Episode 1-01: The Game Begins
Director of Animation: Robert
D. M. Smith
Writer: Sean Kelly
Director: Don McCutcheon
Synopsis
Mark Hollander and his parents have just moved to Canada from England. Mark's parents are out so Mark is up late playing his computer game 'Ace Lightning and the Carnival of Doom'. He has just gotten to the 7th level, a level he has never heard of when lightning strikes his satellite dish. Mark's computer is hit by a power surge and the satellite turns into a portal from another dimension. The villains from Mark's computer game land on Mark's roof.
In Mark's backyard, Lord Fear and his Evils confront the game's hero, Ace Lightning. Just when it looks like Ace will be pounded to a pulp by Anvil, Mark tells Lord Fear to leave Ace alone. Lord Fear thinks that Mark might be another Lightning Knight and he decides to retreat and go in search of the Carnival of Doom, his headquarters in the game. Ace is ready to go after them but Mark is worried that he's low on power. When his parents arrive home, Mark convinces Ace to hide behind the shed so that they don't see him.
The Rat thinks that the Kent Brothers Carnival on the outskirts of town is the Carnival of Doom. Duff Kent, the owner, hears them and comes out armed with a baseball bat. He thinks they're carnies looking for work and tells them to clear out. However, he changes his mind when Anvil threatens to smash him.
The next morning Mark is woken by Ace smashing his window. He is now fully powered up and ready to find the Carnival of Doom. Mark is more concerned with getting through his first day of school. When Mark goes outside he finds his father is having car trouble. The battery is dead and Mark realizes that Ace used it to power up.
On his way to the bus stop Mark meets his next-door neighbour Samantha, who heard what happened the night before but thinks that it was just the sound effects from Mark's video game. On the bus, Samantha sits down beside her boyfriend Brett and Mark sits down beside Chuck Mugel. Chuck tells Mark that he has motion sickness and goes on to describe the last time he threw up on the bus. Mark spends the rest of the ride listening to his music. The Rat watches the bus drive down the road and laughs.
Mark begins to feel homesick during his morning classes. Ace, who is exploring Mark's room, also feels homesick. At lunchtime, Chuck sits down at Mark's table and notices the Ace Lightning rulebook that Mark is reading. He also plays Ace Lightning but has been unable to beat the game. Sam asks Mark if he wants to come with her and some friends to get pizza after school and Mark agrees to go. Chuck tells him that Sam and her boyfriend are the most popular kids in school. Mark also has a little run-in with the school bully Wayne who is picking on Chuck but he is saved by the bell.
In science class, Ace calls to Mark through the window and Mr Cheseborough sees that Mark is distracted and catches him out. After class, Sam tells him that Cheseborough picks on everybody and not to worry. She asks if he's ready to come with them for pizza but Mark has to go meet Ace. As Mark hurries off, Sam tells Brett that she thinks something might be wrong with Mark.
In Mark's backyard, Ace asks Mark to show him his superpowers. Mark tells him that he has none and he's not a Lightning Knight. He still doesn't think that he can help Ace fight Lord Fear. Ace tells him that he needs Mark to beat Lord Fear and that Mark showed a lot of courage by going to a place he'd never been before and meeting a lot of new people. He gives Mark his piece of the Amulet but Mark still isn't sure whether he's ready to be a Lightning Knight. After telling Mark to follow the code of the Lightning Knight ('Do right and fear not') Ace flies off to find the Carnival of Doom.
At the Carnival, Lord Fear is setting a trap for Ace. He also tells his Evils that Mark must be 'utterly annihilated'. Ace arrives at the Carnival and goes into the Haunted House. He sees the Amulet piece on the organ and goes to get it but Lord Fear and Lady Illusion appear. Lady Illusion throws one of her crystal balls at Ace and Ace is overcome by the gas. He trips over Staff Head and Lord Fear gets hold of him. Ace is confused by what's happened because the game isn't supposed to end like that.
Quotes
ACE: (to Mark) Look, kid, if you're going to be my sidekick, you've got to work on your timing.
MARK: Where's a superhero when you really need one?