Lightning Lord
Encyclopedia
Lightning Lord is a fictional supervillain
published by DC Comics
. The older brother of Lightning Lad
and Lightning Lass of the Legion of Super-Heroes
, he first appeared in Superman
#147 (August 1961), and was created by Jerry Siegel
and Curt Swan
.
Lightning Lord (real name Mekt Ranzz) is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Villains
.
A single birth on a planet where twin births are the norm, Lightning Lord developed an anti-social personality in response to his circumstance of not having a twin sibling. When the spacecraft which he was travelling in along with his younger brother and sister (Legion of Super-Heroes
members Lightning Lad
and Lightning Lass) ran into electrical difficulties, the Ranzz siblings were forced to land their craft on the planetoid Korbal. In an attempt to lure the local lightning beasts to recharge their battery, they were charged with electrical energy themselves, giving them the power to generate lighting. Given his newfound ability, Lightning Lord decided to turn to a life of crime.
He has an adversarial but protective relationship with his siblings, and during any given encounter will usually attempt to get one of them (usually his sister) to join him in his life of crime. However, in a story set in the future, Mekt return to Winath and reforms. This story also introduces Mekt's male lover (which is confirmed by the author of the story, Tom Bierbaum
). This interpretation of the character does not carry into the later versions of Legion continuity.
"Legion reboot", Lightning Lord was relatively unchanged, although he now hated his siblings and there was no Legion of Super-Villains. He was also directly responsible for Garth losing his arm and was defeated when his siblings combined their powers into one massive burst, seemingly shorting him out and removing his powers.
In the Legion Worlds miniseries it was revealed that he was rehabilitated and working on his parents' farm.
In Superman/Batman
"Absolute Power", Lightning Lord, Cosmic King
and Saturn Queen
all appear married as the substitute parents of Clark Kent
and Bruce Wayne
in an alternate timeline which they constructed. Here the Worlds Finest are their enforcers and have taken over the world, while other JLA
members were killed. Lightning Lord kills Barry Allen
and electrocutes the Kents as they find the pod. Wonder Woman
kills Bruce, after which Clark strangles her with her lasso, but the timelines start to unravel. When it is changed so the Kents were not killed when finding the rocket, but the Future Bruce breaks down and kills Chill, the villains join with Ra's al Ghul
to take over the world. However reality is finally restored, and the villains are taken back to the Future, where they are imprisoned.
. He recruits his sister, Karate Kid
, Ultra Boy
, Star Boy
, and Mon-El to fight an incoming invasion of Dominators. His anti-social personality was replaced and instead he is suicidal. He has lightning powers, but does not use the alter ego of Lightning Lord.
It was recently revealed that Mekt was part of a cult on Winath which worships the nature spirit Validus
, also known as the Lord of Lightning, as local superstition has it that singletons are the children of Validus. This cult sent him to Korbel to gain the power of the lightning beasts as part of a prophecy. However, when his siblings also gained powers, the cult rejected him, as the prophecy did not mention this.
, he was among the supervillains in Superboy-Prime
's Legion of Super-Villains
.
In the 2009 revival of Adventure Comics, Mekt's backstory was given a significant twist. In the second issue, an imprisoned Mekt sends his brother Garth on a mission to uncover the truth about whether Mekt was in fact a single birth, or whether his suspicions are correct that he does have a twin and that his parents have covered this up. It remains to be seen whether he is telling the truth, is lying, or has deluded himself into believing this.
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. The older brother of Lightning Lad
Garth Ranzz
Lightning Lad , also known as Live Wire, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He has the superhuman ability to generate electricity, usually in the form of lightning bolts. He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries...
and Lightning Lass of the Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
, he first appeared in Superman
Superman (comic book)
Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
#147 (August 1961), and was created by Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
and Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
.
Pre-Zero Hour
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
.
A single birth on a planet where twin births are the norm, Lightning Lord developed an anti-social personality in response to his circumstance of not having a twin sibling. When the spacecraft which he was travelling in along with his younger brother and sister (Legion of Super-Heroes
Legion of Super-Heroes
The Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 30th and 31st centuries of the . The team first appears in Adventure Comics #247 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
members Lightning Lad
Garth Ranzz
Lightning Lad , also known as Live Wire, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe. He has the superhuman ability to generate electricity, usually in the form of lightning bolts. He is a founding member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries...
and Lightning Lass) ran into electrical difficulties, the Ranzz siblings were forced to land their craft on the planetoid Korbal. In an attempt to lure the local lightning beasts to recharge their battery, they were charged with electrical energy themselves, giving them the power to generate lighting. Given his newfound ability, Lightning Lord decided to turn to a life of crime.
He has an adversarial but protective relationship with his siblings, and during any given encounter will usually attempt to get one of them (usually his sister) to join him in his life of crime. However, in a story set in the future, Mekt return to Winath and reforms. This story also introduces Mekt's male lover (which is confirmed by the author of the story, Tom Bierbaum
Tom and Mary Bierbaum
Tom and Mary Bierbaum are an American husband-and-wife writing team, known for their work on the DC comic book Legion of Super-Heroes.-Biography:...
). This interpretation of the character does not carry into the later versions of Legion continuity.
Post-Zero Hour
Following the Zero HourZero Hour (comics)
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the former hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction of...
"Legion reboot", Lightning Lord was relatively unchanged, although he now hated his siblings and there was no Legion of Super-Villains. He was also directly responsible for Garth losing his arm and was defeated when his siblings combined their powers into one massive burst, seemingly shorting him out and removing his powers.
In the Legion Worlds miniseries it was revealed that he was rehabilitated and working on his parents' farm.
In Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
"Absolute Power", Lightning Lord, Cosmic King
Cosmic King
Cosmic King is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He debuted in Superman #147 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
and Saturn Queen
Saturn Queen
Saturn Queen is a fictional comic book character owned by DC Comics. She debuted in Superman #147 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan.-Fictional character biography:...
all appear married as the substitute parents of Clark Kent
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
and Bruce Wayne
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
in an alternate timeline which they constructed. Here the Worlds Finest are their enforcers and have taken over the world, while other JLA
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
members were killed. Lightning Lord kills Barry Allen
Barry Allen
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero in the DC Comics universe. He is the second character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in Showcase #4 , created by writers Robert Kanigher and John Broome and penciler Carmine Infantino. His name combines talk show hosts Barry Gray...
and electrocutes the Kents as they find the pod. Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
kills Bruce, after which Clark strangles her with her lasso, but the timelines start to unravel. When it is changed so the Kents were not killed when finding the rocket, but the Future Bruce breaks down and kills Chill, the villains join with Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul
Ra's al Ghul is a DC Comics supervillain and is one of Batman's greatest enemies. His name in Arabic has been translated in the comics as "The Demon's Head" and references the name of the star Algol. Created by writer Dennis O'Neil and artist Neal Adams, he was introduced in Batman #232's...
to take over the world. However reality is finally restored, and the villains are taken back to the Future, where they are imprisoned.
Threeboot
Following the most recent Legion reboot, Mekt shows up as a leader of a group of "black ops" superheroes called the WanderersWanderers (comics)
The Wanderers are a fictional group of superheroes appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They first appeared as allies of the Legion of Super-Heroes in Adventure Comics #375 written by Jim Shooter, illustrated by Win Mortimer with a cover by Neal Adams...
. He recruits his sister, Karate Kid
Karate Kid (comics)
Karate Kid is a fictional character, a superhero in the future of the DC Comics universe, and a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes. He is a master of every form of martial arts to have been developed by the 31st century...
, Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy
Ultra Boy is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in DC Comics. He is a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Universe. Ultra Boy gained these powers when the space-speedster he was flying was swallowed by an ultra-energy beast , exposing him to...
, Star Boy
Star Boy
Thom Kallor is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, spanning many incarnations, all connected to the various incarnations of the Legion of Super-Heroes...
, and Mon-El to fight an incoming invasion of Dominators. His anti-social personality was replaced and instead he is suicidal. He has lightning powers, but does not use the alter ego of Lightning Lord.
It was recently revealed that Mekt was part of a cult on Winath which worships the nature spirit Validus
Validus
Validus is a fictional DC Comics supervillain, an enemy of the Legion of Super-Heroes and a member of the Fatal Five.-Fictional character biography:...
, also known as the Lord of Lightning, as local superstition has it that singletons are the children of Validus. This cult sent him to Korbel to gain the power of the lightning beasts as part of a prophecy. However, when his siblings also gained powers, the cult rejected him, as the prophecy did not mention this.
Post-Infinite Crisis
In Final CrisisFinal Crisis
Final Crisis is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely by J. G. Jones; artists Carlos Pacheco, Marco Rudy and...
, he was among the supervillains in Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
's Legion of Super-Villains
Legion of Super-Villains
The Legion of Super-Villains is a team of fictional supervillains that appear in comic books published by DC Comics. They are adversaries of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the future...
.
In the 2009 revival of Adventure Comics, Mekt's backstory was given a significant twist. In the second issue, an imprisoned Mekt sends his brother Garth on a mission to uncover the truth about whether Mekt was in fact a single birth, or whether his suspicions are correct that he does have a twin and that his parents have covered this up. It remains to be seen whether he is telling the truth, is lying, or has deluded himself into believing this.
Powers and abilities
Lightning Lord is able to generate electricity and hurl it as destructive lightning bolts.Television
- He also appears in the Legion of Super HeroesLegion of Super Heroes (TV series)Legion of Super Heroes is an American animated television series produced by Warner Bros. Animation that debuted on September 23, 2006, based on characters appearing in the DC Comics comic book series. The series centers on the young Superman's adventures in the 31st century, fighting alongside a...
animated series voiced by James Arnold TaylorJames Arnold TaylorJames Arnold Taylor is an American voice actor, Impressionist, and Announcer. He is the current voice provider for Fred Flintstone as well as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the TV series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and also the movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Johnny Test in Johnny Test...
. His first appearance was in the episode "Champions": having a rivalry with his brother, he competed against him in an Olympic-type competition and unknowingly makes a deal with the Fatal FiveFatal FiveThe Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
to win it. He did not exhibit any powers, but had them in his second appearance in "Lightning Storm," alongside the Light Speed Vanguard, a group of for-profit heroes and the series' incarnation of the Legion of Super Villains. It is revealed that he and Garth got their powers during an attack by Lightning Beasts. He claims to be more powerful than his brother, who he has join the Vanguard's ranks. Interestingly, he is always referred to as Mekt in the show, and never as "Lightning Lord". In the second season, taking place two years after the first, the Vanguard has returned and now calls itself the Legion of Super Villains. However, Mekt was not among them. In "Chained Lightning," he was seen with ImperiexImperiexImperiex is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman #153 , and was created by Jeph Loeb and Ian Churchill...
. In a flashback, it is revealed that his sister, Aayla, was with the two brothers when they gained their powers, and was presumed dead (though she was really turned into pure electricity). After helping his brother bring his sister back, he decides to give up his life of crime and turn himself in. He is last seen looking at a picture of his family while spending his time in prison.