The 20 Best Electrically Powered Heroes In Comics (original) (raw)

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Comic books are full to the brim with electricity-powered superheroes. From storm gods to scientific experiments gone wrong, characters who use lightning as their main attack have been a mainstay of comic books for nearly a century. Many of these lightning-wielders are villains, but as many use their shocking powers in the fight for good.

In addition to characters whose whole power set revolves around lightning, many heroes with totally different ability sets participate in the electricity extravaganza. Even iconic characters like Superman and Spider-Man have had incarnations with the ability to conjure lightning in their campaigns against evil.

Updated on September 2, 2024 by Scoot Allan: Like other elements such as fire and water, electricity allows for very interesting power sets, but electricity-based superheroes tend to be widely ignored. This list has been updated to include more information about the best electrically powered superheroes and to conform to current CBR standards.

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20 Namor Could Generate Bio-Electricity Like An Eel

Namor McKenzie's Unique Ability To Absorb and Rechannel Energy Hasn't Been Used Much

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As one of Marvel's oldest characters, it's not surprising that some of his powers have changed over the many years he's been in publication. Namor the Sub-Mariner is not just an Atlantean/human hybrid but also a powerful mutant. He has the ability to not only breathe underwater but also fly through the air.

However, Namor shared some of his incredible abilities with other undersea creatures. While it's not a powerset that is seen often in modern versions of the character, Namor used to be able to generate his own bio-electricity to deliver a shocking electric sting when needed. He could even absorb other forms of electricity to use himself or transfer his energy to others as needed. Unfortunately, this ability and a few others have been retconned over the years, though they could always return with a new writer.

19 Powerplex Tried Hard To Be A Hero After Losing Everything

Scott Duvall Initially Stole Experimental Technology To Get His Revenge on Invincible

Thousands of lives were lost during Invincible's climactic showdown with his father, Omni-Man, in the Image Comics series _Invincible._Scott Duvall's sister was one of those lives lost, which sent him into a rage that inspired his mission of revenge. He stole experimental bio-therm discs that he attached to his Powerplex suit. They allowed him to absorb and rechannel electrical and kinetic energy.

This made him especially dangerous to Invincible, who charged Powerplex up every time he hit him. However, Invincible quickly discovered that Powerplex would burn himself out without any additional energy. After some time in jail, Powerplex was given a chance at redemption and started operating as a hero for the government. Unfortunately, his vendetta against Invincible continued, and he again turned evil. During their final battle, Powerplex's electrical energy exploded uncontrollably, killing his new wife and child and sending him back to jail.

18 Rainmaker Is Wildstorm's Resident Weather Manipulator And Lightning User

Sarah Rainmaker Moved to the DC Universe With Her Fellow Gen13 Members

Like the rest of the Gen 13 team, Sarah Rainmaker inherited powerful abilities from her parents after they were genetically experimented on by a covert organization. She developed the ability to control and manipulate the weather psionically, which she used as one of Gen13's most powerful members.

Rainmaker also has powerful spiritual abilities that she unlocked while fighting to protect her Apache reservation. While her weather powers are focused on the elements of air and water, she can still call on lightning to use offensively if needed. Aside from her superhero motivations, Rainmaker is also an activist, which caused her to align herself with DC's The Movement.

17 Lightning Can Transform His Body Into Electrical Energy

Miguel Santos Was A West Coast Avenger And One of Marvel's First Hispanic Characters

Originally known as Living Lightning, Miguel Santos accidentally gained his powers from an experimental weapon used by a criminal organization called the Legion of Living Lightning. Santos developed the ability to turn into a being made of pure electrical energy, which gave him several new abilities.

Santos fought against and then joined the West Coast Avengers as a reserve member. He worked with different Avengers teams off and on for years, though he eventually returned with the new name of Lightning. In his energy form, Lightning can manipulate electricity in all forms and even move like an electrical current for nearly instant transportation worldwide.

16 Jenny Sparks Is The Electrified Spirit of the 20th Century

Wildstorm's Century Baby Led The Authority And Recently Reappeared in the DC Universe

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The Wildstorm Universe (now the DC Universe) is protected by a natural force that produces a Century Baby every hundred years. Jenny Sparks was the Spirit of the 20th Century, and her powers reflected the era she protected after her birth on January 1, 1900. Jenny Sparks is tied to some of the biggest moments in her era, which directly affected her moods as well. Albert Einstein educated Jenny, and she even befreinded a young Adolf Hitler before later joining Stormwatch and leading The Authority.

Jenny Sparks controls everything electrical and can even transform her body into electricity. She can generate powerful electrical shocks or take over electrical devices and is practically immortal, given her origins as a Century Baby. While she originally died to be replaced by Jenny Quantum, the Spirit of the 21st Century, Sparks has recently returned in the DC universe to keep the spirit of her era alive with her incredibly powerful abilities.

15 Lightning Lad Is The Original Electricity Powered Hero

Other Versions of Garth Ranzz Have Also Used The Live Wire Alter Ego

Along with being one of the founding members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lightning Lad is also one of the oldest and best-known lightning-based heroes. The second of three children - and the older twin with his sister Ayla - Garth Ranzz and his siblings all gained electrical powers when Lightning Beasts attacked them from the planet Korbal.

Lightning Lad has been rebooted and recreated numerous times on some of the best and worst Legion line-ups. However, one look at any of his costumes, and readers can instantly discern his electrical abilities. His sister has also been a Legionnaire, but their older brother, Lightning Lord, tends to be more on the evil side.

14 One of Aqualad's Abilities Emulates Electric Eels

Jackson Hyde/Kaldur'ahm Can Charge His Water-Based Weaponry With Bio-Electricity

When mentioning Aqualad, most fans will immediately think of water-based abilities. However, Kaldur'ahm's power range is beyond the oceans. In the comics, thanks to his Xebellian physiology, he can generate electricity and manipulate it with his own body. This ability, inspired by electric eels, gives him an edge against other maritime superheroes.

When Aqualad uses his electrokinetic abilities, his skin transforms, and a series of electric, neon-blue tattoos appear. Not only does he look way cooler than other electricity-based superheroes, but these tattoos radiate electricity that can damage Aqualad's foes.

13 Crystal Has Mastered Electricity Along With All Other Elements

Crystalia Amaquelin Gained Her Elemental Powers Through Exposure To The Terrigen Mists

One of the Inhumans, Crystal is the younger sister of Medusa and part of the Royal Family of Attilan. She has also been a member of the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. She was in a romantic relationship with the Human Torch but left the literal hothead for the figurative hothead Quicksilver.

Crystal is a powerful elemental with a unique connection to the planet. Among her long list of powers, Crystal has both electrogenesis and electrokinesis. Electrogenesis is the ability to affect elements on an atomic level to give them an electrical charge. On the other hand, Electrokinesis is the ability to take the elements she just electrified and blast them out as electric bolts.

12 Animal Man Can Tap Into Creatures Who Generate Electricity

Buddy Baker's Daughter Is The Avatar of the Red And Shares His Powers as Animal Girl

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A few comic book characters aren't exclusively powered by electricity but can still tap into that power set when needed. Buddy Baker is DC's Animal Man, who had a deep connection to the Red. He can use it to tap into the abilities of all living creatures and replicate them, which makes him a surprisingly powerful hero.

Animal Man can tap into the strength of a gorilla or fly like a bird. He can even replicate the abilities of an electric eel to deliver a powerful blast of electrical energy. Animal Man's abilities even allow him to tap into the talents of alien animals when in proximity, meaning he could find an even stronger electrical shock if the right animal was nearby.

11 The Flash Can Create Electricity Because Of His Speed Force Connection

He's Even Been Able To Harness His Speed-Created Lightning And Use It As A Powerful Weapon

While working in his lab late one night, police scientist Barry Allen was struck by lightning and knocked into a shelf of electrified chemicals. He became The Flash, the Fastest Man Alive. When he runs, the Flash gives off an electrical charge he can build up and throw at his enemies.

As with all speedsters, The Flash can run too fast. If he moves too quickly, he will become energy and be absorbed into the Speed Force. Both Barry and Wally West have joined the Speed Force and were able to come back out. However, it isn't easy and becomes more difficult each time they enter.

10 Victor Mancha Relies On His Android Side To Battle Against His Enemies

His Electricity Powers Are Further Bolsted By His Powerful Magnetic Abilities

The son of Ultron, Victor Mancha, was created to become a villain who would kill the Avengers and rule the world. The Runaways stopped Ultron's plans, and Victor joined their team. However, he was still worried that his programming would kick in and that he would turn against his friends and the other heroes sooner or later.

Victor, a cyborg with human DNA, has electromagnetic abilities that allow him to send out high-voltage electrical blasts from his hands. He can also use the Earth's electromagnetic waves to fly. Victor was also briefly a member of Avengers AI, a team of cyborgs and artificial intelligence that included another member of the powerful Pym family, The Vision.

9 Spider-Man's Venom Blast Can Generate Incredible Electric Force

Miles Morales Can Shape And Manipulate His Bio-Energy Into Deadly Electrical Swords

Miles Morales was the second person to call himself Spider-Man in the Ultimate universe. While his powers are largely similar to the original Spider-Man Peter Parker, there are a few key differences. Morales has a practical stealth ability that allows him to turn invisible, and he also has a powerful offensive weapon thanks to his bio-electric blasts.

This version of Spider-Man can deliver a debilitating "venom blast" using his stored bio-electric energy. His venom blasts can disrupt the nervous system of living beings to various degrees, and he has also been able to destroy technology. He can manipulate his bio-electric energy differently, allowing him to deliver a mega-venom blast or project his energy into a focused beam or sword.

8 Surge's Electric Bolts Are So Powerful They Have To Be Regulated

Forge Created Powerful Gauntlets That Allowed Her To Channel And Control Her Energy

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Surge was a mutant who ran away from home when her electrical abilities first manifested. She made her way from Japan to New York, where she was taken in by the X-Men and trained to use her powers. Surge can absorb and release electricity as powerful electric bolts at her foes.

Surge's ability to absorb electrical energy from simple static created by friction to larger power sources made her powers hard to control. Surge was one of the few mutants who retained her powers after the events of House of M, which led to her leadership role with the New X-Men. While she spent some years away from the battlefield, she recently joined Forge's new team of X-Force in the From the Ashes relaunch.

7 Storm Can Create And Manipulate Weather However She Wants

Ororo Munroe Is One Of The X-Men's Most Powerful Omega-Level Mutants

One of the most powerful of Marvel's mutants, Ororo Munroe/Storm is the daughter of a Kenyan princess and an American photographer. Her parents died when she was five years old, and Storm found herself living on the streets of Cairo as an orphan. Ororo made her living as a thief until her mutant powers kicked in when she reached her teen years.

Storm has used her power impressively over the years, which includes the ability to wield and manipulate lightning. She was initially worshiped as a weather goddess, but she left that life behind to join the X-Men. Over the years, Storm has been more than just a member of the team. She has been one of their most important leaders and remains one of the most respected mutants in the Marvel universe.

6 Shazam Relies On The Power Of Magic Lightning

Billy Batson Can Call On His Transformative Lightning To Use It As A Mystical Weapon

By speaking the wizard Shazam's name, orphan Billy Batson is engulfed by a magical lightning bolt to become Shazam, the World's Mightiest Mortal. Once more popular than Superman, Shazam (or The Captain as he's currently known) still stands out as one of the most recognizable superheroes from the Golden Age.

Shazam and the whole Shazam Family serve as the guardians of DC's magical universe. They can each call upon the magical lightning to transform into powerful bodies with godlike abilities. Shazam and his allies can also use the magical lightning offensively. Shazam has even incapacitated Superman in battle by using his magical lightning against the Man of Steel.

5 Dazzler Controls Sound And Light

Alison Blaire's Powers Aren't Typical Of Electricity Users, But She Can Still Manipulate Electrons

Alison Blaire, aka Dazzler, is famously known for her sound conversion powers, but fans often forget she also has control over a different spectrum of reality: light. The heroine's body has an energy field that she can use to control electrons around her. This allows her to alter light in addition to sound.

Both light and sound are key ingredients in a show, and since Dazzler is a performer, her abilities serve her just right. Additionally, they help her fight against evil. She can create blinding lasers, photon blasts, and even light shields that few Marvel villains can handle by modifying electrons.

4 Black Lightning Has Decades Of Experience Using His Powers

An Alternate Version Known as Black Vulcan Was Created For The Super Friends Cartoon

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Jefferson Pierce was DC's first Black superhero to have his own comic title. Black Lightning has recently grown in popularity, partly thanks to the character's critically acclaimed Arrowverse TV series. First introduced in 1977, Black Lightning lasted just 11 issues. Originally a teacher, Black Lightning was promoted to principal in the 1990s.

In both positions, Pierce worked in a school located in Metropolis' Suicide Slum. Unlike most of DC's heroes. Black Lightning's stories focus on more realistic issues like drugs and gangs. He originally gained incredible electrical abilities from his costume, though he later gained the power of electrokinesis, which he shared differently with his daughters, Thunder and Lightning.

3 Superman Wielded Energy Powers As Good As Anyone

The Former Man of Steel Required An Advanced Containment Suit To Control His New Powerset

The Man of Steel is usually one of the most powerful heroes in the DC universe, though that isn't always true. Superman's powers have changed a few different times over the years. After his body was drained of solar energy, he began to develop a new energy form. He began to wear a blue and white containment suit that allowed him to use his new electrical abilities.

This version of Superman could use his electrical abilities to tap into magnetic forces, and his new energy form allowed him to alter his density. He could absorb and rechannel energy into powerful electrical blasts and even fly along electrical currents. "Electric Blue" Superman was short-lived, and he returned to his original power set after his energy form was temporarily split into Superman Blue and Superman Red.

2 Thor Is The True Master Over All Lightning

Thor Odinson Controls the God Tempest And the Odinforce as One Of Marvel's Most Powerful Heroes

The God of Thunder is arguably the best-known superhero who wields electricity in the form of lightning. He's one of the biggest characters in the Marvel comic universe and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With his enchanted hammer Mjolnir, or sometimes the axe Stormbreaker, Thor can bring powerful thunder and lightning when he needs it.

Thor is a powerful Asgardian and the child of Mother Earth, and the cosmic Phoenix Force further empowered him. He is both the God of Thunder and the Asgardian God of Strength. Mjolnir contained the powerful God Tempest, which gave Thor the ability to manipulate weather and channel his lightning-based attacks through the hammer

1 Static's Control Over His Powers Makes Him Deadly

Virgil Hawkins' Brilliant Mind Also Helps Him Use His Incredible Powers More Creatively

Created to be Milestone Comics' answer to Spider-Man, Static has continued to shine as one of the most interesting comic book characters with one of the best costume designs from the Dakotaverse. Virgil Hawkins gained his electromagnetic powers after being hit with tear gas mixed with an experimental mutagen during Dakota City's "Big Bang."

While the Milestone books lasted just four years, Static proved too popular to be shelved. He joined the Teen Titans and received several short-lived series before the Milestone Returns initiative. The character also had his own animated series called Static Shock and appeared in Justice League Unlimited and Young Justice episodes.