WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for the Season 2 premiere of Black Lightning, "The Book of Consequences: Chapter One: Rise of the Green Light Babies," which debuted Tuesday on The CW.


It can be hard for a superhero to keep his secret identity exactly that... a secret. Before long, those close to the hero eventually find out that the costumed figure saving lives is the same on they call a friend or family member.

Jefferson Pierce's entire family discovered he's the Freeland vigilante Black Lightning, but someone else close to Jefferson now knows the principal of Garfield High School and Black Lightning are one and the same.

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In the Season 2 premiere episode "The Book of Consequences: Chapter One: Rise of the Green Light Babies," the newly minted Deputy Police Chief Bill Henderson calls a meeting with Black Lightning. Henderson doesn't waste any time and starts to run down the facts as he sees them -- when Garfield High School was attacked by Painkiller last season, Jefferson Pierce was nowhere to be found. However, Black Lightning was definitely there trying to save the students. Also, when Jefferson's daughters were kidnapped and taken to the Seahorse Motel, it was Black Lightning who came out of hiding to rescue the girls.

Putting the pieces together, Henderson has deduced his close friend Jefferson Pierce is actually Black Lightning. Henderson demands Black Lightning say the words out loud, to prove he's not making it all up. After some tense, silent moments, Black Lightning removes his eye mask and reveals himself to Henderson.

The Deputy Police Chief then asks if Lynn, Jefferson's ex-wife, is Thunder, to which he denies. The only logical person left for Thunder to be is Anissa, and Jefferson confirms Henderson's question. The two friends part ways before coming to any kind of resolution on the bombshell that was just dropped.

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For once, it's nice to see a character put the clues together to figure out the superhero's secret identity. What normally ends up happening is the hero is put in a situation where they have to unmask, but since Henderson is a detective, he looked at the clues and put it all together himself. Of course, you could say it took him long enough, but we had to at least get through one season before the truth came out. It will be interesting to see how the remainder of Season 2 plays out now that Black Lightning and Henderson are on equal footing.

Airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on The CW, Black Lightning stars Cress Williams as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning, China Anne McClain as Jennifer Pierce, Nafessa Williams as Anissa Pierce/Thunder, Christine Adams as Lynn Stewart, Marvin “Krondon” Jones III as Tobias Whale, Damon Gupton as Billy Henderson and James Remar as Peter Gambi.