the comics.