Earth-Two version John L. Thunder is the seventh son of a seventh son, born at 7 a.m. on Saturday, July 7, the seventh day of the week, the seventh day of the seventh month in 1917. This causes him to be kidnapped by men from Badhnesia who sought to harness his power. Johnny gained possession of the pink, lightning-haired genie-like
Thunderbolt named
Yz during a mystic ritual on his 7th birthday, which was intended to allow the Badhnesians to use Johnny to rule the world. However, the plan is soon aborted after an attack from a neighboring country. Johnny eventually returns to the
United States and lives an ordinary life until one day, while washing windows, he inadvertently summons Thunderbolt with the magic words "
Cei-U" (pronounced "say you"). Johnny underwent several adventures, repeatedly summoning Thunderbolt by accident before learning of his existence. Johnny lived with his parents, dated his on-again, off-again girlfriend Daisy Darling (who had a somewhat less-than-scrupulous businessman father). In 1941, he adopted a little freckle-faced blond orphan girl named Peachy Pet, who, despite her cutesy name and clothing, was a tough little girl who was much smarter than him. Many times during his adventures, which included a stint with the United States Navy, Peachy would instruct her befuddled but beloved "Papa John" on how and when to use Thunderbolt's powers. Johnny's appearances with the
Justice Society of America and in his own solo adventures tended to be quite comedic, as Johnny's main personality trait was being fairly dimwitted, which prompts his much-smarter Thunderbolt to possess a sarcastic (if patient) attitude toward his "boss", while knowing full well that he could not do anything until his master told him to. Johnny accidentally joined the Justice Society after wishing that he could be a member and was immediately taken to their meeting by Thunderbolt. Despite recurring impatience with his stupidity, his fellow JSAers genuinely valued Johnny's good-heartedness and dedication and considered him a friend. Furthermore, Thunderbolt's vast power may have contributed to Johnny's continued JSA membership, his frequent blunders notwithstanding, since the more competent heroes doubtlessly thought it wise to keep an eye on the pair whenever possible. He finally became a member after the Flash left and the group told him to capture "Killer" McPanzee, which he accidentally succeeded in doing. Like most of the JSA members, he had his aging factor greatly slowed during an encounter with the villain
Ian Karkull. Johnny's adventures ceased in the late 1940s when he was replaced in the
Justice Society stories by a heroine he had begun teaming up with, the
Black Canary. The reason for his leaving the Justice Society is eventually explained to be that his control over Thunderbolt is weakening, thanks to a spell cast by renegade Badhnesian priests. In the early 1950s, Johnny is kidnapped again by agents from Badhnesia, with the intention of executing their original world conquest plan. Johnny manages to summon
Superman, and the would-be conquerors' plans are defeated. Johnny spent some time in Badhnesia afterwards, teaching the native citizens about democracy. He returns home after the country elects its first President. Johnny joins the Justice Society on various adventures.
Crisis on Infinite Earths and Ragnarök Following the maxiseries
Crisis on Infinite Earths was the one-shot
Last Days of the Justice Society of America Special (1986). This book depicted the sacrifice of Johnny and his JSA teammates as they left the 'new' Post-
Crisis world and entered into a Limbo dimension. Caused by the actions of
Adolf Hitler in April 1945, a wave of destruction appears over Earth even as it is settling down from the Crisis. To stop a literal
Ragnarök, the heroes enter into an eternal battle and so leave the world.
Earth-One version Prior to the
Crisis on Infinite Earths retcon, an alternate version of Johnny Thunder existed on
Earth-One. This version was a simple petty criminal with no Thunderbolt. Upon meeting the Earth-Two Thunder (who had traveled to Earth-One out of curiosity), the criminal Johnny Thunder knocked his counterpart out and seized control of Thunderbolt. He uses it to temporarily reshape Earth-One such that several heroes, such as
Superman,
Batman, and
Green Lantern, retroactively cease to exist. The criminal exploits the fact that Thunderbolt is "keyed" to simply obey Johnny Thunder, without any distinction made between alternate versions, leaving Thunderbolt obligated to obey whichever Johnny is conscious despite his own morality. However, Thunderbolt often tries to work in loopholes to give the heroes an advantage, such as informing the criminal that the Justice Society—who had come to Earth-1 to find out what had happened to their friends in the Justice League——had disappeared, when they had, in fact, disguised themselves as the Justice League to provoke Johnny into revealing what had happened to their version, or making a barrier which keeps out cops, but not superheroes. The Earth-2 Johnny is apparently placed in a coma by Thunderbolt's magic, though this is not shown. The alternate version of Earth-One that Johnny creates is sometimes referred to as
Earth-A (Earth Alternate), which Johnny thinks up himself. Thunder's 'Lawless League' of evil people with powers like the Justice League heroes, which are made up of Johnny's fellow criminals who were given the powers of the Justice League members, are defeated by the visiting
Justice Society of Earth-Two, who had originally disguised themselves as the JLA, after learning of Johnny's disappearance, the Society's greater experience allowing them to easily defeat their criminal counterparts. They subsequently face off against Johnny Thunder on the Moon, and the three creatures that Thunderbolt creates, Medusa-Man (who turns people into wood), Absorbo-Man (who can absorb the powers of others), and Repello-Man (who throws attacks back at their origins). All of the members are defeated, except for Doctor Fate. He creates a golden mask over Medusa-Man's face, and sends the wooden Mr. Terrific and Atom at Absorbo-Man, who had absorbed Green Lantern's power, meaning he is vulnerable to wood and is destroyed. He uses repello-magic on Repello-Man, which is repelled and destroys him. When the fight comes down to a struggle between
Doctor Fate and Thunderbolt, Johnny Thunder is so battered about by the combatting magic wielders - whose powers fail to do any actual damage to each other - that he finally gives up his attempts to use Thunderbolt and wishes that none of these events had taken place. The two Earths and their respective heroes are restored, with the Justice League mentioning their world's Johnny Thunder as a small-time criminal at their meeting. The Johnny Thunder of Earth-One would return as a threat in
Justice League of America #219-220.
Johnny's return The absence of the JSA and of Johnny Thunder did not last long. In 1992 DC published
Armageddon: Inferno, the miniseries which brought the JSA out of Limbo and into the Post-
Crisis world. This was followed by
Justice Society of America (1992–1993). This series showed how the heroes were adjusting to a 'normal' life. Johnny is depicted as an overweight man, not as old as his friends, but nostalgic for the past. It is explained that before he had entered into Limbo, he had lent his foster daughter a few thousand dollars and during his time fighting for the universe, she had created ''Peachy's Frozen Yogurt'', a very successful chain of which Johnny is half owner and now very wealthy. Of greater import to Johnny is his discovery that the Bahdnesians have all but disappeared. A visit to the island of Bahdnesia (now under the ownership of Pol St. Germain) proves that no Bahdnesians are left there. In issue #7, Johnny states: "There were never very many of them...and the island magic had worn out. T-Bolt was all that was left, and he was with me in limbo. They had to leave or starve to death". This series also introduced the young Kiku, according to Thunderbolt, the last remaining Bahdnesian. After this, Johnny is depicted as having dementia. At one point, he loses a pen in which Thunderbolt is being stored, which
Jakeem Thunder later obtains.
Johnny Thunderbolt In a later battle with
Solomon Grundy, Johnny is controlled by the
Ultra-Humanite and eventually killed, causing Thunderbolt to fuse with him to save his life. This creates a new being with the memories of both, known as Johnny Thunderbolt. In
Blackest Night, Johnny Thunder is temporarily revived as a
Black Lantern.
DC Rebirth Johnny Thunder is revived in the 2016
DC Rebirth initiative, and depicted as living at a retirement home and desperately trying to regain Thunderbolt's power. When
Wally West was looking for someone to tether him to the universe again, he comes to a retirement home called the Good Life Rest Home, where a now-elderly Johnny Thunder tries to reconnect to the
Justice Society, who have been lost since
Joseph McCarthy had him reveal his secret and he had lost Thunderbolt in the periods since. He tried to tell others who he was, but many think that he is crazy. When Wally comes to him to find the Justice Society, he disappears asking him to find the Justice Society. Believing that he was his old ally, Johnny tearfully calls out to him, apologizing for "throwing (him) away" in the past. When
Doctor Manhattan undoes the experiment that erased the Justice Society of America and the
Legion of Super-Heroes, Johnny Thunder's powers and Johnny Thunderbolt persona are restored. ==Other versions==