Jefferson Pierce declares that Black Lightning is dead

Is Black Lighting retiring from the superhero life? The Black Lightning season 4 trailer sure makes it seem that way.

Jefferson Pierce’s life has been full of pain. In the first season of Black Lightning, his family was hunted down and almost killed, all while dealing with all of the suffering that Tobias caused. Season 2 had him deal with the death of a family friend – someone his daughter loved and that he mentored.

It seemed like no matter how much pain he went through, Jefferson continued to put on the Black Lightning suit and use his powers to protect the people of Freeland. He took that one step further when in The CW’s DC Arrowverse crossover Crisis on Infinite Earths, Black Lightning helped heroes like The Flash, Green Arrow, Supergirl, Superman, Batwoman and the Legends save the multiverse.

But even heroes have a breaking point and season 3 may have broken him – at least if the Black Lightning season 4 trailer is anything to go by.

Watch Black Lightning season 4 trailer

Jefferson and his wife were taken prisoner by the government in the show’s third season. Later, Jefferson’s best friend (Bill Henderson) died protecting innocent people. If that wasn’t enough, he found out that one of his relatives is a relentless killer.

In the Black Lightning season 4, we see Jefferson talking to Gambi about his feelings. Jefferson says that Black Lighting has brought pain to the people closest to him. He said, “No matter how hard I try to protect my family, it will always end in tragedy. I can no longer be the man I was.”  Gambi reminds him that Freeland would be lost without Black Lightning. No matter how true this may be, Jefferson has other responsibilities. He feels that he needs to protect his family.

Is this the end of Black Lightning?

When superheroes declare that they’re quitting it usually doesn’t last long. The Spider-Man No More story is a prime example of this. Peter Parker quit only to return to being the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man once again. However, this isn’t exactly the same situation.

First of all, this is the final season of Black Lightning. That means Jefferson quitting isn’t a far-fetched notion. Furthermore, we don’t know if the conversation with Gambi takes place towards the end of the final episode. He could have set things up ahead of this moment so that retiring was the right move. Or could something else have happened to cause his withdrawal from the superhero life?

Let’s not forget about Anissa and Jennifer Pierce. Both of them have proven to be exceptional heroes. As Blackbird, Anissa helped get people out of Freeland to avoid being kidnapped and tortured. As Thunder, she’s helped save Freeland in a more public way. We’ve also seen her grow into a leader – something that not every hero can do. Jennifer still has a lot of maturing to do but no one can deny how good and powerful she is as a hero. We’ve seen her do things that even her dad can’t.  She’s going to continue to improve and become a superb hero. With the two of them around, Freeland is in good hands if the story is “Black Lighting no more.”

Retirement won’t last

If we’re being honest, Jefferson quitting won’t last the entire season. As the saying goes, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me right back in.” Something will happen throughout the course of the final season to get Black Lightning back in the game. Tobias Whale is still going to be an uncaring crime boss, drugs will still be sold, and there are going to be super-powered threats. Jefferson will have to intervene at some point. Despite the pain Black Lightning has caused his life, he knows, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Of course we’ll see Gambi, Anissa, and Jennifer try and talk Jefferson out of retirement. They’ll undoubtedly be disappointed, stop talking to him, and probably call him things that will hurt everyone watching. It’s just how things like this go. Eventually, though, Jefferson will put the suit on and say, “One more time” and Black Lighting will ride again.

Black Lightning season 4 premieres on The CW on February 8, 2021.

What do you think? Will Black Lightning stay retired? Are you looking forward to Black Lightning season 4? Let us know in the comments below!