Lightning Storm
"Lightning Storm" is a character and mainly a fictional cinematographic universe that first appeared in Lightning McQueen's daydream in Cars. This universe is shared across various media platforms, initially making a brief appearance in the first film before being further developed in The World of Cars Online.
The universe
This cinematic universe is inhabited by monstrous fictional creatures such as the Sparkplugs, which traverse through space and sometimes invade Earth, resulting in the destruction of entire cities during apocalyptic alien invasions. Among the various space creatures, the main antagonist is Zurg, while the protagonists include Lightning Storm and Luke Pettlework.
Cars
In Cars, as Lightning McQueen drifts away from The King's advice, he fantasizes about winning the coveted Dinoco sponsorship and the subsequent fame. In his daydream, he envisions himself as a movie star, portraying a superhero-like character named "Lightning Storm McQueen," who battles hordes of ray-blasting spark plug monsters.
The World of Cars Online
The World of Cars Online incorporated this universe into a one-player mini-game titled "Lightning Storm Space Assault," where the objective of the levels was to eliminate all the robots before confronting Zurg, the main boss.
AppMATes
In the mobile game AppMATes, when you go into the Carcade building both in Radiator Springs and Tokyo you could play a arcade game featuring Ligthning Storm, the arcade game is called Space Escape and the main point of the game was to defend earth from the evil Space Banshee, this is also the first time we saw Lightning Storm outside of America.
Two Ton Heroes
Alan J. Porter wrote a four issue Story Arc for Boom! Studios Comics which was subsequently rejected by Disney and was not further developed.[citation needed]
Plot
What sort of comic book heroes exist in The World of CARS?
"When he reads an old comic that has blown in from the freeway, Mater imagines the town’s residents as superheroes."
The story arc would be done in the style of a Silver Age Justice League of America story with heroes pairing off and coming together at the end. As he daydreams Mater begins to realize that the powers of the heroes he imagined are all just extensions of the way he thinks about his friends anyway. In the end he comes to realize that his friends are heroes just as they are.
What’s it about? – "How the power of imagination can help you appreciate what you have around you."
Issue 1.
Lightning McQueen as the transforming flying car, “LIGHTNING STORM” from the Dinoco ad in the movie with Mater as his helicopter powered side kick “THE TOWMINATOR” fighting off hordes of alien spark plugs.
Issue 2.
Doc Hudson transforms into the FABULOUS HORNET while Sarge becomes the patriotic hero CAPTAIN HOWITZER. Together they take on the fearsome menace of the ULTRA-BANSHEE.
Issue 3.
Mia and Tia touch fenders and become the METAMORPH TWINS, while Sally spins and transforms into PRINCESS PORSCHE. The girls team up to face off against the menace of Chick Hicks-villain “CHICK MAGNET” (from his Dinoco dream sequence).
Issue 4.
The heroes all team up as the LEAGUE OF CARS to stop a herd of zombie tractors under the control of DR FRANK – HARVESTER OF DOOM! from destroying Radiator Springs.
Characters
Protagonists
- Lightning Storm
- Mater and The Towminator (Two Ton Heroes)
- Fabulous Hornet (Two Ton Heroes)
- Captain Howitzer (Two Ton Heroes)
- Metamorph Twins (Two Ton Heroes)
- Princess Porsche (Two Ton Heroes)
- Chick Magnet (Cars Daydream)
- Luke Pettlework (Lightning Storm Space Assault)
Antagonists
- Robots (Lightning Storm Space Assault)
- Sparkplugs (Cars, Lightning Storm Space Assault, Two Ton Heroes)
- Zurg (Lightning Storm Space Assault)
- Ultra-Banshee (Two Ton Heroes)
- Space Banshee (AppMATes)
- Chick Magnet (Two Ton Heroes)
- Zombie Tractors (Two Ton Heroes)
- Dr Frank - Harvester of Doom (Two Ton Heroes)
Minor characters
- Mia and Tia (Cars Daydream)
- The Autobahn Society (Cars Daydream)