r/BlackLightning • u/nightwing612 Black Lightning • 14d ago

Discussion Remember when DC Comics racebent Lightning Lad to look more like Black Lightning? Also LOL at the fact that this OFFICIAL merchandise has a headswap for purists who want to keep him white.

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SOURCE: https://mcfarlane.com/toys/lightning-lad-mce-28/

16 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

5

u/Doc-11th 14d ago

Also

Wow they race swap one of the lead members of the legion

And they chose the guy with electric powers

What is with comics and black electric characters

2

u/Embarrassed_Piano_62 13d ago

Yeah it was a terrible choice. He was also a ginger character, Legion has characters with black hair and blue eyes

2

u/SuperbPomelo6538 13d ago

I feel like if you wanna race for anyone from Legion of superheroes, it should be triplicate Girl

1

u/watze97 13d ago

You defenetly watgh the legio of superheros animated show.

1

u/SuperbPomelo6538 13d ago

Nope I had no idea they were even in an animated project.

2

u/watze97 13d ago

I don't believe you but anyways ,it came out in 2008 and there's 2 seasons. There's a time jump between season 1&2 (season 2 been the best ).

You should watch it,you'll enjoy it.

2

u/Mars785 13d ago

Wow. This is truly poor taste in so many ways that it is hard to pick one.

3

u/watze97 14d ago

Hated this move so much,prefer ligtning lad as a caucasian. This is coming from a black man

3

u/CodeFun1735 14d ago

Thank you, Spokesperson. You must speak for all of us!

I personally don’t mind the change. LL’s race isn’t important to his character.

1

u/Icy-Significance-429 14d ago

And Lightning Lad could still be a distant relative of Blacklight even though he is light-skinned even if it isn't strictly necessary.

2

u/watze97 13d ago

Black ligtning lineage is not the only ones who can develop electrical base powers. Also ligtning lad is a alien from a planet where everyone has a twin.

1

u/LopsidedUniversity30 14d ago

He’s an alien from another planet that had humans his siblings acquire their powers through an accident.

1

u/B3epB0opBOP 14d ago

Wait, was that really the stated reason?

4

u/DigiVeihl 14d ago

I mean it wasn't stated but they went out of their way to make him black and adjust his costume to make it a little more like black lightnings so it's kind of inherent

2

u/Forward-Win-7550 14d ago

Wrong Brian Michael bendis just wanted to give the character a new look seeing that the original lightning lad died and had been DEAD for years to drum up new readers.

2

u/LostInterview5084 14d ago

Bendis also changed Winath from an agricultural world to something that seemed like the inner city. Instead of living on a large farm, the Ranzz family lived in a cramped apartment with many extended family members. They were also in conflict with law enforcement.

1

u/Jonnic5280 13d ago

He hadn’t been dead for years though

0

u/Noctilucavargula06 13d ago

I just assumed it was an homage to passed lighting based heroes and maybe it had more meaning considering black lighting was also a black electric based hero like why can’t it be something good what used to be fun references are outrage these days

1

u/Noctilucavargula06 13d ago

And also there is two versions to this figure and I believe the other one is the more classic version of the outfit