- And what business is your family in? Anarchy?
- — Batman
Batman Beyond (Volume 2) #15 is an issue of the series Batman Beyond (Volume 2) with a cover date of January, 2001. It was published on November 29, 2000.
Synopsis for "Lightning and Rain"
Erica Grace, daughter of Dr. Greg Grace, was orphaned at young age. Erica has returned to Gotham because she has received an e-transmission from her deceased father which he programmed to contact her when she turned 21. After Erica's return, there came a series of electrical sabotages at the Climatech, a company that supposedly specializes in air conditioning. However, the incidents were never reported to the police. Bruce knew about the sabotages because he has all of Gotham's most disreputable companies under surveillance. Terry heads to Climatech and notices weather anomalies when he gets closer to Climatech. Terry reaches the sub-basement and runs into Erica.
Now calling herself Erica Electra, she starts tossing lightning bolts at Terry because he is preventing her from completing her mission. Terry knocks Erica across the basement and she accidentally fires a bolt of electricity at a gas main. Terry grabs Erica and gets her to safety as the basement becomes engulfed in fire. When Terry reaches the outside, he can hear the utter chaos brought on by the unusual weather patterns. With a major blackout in Gotham, utilities are then cut off while looting and rioting take place in the streets. Terry reaches the middle of Gotham and finds Gotham PD in a full out war with the Jokerz. Terry helps Gotham PD break up the Jokerz so they are easier to round up.
By this time, Erica had fled and Terry returned to the Batcave. After hearing Terry's observations, Bruce figured that Climatech has designed a battery array that can affect the air which in turn alters the weather. Bruce also deduces that this vigilante was in the sub-basement for a reason. The previous attacks on Climatech must have been Erica's attempts to find the battery's location. A battery array of that magnitude must be somewhere deep inside the sub-basement levels. Terry takes another go at Climatech in order to shut down the battery before Erica does.
Terry gets through Climatech's security with his suit's stealth mode. He finds a security guard unconscious with static electricity flowing visibly across his body. Terry comes under attack by mechanized rottweilers. He destroys them with batarangs and then he hears Erica shouting at the top of her lungs. Erica wanted Dr. Roberto Varkony, the chief scientist at Climatech, to admit he killed her father after he stole Dr. Grace's battery designs in order to create an ultimate weapon. Either Varkony intended to sell this battery array to the highest bidder or he planned to use it as a form of conquest in order to destroy a city's inhabitants but have the city remain intact. Erica also demanded that Varkony admit he smeared Dr. Grace's good name after his death so he could get the patents for Dr. Grace's blue prints on an electrical exoskeleton suit.
Terry intervenes and convinces Erica to let him make Varkony talk while at the same time force Varkony to shut down the battery array. After Varkony was arrested for murder, Terry tells Erica that he can sympathize with her because Terry's father Warren McGinnis, was murdered by Derek Powers' bodyguard Mr. Fixx and all Terry wanted was revenge. However, Bruce taught Terry to channel his vengeful tendencies by helping the innocents that can't help themselves so they don't have to suffer the same tragedy that Terry or even Bruce endured. Terry tells Erica to do the same thing. Erica agrees with Terry's words of wisdom and decides she wants to help the Lunar day-laborers who could benefit from the exosuit that her father left her with the e-transmission.
Appearing in "Lightning and Rain"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Erica Electra (Single appearance)
- Roberto Varkony (Single appearance)
- Jokerz
Other Characters:
- Mary McGinnis
- Matt McGinnis
- Mr. Tan (Cameo)
- Ace
- G.C.P.D.
Locations:
- Gotham City
- Batcave
- Goodwin Green
- Climatech Labs
Items:
Vehicles:
See Also
Recommended Reading
- DC Animated Universe Recommended Reading
- Adventures in the DC Universe (Volume 1)
- The Batgirl Adventures #1
- Batman Adventures (Volume 1)
- Batman Adventures (Volume 2)
- The Batman Adventures: The Lost Years (Volume 1)
- The Batman Adventures: Mad Love
- The Batman and Robin Adventures (Volume 1)
- Batman and Superman Adventures: World's Finest
- Batman Beyond (Volume 1)
- Batman Beyond (Volume 2)
- Batman Beyond (Volume 4)
- Batman Beyond Unlimited (Volume 1)
- Batman Beyond Universe (Volume 1)
- Batman: Gotham Adventures (Volume 1)
- Batman: Harley and Ivy (Volume 1)
- Batman: Mask of the Phantasm - The Animated Movie #1
- Gotham Girls (Volume 1)
- Justice League Adventures (Volume 1)
- Justice League Unlimited (Volume 1)
- Superman Adventures (Volume 1)
- Superman & Batman Magazine (Volume 1)
- Justice League Infinity (Volume 1)