Bill Craver was born in Harlem, New York. He served in the US Marine Corps and then returned to his hometown, where he became an assistant district attorney under Franklin “Foggy” Nelson. He was approached by a violent street gang called the Thunderbolts, who wanted to recruit him for his military skills, but he refused. He then agreed to infiltrate the gang as an undercover agent for Nelson and helped gather enough evidence to send several members to prison.

One day, his younger brother Lonnie was killed by a sniper in front of him. Bill chased the killer through a cemetery and fought him, but lightning struck them both. The killer died instantly, but Bill survived with an experimental cobalt radiation treatment. However, the radiation also mutated his body, giving him superhuman speed and reflexes. He decided to use his new powers to fight crime as a costumed vigilante, calling himself Thunderbolt after the gang he had infiltrated.

Thunderbolt can move at superhuman speeds, faster than a bullet. He can also react and think more quickly than normal humans, making him a formidable fighter and acrobat. He wears a yellow and blue costume with a lightning bolt symbol on his chest and carries a pair of metal rods to use as weapons or to channel electricity.

However, his powers come at a high cost. The radiation that gave him his abilities also accelerated his aging process, making him age several years per week. He knew he had only a short time left to live and wanted to use it to find out who had ordered his brother’s death.

Thunderbolt first appeared in Daredevil #69 (October 1970), where he helped Daredevil stop the Thunderbolts gang from robbing a bank. He then revealed his identity to Foggy Nelson and asked for help finding his brother’s killer.

He later appeared in Power Man #41-47 (June 1977 – June 1978), where he teamed up with Luke Cage (Power Man) and Danny Rand (Iron Fist) to track down the mastermind behind his brother’s murder. He discovered that it was Big Ben Donovan, a lawyer whose brother Paul had been one of the Thunderbolts members that Bill had sent to prison. Paul had been killed by some Maggia operatives in jail, and Big Ben blamed Bill for his death.

Thunderbolt confronted Big Ben at Caesar Cicero’s mansion, where Cicero hosted a party for the Maggia bosses. A fight broke out between Thunderbolt, Power Man, Iron Fist, and Cicero’s men. During the chaos, Big Ben pulled a gun on Thunderbolt and confessed to ordering Lonnie’s death. As they struggled, the gun shot Big Ben in the chest. Thunderbolt then collapsed from his rapid aging and died in Power Man’s arms, content that he had avenged his brother.

– Thunderbolt was one of the first black superheroes in Marvel Comics, predating Black Panther’s debut by two months.
– Thunderbolt was created by Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, and Syd Shores, inspired by the late 1960s and early 1970s Black Power movement.
– Thunderbolt’s real name, Bill Craver, is an homage to William Craver III, a friend of Roy Thomas who was also an assistant district attorney in New York.
– Thunderbolt’s costume design was based on the original Human Torch costume from the Golden Age of Comics.
– Thunderbolt’s origin story was influenced by the origin stories of Spider-Man (who gained his powers from a radioactive spider bite) and Captain Marvel (who gained his powers from a lightning bolt).

Thunderbolt has not appeared in any media outside of comics. However, he has been referenced or homaged in some other works:

– In Luke Cage (2016), a Netflix series based on Power Man’s adventures, there is a street gang called the Harlem’s Thunderbolts, who wear yellow and blue jackets with lightning bolts on them. They are led by a man named Lonnie Wilson, presumably named after Thunderbolt’s brother.
– In Black Lightning (2018), a CW series based on DC Comics’ black superhero of the same name, there is a character named Bill Henderson, a police detective and a friend of the titular hero. He is played by Damon Gupton, who also voiced Thunderbolt in the Marvel Comics Database app.
– In Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), a video game based on Spider-Man’s adventures, there is a side mission where Spider-Man has to stop a bank robbery by a gang called the Thunderbolts. They wear yellow and blue masks with lightning bolts and use electric weapons.

Thunderbolt’s family history is not well known, as he only appeared in a few issues before his death. However, we can infer some details from his appearances and references:

– He had a younger brother named Lonnie, who was killed by a sniper hired by Big Ben Donovan. Lonnie was also an assistant district attorney working on a case against the Maggia.
– He had a mother who was still alive when he died, as he mentioned her in his last words to Power Man. He also said that she would be proud of him for avenging Lonnie.
– He may have had a romantic interest in Misty Knight, a private detective and ally of Power Man and Iron Fist. When they first met, she seemed attracted to him, and he flirted with her during their investigation. However, nothing came out of it, as he died soon after