Impulse #4 is an issue of the series Impulse (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1995.
Synopsis for "Bad Influence"
A voluptuous teen thief known as White Lightning blazes into Manchester with her male cohorts to embark upon her latest crime spree. She stops at a public access television studio and robs the proceeds from a Scooter the Funosaur telethon drive. Impulse sees the robbery on TV and races down to the studio to help out. He foils White Lightning's plans, forcing her goons to scatter. The police arrive and mistakenly believe that Impulse is involved in the fracas. They briefly detain him while White Lightning gets away.
The following day at school, word of White Lightning's exploits is the talk of the town. Various students rave about her daredevil-style antics and the fact that she recruits henchmen off of the Internet. A student named Carol Bucklen approaches Bart and explains the White Lightning phenomenon to him. She tells him how glad she is to see that he isn't interested in such nonsense. However, Bart decides to try to join White Lightning's gang so he can get a chance to stop her.
Bart returns home to find a woman named Helen Claiborne arriving at the house. Helen asks Max if he would like to go out on a date, and Bart interjects, professing that Max would love to go out with her and that he will be ready by 8:00.
That night, Bart joins a large group of students at an outdoor rally. White Lightning appears on a motorcycle and selects several eager boys to serve as her new recruits. A student named Matt Mason pushes Bart to the front of the line declaring that he would be perfect for Lightning's group. But White Lightning declares him too small for her group.
White Lightning states that she will contact all of her new recruits in short order, then races off on her motorcycle. Bart decides to follow her and steals a car belonging to Matt Mason's father. Matt jumps in after them and the car races down the highway. As fast as they are moving, they cannot catch up with White Lightning. As they round a hillside turn, Bart loses control of the vehicle sending it careening off of the edge of the cliff.
Appearing in "Bad Influence"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- White Lightning (First appearance)
- Ralph Hobbs (Single appearance)
Other Characters:
- Matt Mason
- Scooter the Funosaur (Single appearance)
- Batman (Bruce Wayne) (Mentioned only)
Locations:
- Alabama
- Manchester
- Manchester Junior High School
- 321 Maple Drive
- Manchester
Items:
Vehicles:
- Romanaclef 5200
Notes
- Preston makes reference to the Bart Allen "royal rumble" which took place last issue. The Royal Rumble is also the name of an annual WWE pay-per-view wrestling event.
- This is the first full appearance of Matt Mason. Matt made a cameo appearance on the football field in Impulse #3.
- This issue is reprinted in Flash/Impulse: Runs in the Family.
Trivia
- Bart is seen at home watching television. The programs he is viewing are the Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
See Also
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)