Jenny Blake Isabella, the creator of DC Comics' Black Lightning, has publicly come out as transgender. She shared this news in a blog post on her personal website, where she also addressed questions from fans.
While she prefers to be called Jenny, Isabella clarified that she doesn’t view her previous name, Tony Isabella, as a deadname. She plans to continue writing under both names and will present herself as Tony Isabella for most events throughout the year.
Isabella is recognized for creating the character Black Lightning and the comic series itself in 1977, in collaboration with artist Trevor Von Eeden. Black Lightning holds the distinction of being DC's first African American superhero to lead his own series and is often regarded as one of the first mainstream African American superheroes.
On February 9, Isabella shared an image on X stating, “Keep calm and yes I’m transgender,” along with a message affirming the authenticity of her announcement and requesting privacy for her and her family.
Shortly thereafter, she revealed her preferred name on Facebook and discussed how she would use her former name. She also posted a picture of a Christmas ornament crafted by a friend following her name change.
Additionally, Isabella mentioned attending her first hair appointment at the Green Opal Salon. The 73-year-old expressed on X that coming out “was one of the scariest things I have ever done,” but she has felt grateful for the love and support from her fanbase.
On February 11, Isabella published a blog post on her website where she answered fan questions, detailing how she chose her name and her decision to retain her former professional name. “I’ve always liked the name Jenny,” she explained, adding that “Blake” is inspired by Marvel’s Doctor Don. “Once a Marvel maniac, always a Marvel maniac.”
“I don’t consider ‘Tony Isabella’ to be a deadname,” she continued. “I’ve written many good stories and done a lot of good under that name. I plan to keep writing under both names.” Isabella noted that DC Comics offered to change her credits on their website and future reprints of her work to reflect her new name, or to maintain the existing credits while using Jenny for new projects.
In her blog, Isabella also announced her plans to create a new comic series featuring a transgender superhero. “What am I working on? I have created a new trans superhero,” she wrote. “I love her more every day. I think she can be a contemporary Peter Parker for both queer and straight kids. The initial pitch is ready to go to any publisher or partner interested in a fair and mutually beneficial agreement. I’m not willing to give up creative control of this new character or sell all rights to her.”
Isabella’s flagship series, Black Lightning, is noted for being a significant milestone in representation, particularly as there were few Black heroes depicted in media at the time. The series provided commentary on issues affecting the Black community in the 1970s, such as police brutality, racial poverty, and generational trauma. The titular hero is later revealed to have a lesbian daughter with superpowers who calls herself Thunder.
Isabella’s upcoming trans superhero series may follow a similar path, exploring the challenges faced by the transgender community.
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