Nu-Perspective Black History Month: Day 23- JAKEEM THUNDER

What's up peeps. We're celebrating Black History Month by re-releasing all of last year's Nu-Perspective revamped characters each day.
With these reposts you get the same full bio, art and our storyline concept, but also some behind the scenes thoughts on how and why Fabian (co-writer) and I went about doing what we did (go to the bottom).

A little later than expected but we're back with a character from the home of DC- JAKEEM THUNDER!!!

As always, we encourage you to employ the amazing world of Google and check out his original look and story, then let us know if you like what we did with him. Enjoy and catch you in a few with another Nu-Perspective

Real Name: Jakeem Johnny Williams
Current Alias: Jakeem Thunder
Identity: Secret
Occupation: High school student
Place of Birth: Keystone City
Base of Operations: Keystone City
Affiliations: Justice Society of America, Keystone High
First Appearance: The Flash #134 (1998)
Original Creators: Grant Morrison, Mark Miller, Paul Ryan

Story: Jakeem was orphaned and raised by his aunt in Keystone City. Due to his rough upbringing he adopted a tough, foul-mouthed attitude to survive. However, Jakeem became a reluctant hero when he was handed a pen and told to say the words “Zo Kuul” (pronounced “So Cool”). Uttering these words summoned a pink Djinn in the form of a sentient, humanoid lightning bolt. Hitting the proverbial jackpot of wish fulfillment, Jakeem joined the ranks of the JSA and fought in numerous battles, becoming a trusted member of the team. Both Jakeem and The Thunderbolt went through many trials that shaped them into beings with different perspectives than when they originally met. Another change was Jakeem found out he could now house The Thunderbolt as an app in his smart phone. This level of symbiosis alerted other Djinn from The Thunderbolt's home plane of the 5th dimension who resented the centuries of human's controlling Djin. To compound matters, Jakeem and The Thunderbolt must also work together to stop a mysterious antique dealer from collecting the other five artifacts connected to the Thunderbolts family and using the djinns’ powers to dominate the world.

Powers/Abilities: Ylzkz is a 5^th dimensional being typically understood by humans as a “Djinn” from Aramaic myth. They are beings of sentient energy of varying size, color and composition. Ylzkz possesses vast reality warping powers which are manifested in granting wishes through verbal or written commands from his “master”. The full extent and duration of these powers are limited, as by Djinn standards, Ylzkz is very young and inexperienced, leading to many unexpected consequences, exacerbated by his immaturity and spitefulness. While 5th dimensional Djinn are capable of enacting arbitrary and obtuse rules and limitations, they are universally incapable of killing a “master”. Jakeem himself possesses no outstanding attributes other than an inexhaustible well of pop culture references, and a quick wit.

Paraphernalia: Jakeem’s phone has become the “home” of Ylzkz, who must return to it every 24 hours. For a yet unknown reason, no other person can use or summon Ylzkz even if they possess the phone or say the “magic words”. Jakeem can only summon Ylzkz by manually activating the app and saying “Zo Kuul”. Because it is Ylzkz’s home, it has magically become virtually indestructible, and never runs out of power (*some charges may still apply with data use).

NP

What IS Nu-Perspective you ask? Well, it's a bi-weekly column I started with my writing collaborator Fabian Wood with the purpose of revamping and updating different underdeveloped, underutilized and all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) comic book and pop culture characters.

Fine Print: Nu-Perspective is a column focused on revamps and updates of various underdeveloped, underutilized and all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) characters specifically. We aim to showcase these chosen characters in fresh, contemporary and exciting ways both visually and story-wise to show just how awesome they can truly be. All characters are copyrights and trademarks of the respective publishers and creators. This column is used solely for artistic enjoyment.

Nu-Perspective Black History Month: Day 22- BLACK RACER!

What's up peeps. We're celebrating Black History Month by re-releasing all of last year's Nu-Perspective revamped characters each day.
With these reposts you get the same full bio, art and our storyline concept, but also some behind the scenes thoughts on how and why Fabian (co-writer) and I went about doing what we did (go to the bottom).

We skipped around a bit, but we had another character from last October's theme of “Fearsome Characters”. And what could be more fearsome than a character who is the living embodiment of Death itself?  THE BLACK RACER!!   

 

This character was a tough one to reinterpret…mainly due to those damn skis. Ahhhh…the 70’s.But here we go, the Nu-Perspective version of Black Racer

Real Name: Willow Walker

Current Alias: Black Racer

Identity: Secret

Occupation: Nurse, Psychopomp of the Gods, Herald of the Source

Place of Birth: The Source / Metropolis

Base of Operations: Mobile

Affiliations: New Gods

First Appearance: New Gods #3 (1971)

Original Creators: Jack Kirby (Black Racer William Walker)

Stories: Willow Walker is the daughter of William “Willie” Walker, a former U.S Army Sergeant who was paralyzed until he merged with the spirit of The Black Racer, the physical manifestation of an aspect of Death. The Black Racer harvests New Gods at the time of their death, and often hunts those associated with the Speed Force. However, Willie could not escape his own fate, and he passed after one of his collections as the Black Racer was completed. Shortly after her father’s death, Willow began having otherworldly nightmares; vivid terrors of wars between fantastical gods in planes of existence nigh-incomprehensible by mortals. Willow was then approached by the spirit of the Black Racer and was shown secrets to her father’s true past. As the reincarnation of the Forth World god of death, William had brought an end to the New Gods, but the essence of those beings found their way to Earth, reborn in mortal vessels with little to no recollection of their former lives. As her father before her, Willlow bonded to the Black Racer, and must tap into the powers he once had, to stop the resurrected Darkseid from transforming Earth into the Fifth World hell-scape of Apokolips. To accomplish this, Walker must desperately find the former New Genesis gods whether they know it or not. But Willow finds herself a pariah, shunned by these new New Gods and hunted by forces more powerful than Death itself. For the first time, Death is on the run, and she’s running out of time.

Powers/Abilities: As a reincarnated “New God” Willow has access to incalculable strength, speed, stamina and durability. In her Black Racer true form she does not require food, water, rest or oxygen to live and she is effectively immortal. Nothing short of powerful Forth World technology can harm her or slow her down. The Black Racer also possesses an array of super-senses including a level of cosmic awareness and clairvoyance, particularly in regards to death and dying. As the Forth World incarnation of inevitable, remorseless and impartial oblivion, Willow can also render herself intangible and unperceivable by mortals and technology; as well as absorb the thoughts and memories of the recently deceased. The Black Racer’s most striking power is her irreversible and uncontrollable “death touch” that erodes the life force of any living being that makes physical contact with her. The Black Racer’s only known weakness besides radion (New Gods’ version of lethal kryptonite) is that she needs a living physical body to exercise existence in our reality. This transition appears to be random and requires much effort on Willow’s part to transform into her “old” New God form and single-minded mentality. When the Black Racer senses it is no longer required, she reverts to her vulnerable human form. As the daughter of a war veteran, Willow had some military training in hand-to-hand and armed combat and army procedurals.

Weapons/Paraphernalia: The Source “skis” affixed to her feet grant the Black Racer transluminous speeds bordering on teleportation and self-propelled flight. Her cosmic sickles are used as combat weapons capable of slicing through virtually any material with the exception of a few Forth World metals and can be joined to form a two-headed scythe. The particular armor of the Black Racer protects others from unintentional exposure to her “death touch”, meaning she has to deliberately expel this power on those she chooses. It is postulated that the Black Racer’s armor may have been forged from inverted Source Wall materials, believed to be the only substance to negate her death touch.

 

NP

What IS Nu-Perspective you ask? Well, it's a bi-weekly column I started with my writing collaborator Fabian Wood with the purpose of revamping and updating different underdeveloped, underutilized and all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) comic book and pop culture characters.

Fine Print: Nu-Perspective is a column focused on revamps and updates of various underdeveloped, underutilized and all-but-forgotten Nubian (black) characters specifically. We aim to showcase these chosen characters in fresh, contemporary and exciting ways both visually and story-wise to show just how awesome they can truly be. All characters are copyrights and trademarks of the respective publishers and creators. This column is used solely for artistic enjoyment.