The JSA plans to stop the Shade, while Mike stumbles on the Thunderbolt and becomes an unlikely hero.
Tropes:
- Accidental Murder: When Yolanda asks Mike about running down Icicle, he admits that he didn't intentionally try to hit him; he was just driving really fast and Icicle landed there.
- Achilles' Heel: Shade's powers make him nearly unbeatable, because he can control and expand any shadow near him with the slightest of gestures. However, the Cosmic Staff's ability to internally generate light means his shadows can't keep their grip on it.
- Alone with the Psycho: Barb bumps into Swift in the American Dream's storage. Fortunately, he leaves her in peace when he sees his quarry isn't there. Unfortunately, her nervousness tips him off that she knows who he really is, from which he deduces that Pat is Stripsey.
- Anti-Villain: The Shade is in town for the Eclipso gem, but makes it clear he has no desires for conquest and only wants the JSA to leave him alone. He even seems concerned that Eclipso is going to target kids. Furthermore, when Beth blames him for the death of Dr. Mid-Nite, he assures her that she doesn't know what she's talking about, in a manner that suggests there's more to the situation than what Pat saw.
- Awesome, but Impractical: The episode shows that despite being more powerful than everything else in the JSA, Thunderbolt doesn't exactly work perfectly, with Johnny Thunder even referring to it as a mess the JSA usually has to clean up.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Thunderbolt grants any wish phrased as such while the pen is being held, and does so literally. This causes Mike some trouble when he first uses it, and he accidentally wishes the pen to his friend Jakeem when he wishes it were in "better hands".
- Body Horror: Thunderbolt states that body transformation wishes never go very well.
- Clingy MacGuffin: Pat tries to take the pen from Mike, but Thunderbolt just teleports back into Mike's hand each time. Pat has to settle for talking with Thunderbolt alone.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Shade utterly manhandles the JSA in thier confrontation with almost contemptuous ease without loosing his Affably Evil poise, with only the Cosmic Staff's ability to internally generate light giving him problems.
- A Day in the Limelight: For Mike. The episode is primarily about him wanting to join the JSA after becoming the Thunderbolt's new master.
- Denser and Wackier: Thanks to the Thunderbolt's wildly cartoonish antics, this episode is generally wackier and more lighthearted than the rest of the season thus far.
- Flashback: The episode opens on Pat working on his car in the garage of JSA headquarters before the ISA's attack. Johnny Thunder, also on the bench, opens up to Pat about how he feels useless because the Thunderbolt causes more problems than it solves. Wildcat shows up to fetch Johnny, as they feel the battle warrants the risk, while having Pat remain behind because he has a son to go home to.
- Foreshadowing: While talking to his boss on the phone, Mike tells him to give the remainder of his route to his friend Jakeem, as it'll be "in better hands". Guess where Thunderbolt ends up when Mike makes his last wish.
- Godzilla Threshold: The JSA only let Johnny and the Thunderbolt participate in the final battle with the ISA after learning that Solomon Grundy would be there.
- Homefield Advantage: The JSA didn't do themselves any favors by fighting Shade in a poorly lit house in the middle of the night.
- Internal Reveal: Pat learns that Shade is after the Eclipso gem at the end of the episode, after Barbara explains that Swift stole a box which was supposed to contain a black diamond. The Shade and Pat both learn to their dismay that someone has already taken the diamond, since the box was empty.
- It Only Works Once: Thunderbolt explains that the same wish can't be made twice, even after a correction is explained.
- It's Personal: Upon hearing that the Shade (supposedly) killed Dr. Mid-Nite, Beth makes it her goal to see justice for her predecessor.
- Jerkass:
- The bullies who target Mike to steal his money and later harass a Girl Scout for free cookies before just stealing them when she refuses.
- Jenny Williams, Jakeem's sister, who calls him a loser.
- Literal Genie: Thunderbolt grants wishes literally and somewhat humorously, but never maliciously. He "stops" some bullies by dropping stop signs around them, makes Mike taller by lifting him onto a bench, and gives him water by dropping a bunch on his head. Once they catch on, Mike and the JSA workshop very specific wishes to get what they want.
- Lonely Together: The Thunderbolt will and can only choose someone who feels as alone and isolated as it does to be its master. When he explains this to Pat, Pat realizes he's been neglecting Mike.
- Make a Wish: Anytime Mike makes a wish for something while holding the pen, Thunderbolt grants it, regardless of intent. This backfires on him at the end, when he wishes for the pen to be in better hands and it vanishes on the spot.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero:
- Mike disobeys orders to stay behind and attempts to capture the Shade with the Thunderbolt. Not only does the Shade easily send Thunderbolt back into his pen, this outburst angers him into dominating the whole JSA.
- After that, Mike admits his mistake, then accidentally makes another by wishing that the pen were in better hands while holding it. Cue it teleporting to Jakeem's house.
- No Honor Among Thieves: The Shade states that while he may have been a member of the ISA, "they were no friends of mine".The Shade: Our interests aligned briefly, but birds of a feather we were not.
- No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine: When the JSA shows up to stop him, the Shade has tea and biscuits ready for them.
- Noodle Incident: Thunderbolt mentions that one of his previous masters tried to bring someone back from the dead, but didn't elaborate any further, only implying it didn't turn out well.
- Oh, Crap!: When Barb describes the box Swift was looking at, and the object that was previously in it, Pat realizes he's after Eclipso's diamond and, therefore, the situation is much worse than he thought.
- Popcultural Osmosis Failure: When Pat compares the Thunderbolt to The Monkey's Paw, Mike asks what the situation has to do with monkeys.
- Properly Paranoid: As Pat notes, Courtney, the girl who cried wolf, was right about there still being trouble in Blue Valley when he tells the JSA about the Shade.
- The Reveal: Shade wants Eclipso for an unknown reason (either to use him or keep him out of anyone's hands), and is dismayed over what will happen now that someone has already taken him.
- Shout-Out: Among the rules of his wishes, Thunderbolt mentions that he can't wish someone dead or bring someone back to life.
- Stealthy Colossus: Invoked. When Barb suggests the JSA takes S.T.R.I.P.E for the coming battle with the Shade, Courtney shoots the idea down because S.T.R.I.P.E is as "subtle as a tank", so Barb asks if the robot has stealth or invisibility. Courtney thinks her mother is embarrassing herself while Pat thinks those are great ideas to improve his robot.
- Superpowers For A Day: Mike, upon getting a hold of the Thunderbolt pen. Unfortunately, it backfires when he nearly gets the JSA killed, and then ends when he half-heartedly wishes the pen were in better hands, causing the pen to be sent to his friend Jakeem.
- The Worf Effect: Shade is able to force Thunderbolt back into his pen after Mike wishes for Thunderbolt to attack him, then follows that up by restraining the entire JSA without leaving his seat.
