Title pretty much sums it up. Watched a video recently where someone was asked to name a black superhero that didn’t have lightning based powers and while I could name a few it made me realize just how prevalent the trope is.
But why?
Edit: Y’all I’m not asking for examples of black heroes that don’t have lightning powers. I’m asking why it’s a trope to begin with 😮💨
I don’t really think it is. I know you don’t want a list of non lightening but like I can’t think of any except black lightening and static shock who sorta seemed to be just a teenage copy of black lightening. I guess you can include storm but her powers are around the weather which lightening is just one aspect. Honestly hers is the only real lighening as the others are electric powers. Just in recent movies we have black panther, falcon, luke cage, war machine, and cyborg showing up in films. Not sure if John Stewart has shown up in dc’s green lantern related stuff but anyone who read comics will be familiar with him.
Miles Morales is an interesting example of the trope though, as the other spider-heroes don’t have the electrical powers while he does.
On Spider-Man, Electro isn’t black in the comics but was in Amazing Spider-Man which is also maybe a hint of the trope.
Yeah I still don’t see it as much a trope. Much like the storm its like ok he got another power above and beyond the main spider powers. I mean its like someone mentioned that then green lanter has electric powers. I don’t think I saw the amazing spider man with the black electro but then again while I never thought it would happen Im kinda done with the main comic and sci fi ip.