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Livewire (DC Comics)
Encyclopedia
Livewire is a fictional character
and a supervillain
in the . She first appeared in 1997 in Superman: The Animated Series
and was voiced by Lori Petty
. Her first appearance in the comic books was in the publication of Action Comics
#835 (March 2006).
Leslie Willis was once Metropolis
' most controversial radio
shock jock
. No one was immune to her venomous words, not even Superman
. She took joy in bashing him on her daily broadcasts, and Lex Luthor
enjoyed listening to her every morning.
One evening during a severe thunderstorm
, Willis was hosting a rock concert
in honor of her anniversary working at the radio station in Centennial Park in downtown Metropolis. Ignoring her producer's warnings about the storms, the public safety concerns by Metropolis authorities, and the changeable skies, Willis demanded the show to go on.
It was about that time Superman showed up to help the police. Willis' fans showed support for her by throwing stuff at the Man of Steel, when suddenly, lightning struck the stage, setting it on fire. When Superman pushed Willis to safety, he got struck in the process. The lightning
ran through a wire on stage which Willis then stepped on, shocking Willis and changing her appearance.
When Willis woke up, she saw that her skin had turned ghostly white and her hair turned blue and stood on end. One live reporter insinuated that Superman, fed up with Willis's hateful, bigoted criticism against him, may have pushed her into harm's way to punish her for her arrogance. She blamed Superman for the transformation caused from the accident, refusing to take the fact that she should've shut down the concert that caused her transformation in the first place. She was about to throw a clock-radio at the TV on which she had seen Superman talking to reporters about the accident when the radio suddenly turned on. It was not plugged into the wall, there were no batteries in it. She discovered she could manipulate electricity
.
Willis then escaped from the hospital by turning herself into an electric current. Confronting Superman, she had rearranged the electrons of the hospital gown she was wearing into a black leotard
with a lightning bolt down the front and black boots. She then declared herself to now be Livewire, and took over the telephones, televisions, and billboards-effectively taking over all of media. However, Superman stopped her when he doused her with water.
She had a short-lived alliance with Parasite
and later had an alliance with Harley Quinn
and Poison Ivy.
Lori Petty
voiced Livewire in Superman: The Animated Series
and The New Batman Adventures
. Maria Canals Barrera
voiced Livewire in Justice League
. Her powers and appearance have striking similarities to the controversial
"Superman Blue", although predating the arc by three years.
In an episode of the Justice League
animated series, Livewire teamed up with the Superman Revenge Squad
to get revenge on Superman. When some of its members were defeated and Toyman
's machine sent Superman into the future with them thinking that Superman is dead, Kalibak
and Livewire later attacked the scene of the incident with Copperhead
, Volcana
, Star Sapphire
, and Deadshot
. When it came to Season 3 of Justice League Unlimited
, Livewire later returned as a member of Gorilla Grodd
's Secret Society
.
and John Byrne brought Livewire into the mainstream DC Universe
, in the same tradition as Harley Quinn
.
Much like the DCAU version of Livewire, before she gained her abilities, she was also a shock jock. Going by the DJ name Leslie, her show was dedicated to bashing upon Superman every night, claiming that Superman was only saving people in the name of grandstanding and showing off. She also shows a disdain for fellow broadcaster Billy Batson, aka Captain Marvel
. Her career as a shock jock was cut short when the owner of the station, Miguel, decided to turn the station into a country station (a reference to popular real-world shock jock, Howard Stern
, who lost his first DJ job in a similar fashion). Miguel was also quite pleased that she was fired because his wife was saved by Superman.
Unlike the DCAU version of Livewire, she was born with the gift of controlling electricity. Enraged at the loss of her job, she went to the top of the station where she was struck by lightning. Absorbing a large amount of energy from the lightning bolt, her appearance changed to a chalk-white skin with blue hair. With that change, she decided that she would now take her revenge out on Superman.
Superman was still feeling weak from his battle with the Queen Of Fables
in the previous issue, when he was attacked by Livewire. He realized he did not have the strength to fight her directly and defeated her by cunning, shorting out her powers.
, Superman, the Veteran, Blue Jay
and other heroes in fleeing their situation and gaining intelligence.
A dampening field provides a psychological barrier against utilizing their powers. With the help of Mister Terrific
, who communicates through Livewire's natural electricity, the field is soon neutralized.
During the escape attempt, Livewire accidentally creates a link between the makeshift team and every single television on Earth. This proves hard to shut off. In Action Comics 843, the team confronts the Auctioneer. With great difficulty, Livewire gains control over the being's communication systems. Under Superman's suggestions, they threaten to broadcast the Auctioneer's entire database to every alien system possible unless he agrees to release the heroes and leave the Earth alone. He reluctantly does so and returns everyone to Earth. The entire adventure was seen on every Earth TV and due to the Auctioneer selling the dramatic story rights, on many alien planets as well.
During this story arc she also shows that she is physically attracted to Nightwing.
In Teen Titans #51, Livewire is shown to be under the control of Starro
.
She recently caused a blackout of Gotham City. However, she is easily defeated by Batgirl VI, who was wearing an insulated Batsuit
.
During Brightest Day
, Livewire is shown battling Wildcat after being possessed by the Starheart
.
In the Superman: Grounded
storyline, Livewire attacks Jimmy Olsen
and takes hostages in Las Vegas to get the attention of Superman. Superman then puts the modified suit on Livewire, which returns her power levels to normal. Livewire is arrested but she may not receive a hard sentence since she was only damaged property and there were not wounded people, and also Superman spoke in her favour. Iron Munro
also chooses to use his influence in the justice department to help Livewire. Jimmy questions Superman why helping Livewire, and Superman tells in America, everyone deserves a second chance.
comics, based on the DCAU animated series, Livewire makes an appearance in issue #5, "Balance of Power", the two-part "War Games" (#22–23) and in the two-part finale (#65–66), "Power Play", the latter also featuring featuring Lex Luthor
and Darkseid
. She is portrayed more sympathetically in the comics, teaming up with Professor Hamilton
and putting all of her energy into stopping Brainiac
in "War Games", which puts her into a coma until she awakens in "Power Play", where she officially reforms.
Livewire's main weakness is water
. Even a small amount of water will cause her stored energy to go haywire. However, if she has enough power, she can survive being splashed without completely losing her powers and suffering only a minor drain. Livewire has to be drenched in water to suffer a major power loss. She also has another weakness, silicon
dust. When a large quantity of it has been spread all over her body, its electrical resistance properties would render her powerless.
While live-wired, she can store a vast amount of electricity, though it is not infinite. When drained of her electricity, she reverts to her solid form and cannot use most of her abilities or transform into living electricity until absorbing at least a minimal amount of electric power
from some source. However, even when depowered, she can direct the flow of free electricity from an available energy source to re-power herself.
In the episode "Livewire" of Superman: The Animated Series, when she wanted to recharge her powers at a hydroelectric plant, Livewire displayed extraordinary strength by lifting one of the power units that stored electricity that she could drain.
, in the season 8 episode "Injustice", Leslie Willis, aka Livewire, appeared with Parasite, Neutron, and Plastique, who form into a team of meteor freak rogues
and search for Davis Bloome.
Parasite makes her lose her powers, and Neutron is quickly killed by Doomsday. She is then killed by Tess Mercer, the sister of Lex Luthor
, who implanted an explosive device into her head. She was portrayed, although uncredited, by actress Anna Mae Routledge
.
features Livewire as a product of Lex Luthor
's villains gallery to fight against Superman.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
and a supervillain
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...
in the . She first appeared in 1997 in Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
and was voiced by Lori Petty
Lori Petty
Lori Petty is an American film and television actress best known for playing "Tyler Endicott" in Point Break in 1991, "Kit Keller" in A League of Their Own in 1992, and the title role in Tank Girl in 1995.-Early life:...
. Her first appearance in the comic books was in the publication of Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#835 (March 2006).
Animated series
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
' most controversial radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
shock jock
Shock jock
Shock jock is a slang term used to describe a type of any radio broadcaster who attracts attention using humor that a significant portion of the listening audience may find offensive. The term is usually used pejoratively to describe provocative or irreverent broadcasters whose mannerisms,...
. No one was immune to her venomous words, not even Superman
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...
. She took joy in bashing him on her daily broadcasts, and Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
enjoyed listening to her every morning.
One evening during a severe thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
, Willis was hosting a rock concert
Rock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
in honor of her anniversary working at the radio station in Centennial Park in downtown Metropolis. Ignoring her producer's warnings about the storms, the public safety concerns by Metropolis authorities, and the changeable skies, Willis demanded the show to go on.
It was about that time Superman showed up to help the police. Willis' fans showed support for her by throwing stuff at the Man of Steel, when suddenly, lightning struck the stage, setting it on fire. When Superman pushed Willis to safety, he got struck in the process. The lightning
Lightning
Lightning is an atmospheric electrostatic discharge accompanied by thunder, which typically occurs during thunderstorms, and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or dust storms...
ran through a wire on stage which Willis then stepped on, shocking Willis and changing her appearance.
When Willis woke up, she saw that her skin had turned ghostly white and her hair turned blue and stood on end. One live reporter insinuated that Superman, fed up with Willis's hateful, bigoted criticism against him, may have pushed her into harm's way to punish her for her arrogance. She blamed Superman for the transformation caused from the accident, refusing to take the fact that she should've shut down the concert that caused her transformation in the first place. She was about to throw a clock-radio at the TV on which she had seen Superman talking to reporters about the accident when the radio suddenly turned on. It was not plugged into the wall, there were no batteries in it. She discovered she could manipulate electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
.
Willis then escaped from the hospital by turning herself into an electric current. Confronting Superman, she had rearranged the electrons of the hospital gown she was wearing into a black leotard
Leotard
A leotard is a skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the torso but leaves the legs free. It was made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard ....
with a lightning bolt down the front and black boots. She then declared herself to now be Livewire, and took over the telephones, televisions, and billboards-effectively taking over all of media. However, Superman stopped her when he doused her with water.
She had a short-lived alliance with Parasite
Parasite (comics)
The Parasite is the name of several fictional characters that appears in Superman comic book stories published by DC Comics. A supervillain, Parasite has the ability to temporarily absorb the energy, knowledge and super-powers of another being by touch, making him a formidable foe for the Man of...
and later had an alliance with Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
and Poison Ivy.
Lori Petty
Lori Petty
Lori Petty is an American film and television actress best known for playing "Tyler Endicott" in Point Break in 1991, "Kit Keller" in A League of Their Own in 1992, and the title role in Tank Girl in 1995.-Early life:...
voiced Livewire in Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series
Superman: The Animated Series is an American animated television series starring DC Comics' flagship character, Superman. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB from September 6, 1996 to February 12, 2000. Warner Bros...
and The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures
The New Batman Adventures is the successor to Batman: The Animated Series produced by Warner Bros. Animation. Although bearing different character designs and animation styles, both shows take place in the same continuity, with TNBA set two years after BTAS. The series aired on The WB from...
. Maria Canals Barrera
Maria Canals Barrera
María Canals Barrera is an American actress, voice actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Theresa Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place, Connie Torres in Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam, and as the voice of Shayera Hol/Hawkgirl in Justice League and Justice League...
voiced Livewire in Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
. Her powers and appearance have striking similarities to the controversial
Controversy
Controversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
"Superman Blue", although predating the arc by three years.
In an episode of the Justice League
Justice League (TV series)
Justice League is an American animated television series about a team of superheroes which ran from 2001 to 2004 on Cartoon Network. The show was produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It is based on the Justice League of America and associated comic book characters published by DC Comics...
animated series, Livewire teamed up with the Superman Revenge Squad
Superman Revenge Squad
The Superman Revenge Squad is the name of two fictional organizations in the DC Comics universe. As their name suggests, they are enemies of Superman.-Pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths:...
to get revenge on Superman. When some of its members were defeated and Toyman
Toyman
The Toyman is the name of three comic book supervillains and one adolescent superhero in the DC Comics universe. They mostly appear in Superman stories. The first Toyman appeared in Action Comics #64 . His real name is Winslow Schott.The Toyman uses toy-based or toy-themed devices and gimmicks in...
's machine sent Superman into the future with them thinking that Superman is dead, Kalibak
Kalibak
Kalibak is a fictional character, a deity and supervillain published by DC Comics. Created by Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in New Gods #1 .- Fictional character biography :...
and Livewire later attacked the scene of the incident with Copperhead
Copperhead (DC Comics)
Copperhead is a DC Comics supervillain, he first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #78, June and was created by Bob Haney and Bob Brown.-"John Doe":...
, Volcana
Volcana (DC Comics)
Volcana is a supervillain in Superman: The Animated Series. Voiced by Peri Gilpin, she made her first appearance in the episode "Where There's Smoke".-Fictional character biography:...
, Star Sapphire
Star Sapphire (comics)
Star Sapphire is the name of several supervillains in DC Comics, all connected in origin. Within DC continuity, an immortal race of warrior women were depicted as having the ancient tradition of choosing physically identical mortals from across the cosmos to serve as the host body for their queen....
, and Deadshot
Deadshot
Deadshot is a fictional character, a supervillain/assassin in the DC Universe and an enemy of Batman. He first appears in Batman #59 and was created by Bob Kane, David Vern Reed and Lew Schwartz....
. When it came to Season 3 of Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited
Justice League Unlimited is an American animated television series that was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on Cartoon Network. Featuring a wide array of superheroes from the DC Comics universe, and specifically based on the Justice League superhero team, it is a direct sequel to the...
, Livewire later returned as a member of Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
's Secret Society
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
.
Comics
In Action Comics #835, Gail SimoneGail Simone
Gail Simone is an American writer of comic books. Best known for penning DC's Birds of Prey, her other notable works include Secret Six, Welcome to Tranquility, The All-New Atom, and Deadpool. In 2007, she took over Wonder Woman...
and John Byrne brought Livewire into the mainstream DC Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, in the same tradition as Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn
Harley Quinn was first introduced as a villain on September 11, 1992, in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, later adapted into DC Comics' Batman comic books. As suggested by her name , she is clad in the manner of a traditional harlequin jester...
.
Much like the DCAU version of Livewire, before she gained her abilities, she was also a shock jock. Going by the DJ name Leslie, her show was dedicated to bashing upon Superman every night, claiming that Superman was only saving people in the name of grandstanding and showing off. She also shows a disdain for fellow broadcaster Billy Batson, aka Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (DC Comics)
Captain Marvel is a fictional comic book superhero, originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. Created in 1939 by artist C. C. Beck and writer Bill Parker, the character first appeared in Whiz Comics #2...
. Her career as a shock jock was cut short when the owner of the station, Miguel, decided to turn the station into a country station (a reference to popular real-world shock jock, Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
, who lost his first DJ job in a similar fashion). Miguel was also quite pleased that she was fired because his wife was saved by Superman.
Unlike the DCAU version of Livewire, she was born with the gift of controlling electricity. Enraged at the loss of her job, she went to the top of the station where she was struck by lightning. Absorbing a large amount of energy from the lightning bolt, her appearance changed to a chalk-white skin with blue hair. With that change, she decided that she would now take her revenge out on Superman.
Superman was still feeling weak from his battle with the Queen Of Fables
Queen of Fables
Queen of Fables is a villain who has battled the Justice League, Wonder Woman and Superman. Based on the character of the Queen from Snow White, the Queen of Fables is the living embodiment of all evil in folklore...
in the previous issue, when he was attacked by Livewire. He realized he did not have the strength to fight her directly and defeated her by cunning, shorting out her powers.
Helping to save the world
In Action Comics #842, Livewire gets kidnapped along with most of the other Metahumans on Earth by a being dubbed the 'Auctioneer'. This being scours the universe looking for unique items to acquire (often by theft) before selling them to the highest bidder. Livewire's unique powers allow her, Superman and several other captives to escape their containment fields. She teams up with NightwingDick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, Superman, the Veteran, Blue Jay
Blue Jay (comics)
Blue Jay is a DC Comics superhero and a former member of the Champions of Angor, also known as the Justifiers. He has the ability to shrink to seven inches tall and grow blue wings which allow him to fly...
and other heroes in fleeing their situation and gaining intelligence.
A dampening field provides a psychological barrier against utilizing their powers. With the help of Mister Terrific
Mister Terrific (comics)
Mister Terrific is the name of two different superheroes in the DC Comics universe.-Terry Sloane:The Golden Age's Mister Terrific was Terry Sloane, a self-made millionaire whose photographic memory, Olympic-level athletic skills, and mastery of the martial arts made him a virtual Renaissance man...
, who communicates through Livewire's natural electricity, the field is soon neutralized.
During the escape attempt, Livewire accidentally creates a link between the makeshift team and every single television on Earth. This proves hard to shut off. In Action Comics 843, the team confronts the Auctioneer. With great difficulty, Livewire gains control over the being's communication systems. Under Superman's suggestions, they threaten to broadcast the Auctioneer's entire database to every alien system possible unless he agrees to release the heroes and leave the Earth alone. He reluctantly does so and returns everyone to Earth. The entire adventure was seen on every Earth TV and due to the Auctioneer selling the dramatic story rights, on many alien planets as well.
During this story arc she also shows that she is physically attracted to Nightwing.
In Teen Titans #51, Livewire is shown to be under the control of Starro
Starro
Starro is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Brave and the Bold #28 , and was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
.
She recently caused a blackout of Gotham City. However, she is easily defeated by Batgirl VI, who was wearing an insulated Batsuit
Batsuit
The Batsuit is the costume of the fictional character Batman, a superhero appearing in DC Comics. Though the suit has been drawn many different ways by different artists, and the stories themselves have described Batman as modifying the details of his costume from time to time, it is most often...
.
During Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
, Livewire is shown battling Wildcat after being possessed by the Starheart
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
.
In the Superman: Grounded
Superman: Grounded
"Grounded" is a 2010-2011 comic book story arc that ran through the Superman monthly ongoing series. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Roberson, and penciled by Eddy Barrows, with covers by John Cassaday....
storyline, Livewire attacks Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen
Jimmy Olsen is a fictional character who appears mainly in DC Comics’ Superman stories. Olsen is a young photojournalist working for the Daily Planet. He is close friends with Lois Lane, Clark Kent/Superman and Perry White...
and takes hostages in Las Vegas to get the attention of Superman. Superman then puts the modified suit on Livewire, which returns her power levels to normal. Livewire is arrested but she may not receive a hard sentence since she was only damaged property and there were not wounded people, and also Superman spoke in her favour. Iron Munro
Iron Munro
Iron Munro is a fictional superhero, who first appeared in Shadow Comics #1 , published by Street & Smith. He is loosely based on Aarn Munro, the hero of a series of short stories written by John W. Campbell in the 1930s...
also chooses to use his influence in the justice department to help Livewire. Jimmy questions Superman why helping Livewire, and Superman tells in America, everyone deserves a second chance.
DCAU based appearances
In the Superman AdventuresSuperman Adventures
Superman Adventures is a DC Comics comic book series featuring Superman. It is different from other Superman titles in that it is set in the continuity of Superman: The Animated Series as opposed to the regular DC Universe. It ran for 66 issues between 1996 and 2002...
comics, based on the DCAU animated series, Livewire makes an appearance in issue #5, "Balance of Power", the two-part "War Games" (#22–23) and in the two-part finale (#65–66), "Power Play", the latter also featuring featuring Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
and Darkseid
Darkseid
Darkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
. She is portrayed more sympathetically in the comics, teaming up with Professor Hamilton
Professor Hamilton
Professor Emil Hamilton is a fictional character in DC Comics' Superman titles. He is generally portrayed as a stereotypical absent-minded professor, with a gray beard and thick glasses and, at times, a "Mr. Wizard" type character...
and putting all of her energy into stopping Brainiac
Brainiac (comics)
Brainiac is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #242 , and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino....
in "War Games", which puts her into a coma until she awakens in "Power Play", where she officially reforms.
Powers and abilities
Livewire is a being of pure energy, able to transform into electricity (her skintight costume is made up of ionized air) and travel through anything that will conduct an electric current. She can externally manipulate electricity (along with electric and magnetic fields), and conjure lightning blasts of various intensities and lengths. In her electrical state, she can possess and control any devices along a grid that conduct electricity - notably, consumer electronics and telecommunications networks. Her lightning blasts can weaken or stun Superman. Also (as stated by Superman in Action Comics #843) Livewire has the ability to broadcast the energy she has stored in the form of a coherent signal (radio wave, etc.), without directing the energy at a target.Livewire's main weakness is water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. Even a small amount of water will cause her stored energy to go haywire. However, if she has enough power, she can survive being splashed without completely losing her powers and suffering only a minor drain. Livewire has to be drenched in water to suffer a major power loss. She also has another weakness, silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
dust. When a large quantity of it has been spread all over her body, its electrical resistance properties would render her powerless.
While live-wired, she can store a vast amount of electricity, though it is not infinite. When drained of her electricity, she reverts to her solid form and cannot use most of her abilities or transform into living electricity until absorbing at least a minimal amount of electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
from some source. However, even when depowered, she can direct the flow of free electricity from an available energy source to re-power herself.
In the episode "Livewire" of Superman: The Animated Series, when she wanted to recharge her powers at a hydroelectric plant, Livewire displayed extraordinary strength by lifting one of the power units that stored electricity that she could drain.
Video games
- Livewire appears as a boss in the Superman: Shadow of ApokolipsSuperman: Shadow of ApokolipsSuperman: Shadow of Apokolips is a video game that was released in 2002 by Atari for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube consoles. It was developed by Infogrames and published by Atari in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics...
video game, which was released in 2002 for the Nintendo GameCubeNintendo GameCubeThe , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
home consoles. - Livewire is set to make an appearance in the upcoming MMORPG DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
.
Other TV appearances
On SmallvilleSmallville
Smallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
, in the season 8 episode "Injustice", Leslie Willis, aka Livewire, appeared with Parasite, Neutron, and Plastique, who form into a team of meteor freak rogues
Injustice Gang
The Injustice Gang is a group of fictional supervillains in the DC Comics universe. They are antagonists of the Justice League.-First Formation:The original Injustice Gang's membership consisted of:...
and search for Davis Bloome.
Parasite makes her lose her powers, and Neutron is quickly killed by Doomsday. She is then killed by Tess Mercer, the sister of Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
, who implanted an explosive device into her head. She was portrayed, although uncredited, by actress Anna Mae Routledge
Anna Mae Routledge
Anna Mae Routledge - , is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Celeste in the Disney Channel Original Movie, 16 Wishes.-External links:...
.
Other versions
The Elseworld story Superman: Red SonSuperman: Red Son
Superman: Red Son is a three-issue prestige format comic book mini-series published by DC Comics that was released under their Elseworlds imprint in April 2003...
features Livewire as a product of Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
's villains gallery to fight against Superman.
External links
- Comic Book Character Database
- Livewire bio on the official Superman/Batman Adventures homepage
- Livewire on the DC Animated Universe Wiki