So Johnny Thunder and Jakeem Thunder’s genie is from the 5th dimension right? Is the weird lightning genie like, a different species from the weird short guy in the bowler hat and the tiny dude in the Batman cosplay? Because they don’t look like they could be the same species
Yes, the Thunderbolt is a 5th dimensional being in the same order of magnitude as annoyances like Mr Mxyzptlk (I lived in Metropolis for 4 years, I know him well), he is also some version of a mythological djinn as told in Islamic mythology. I am neither a theology scholar nor a dimensional physicist so I'm relating this information as I understand it, so take all with a grain of salt and know I am DEEPLY simplifying.
The 5th Dimension is a realm of pure imagination, there it is as physical a force as motion or heat and can be just as easily manipulated in the same way a 3rd dimensional organism moving forward and back would be considered wizardry from the 2 dimensional perspective. The native beings of this realm, which they call "Zrfff" in their own language are the "Imps" you speak of, of which Mxyzptlk is the most famous though beings like them have been spotted around both Batman and Aquaman. These beings can appear in our reality only once every 90 days after their previous visit and can be returned to their reality by speaking their own name backwards.
This "5th Dimension" also seems to be where Djinn were born and still mostly reside, created by some higher force VERY early in universal creation. Because they are born and molded of the 5th dimension they can manipulate it easily. They don't exist natively in our reality and require some kind of "anchor" in order to exist like many other arcane beings.
They're two separate classes of beings who inhabit the same dimensional space. From here on in I will refer to the Zrff-ians as "Imps" and the Djinn as "Genies" since that seems to be the accepted parlance.
(The only portrait of the Thunderbolt ever successfully taken solo, 1945)
The Thunderbolt's "real name" (if the concept applies) is Yz, and he is a member of the second class of being a mythical Genie who came into the possession of Johnny Thunder who had the power to bond with Yz because he was the 7th son of the 7th son, born at 7 a.m 7/7/1917 (magic, folks).
He's able to grant any wish his master made using the magic words "Cei-U" which of course Johnny uttered as the then popular sentence filler "Say you".
As Thunder aged he eventually developed Alzheimer's disease, and soon after or even upon the moment of his death he wished Yz into the service of his sudden protege J.J or Jakeem Thunder. This process also seemed to merge Yz and Thunder into a single being who now goes by the name Johnny Thunderbolt. What kind of merging this was or what that would even entail is a question for a VERY dedicated psychologist. And I'm not one of those either.
I should note however, there's no reason they couldn't all be the same species. They're 5th dimensional beings able to manipulate all things via their own imaginations. Trust me when I tell you that Mxy probably doesn't actually "look" like a tiny bald man in a purple bowler hat.