Photoshop CS3's Exposure Tool
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Exposure is pretty much the Brightness/Contrast tool's raw counterpart. Learning it takes seconds.
You'll want to be careful how much you adjust the settings, because each slider is pretty powerful. Do it a little at a time (I like to use the arrow keys or Shift+Arrow Key for a bit bigger jump).
Also, note that the red areas in exposure and offset above are the lightest and darkest, respectively, but the adjustments you make WILL bleed into the midtones.
Here's an example of each slider in action.
Exposure at +97
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Offset at -0.0922
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Gamma at 1.44
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And When Your Powers Combine