| “ | What's going on is that you, Mike Dugan, are now in control of me, The Thunderbolt! As in Johnny Thunder and The Thunderbolt. Of the Justice Society of America! You're so lucky. | ” |
— Thunderbolt introduces himself to Mike in "Summer School: Chapter Three"
| ||
Thunderbolt is a major character in The CW and DC Universe series, Stargirl.
He is a magical, electrical, fun-loving, wish-granting pink imp. The wishes he grants often cause more trouble than the wish-asker would ever expect. But despite his somewhat constant supernatural disasters, the Thunderbolt's heart is always in the right place, even if it is wounded by the friends he has lost throughout his long existence.
He was previously thought by Courtney to just be a powerful weapon used by a member of the Justice Society of America used to fight crime, though its appearance as an ordinary pink pen gave her pause. After the death of his master and friend, Johnny Thunder, Thunderbolt was reactivated by Mike Dugan. He was later recruited by the new JSA, with his new friend and master Jakeem Williams, into the Young All-Stars. After years of service together, Jakeem and Thunderbolt joined the JSA.
Biography[]
Thunderbolt is from the homeland of Bahdnesia, a location that is no longer on the map. He became lonely after the demise of his homeland, and found his way to other lonely masters who he gave the power of wish granting. One of these masters included Gaius Plinius Secundus, known in history as Pliny the Elder. Thunderbolt went on adventures with Pliny and the mans best friend, even going on an ill-fated trip to the active volcano of Mt. Vesuvius, which caused their demise in 79 AD.
In the nineties, Thunderbolt found his way to another lonely master, Johnny Thunder. They teamed up to become the crime-fighting duo, "Johnny Thunder and the Thunderbolt". They joined the famous superhero group the Justice Society of America, and fought foes with the team. However, due to the unpredictable nature of Thunderbolt and his literal interpretation of wishes, the pair were often sidelined during great battles. They were initially benched on the December 24th battle against the Injustice Society of America, but were called into action by Wildcat. Sadly, Johnny Thunder was killed during the battle, but made a final wish that Thunderbolt would find a new friend. Thunderbolt went inactive for eleven years as his pink pen sat at the JSA's headquarters.
Series[]
Season 1[]
When Pat Dugan brought Courtney Whitmore the Justice Society of America Headquarters she discovered the Thunderbolt among the artifacts that the JSA left behind. Courtney became inspired to use the artifacts to reform the society but Pat warned her against using the pen because he felt it was the most dangerous weapon in the collection. Later when Courtney returned to the JSA headquarters to steal the artifacts she attempted to take the pen but it produced an electrical charge when she tried to grab it which caused it to make a laughing noise at her. She grimaced but placed it in her bag in spite of this.[1]
She later tried to use the Thunderbolt by clicking the pen but nothing happened. She repeated this action several times before giving up, thinking that it is just a useless object. But when she leaves the room, a laugh emits from the pen.[2]
Season 2[]
Thunderbolt chooses Mike Dugan as his new friend and owner after realizing he was alone. Thunderbolt later put a password on Mike's newspapers for him to summon him. When trying to grant some wishes Mike wants, he misunderstands them and causes disaster. When the new JSA offered some of their wishes, Pat was against it as he stated that Thunderbolt was "not exactly a monkey's paw but he is close." Pat later orders Mike to summon Thunderbolt to speak to him privately. When summoned, he becomes fun-loving and tells Pat what Johnny's final wish was. Thunderbolt later assists the JSA in finding Richard Swift by zapping where Richard Swift was hiding on a map of Blue Valley. He tried to attack Richard Swift, but was restrained and forced back into his pen, incapacitating Mike. He is last seen with Jakeem Williams in pen form after Mike wished for him to be "in better hands".[3]
Thunderbolt's time with Jakeem is vastly different then his time with Mike. Jakeem doesn't have a guiding hand and begins to misuse the power to make wishes. His wishes are grand and catch attention, such as turning an entire house into candy, planting gigantic candy canes on the sides of the street, and pink lightning being seen across the skies of Blue Valley.[4] When Mike does find Jakeem, it is after discovering a giant burger on someone's lawn. He confronts Jakeem over having the Thunderbolt, and demands to know where he is. Jakeem explains that he wished for Chinese food and Thunderbolt flew off. He's been gone for a couple hours and Mike realizes that Thunderbolt probably flew to China to get the food. As Mike explains the JSA and the true power of the Thunderbolt, Jakeem reveals that he doesn't want to get rid of the Thunderbolt as they're friends. Mike agrees to let Jakeem keep the Thunderbolt, but that means he has to help them save the world from Eclipso.[5]
Thunderbolt gets Chinese food for Jakeem much to Zeek's surprise. He granted the wish for the part needed for the S.T.R.I.P.E. armor to be fixed. Afterwards, he joined the ongoing battle against Eclipso, with Jakeem requesting for him to electrocute the villain. As Thunderbolt flew through Eclipso in order to attack him via his electric body, he was caught by the villain and thrown into the S.T.R.I.P.E. armor housing Mike Dugan, crashing it and temporarily incapacitating him. Thunderbolt later joined Jennie-Lynn Hayden, Courtney, and Sylvester Pemberton in defeating Eclipso by turning Eclipso into a piece of burnt toast.[6]
Season 3[]
Jakeem Williams rides his bike past The Pit Stop on his paper route, throwing a newspaper to Zeek, who is getting out of his truck for work. He waves to the boy as he passes. Jakeem bikes ahead on his route, throwing a paper to Richard Swift, who picks it up off his lawn. He waves with a tight smile to Jakeem. Thunderbolt urges him to pump those feet, as they guy is spooksville and they should split.[7]
The next morning, Mike and Jakeem prepare for their paper route, stacking papers in their sacks. Jakeem questions the "bizarre accident in trailer park leaves one dead" headline, shaking his head as the rest of Blue Valley thinks it was a tornado. Mike is thrilled, as it's the best thing that could ever happen to them - a murdering murderer being murdered. If they can catch the killer, everyone's going to take them seriously. Jakeem reminds him they aren't detectives, but Mike puts a hand on his shoulder, as they are now. Thunderbolt zaps to life, beginning to ramble on about "Columbo", a reference that confuses Jakeem.
Mike and Jakeem meet in the bathroom of BVHS, scanning the stalls to make sure they're alone. Jakeem reminds Mike that his dad said they should only use the Thunderbolt in emergencies. Mike tells him to stop saying that. The door they walked through says "me", not "boys". He stops Jakeem from checking, as he can do it on the way out. Jakeem retorts that's the kind of attitude that leads to toxic masculinity, which Mike doesn't know anything about. Jakeem doesn't have an explanation, either. Mike gives him the wish to find out who killed The Gambler. He went through a dozen drafts, so it's foolproof. It feels like cheating to Jakeem, but Mike urges him to just do it. Jakeem makes the wish and Thunderbolt zaps awake. It's an excellent question. This is why he spent years studying calligraphy. He burns the answer into the wall in giant pink calligraphy letters, adding an exclamation point at the end - "The killer has many names!". Mike exclaims it's a rip-off, wanting him to wish for it again. Jakeem reminds him they can't wish for the same thing twice. They decide to leave before anyone sees what Jakeem did to the wall. They hurry out, the "boys" bathroom door closing behind them.[8]
A few days later, Jakeem and Mike look at the message from Thunderbolt that is still burned onto the wall. "The Killer" has been crossed off and "your mom" written under it. Mike suggests the ditch P.E. and go get S.T.R.I.P.E. to investigate the tunnels, though Jakeem thought Pat hid them. Mike tells him to wish for them. From outside the bathroom, a bright pink glow grows brighter and bigger until the door itself blows off the hinges. A mountain of keys pours out of the bathroom, with Mike and Jakeem sitting atop it. Jakeem wonders which key it is, earning a glare from Mike who quickly walks away, pulling Jakeem's focus from the keys when he looks back.[9]
Blue Valley High School is abuzz with morning news. Mike and Jakeem talk by the lockers. A locker slams shut as Brian Tanner Balloid and Travis walk up. They're collecting money for the hungry - the hungry being them. It's a tax for being losers. Jakeem thinks that's fair but Mike stops him. Mike wishes they could figure this out, sparking inspiration from Jakeem. He whispers to Thunderbolt that he really wishes these bullies were nicer to them. Thunderbolt affects them, making their eyes glow pink. The bullies now nicely ask for their money or else they'll hit the boys really, really hard in their quite handsome faces. Cindy intervenes and takes down both boys, putting Brian in an arm lock. If she catches him messing with the freshman again, she'll break way more than his arm. He groans why she cares, but she doesn't, sauntering off.
Once class ends, Mike and Jakeem watch Cindy from around a corner of lockers. Thunderbolt sparks that Operation: Dragon Queen is a go. The boys argue over who will go to talk to her. By the time they both decide to go, Cindy is at the corner to get into her locker. They greet her and she coolly asks what they want. Mike has a preposition for her, which makes her smirk as that's not what he means, but tells him to go ahead. He tells her to face it - Courtney and the others are not her biggest fans, and a woman with her skills needs to be appreciated. Jakeem blurts out worship. Mike stammers that the appreciation is just not coming from the JSA. He asks her to ditch those ingrates and join them, the Young All-Stars. Cindy pauses then bursts out laughing, calling it adorable. They boys eagerly think that's a yes, but she chuckles that it's never going to happen, ever. She means that in the nicest way and walks off. Mike calls after her that they haven't told her the perks yet. Thunderbolt asks what she said, as he couldn't hear. Jakeem wonders if she just doesn't like the name, which is a bit long. Mike thinks that's the best part, but eventually agrees to workshop the name.[10]
Back in Blue Valley, a bright pink light shines through the windows of The Pit Stop. Thunderbolt cheers that the wish is granted. Dozens, if not hundreds, of cameras litter the floor. Zeek remarks it's quite a collection of cameras, but Jakeem sighs that none of them are the right ones. He was really specific this time - he wished for every camera that The Gambler's killer ever touched. It looks like a mistake to Zeek, or maybe this is a clue. Jakeem perks up, asking if it's a clue on who killed The Gambler. Zeek shakes his head, no. He's thinking on how the wishes work. It's a lot like the board game. They know who got killed, The Gambler, and they know where he got killed - the trailer park. But what they don't know is who the murderer is. He muses if it Professor Plum or Colonel Mustard. Jakeem doesn't know who they are, and Zeek states they're American icons. Zeek pushes on that anyway, the point being, if Jakeem doesn't know who the killer is, then maybe his confidence with the wish itself lacks the strength needed. Then wires get crossed and his pistons aren't firing right. He shines the light on his face. It's no secret, but magic has everything to do with the magic user. He learned that playing Dungeons & Dragons with his grandmother Louise. Jakeem is impressed that his grandmother played Dungeons & Dragons. Zeek chuckles that she did - and was voted number one in the entire state. She was Dungeon Master 1987. It kind of went to her head. She kept referring to herself as a master sorceress wrapped in the Belt of Dwarvenkind, whatever the hell that means. Anyway, if she were here now, about the wish, she'd say it needs to be more than just specific. It needs drive, passion, desire. He has to want something really, really bad, with every fiber of his being and with all his heart, so much that it has to come true. Jakeem looks to Thunderbolt, who is tucked in his front pocket, asking if he has anything to add. Thunderbolt doesn't, telling Jakeem he's got this, and to just follow his heart.[11]
Over at Richie Rock's Diner, Jakeem and Mike are having breakfast while talking. Jakeem is ready to start delivering, but Mike wants to quit since they have more important things to do. Jakeem can't quit as his dad would kill him. Mike wants to figure out who planted those spy cameras before anyone else does. They'd win mega hero points. Jakeem isn't interested in the glory - Mike's sister and her friends will find the killer. He's more worried about Cindy, which shocks Mike. Jakeem argues that Cindy stood up for them, but they didn't stand up for her. She's out there alone turning into a crocodile. Thunderbolt wonders if she'll grow a tail. Mike ignores the imp and questions Jakeem if he really wants to skip out on all the glory, deliver the dumb papers, and go help Cindy with her reptile acne. Jakeem wonders if Thunderbolt could cure her. Helping her is the right thing to do - after they deliver the papers. After a moment of hesitation, Mike caves and agrees to help. Thunderbolt chimes in that as he has a tail, which is pretty useful. He can use it to point at things, balance, and it is incredibly attractive. He continues to ramble as the boys get up from their booth.
The school bell rings and students file into classrooms. Mike checks the hallways then tells Jakeem that the coast is clear. They stand in front of a locker as Jakeem wishes that Cindy Burman's locker at Blue Valley High in Blue Valley, Nebraska, 68434, USA, would open very quietly. Thunderbolt happily obliges. The boys dump Cindy's belongings into a bathroom sink. Thunderbolt has to tell Jakeem that, ethically, this puts them in a gray area. He knows they're technically investigating this girl under the promise that might be a bad guy, but also, it looks like breaking and entering of a girl that he has a crush on, so this could be considered stalking. Jakeem finds metal cleaner in the bag, though Thunderbolt points out that someone with a giant knife in her arm might need it. The boy drops it, grossed out, while Mike asks why he can't just wish to know where she is. Jakeem, as Thunderbolt once again points out, can't wish for the same thing twice. He requests to go back in Jakeem's pocket because of the smell. Jakeem finds a list of places that he assumes are Cindy's father's laboratories, similar to the ones Sylvester checked out. All of the places are crossed off except one, the Etter Produce Farm. It's circled for some reason that they're going to find out why. Jakeem knows about the place as he heard stories about Mr. Etter selling moonshine to the seniors in town before he was busted by Officer Hardy. Mike has a feeling that this is it, their lead Detective Williams. It's time to go save the alligator girl.
Mike and Jakeem bike to Etter Produce Farm in the dark of night. They drop their bikes to the ground and takes a few steps forward. Jakeem remarks that it's creepy out here. Thunderbolt is an all-powerful genie in a pen, and even he's creeped out. Mike tells Jakeem to man up as he wants to find Cindy. He wonders why Dragon King would pick a low-tech farm for a high-tech lab. Jakeem explains that it's where the main power lines cross with the main water lines. Plus, it's remote, and the boys peek into the farmhouses front door. They don't see anything inside and determine no one's home. They can't see the dead body of Mr. Etter on the other side. They decide to check out back, seeing a barn several yards away. As they get closer, Jakeem muses they should have brought a flashlight. Mike reminds him that he has a living on, and Jakeem remembers, clicking the pen and calling The Thunderbolt forward.
The trio enter the barn, which is empty, as Thunderbolt wonders if they should even be doing this. It's not technically breaking and enter, but it is really creepy. He's seen this as a set piece for a lot of independent horror films, before. Jakeem doesn't think Cindy Burman would ever hole up here. Thunderbolt thinks she could do a lot with this place - open floor place, rustic decor, she could even open a B&B. Jakeem wonders if there's a secret laboratory underneath it or something, but Mike doesn't see anything but junk. They reach the end of the barn when a deep growling cuts through the still air. The trio freezes as the boys ask if that was Thunderbolt, who tenses as he doesn't growl - that's not his thing. They slowly turn around as heavy footsteps slam on the wooden floor, shaking the barn. A giant albino gorilla leaps forward and roars at them. They scream in terror and flee the scene, Thunderbolt zapping back into his pen. The gorilla continues to roar and then growls, promising to kill every last one of them.[12]
By morning, Mike, Jakeem, and Thunderbolt try to find a way to escape the woods. Jakeem's nonspecific wish for phone service results in a phone booth appearing. He sighs that he never learns. Thunderbolt laughs that Jakeem wished for phone service and he came through with flying colors. Mike sarcastically tells the imp he did a great job. Thunderbolt wonders if he heard a, "Thank You, Thunderbolt!", but he didn't hear that because that didn't get said. But, despite that, he tells Jakeem he's welcome. The boys climb into the phone booth as Mike tries to dial. He hears a dial tone then a prompt asking him for a dime. He asks Jakeem for a dime, but Jakeem asks why he would walk around with a dime. Mike rolls his eyes, telling him to just look. The boy pulls out the contents of his pockets, revealing a handful of old apple bubblegum. They leave the phone booth as Mike grumbles over Jakeem's insistence they help Cindy Burman, which backfired on them. Jakeem worries that thing got her. Mike thinks it probably did - she's probably in its belly, and they'll join her down there. They could be home right now if Jakeem had been more specific with the first wish. Thunderbolt muses that home is where the heart is, a very apropos statement. It actually came from one of his former masters, Gaius Plinius Secundus. He and his best friend went everywhere together, like him and Mike, even to to an active volcano, the great Mt. Vesuvius. Which again, very apropos, as it caused their demise. Mike is dumbfounded that they died, but Thunderbolt reminds him they died together. Mike grabs Jakeem's hand to speak into Thunderbolt like a microphone. They'll be no death for them today. Thunderbolt asks why there would be, unless of course, that giant, mutated, hungry, albino gorilla finds them, and then he'd have to say, "outlook not so good". He laughs but off in the distance is a distant growl followed by a thunderous roar. They groan over why that couldn't have just been thunder, then begin running.
Back in the woods, Mike and Jakeem continue running from the creature, as Mike feverently tells him they gotta think of a wish. He comes up with a good one, telling Jakeem to say, "I wish that my friend, Mike Dugan, and I were sitting at a booth in Richie's, enjoying strawberry milkshakes and chocolate milkshakes, respectively at 212 Main Street." Mike can't remember if its North or South Main Street. Thunderbolt reminds them that they gotta be specific They hear twigs snapping and start running again, this time stepping on a trap that scoops them into the air in a net. Mike asks what happened, with Jakeem wondering if they got eaten. Mike complains that Jakeem is on top of him, when Cindy Burman emerges from behind the tree. She asks what the two idiots are doing here. The boys poke their heads through the net. Mike exclaims they found her, with Jakeem questioning if it's Cindy, smiling when he sees her. He greets her with a hello, and Thunderbolt warns them not to tell her they have all of her stuff. Cindy cuts them down with her shiv, making the boys scream until they thump on the ground. She smirks and sheathes her shiv.
Jakeem exclaims that she's still alive. She asks again what they're doing there. Mike admits they're looking for her, which confuses her. They wanted to see if she was okay, now that she's turning into a lizard. Jakeem quickly adds that lizards are, by far, the most beautiful and intriguing members of the reptile family, if she were to ask him. Mike tells Cindy they found a giant, big, white gorilla while they were looking for her. Jakeem isn't good at estimates, but he'd say it was 30 feet tall. Cindy knows, as that's what the trap was for. Mike remarks she'll need a bigger trap. Cindy sighs then points over her shoulder. Down there, they'll find a road, Etter Lane, that leads right back to town. Mike tells her to come with them, but she can't. She thinks that thing is one of her dad's crazy science experiments. He suggests it has to be what killed The Gambler. She agrees it probably is, which is how she'll clear her name and shove it into the smug faces of his sister's dumbass friends faces. Thunderbolt snips that it's an admirable goal. She tell them to do themselves a favor - go play some video games and leave this to her. Jakeem starts to explain what Thunderbolt said, but a distant boom catches their attention. They look back and when they look to Cindy again, she's gone. Thunderbolt gasps that she's just like Batman. Mike plainly states she is out of her mind. Thunderbolt suggests those milkshakes they were talking about before. He asks Jakeem if he wants to make that wish.
The outside of Richie Rock's Diner shines brightly with pink light and when it dims, Jakeem and Mike have been teleported into a booth. Maria and the customers look around, confused over what just happened. A chocolate and vanilla milkshake materialize in front of the boys. They celebrate their wish working, slurping the shake. They breathe a sigh of relief. Thunderbolt laughs as he asks if they know that he totally forgot about - the gorilla. Mike sits up as he calls for the check.[13]
Now knowing the creature is called the Ultra-Humanite, killed The Gambler, and that Jordan Mahkent has come back to life, Mike and Jakeem meet at Jakeem's house, as they try to word the perfect wish. Jakeem's got a good one - he's going to wish that Icicle didn't have his powers. That is a great idea to Mike, because then he can't turn Mike into a popsicle, and the team will have no problem dragging his ass to jail. Jakeem holds up his notepad and wishes that, "I wish that Jordan Mahkent, the man also known more commonly by the Justice Society of America as Icicle, and currently residing in Blue Valley, Nebraska, did not have the ability to freeze me or my friends, because he was just a normal human being without powers of any kind. Amen." Thunderbolt apologizes, as he can't do that. Mike questions why not. If Thunderbolt takes Icicle's powers away, he'd kill him, and they know he can't kill anyone. Jakeem is astonished that his powers are keeping him alive. He asks Mike what he did to him. Mike admits he hit him with a truck, turned him into slush, but saved everyone. He turns away then looks back at Thunderbolt, telling the dumb pen to listen. He needs to take Icicle's powers away, and kill him, because if he doesn't take his powers away, Thunderbolt's killing way more people, probably including Mike. Thunderbolt apologizes as he can't do what they're asking. Jakeem sighs as they need to keep thinking.
From the doorway, Cindy remarks they're gonna need help with that. The boys are shocked to see Cindy, who informs them their doors were unlocked. She could have been Jordan Mahkent, and wonders where they would be then. Jakeem admits they'd probably be frozen. Mike asks what Burman is doing here. With everything going on, she decided it's a lot for anyone to do alone, especially the two of them. She sits on Jakeem's bed and forces a smile - she wants to team up. Thunderbolt gasps dramatically. Mike's unamused and points to her, asking if she's serious. She merely remarks sure, why not. Jakeem grins and excitedly steps forward, welcoming her to the Young All-Stars. She lets out a noise as they're gonna have to work on that name. He nods eagerly as that's fine. He looks down at her and, through his teeth, muses that she's sitting on his bed. Thunderbolt mockingly says, "smooth", while Cindy averts her eyes and grimaces.[14]
Underneath the Burman house, the Young All-Stars enter the ISA's former headquarters. Mike thinks it's awesome. He asks if the ISA just sat around looking at a painting of themselves. He's not sure if they want to use this for the Young All-Stars HQ, as it's pretty cold down there for a reptile. No offense to Shiv. Jakeem asks what's happening to her and she, with some encouragement, explains her situation. Jakeem summarizes that she took The Gambler's laptop too look for her dads hidden labs. She did, but she searched through all the labs she could find, hoping one might have answers on how to reverse this. Jakeem has an idea, taking out Thunderbolt. He's going to wish for something. Mike grabs him and shakes him a little, telling the madman to wait. He should write it down first, think it through. Jakeem knows what he's doing and tells Mike not to embarrass him in front of her. He turns back to Cindy and wishes that Thunderbolt would take him, Mike, and Cindy to the labs that has what they're looking for. Thunderbolt sparks to life and zaps them away.
The Young All-Stars navigate the underground tunnels where they're headed to place to "find what they're looking for". Mike asks what they're looking for, which Jakeem answers is a cure. Thunderbolt explains that Cindy Burman was, but Jakeem made the wish and was looking to impress her. So ta-da, here's his chance. Mike asks what that means but Thunderbolt refuses to answer. Mike tells him to pull the guy out there and "so-kewl" his pink ass. Cindy tells them to wait, recognizing a dragon painting on the wall. They're by on of her dad's labs. She excitedly tells Jakeem that she thinks he did it, telling the idiots to follow her. Jakeem is happily to have done it, but Mike wonders what he did exactly. The wish leads them to one of Dragon King's lairs, where they find that his reptilian body is lobotomized. They realize Dragon King put his brain into Ultra-Humanite's former gorilla body. Dragon King, in the gorilla body, is who murdered The Gambler. The trio are confronted by the creature and flee.[15]
They pop out at Blue Valley Tires, where Shiv fights her father but is losing to the oversized mutated gorilla. Mike sits and tells Jakeem to look at him now. He pulls the boy to his level, telling him again to look at him. He puts a hand on Jakeem's shoulder, telling him to do everything they say. Stop overthinking, be direct, be honest, and be specific. Jakeem stands and looks at Shiv, who is about to be torn apart by Dragon King. Her bones crack under his weight. He grumbles that it'll be over soon. Jakeem points Thunderbolt at the duo, wishing the most beautiful woman in the world will never have to be bothered by her father again. Nothing happens and Mike complains that he just said to be specific. Who's to say she's the most beautiful woman in the world?
Jakeem turns back to the duo, commanding with gumption that he does. He said it, the kid with the pen. His eyes glow pink and streaks of pink lightning emerge from his eyes. The energy ripples down his body and triggers the pen, releasing Thunderbolt. The imp cheers that his wish is granted. He launches at Dragon King and scoops him into the air. Shiv struggles to sit as silence falls over the factory. From above, a white stuffed animal gorilla falls with a whistling noise. The pink energy around it slowly fades as it lands promptly in Shiv's lap with a squeak. She picks up the toy with a mixture of surprise and disgust. Thunderbolt emerges from the side, musing that it's for her, his queen, from her not-so-secret admirer. It's Jakeem, it's from Jakeem.
Ten years later, Jakeem Thunder and Thunderbolt are famed members of the Justice Society of America, depicted together in a banner that hangs in the JSA museum. Also in the museum is a relic of the pink pen that Thunderbolt resides in.[16]
Personality[]
Thunderbolt is a fun-loving, electrical, and magical creature whose good intentions aren't always conveyed well. He is very literal and can only grant wishes at their face value. He is charismatic, boisterous, and exaggerated in his movements. He lives to have fun and has fun to live. He is eager to teach his ways to any new friend. He is attracted to like-minded individuals and can only be activated by those who feel as he does - absolutely, completely, alone. He is sarcastic, witty, and doesn't hold back his insults or underhanded remarks.
Powers[]
- Wish Granting: He can grant the wishes of others, manifesting the desires of his wielder into reality and making their wildest dreams come true. The wisher must be extremely specific as to what they what Thunderbolt to do, as he can only do what he's commanded. Thunderbolt can grant an unlimited number of wishes, but can't grant the same wish twice per wielder.
- Conjuring: Thunderbolt is able to conjure anything it's host may wish for, examples being him conjuring numerous stop signs when Mike asked Thunderbolt to stop three boy bullies from bullying a girl, bringing down water on Mike when Mike requested water, and summoning a massive cheeseburger for Jakeem when he was hungry and asked for it.
- Electrokinesis: Thunderbolt has been shown several times to be able to create and manipulate purple electricity, with massive amounts of it appearing when he is summoned, and his body physically being made of it. When inside his pen, this lightning is occasionally used to resist attempts from incompatible hosts to wield it.
Weaknesses[]
- Exact Command: Thunderbolt's powers are confined to specific rules that he must follow. The first being that "you gotta be specific". He is a very literal being that can only grant a wish at face-value. For example, Mike was thirsty and asked for water, so Thunderbolt made it so Mike was drenched with water. Because he did not specify how he wanted the water, Thunderbolt was forced to merely give him water. For this reason, Thunderbolt warned Mike against attempting to use his powers to alter his body.
- The Rules: Thunderbolt's powers are limited, as he cannot do the following:
- Grant the same wish twice.
- Grant a wish for someone to die.
- Grant a wish to bring someone back from the dead.
- Physical Form: Despite Thunderbolt's immense power, his physical form itself is not invincible, allowing him to be damaged by powers such as those of The Shade, with The Shade's shadows being able to restrain him despite attempts at resistance and send him flying backward. Thunderbolt was sent back to his pen and his wielder at the time was knocked unconscious. On another occasion, as he was attacking Eclipso, Eclipso managed to grab his physical form and throw him into S.T.R.I.P.E. who was incapacitated due to his electronic armor being overloaded by Thunderbolt's electric body.
Notable Wishes[]
- Find a new friend.
- Thunderbolt obliged and remained dormant for eleven years, until he found someone worthy of his friendship.
- Thunderbolt granted the wish by dousing him with a giant splash of water.
- Thunderbolt granted this wish by drying Mike and his newspaper off.
- Thunderbolt granted that wish by raising him onto a bench, thus making him "taller".
- Thunderbolt granted the wish by raining "Stop" signs all around a group of bullies who had stolen several boxes of cookies from a little girl. He couldn't stop making the stop signs appear until the bullies stopped moving. Eventually, Thunderbolt was distracted from his mission and let the bullies escape.
- Thunderbolt burned a hole in a map to signal where The Shade was hiding.
- Thunderbolt attempts to attack The Shade, but is captured and subdued by Shade's umbrakinesis before he can succeed.
- Thunderbolt obliged and vanished from Mike's hands. He subsequently found Jakeem Williams.
- Granted by materializing an over six-foot tall burger on a family's front yard.
- Granted by causing the bike to fly away uncontrollably without Jakeem.
- Thunderbolt temporarily left Jakeem, traveling to China to acquire the requested Chinese food. He returns several hours later with a glutenous amount of Chinese food, stating that he "got lost" on the way home.
- Thunderbolt granted this wish by passing through Eclipso with his electricity-fueled body, causing Eclipso to yell in pain, but was caught by him shortly after and thrown into S.T.R.I.P.E., accidently electrocuting the robot instead.
- Granted by firing a powerful blast of purple lightning, which transformed Eclipso into a piece of burnt toast in the shape of an eclipse.
- Thunderbolt granted the wish by writing on the bathroom wall in pink glittery font that the killer has many names.
- Granted by filling the entire boys bathroom of BVHS with an assortment of keys.
- Thunderbolt then made it so that the bullies, who were trying to get Jakeem and Mike to give them money, said "please" in a polite manner when harassing them and also called the duo handsome.
- Granted by summoning a large assortment of different types of cameras to The Pit Stop.
- Granted by opening her locker very quietly."
- Failed to grant, since "home is where the heart is".
- Granted by materializing an old-fashioned phone booth several feet from Jakeem and Mike.
- Granted by teleporting them into a booth Richie's with milkshakes in front of them. They appeared in a bright pink light that confuses the patrons and staff.
- Unable to grant, since taking away Icicle's powers would kill him, and Thunderbolt is incapable of killing.
- Granted by taking Dragon king into the skies and turning him into a Gorilla plushie.
Appearances[]
- Additional Season 3 appearances include being used in "Chapter Four: The Evidence"
| Stargirl | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | ★ | ★ | ★ | ||||||||||
| Season 2 | ★ | M | M | M | M | M | ★ | ||||||
| Season 3 | ★ | ★ | M | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ | ★ |
Notes and Trivia[]
- Thunderbolt is the oldest character in Stargirl, with his earliest known existence being 79 AD.
- When Courtney tried to remove Thunderbolt from the JSA headquarters, it not only shocked her with an electrical charge, but also laughed at her.
- He is the second CGI character following Solomon Grundy. He is the first, however, to be voiced by an actor.
- The word "sowkewl" is used to activate Thunderbolt and pass control from one owner to the next. The word is part of his native language and means "set free the all-powerful force upon the Earth of the magical and awe-inspiring Thunderbolt!". It's also a synonym for the sound on the chalkboard that drives most people crazy.
- Thunderbolt enjoys the usually unpleasant sound that a chalkboard makes.
- He spent years studying calligraphy.
- Thunderbolt has wealth of pop culture knowledge from his long life an. He references the detective series, Columbo and Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman in the 1966 Batman series.
Comic Comparisons[]
- In the DC Comics, the Thunderbolt is, "a semi-transparent pink anthropomorphic thunderbolt-shaped magic genie named Yz who can do about anything if it has a human guide to steer it." He currently resides in a magic pen and is only called into action when Jakeem Thunder clicks it.[17]
Gallery[]
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References[]
- ↑ "Icicle"
- ↑ "Wildcat"
- ↑ "Summer School: Chapter Three"
- ↑ "Summer School: Chapter Ten"
- ↑ "Summer School: Chapter Twelve"
- ↑ "Summer School: Chapter Twelve"
- ↑ "Chapter One: The Murder"
- ↑ "Chapter Two: The Suspects"
- ↑ "Chapter Four: The Evidence"
- ↑ "Chapter Five: The Thief"
- ↑ "Chapter Seven: Infinity Inc. Part One"
- ↑ "Chapter Nine: The Monsters"
- ↑ "Chapter Ten: The Killer"
- ↑ "Chapter Eleven: The Haunting"
- ↑ "Chapter Twelve: The Last Will and Testament of Sylvester Pemberton"
- ↑ "Chapter Thirteen: The Reckoning"
- ↑ https://dc.fandom.com/wiki/Yz_(New_Earth)