Superman Vol 2 216



 Lightning Strikes Twice 


 * "Give me what I want, Marvel...or I can fill the Grand Canyon with corpses. That's quite the image, isn't it?"
 * --Eclipso

Summary
Volume: 2 Issue: 216 Month: June Year: 2005

Credits
Head Writer: Judd Winick Cover Artists: Ian Churchill Pencilers: Ian Churchill Inkers: Norm Rapmund Colourists: Beth Sotelo Editors: Tom Palmer Jr and Eddie Berganza

Synopsis
Cast of Characters:
 * Superman
 * Captain Marvel
 * Chester
 * Eclipso
 * Jean Loring
 * Shazam
 * Spectre (Entity)

Locations:
 * Metropolis
 * Hawaii
 * Gotham City
 * Arkham Asylum

Items:
 * Heart of Darkness

First Appearances: Chester (a citizen of Metropolis) Final Appearances: Chester

Synopsis: Eclipso takes full control over Superman. He punches Captain Marvel across the jaw with a blow that sends him flying towards Hawaii. He flies after him, and throws another punch, but Marvel catches his fist in his hand. The eclipsed Superman realizes that Marvel's morality is his "weakness", so he distracts him by flinging an ocean liner across the surface of the sea. Marvel saves the ocean liner, and then decides upon an alternate strategy.

He flies high above Superman's head and shouts "Shazam". The mystic lightning bolt transforms Marvel back into Billy Batson. Billy begins plummeting towards the Earth, and Eclipso/Superman rushes in to save him. Eclipso wants to assume permanent control of Marvel's body, so he cannot let him die. As Superman catches Billy, the young boy begins quickly speaking the name, Shazam, repeatedly alternating between his two forms. Multiple bolts of mystic lightning rain downward striking both Marvel and Superman. It is Marvel's hope that Superman’s vulnerability towards magic might weaken Eclipso's hold over him.

Suddenly, the wizard Shazam appears to defend Billy Batson. Keeping Super-Eclipso at bay with a volley of electric bursts, Shazam summons the essence of the Spectre. The untethered Spectre exercises Eclipso from Superman’s body and places it back inside the Heart of Darkness. The Heart of Darkness instantly disappears.

The black diamond reappears inside of Arkham Asylum. Eclipso finds his new host body – Jean Loring.

Trivia

 * This is not the first time that Captain Marvel has had to face an Eclipsed Superman. He first fought against Super-Eclipso in Action Comics Annual #4.


 * This issue is the first canonical use of the "lightning strike ambush". In the Elseworlds issue, Kingdom Come #4, a brainwashed Captain Marvel used a similar tactic to weaken Superman. The editors of this issue credit Mark Waid and Alex Ross for the inspiration.


 * Chronologically, Superman and Captain Marvel first battled Eclipso in the Superman/Shazam - First Thunder limited series.

Recommended Readings

 * Action Comics
 * Power of Shazam
 * Spectre (Volume 5)
 * Superman (Volume 2)
 * Superman, Adventures of
 * Superman/Batman
 * Superman/Shazam - First Thunder

Related Articles

 * Superman (Volume 2) cover art gallery
 * Superman image gallery
 * Superman appearances list
 * Superman quotes page
 * Captain Marvel appearances list
 * Lightning Strikes Twice
 * Shazam appearances list
 * Spectre appearances list