Shazam!: Lightning Strikes #1 is a chapter in the digital-first series Shazam!: Lightning Strikes (Volume 1 (Digital)) with a cover date of July, 2020.
Synopsis for "Home Quest"
Billy and Freddy are attending an exhibition of ancient Egyptian artifacts and Mrs. Bernhoff tells them that some of them like the giant ankh is real and was found at the Dendera Temple complex which includes Hathor's temple. Billy feels excited while Freddy, who is bored, suggests that they go watch horror films instead. Mrs. Bernhoff overhears him and tells the two they can go clean the boys' toilets if they don't like being at the exhibition. Freddy lies to her that he was simply answering Billy's question and she leaves, though still unimpressed with his reasoning. The two then hear Julian Esposito claim to a trio of girls about being close pals with Shazam and has even helped him.
Freddy decides to confront Julian about his lies and states Shazam will never work with him, before getting tripped by his friend Kyle. Billy takes a swing at him in anger but accidentally breaks the model of Hathor's temple instead. Mrs. Bernhoff comes up to him and gets told by Julian that Billy tried hitting him without provocation and she orders him to go to the principal's office. Billy however runs away and transforms into Shazam in order to make him pay. He returns as Freddy is telling Bernhoff of Julian intentionally provoking him and tells everyone he doesn't know who Julian is, embarrassing him publicly. As he rests his arms on the ankh while telling them that Freddy is the person he prefers to assist him, it stats discharging electricity.
Shazam gets knocked away by the ankh's lightning and a voice states that it's been freed at last. As the ankh breaks apart, an ancient Egyptian warrior appears and introduces himself as Kaemqed, protector of Hathor's temple. Believing Shazam has intruded into the temple, he strikes him with the lightning from his khophesh. He then turns his blade on the students and Mrs. Bernhoff, thinking they're demons and have defiled Hathor's temple too. Shazam however flies away with him and smashes him into a bus, before being physically attacked by khopesh which breaks apart on striking him. The two proceed to engage in a battle as Kaemqed, who doesn't understand where he is, attacks him with a scimitar. Shazam becomes delirious after being bashed with his shield, but is saved from being killed by Freddy who attacked Kaemqed with his crutches.
Kaemqed knocks Freddy out with his shield, but Juliann saves his schoolmate from being killed by his scimitar. After being attacked by Shazam again, he thinks he's outnumbered by the demons and teleports along with him as well as Julian to Hathor's temple in the Dendera complex. Realizing he has little chance of defeating Shazam, he decides to kill Julian but stops upon finding the temple in a ruined and deserted state. He gets told by Billy that it's actually thousands of years old and his wife is long since dead. After he dissipates, Hathor appears before Shazam, stating that Kaemqed's spirit had been kept inside the ankh to protect her temple, but with its removal from the temple grounds he was trapped in it until he was finally liberated and was allowed to reunite with his wife in the afterlife.
After the goddess disappears, Julian apologizes to Shazam about claiming to be his friend and is forgiven, but feels reluctant to go back home thinking Billy, Freddy and their friends will humiliate him publicly. Shazam advises him to reconcile with the, which he accepts.
Appearing in "Home Quest"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Amaia
- Mrs. Bernhoff
- Cassie
- Freddy Freeman
- Julian Esposito
- Kyle
Antagonists:
- Kaemqed
Other Characters:
- Hathor (First appearance)
- Tiye (As a spirit)
- Principle Marmalard (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Egypt
- United States of America
- Philadelphia
- Fawcett High School
- Fawcett High School
- Philadelphia
See Also
- Write your own review of this comic!
- Discuss Shazam!: Lightning Strikes Vol 1 1 (Digital) on the forums
- Cover gallery for the Shazam!: Lightning Strikes series
- Images from Shazam!: Lightning Strikes Vol 1 1 (Digital)
- Images from Shazam!: Lightning Strikes Vol 1 1 (Digital)