Lightning Strikes Twice

The countdown to Infinite Crisis begins this month.  Guest writer Judd Winick scripts a three-part Captain Marvel crossover in the Superman books this month, joined by artists Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund.  These issues aren't branded as an official tie-in to Day of Vengeance, the miniseries that would change DC's magical characters before Infinite Crisis, but they do involve some of the same heroes and villains.  Lightning Strikes Twice would be followed up with a stand-alone prequel miniseries a few months later, Superman/Shazam: First Thunder.  The Marvel Family and their Rock of Eternity would be completely shattered following the events of Day of Vengeance--literally!  Meanwhile in Superman/Batman, we meet another sort of Marvel family.

Action Comics #826

Lightning Strikes Twice part 1

The wizard Shazam cryptically warns Captain Marvel that a great evil has been awakened.  Captain Marvel appears briefly, but he and Superman aren't seen together in this issue despite the cover.  Eclipso's longtime former host, Bruce Gordon, is seen traveling the globe in search of Eclipso's black gemstone, the Heart of Darkness.

Several people around Metropolis suddenly go insane and kill themselves, including a rock star who electrocutes himself on stage.  The next night, a S.T.A.R. Labs employee kills her boyfriend and steals a LexCorp battlesuit that was stored there.  She joyrides around the city to attract Superman's attention.  When he catches her, she reveals that she's possessed by the villain Eclipso, whose goal is to take over the Man of Steel's body next. 

Adventures of Superman #639

Lightning Strikes Twice part 2

Superman fights off Eclipso while trying not to get angry, which would give the villain an opening to possess him.  Superman tries to keep Eclipso distracted until sunrise when he will lose his power, but Eclipse bandons the battlesuit and makes the girl jump off a building so try to lure Superman to get close to her.  Superman saves the woman without making physical contact, but although she returns to normal, Eclipso's black gemstone is nowhere to be found among the crowd.  Lois Lane rushes to the scene and Superman asks her if she's seen the stone, but she doesn't seem to know what he's talking about.

At home, Clark gets into an argument with Lois after she callously comments that she doesn't want to end up like Elongated Man's wife.  Then he sees that she's writing an unflattering opinion article about Superman.  It turns out Lois is now possessed by Eclipso, and his plan worked to get Superman angry.  Eclipso flies off in Superman's body, but he's confronted by Captain Marvel on the last page.

Superman #216

Lightning Strikes Twice part 3

Eclipso realizes that the magical Captain Marvel would be an even more suitable vessel than the Man of Steel.  As the two fight across the planet, Eclipso tries to force Captain Marvel to submit to him willingly by threatening to kill innocent bystanders.  In mid-air, Captain Marvel utters the magic word "shazam" and transforms back to powerless Billy Batson, who starts to fall to his death.  Eclipso hurries to try to save the falling boy so he can still use him, but Billy says the magic word again, which strikes Superman's body with a magical bolt of lightning and turns Billy back into Captain Marvel.  A weakened Superman begs Captain Marvel to kill him, but Captain Marvel realizes it's just Eclipso trying to trick him.  He tries the lightning ambush again, but Eclipso is ready this time and grabs Billy's throat so he can't say the word again.  The wizard Shazam appears in a rare intervention in human events, and he summons the Spectre who also rarely intervenes in situations like this.  Eclipso is banished to the diamond, but it is magically summoned away by an unknown force.  In Arkham Asylum, Jean Loring (who had gone mad in Identity Crisis after accidentally killing Elongated Man's wife in a ploy to get back with her ex-husband, the Atom) is now Eclipso's new human vessel.

Superman/Batman #20

Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines return for one more arc with Jeph Loeb.

On another Earth, there's a team of heroes called the Maximums, who resemble Marvel's Avengers, particularly the more violent Ultimates version of them that was popular at the time.  While the Maximums fight the Axis of Evil, Superman and Batman briefly teleport into their world on a mission.  Although Superman and Batman help defeat the villains, they uncharacteristically turn on the Maximums and kill their gigantic member, Skyscraper, apparently holding him responsible for killing Lois Lane.  The Maximum's version of Thor arrives and Superman and Batman retreat into another Boom Tube.  The Maximums vow to find Superman and Batman and kill them.

Back on Earth, Bizarro journeys to Gotham City where he meets his disturbing new counterpart, Batzarro.  

Meanwhile in Tokyo Japan, Superman and Batman fight a new Kryptonite Man, but after they drain the Kryptonite radiation from him he turns out to be Captain Atom, who we last saw in Tokyo before his apparent death in issue #4.