| JOHNNY THUNDER II (John L. Thunder) | BIOGRAPHY |
| Created by John Wentworth and Stan Aschmeier |
PERSONAL DATA
Real Name: John L. Thunder
Aliases: Johnny Thunderbolt
Occupation: various
Status: Believed deceased, but living in 5th Dimension
Citizenship: American
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: Simon B. and Mildred Thunder (father and mother, presumed deceased), Joseph, Jordan, Jason, James, Jefferson and Jacob Thunder (brothers), Peachy Pet Thunder (adopted daughter), William Twotrees (assumed son), Kiku Thunder (ward); Jenny Thunder (aunt); Jenny (aunt)
Base of Operation: New York City; also Civic City and Gotham City
Group Affiliation(s): Formerly Justice Society of America
Gender: Male
Height: 5'11" (later 5'8")
Weight: 175 lbs. (later 125 lbs)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond (later grey)
First Appearance: Flash Comics #1/4 (January 1940)
Creators: John Wentworth and Stan Aschmeier
OVERVIEW
During wartime the youngest member of the Justice Society of America, Johnny Thunder controlled the Thunderbolt, a powerful magical being that could be summoned by the correct incantation. Sometimes regarded as foolish or bumbling, Johnny Thunder nonetheless had a long heroic career, eventually succumbing to Alzheimer's disease. Soon after this, the Ultra-Humanite hijacked Johnny Thunder's body to seize control of the Thunderbolt. He was defeated, and Johnny merged with the thunderbolt temporarily, now finding himself alive and young in the essentially heavenly realm of the Fifth Dimension. He cannot leave this dimension, but he has no desire to.
HISTORY
If anyone was ever at the right place at the right time, it was Johnny Thunder. Born the seventh son of a seventh son, on July 7, 1917, he fulfilled the requirements of a sect of sorcerers from the tiny country of Badhnesia. Kidnapped seven days after his birth, he was whisked away by agents of the high priest of the sect and brought to the island nation. He was draped with the Zodiac Belt and taken through the sacred rituals that would bind him to the mystical creature known as the Thunderbolt. Fortunately, before the evil wizards could corrupt him and use their powers for their own ends, he was taken away during an attack by a rival sect. He was lost, making his way around the world as a small child, until being found by his father years later. Reunited with his family, Johnny lived a fairly ordinary life until after his 22nd birthday.
Not the brightest match in the box, Johnny lucked in and out of jobs until taking a job as a window washer. Under scrutiny from agents of Bahdnesia, he accidentally triggered the ancient mystical creature by saying the English equivalent of the mystical phrase "Cei-U" spoken as "Say you". Johnny could command the "genie" (actually a Fifth Dimensional Imp) at first for only an hour, but later at his command. Unfortunately, Johnny didn't know the command phrase, and would only utter it by accident. Johnny began fighting crime like the other heroes of his time, commanding the T-Bolt (as Johnny called Thunderbolt, the "genie") to take him to the inaugural meeting of the Justice Society. Johnny's clowning ways led him to be, at first, just a mascot for the group, but with The Flash's leaving the group, he was awarded full membership. Johnny grew into his role as a hero, figuring out his command phrase, and acquiring a girlfriend (Daisy Darling, daughter of his one-time boss, retailer Herman Darling) and adopting a young, spunky little girl known as Peachy Pet.
At the entry of the US into World War II, Johnny bucked the trend of his JSA companions and joined the US Navy instead of the Army and Army Air Corps like his friends. He stayed in uniform for several years longer than the other members.
After the end of the war, Johnny began calling on his T-Bolt less and less, relying on his own wits and skills even more. He fell in love with a masked robber, the Black Canary, who turned out to be a crimefighter faking her crimes to lure crooks into being caught. After introducing herself after she came out to Johnny, she let him know that she wasn't interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with him. She joined the Justice Society and Johnny left, unable to summon the Thunderbolt. Discovering that the evil magicians of Bahdnesia had blocked his abilities, and kidnapped him to lead their nation under their control. Rescued several years later by a pair of his friends from the Justice Society(probably Starman and Black Canary), Johnny brought down the evil sect and ruled the country while it changed to a democracy.
When his friends in the Justice Society came out of retirement, Johnny tried and succeeded in summoning the T-Bolt. Still younger than his age would reflect, due to the side effect of an adventure with the Justice Society before the Second World War, Johnny joined his friends only sporadically, possibly afraid of hurting his feelings seeing Black Canary again or doubting his own effectiveness as a hero. He was with the group when they chose to stay in Asgard to fight the Twilight of the Gods for all eternity, only to be freed two years later. His adopted daughter, Peachy, now grown, had become successful in her frozen yogurt business. He had somehow lost control of the T-Bolt to Kiku, the last true Bahdnesian. She was an orphan and came under Johnny's care for a while.
Several years ago, however, Johnny and the T-Bolt were with the JSA when they were aged to their normal ages, negating the effects of the chronal energies decades earlier. Johnny became very frail and began to suffer from the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease. At one point, Johnny having placing the T-Bolt in a pink fountain pen for safe keeping, Jay Garrick accidentally lost the pen, it being found by a young man named Jakeem Williams. He activated the T-Bolt, and wielding it during an interdimensional invasion, became its primary "Master".
Johnny was later taken over by the Ultra-Humanite, an old JSA foe, who took control of the T-Bolt and enslaved the world until undone by Captain Marvel and the Justice Society. In the aftermath, as Johnny lay dying from old age and his disease, he was joined with the T-Bolt, and lived on as Johnny Thunderbolt, now a "genie" in the service of Jakeem Williams (also known as JJ Thunder). He was later separated from the Thunderbolt and now lives in the Fifth Dimension.
POWERS AND WEAPONS
Johnny himself had no super abilities, save for dumb luck. He controlled, however, a 5th dimensional imp or "genie" that looked like a living pink thunderbolt. Johnny could make any wish, and the Thunderbolt would grant it to the exact wording of the wish, with sometimes disastrous or hilarious results. The Thunderbolt was as powerful as any member of the Justice Society, such as Green Lantern or Doctor Fate or The Spectre, but Johnny never used him to the peak of his abilities.
CHRONOLOGY
For a definitive list of appearances of Johnny Thunder in chronological order click here
PROFILE REFERENCES
Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #11 (January 1986)