In the original 1970s Black Lightning comics written by Tony Isabella, Alvin Pierce was a grocery store owner who was caught in the crossfire of a mob hit gone wrong when Jefferson was only four years old.
The synopsis for the next episode of The CW’s Black Lightning TV show, “Aches And Pains”, suggests that the series will be taking a page from the Black Lightning: Year One comics, as Jefferson Pierce investigates the mysterious murder of his independent journalist father.
The 2009 Black Lightning: Year One mini-series written by Jen Van Meter changed this, making Alvin Pierce an independent journalist who died when Jefferson was nine years old.
The death of Jefferson Pierce’s father, Alvin Pierce, has always been a defining moment for the character’s history, though the details have changed over the years.