Name of Character: Anissa Pierce
First Known Appearance: Outsiders Volume 3 #1 (August 2003)
Anissa Pierce, commonly known as Thunder, is a DC Comics character. She has the ability to manipulate density that allows her to increase her body mass while maintaining her volume. This results to an effective density increase. Thunder also has the ability of invulnerability, the state of almost being immovable.
Anissa is a trained doctor who keeps calm in gore and blood situations. However, her interpersonal skills are a bit sketchy, and she excels in reading people rather than interacting with them. Anissa also has a sense of interest in compensating for learning at least an intermediate knowledge about computers. Thunder is also noted for her superhuman strength that can create massive shockwaves by just stomping the ground. She is also capable of speaking French fluently and moderate Spanish language.
Anissa’s father Jefferson Pierce who is also known as Black Lightning, did not want her to follow his footsteps. He struck a bargain with her, giving her an order to graduate from college before engaging in a crime fighting career, and Anissa followed. On the night of her graduation, Anissa wore a costume and became “Thunder”.
After she started her solo career, Thunder was approached by Red Arrow. She was offered to be a part of the new Outsiders team. Thinking that she can learn better if she was in a team, Thunder agreed to Red Arrow’s offer and became a member of the Outsiders.
Even though she got along with almost all of her teammates, Thunder seemed to have a conflict with a tough promiscuous bouncer, Grace. However, they were quite effective as a team; so, the two eventually and slowly came to have a reluctant respect to each other.
Eventually, Thunder’s father appeared at the headquarters of the Outsiders. He demanded Thunder’s resignation from the team, but she refused. When the danger of Sabbac rose again, her father decided to help the Outsiders. During this adventure, the two came to respect each other's abilities. Black Lightning then allowed Thunder to stay as a part of the Outsiders.
The degree of Thunder’s invulnerability was tried out during a battle with the re-organised Fearsome Five. During her fight, the matter transmuter Shimmer converted the air in her lungs into water. This resulted to a great inflammation that caused her to suffer from acute respiratory distress syndrome and pulmonary oedema, which almost killed her. She soon recovered from the disease and continued to serve with the team.
Thunder remained as member of the Outsiders and was involved in an attempt to topple the Mali government. She was helpful in the mission as an undercover, which required her to pretend that she was having a sexual relationship with Ratin Bennin, the country's ruler. In reality, Metamorpho used a hallucinogenic compound to deceive the dictator. Thunder compromised the team's mission when she revealed her identity and attacked Mali's army.
Thunder was revealed to be a lesbian and was involved in a relationship with her teammate Grace. Recently, Thunder was kicked off from the Outsiders upon Batman's reorganisation of the team. She was replaced by the Martian Manhunter.
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