Impulse Vol 1 5

"Lightning Strikes": Bart accidentally swerves the car belonging to Matt Mason's father off the edge of a cliff. Max Mercury arrives and pulls Bart out the window while Matt passes out. Before the car can crash onto the highway below, Max an

"Lightning Strikes"
Cover
Impulse Vol 1 #5
August, 1995
Executive Editor	Jenette Kahn
Cover Artists	Humberto Ramos Wayne Faucher
Lightning Strikes
Writers	Mark Waid
Pencilers	Humberto Ramos
Inkers	Wayne Faucher
Colourists	Tom McCraw
Letterers	Chris Eliopoulos
Editors	Alisande Morales Brian Augustyn Ruben Diaz
Previous Issue	Impulse # 4
Next Issue	Impulse # 6

You're being nice to me just to keep me off-balance aren't you?

— Impulse

Impulse #5 is an issue of the series Impulse (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1995.

Synopsis for "Lightning Strikes"

Bart accidentally swerves the car belonging to Matt Mason's father off the edge of a cliff. Max Mercury arrives and pulls Bart out the window while Matt passes out. Before the car can crash onto the highway below, Max and Bart use their super-speed to create an air cushion beneath themselves and the car. After checking to make sure that Matt is safe, the two race home.

The following day at school, Matt tells everyone about the exciting evening. Fortunately for Bart, he has no recollection of how he could possibly survive the "crash." Carol Bucklen approaches Bart and admonishes him for associating with White Lightning's gang. Bart tells her the truth and reveals that he was actually trying to infiltrate the gang in order to spy on them. Carol doesn't believe him and storms off in the opposite direction.

Later, Impulse learns that White Lightning's next target is the Minhota Reservation Casino. As luck would have it, this is the same locale that Max Mercury and Helen Claiborne attend on their date. Lightning crashes through the casino window on her motorcycle, and Bart quickly changes into Impulse. Everything erupts into total chaos, and Impulse must concentrate on saving innocent lives. One of the security guards attempts to shoot White Lightning in the back of the head, but Bart races over and pushes her out of harm's way. During the chaos, White Lightning makes her escape, leaving her cronies behind.

Shortly after the incident, White Lightning contacts her mother, a hefty tattooed truck-driver. Lightning boards the semi and the two leave the town of Manchester behind them.

Appearing in "Lightning Strikes"

Featured Characters:

• Impulse

Supporting Characters:

• Carol Bucklen
• Helen Claiborne
• Max Mercury

Antagonists:

• White Lightning
• Hank (First appearance)
• Ms. Barlow (White Lightning's mother)

Other Characters:

• Matt Mason
• Flash (in a thought bubble)

Locations:

• Alabama
  • Manchester
    • Manchester Junior High School
    • 321 Maple Drive
  • Minhota Reservation Casino

Items:

• 
  

Vehicles:

• Romanaclef 5200
  

Notes

• White Lightning and her mother will appear next in Impulse #14.
• White Lightning's mother's name will later be revealed to be Ms. Barlow, but her first name is never given.
• This issue is reprinted in Flash/Impulse: Runs in the Family.

Trivia

• One of the students at the school can be seen reading a Flash comic book.

See Also

• Cover gallery for the Impulse series

Recommended Reading

• The Flash (Volume 2)
• Teen Titans (Volume 3)
• Young Justice
• The Flash (Volume 2) Secret Files and Origins #1
• Young Justice Secret Files and Origins #1
• Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files and Origins (2003)
• Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files and Origins (2005)