The following are from Bill Payuk writer extordinaire, who has been a great help to this site. Bill will be heading a fan-fiction page we will be starting in the future so get those stories ready!! The first page are stories I would put in an "elsewhere" vein. Bill will explain.  The second page are poetry that Bill did mostly in college and I think they were rather neat. INTER-FAN is open to all prose writing. If you have comments please e-mail us or Bill direct at: raymondburr@earthlink.com

Mr Bill's Comics Cavalcade of Creativity


entry #1:  01-08-01

    The idea came to me as I was reading an old issue of Marvel's "What If". . . I was thinking about "what if" a Silver age character was inspired by the heroics of the Golden age?  After musing upon this briefly, I then realized that it made perfect sense that a superhero like Spiderman would most definitely be at least somewhat inspired by the daring-do's of the spectacular Golden age.  Then I wondered how a Golden ager could affect the decisions of a budding Silver age hero when they've never met; time-travel stories mostly suck, so I vowed that NO time-travel was allowed in my plans!
    Probably the most famous Golden ager of Marvel fame had to be Captain America, so he would absolutely be the guy who was being looked up to.  Now, who would be the Silver ager?  Spiderman just had to be the one, since he's as famous in his era as Cap was in his.
    The next hurdle to cross was the unseen connection to the glory of Cap and the sense of responsibility that is the core of Spidey's spirit.  It took some time to work that one out, but eventually the missing link became crystal clear to me. . . Uncle Ben Parker was definitely old enough to have served in the "big one", so why not have Ben meet up w/ Cap while serving his country, and then telling a young teen Peter Parker all about it.
    It had the makings of a fine tale so far, yet my plan was to create several issues of different stories that demonstrated how the adventures of one age could direct the actions of another.  I dreamed up a few more weird tales involving, among such a menagerie, as:

The Ancient One, Beast, Bloodstone, Daredevil, Galactus, Giant-man, the Knights of Wundagore, Loki, Mr. Fantastic, Nick Fury, Silver Surfer, the 3 Skrulls,
Sub-mariner, Thor, the Two-Gun Kid, & Wolverine. . .

Finally, I had the makings of an extremely interesting mini-series.  What on earth would I call it?  These were stories unknown to the superhero world at large, so in a sense, they were considered "confidential".  These stories revealed the influences that some characters had on others, and when one plus one added to six in my head, I came up with. . . MARVEL INFLUENTIAL!
    A "top-secret" sort of logo popped up in my version of the title, slapped over the top of the cover, and that was the entire birthing process.  Below is the summaries of each issue's plotline, along with personal comic artist choices. . .

Issue #1:  Captain America/Spiderman(Peter Parker)/
                 Uncle Ben Parker
                 (John Byrne - my choice was inspired by his
                                         classic work in Cap #255)

    A twelve year old Peter Parker has a conflict w/ Aunt May about doing his chores when Uncle Ben already volunteered to do them for him so Peter could hang out w/ some friends.  Several hours after finishing those chores, Uncle Ben sits a dejected Peter down to explain that he had forgotten that a previous appointment at the dentist had made it impossible for him to assume Peter's chores.  Young Peter didn't understand what the big deal was about the chores anyway, so Uncle Ben goes for a walk w/ Peter to tell him about the time he helped out Captain America in WWII. . .

    Ben Parker, a private serving his country in Europe, is arguing w/ his fellow soldiers about the abilities of a certain Captain America that has recently taken the spotlight in the war effort; while everyone else agrees that Cap could probably win the war all by himself, Ben insists that Cap is still a man, granted he's like ten men, and like every man, is simply doing his part to win the war, just like all of them.  Later that week, Ben & the rest of the platoon are being sent into a ravaged French village in hopes to aid the locals in their struggle w/ the Nazi squadrons that are overrunning them.  During their march, Ben's comrades joke about how the army ought to just send in Cap to clean all this up so they could all finally go home.  Minutes later, the entire platoon is ambushed & captured by a heavily armed squad of Nazis.  As the Nazis are deciding what to do w/ them, one of Ben's fellows makes a wisecrack about what Cap will do when he catches up w/ Hitler.  That incites a Nazi soldier to severely beat the arrogant prisoner.  Just as Ben is about to intercede, Captain America's shield knocks out the cruel Nazi.  Cap bounds onto the scene in  a flurry of fists & feet, sending the Nazis into a defensive frenzy.  Nazi reinforcements show up as Cap is trying to free Ben & company, which now overwhelms him.  Cap yells for the American soldiers to help him, but they are too intimidated by the increased odds to join in Cap's struggle.  Only Ben attempts to aid cap, but is quickly knocked out by a well-armed Nazi.
    Later that evening, as the Nazis gloat over the trophy of Cap's shield, Cap, along w/ the other interned prisoners, discuss about an escape plan.  As Cap tires to formulate a joint effort, the others, except for Ben, insist that they don't want to end up like the soldier that was severely beaten.  They think that Cap can get away to find some Ally reinforcements.  Cap tells them that he overheard some Nazi soldiers discussing their plans to take all the prisoners to a permanent intern camp, now that Captain America is among those prisoners.  An argument ensues among the prisoners & Cap until Ben Parker finally steps in, scolding his fellow comrades for not bucking up to take responsibility for themselves.  He reminds them that Cap is only one man, and the Nazis definitely have him outnumbered, though if they all acted in concert, freedom could be theirs.  At that moment, an armed escort comes to get Cap.  after that group, w/ Cap, leaves, another escort of more, yet lighter-armed, Nazis arrive to herd the American soldiers to an awaiting truck to be taken to the interment camp.  Ben is just about to be pushed into the back of the truck when a Nazi soldier whizzes past him, head over heels, into the one that was w/ Ben.  A rallying roar of defiance comes from several yards away, and it is Ben who grabs a dropped firearm while making a dash for a nearby machine gun nest.  Amidst gunfire, Ben manages to reach the nest & overpower the Nazi inside; it turned out that his comrades had finally joined the fray just in time to allow Ben to reach the nest.  Now heavily armed himself, Ben provides enough cover fire for Cap to regain his shield.  The rest of the combat ends w/ Cap, Ben, & the other prisoners eventually overpowering the Nazis just in time for Ally reinforcements to help finish the job.
    Later, Cap is sitting w/ Ben & company at a table, safely in an Ally camp.  He thanks the entire group for their heroism, especially Private Benjamin Parker.  Ben adds that he was only doing his part, and that as an American soldier, it's his as much his responsibility as the next guy, even Cap, to end this war as soon as possible, because no one else is going to do it for them.

    A very awed Peter Parker gives Uncle Ben a big hug, thanking him for being such a good uncle, and promises that he, too, will do his part from now on, no matter what. . .

   I realize that the ending is pretty darned sappy, but the action w/ Cap & Uncle Ben was a cool concept, so I gave it another shot.  I consider this first story my best, as it has the most classic Marvel feel.
    This next issue outline has few details, as I didn't want to lose myself in the intensity of the "Bond"
effect. . .

Issue #2:  Nick Fury/Thor(Don Blake)/Loki/
                  the Enchantress
          (Jim Steranko - is there really any other choice?)

    A recent post graduate Donald Blake mysteriously wins a trip to Rome.  While there, he meets a young European couple on their honeymoon (who also happen to be foreign operatives involved in a simple undercover stakeout).      
    The target of their stakeout photographs Blake conversing w/ the "honeymooners", so the assumption arises that Blake is also an agent.  Blake, having become mixed in this mission, must save himself.  During his somewhat "Bond-like" adventure, he is rescued by Nick Fury, but not before he sustains a permanent injury to his leg, leaving him lame.  At the end of the story, it's revealed that the "honeymooners" were actually Loki & the Enchantress in disguise, hoping to indirectly dissuade Blake from ever venturing overseas again (so as to never play through the chain of events that brings about the origin, as we know it, of the mighty Thor).  At the end of the story, it is Nick Fury, sitting at a desk, reading an old dossier, and then it is Loki, looking into a mirror, watching Nick Fury. . .

   As I had said, that summary was devoid of great detail.  I really didn't want to make it so lengthy until the final story is written.  It has the potential of becoming an incredible story, given the right "fleshing out".
    The next idea was inspired by all those fun science adventures that usually appear in F.F. comics.

Issue #3:  Mr. Fantastic(Reed Richards)/Henry Pym
                 (Giant-man)/Beast(Henry McCoy)/
                  the three Skrulls(from F.F. #2 - 1st series)
                 (Paul Ryan would do well here. . .)

    At a national student science competition in Washington D.C., youngsters Reed Richards, Henry Pym, & Henry McCoy vie for the same award: a free scholarship to the university of his choice.  Reed's project is on animal genetics, Pym's project is on spaceship construction, and McCoy's project is on atomic densities.  During the competition, an unsuccessful assassination attempt is made on president Eisenhower by a trio of trained assassins.  The would-be killers flee into the exhibition hall where the science competition is taking place.
    Within the hall, the three semi-final students are on stage, awaiting the decision of the judges as to the winner.  At that moment, the the three gunmen storm the stage, taking the not yet famous students hostage.  As a standoff ensues between our federal agents & the three gunmen, one of them is wounded.  Pym notices that the colors of that man's clothing is actually changing it's texture & size, albiet gradually.  Reed discovers a small, metallic device that looks like a minute radio device in the coat pocket of another of the men.  McCoy, having stood by the wounded man, had accidentally gotten a bit of the man's blood on his shirt sleeve.  A gas grenade is launched into the hall, allowing McCoy to hide elsewhere in the hall.  Also, in the confusion, Reed takes & hides the device from the one man's pocket.  While in hiding, McCoy checks the blood sample (only because the smear on his sleeve seemingly had a different color & shape than he previously knew).  Finally, Pym uses  several chemicals from other exhibits in an attempt to create a distracting blast, when instead he trips, accidentally causes a rapidly expanding foaming of the amalgam of chemicals that fills up the room, thereby disabling the three gunmen.
    While the gunmen are being led away by federal agents, Reed curiously presses a button on the small device he lifted from the gunman.  At that same moment, a ground tremor occurs that creates enough distracting havoc for the gunmen to escape.  In the near distance, a flying saucer is seen hurtling into the sky toward space.  The students are then inspired to change their scientific interests, which will bring about the origins of Mr. Fantastic, Giant-man, & the Beast.  The three gunmen, after going into hiding, curse the meddling humans for sending their only means of leaving earth off to the stars.  The three revert to their true Skrull identities and skulk off into the night. . .

   I know that this particular story would be difficult to publish now, since Marvel has made their characters "younger" by advancing their origins from the 60's into the 90's.  I still love this plot, though, as it has the kitschy feel of those old Silver age stories I grew up on.
    This next summary is a product of what can happen when you mix the most unlikely cast of characters possible (if only Willie Lumpkin the mailman could've made a cameo, huh?). . .

Issue #4:  Wolverine(Logan)/Bloodstone/
                  the Two-Gun Kid/the Ancient One/Cytorrak

    In 1860's California, the Two-Gun Kid is resting discreetly in a bar.  Outside, an elderly asian man is being yelled at by a shopkeeper for trying to enter his store.  The old man is rationally trying to explain that the shopkeeper could only benefit from allowing him in when the shopkeeper takes a swing at him.  The old man defensively counters the attempt, knocking him down.  Then the old man stares at the "Kid", who is sitting near the window until the shopkeeper yells for help, claiming that the old man attacked him, though the "Kid" knew otherwise.  He then comes to the old man's defense, but it backfires when the local (bigoted) deputy decides to arrest both the old man & the "Kid".  Both of them elude the law by escaping into the nearby woods.
    The old man tells the "Kid" that he needs his help in meeting a tracker named Logan.  This Logan supposedly is part of the key to finding a rare crimson jewel.  The "Kid" decides to help the old man sneak into the Chinese part of town, where they can hide while the old man waits for Logan to arrive in town.  While the two stay with a Chinese family, the deputy, along with what appears to be many other "volunteer" deputies, ransacks the Chinese neighborhood to find the two "outlaws".  The "Kid" defends the neighborhood in a gunfight while the old man flees into the woods.
    While the "Kid" is in jail, he notices that the sherrif isn't ever there.  The next day, the "Kid" is being prepared for execution when the old man & Logan the tracker arrive just in time to save him.  As they are escaping the deputies, the sherrif rides up into town with the crimson jewel imbedded on the top of his shooting hand.  Suddenly, the sherrif begins firing red bolts of force from his fingertips at the threesome.  The old man saves the "Kid" from a fatal shot by erecting a force shield of his own.  The "Kid" is momentarily shocked until he realizes that the deputies have started firing on them, so he takes them on while the old man & Logan battle the "possessed" sherrif.  The sherrif's relentless assault focuses on Logan, who appears to have been mortally wounded.  The old man then becomes forced to reveal himself as the Ancient One, sorcerer supreme, so he could use his full range of abilities to defeat the sherrif, who is told that he has been possessed by the power of a being called Cytorrak, who is imprisoned in the crimson jewel.
    After an epic battle between the sherrif and the Ancient One & Logan, the Sherrif is defeated when the Ancient One sends his and Logan's ethereal selves into the jewel to stop Cytorrak's power by sacrificing a portion of their own souls to bind Cytorrk's essence permanently within the gem.
    After the battle is over, the Ancient One tells Logan that he believes most of his eternal essence has found its way into Logan during the battle within the jewel.  The "Kid", after facing off all the deputies, is hypnotized (as well as the entire town's populace) by the Ancient One, so as to have never remembered the day's events.  Logan then heads off into the woods to wherever.
    In an afterword, the Ancient One muses over the realization that now he will not live forever as the mysterious traveller named Bloodstone once promised him hundreds of years ago (before he became the Ancient One), which now meant that he would someday have to find a suitable heir to the mantle of master of the mystic arts...

    As odd as that story was, it did showcase the pre-Wolverine Logan that once appeared in "Marvel Comics Presents".  While I'm at it, isn't seeing the Ancient One in action kind of neat?  The Two-Gun Kid doesn't get enough print time either, as far as I'm concerned.
    Now this last story idea is seemingly far-fetched.  Anything with DareDevil & Galactus would have to be, right?  Just try to envision the storytelling style of the classic Arabian Nights. . .

Issue #3:  Daredevil(Matt Murdock)/Sub-Mariner/
                 Silver Surfer/Galactus/Knight of Wundagore
             (Gene Colan. . . one can always dream, can't one?)

    In a moment of reflection after failing to prevent a robbery, a young red & yellow clad Daredevil recalls an extremely unusual memory from his childhood.  The flashback takes place in an alley, where he was caught playing hooky (on a dare from the other kids at school) by a homeless man (who was the amnesiac Namor, the Sub-Mariner).  The man promised not to turn young Matt in as long as he would sit with him for a while, so Matt stayed to listen as the man told him a story...

    In this story, a prince (Namor) from a far away kingdom was touring the edges of his homeland so as  to know every square foot of it, for if a king did not know his land, then he could not properly rule it (this was what the royal vizier told him).  When the prince discovered a small valley during his travels, he entered it to further discover a strange looking man that seemed to have an animal's head instead of a normal one (a Knight of Wundagore) lying under a large bush.  Next to the sleeping fellow was a silver horse that peacefully sat next to him.  Upon seeing this weird site, the prince attempted to wake the man, but the odd-looking man would not wake.  The prince then decide that such an irresponsible man, no matter how unusual, did not deserve to have such a splendidly colored steed; however, when the prince mounted the sterling steed, it suddenly flew into the sky.  No matter what the prince tried to do, the amazing horse climbed higher & higher until the sky turned black, whereupon the prince fell unconscious.
    When he awoke, he was inside of what must have been a most glorious palace unlike any he had ever seen before.  Before the waking prince stood another strange looking man.  This man (a herald previous to the Silver Surfer) looked toward an immense door, pointing to it.  The prince stood, walked to the door, & entered a chamber where an enormous man wearing a suit of purple armor & similarly colored helmet (Galactus) sat wearily, as if near death.  A booming voice spoke into the prince's head, asking him where he hailed from.  The prince was in such awe of this being that he could not answer the question.  The giant of a man then fainted & fell to the floor, causing a horrible noise.  The door burst open, & the strange looking man leapt into the room like a maddened beast, pouncing upon the prince.  A battle ensued that would have raged the heavens, for as powerful a warrior as the prince was, so was the strange looking man.  Both combatants eventually stopped, for they were too evenly matched.  The strange looking man then pointed at the prince with such a stare as to cause the prince to fall unconscious once again.  Then when the prince awakened once again in a different place, it was on a cliff overlooking his own kingdom.  A voice then appeared in the prince's head, telling him that because of his actions, the master of his home had to go elsewhere instead of pillaging the prince's kingdom.  The prince then went home to his own palace, proud of his actions that day.
    Young Matt didn't immediately understand the point of the story, but he did notice that while the story was being told, the homeless man seemed to look not quite as sullen or weak as he thought a homeless person ought to.  From that moment on, he realized that even adults admired & needed heroes. . .

    I fully understand that these stories cannot necessarily take place in the post 90's Marvel universe.  Any fan of the classic Marvel universe, however, will hopefully enjoy the ideas I've presented here, & if you desire an entire story from any of these ideas, please let me  know, okay?  Thanks for reading. . .

- Mr. Bill

entry #2:  01-16-01

    In much of this web site, Doc has been thanking me for my help.  It is actually myself who should be thanking him for urging me to finish this idea for a Dr. Thirteen story that I started dreaming up back in `96 when I was helping run a comics/sports shop called the Lower Deck in downtown Chicago.  Back then, the Vertigo imprint was still recovering from the loss of Sandman as an ongoing title, though Preacher was coming into its own as a comic book cult power.
    I came up with the idea of reviving the good doctor after reading some copies of  DC's “Ghosts” in a quarter bin somewhere else.  I wondered how a character like this was thought up, so I asked around the local comics community & discovered that this guy has been around since the days of the original “Star Spangled Comics”!
    After acquiring every appearance, I wondered what he would be like today (`96).  I figured that Dr. Terrence Thirteen would finally have married his girlfriend Marie Leeds & probably had a kid who would at this point be a young adult.  I named him Derek, then divorced the couple, putting Marie overseas.  It was then a simple task (or so I thought) of putting together a story where a classic mystery, action adventure, & DC history met for a lunch date that I called “THIRTEEN DAYS”.  I'm not certain if that will remain the title, but so far I've liked the sound of it, so what the heck.
    You may notice that the latter half of the summary is more detailed than the former, and that is because the more detailed half was thought of in 2001, not 1996.
    I hope you like this; it's too bad that someone else already did a “13” mini-series, as I think this one could have been much more promising...

  WORKING TITLE: THIRTEEN DAYS...
  
  MAIN PLAYERS: DR. TERRENCE THIRTEEN... a college
                                            professor now living in upstate New
                                            York; is divorced  with one son
                                MARIE LEEDS (THIRTEEN)... former wife of   
                                               the doctor; (not in this story) is an
                                               art museum curator in Chicago; is
                                               presently in France visiting her
                                               mother
                               DEREK THIRTEEN... son of TERRENCE &
                                                MARIE; has recently graduated from
                                                a local college in Chicago; is
                                                presently working in a local
                                                production agency as a film editor
                                                assistant
                               RITA KEELS... a female trucker that helps
                                                           DR. THIRTEEN find his son
                                  DR. DOUGLAS “MAD DOG” MADISON...
                                           an old friend of DR. THIRTEEN; he
                                           helps him briefly
                               POUL... a diminutive native Haitian; he
                                               serves as DR. THIRTEEN'S guide in
                                               Haiti
                                 (VOODOO PRIESTESS)... the grandmother
                                                       of Poul's friend; helps Thirteen
                                                       greatly later on
                                  (DRUG LORD)... the source of Thirteen &  
                                                                  Derek's problems
  
  COLD PLOT LINE: Dr. Thirteen is having his birthday alone in N.Y. until the Phantom Stranger arrives to tell him that his son, Derek, is in danger; Thirteen immediately leaves for Chicago, where  Derek works & lives; Derek is trying to work out his professional & personal life when he accidentally encounters thieves at an art museum; the thieves try to murder him, but he survives; en route to Chicago, Thirteen is attacked by a mystery man on the highway, where Thirteen is run off the road & shot during a struggle w/ the mystery man; Thirteen escapes the mystery man & hops a passing freight train; Thirteen arrives in Portage, Indiana, where he meets  up w/ a trucker woman named Rita; Rita drives Thirteen to Chicago after she decides to believe his story; Derek decides to find the art thieves after discovering that the thieves only stole a few voodoo “pieces”; he finds that the pieces were actually tools of an ancient blood rite of power; Thirteen & Rita arrive in Chicago, where they are followed & chased by the mystery man from NY; Derek is heading to his work to borrow some equipment when he discovers & enters in the chase; the police also enter the chase, when the mystery man decides to ditch the cops & leave the chase; after Thirteen explains everything at the police station, he & Derek compare notes & decide to go to Louisiana, where an old friend of Thirteen's, Dr. “mad dog” Madison, may be able to help them; Rita parts company, though she promises to meet them again someday; at the airport in Louisiana, Thirteen is permanently blinded in an attack; Madison arrives in time to save their lives; the three of them track the airport attacker to an antique shop near the swamps; after a brief hospice at Madison's, the three return to the antique shop site to discovered it's been burned down; w/ Derek's help, Thirteen salvages a clue to the next site of investigation - Haiti; Madison cannot go, but he does refer them to a friend in Haiti to contact; after a boat ride to Haiti, the Thirteens meet up w/ their contact, a dwarf en native named Poul who immediately takes them to his favorite kick-boxing joint to speak to a friend that was once an alleged zombie who now runs a restaurant; the Thirteens now know that the art thieves were probably voodoo agents sent to retrieve the artifacts for a blood ritual of some sort; the Thirteens & Poul encounter some local thugs outside the kick-boxing joint, where Poul shows off his street fighting skills; Derek watches as Thirteen begins to see since the attack at the airport; he can see the fight, as well as an armless, battered Haitian man in tattered, bloodied clothes, begging for help; Poul & Derek take Thirteen to a voodoo priestess that happens to be Poul's best friend's grandmother; she determines that Thirteen has been “touched” by the spirit world, allowing him to see & communicate w/ the violently killed; she also tells them that the thieves they seek are of a cult that derives itself from the worship of a “Zombie King”, as well as where to find their temple; Thirteen sinks into a deep depression over the next few days, leaving only Derek & Poul to find the art thieves; while they are away, Thirteen is visited by the voodoo priestess, who tells Thirteen that his rare “gift” was granted to him & should not be squandered; as a ghost of a local villager warns him to duck, bullets riddle Thirteen's room; the voodoo priestess is killed, & as she lays dying, promises that now she can better help Thirteen; later that night, Derek & Poul travel to a small isle near Haiti where the cult resides; after discovering several ancient structures & vicious warning signs, they are captured by an overwhelming number of “zombies”; Poul breaks away, escaping into the jungle; Thirteen winds up at the local police station, where he is visited by the dead priestess; with her help, the blind Thirteen leaves the station & is led to the boat docks to go the same isle where Derek is now a prisoner; Derek is taken to a subterranean cavern & left inside, sealed in; during the trip, the priestess tells Thirteen about the cult's beginnings & history, which involves vampirism & alleged Atlantean blood rituals; Derek is finally taken from the cavern to deep within the jungle where a large villa resides; inside the villa is the 19th century trappings of a major drug lord; Derek meets the master of the house (he is a pale, thin man w/ slicked hair & a pencil thin moustache who is immaculately dressed); Thirteen stumbles through the jungle & happens upon a group of “zombies” as they're taking a break w/ their masks off; they laugh at Thirteen & his blindness; Thirteen surprises them by grabbing an Uzi that lies nearby; He then, at the priestess' suggestion, leads them into the cavern that Derek was being held in & seals them in; Thirteen is then inadvertently jumped by Poul, who was hiding nearby; after Thirteen explains his “gift” to Poul, they head toward the villa's location; the drug lord tells Derek the history of the isle, that once a real zombie cult existed, until the zombies had one day broken the mental hold of their “king” & drove him into the great underworld; the drug lord then takes Derek to the villa's coach house, where secret stairs lead underground to a vast chamber; Thirteen & Poul argue about Poul's abandoning Derek, & that Thirteen would send spirits to forever haunt Poul if they didn't recover Derek alive & unharmed; the drug lord lets Derek know that he will become a permanent resident of the estate, then shows Derek a corridor lined w/ coffins; he then removes one of the lids, revealing a wasted corpse; upon command from the drug lord, the corpse rises from the coffin & secures Derek to shackles on the wall nearby; Thirteen & Poul arrive at the outer perimeter of the villa; Poul vaults the wall while Thirteen finds a few local lost souls to distract the “zombie” guards at the gate; As the guards run off in terror, Thirteen makes his way to the coach house, which is closest to him; Poul enters the main house & proceeds to annihilate everyone hand-to-hand; As the drug lord is about to kill Derek, Thirteen runs in, Uzi ablazing; after the drug lord's personal guards easily subdue Thirteen, he lets Thirteen know that his personal guards are true zombies; Thirteen helplessly watches as the drug lord reveals a set of fangs ready to pierce Derek's jugular vein; Poul suddenly arrives on the scene, battling away at the real zombies; Thirteen, in desperation, rallies the spirits of every dead victim of the drug lord's cruelties; they overwhelm the drug lord to the point where the drug lord bolts for the exit, only to find that Poul stabs him through the heart w/ a stake of wood that Poul was carrying; after undoing Derek's bonds, Poul asks Thirteen how he thought he would stop the drug lord when he was a vampire; Thirteen explains that the drug lord was no vampire & points out the various clues that show that he was only severely anemic, almost constantly needing blood; Thirteen opens the other coffins, revealing cooling units filled w/ bags of blood; he also points out the electrical lines running along the ceiling, yet no conventional electrical devices anywhere; he points out that the room is too cool for it's location, as well as the simple fact that “Vampires don't exist”; The story ends w/ Thirteen & Derek back in Chicago; Thirteen is now simply blind w/out his “gift”, & chosen to live w/ his son, for at least a while; late that night, the Phantom Stranger discreetly visits Thirteen; Thirteen is shocked that he can see him...

 

 

Mr. Bill's Poetry World

The following poems like I said was done when Bill was in college.  The first one inparticulary was a particular favorite of a professor who wrote poetry about the treatment of the Jews doring WWII and when Bill was called to his office Bill thought he was in trouble BUT the professor loved it he said that since Bill didn't live in that era that he had a unique outlook at the situation and thought it  read as an accurate account on how the Natzis thought of the Jews.


REICH THREE, YOU'RE OUT!

Ach, nein, listen here
    What on earth do you have to fear?

               What's some gas between two friends
We're only trying to make meat ends

A heil here, a bombing there
In no time flat, we're out of your air

We're not thugs that kill and fight
We're antibodies on a Paris site

Just turning down all the loud oys
And entertaining the girls and gois

Calling you swine, you've got it all wrong
`S wine that' we's bin (hic) in' too long

Besides, you'll love our master plan
Ever had sex with an Uberman?

The next poem is about a fellow going thru puberty and the adventurs he has. I think you will find it interesting. Anyone out there would like to illustrate it?




FALICE IN WUNDERLAND

PART ONE: HIS STORY

His name is Matthew,  his room is blue
He never goes out,  he has nothing to do

His neighbor comes over,  her name is Pearl
He will not see her,  she is only a girl

He looks at a chair,  he sees a snake
He pinches himself,  he is awake

He stares at the snake,  it is just as he feared
He cannot believe,  the snake has a beard

The snake says “Hey,  little Matt is my name.
Would you sit down?  We can play a game.

Look into my eyes,  look into them deep.
If you feel tired,  please go to sleep.”

He saw the snake's eyes,  they grew very wide
As did his mouth,  where Matt fell inside

Matt slept and awoke,  he became quite confused
His room was now gone,  he was not amused

He found a path,  he decided to walk
He meets a grey crab,  it calls itself “Talk”

He says he is scared,  it says “Never fear.”
He asks where he is,  it answers “Right here.”

Matt wants to leave,  Talk says “Let's go.”
Matt wonders where,  Talk says “I don't know.”

Matt seems to ponder,  why Talk is so small
Talk says “It's dark.”  then says “Don't stall.”


PART TWO: HIS OLD MAN

Matt picks up Talk,  they walk quite a ways
They find a bar,  it's called “Thirty Days”

They go on inside,  there sits a bartender
He is serving a drink,  to a title defender

The men turn their heads,  they both look alike
Joey wears trunks,  the other is Mike

Mike pours a drink,  he gives it to Matt
Joey says “Say, kid,  you know where yer at?”

Matt shrugs his shoulders,  Mike says “It's okay.
The first one's on me,  you don't have to pay.”

Matt takes a drink,  it doesn't taste well
Joey says “Hey, kid,  it's only the smell.”

Matt drinks the rest,  he feels quite warm
Joey takes note of,  the change in Matt's form

“Geez, look at you!”  says Mike in surprise
He points out to Matt,  his increase in size

Matt is just twelve,  now he looks twenty-four
And Talk also grew,  he was put on the floor

Joey says “Hey, kid,  let's see how ya handle.
Let's see how ya fight.  Put me out like a candle.”

Matt shakes his head,  Talk says “Go ahead.”
Matt puts on gloves,  Mike says “Yer dead.”

Matt climbs in the ring,  Joey knocks him out
“He ain't no man!”  the twins laugh and shout



PART THREE: HIS NEW TOY

Matt wakes at dawn,  he feels quite sore
He does not remember,  his fight from before

Talk says “Hey Matt,  why not stand up?
You must be hungry.  We never did sup.”

Matt tries his body,  it felt so heavy
What luck, they found,  a convertible Chevy

They enter the car,  to drive it was easy
Matt though it fun,  a voice says “You're sleazy!”

Matt was confused,  he then saw a fish
It says “I will do  whatever you wish.”

Matt looks with glee,  he wants to go home
Talk blurts out quickly  “Let's hear a poem.”

The fish starts her story  “This is so grand.
This is the tale  of a wonderful land.

A world full of flowers,  a world full of bees,
A world where the birds  do as they please.

The flowers hung out  in a place called the “Grove”.
The bees would cruise up  in the Buicks they drove.

The flowers and bees  would then get together.
They would do magic  on old car seat leather.

The birds always watched  for mystical passion.
If they found bees,  their brains they would bash in.”

When the story was done,  the fish disappeared
Matt only cared,  for the city they neared



PART FOUR: HIS DISCOVERY

Matt drives into town,  it's really quite big
Talk says “Don't you  feel like a twig?”

“I'm sure that next  to buildings I'm small,”
But Matt adds “yet,  I still feel tall.”

They stop at a club,  they go on inside
The place is called,  “Somewhere to Hide”

Matt gets a beer,  Talk has a scotch
Talk says “This place  smells like a crotch.”

Matt says “Don't worry,  there's nothing to fear.
We'll just look around  while I finish my beer.”

Matt is bumped by,  a cigarette girl
She says “Oh, hi,  my name is Shirl.”

Matt and Shirl talk,  they get along well
Matt asks to dance  Shirl says “That's swell.”

They dance for hours,  they drink just as long
Talk sees them kiss,  “Here's where it goes wrong.”

A small man in plaid,  approaches the two
“You're fired, Shirl!  Now as for you...

I'll kick your butt,  I'll beat your head,
I'll make you wish  that you were dead!”

The man in plaid grows,  he bursts from his clothes
His skin is plaid, too,  from his head to his toes

The plaid man is coming,  Matt sees his eyes
When plaid man arrives,  Matt starts to rise



PART FIVE: HIS REPUTATION

The plaid man plans,  to break Matt's neck
Talk grabs a glass,  and says “What the heck.”

Talk pours a shot,  Matt drinks it quick
Matt drops the glass,  his head feels thick

Matt seems to vanish,  the plaid man is lost
Matt has been saved,  but what was the cost

Talk says “You shrank  away from your fears.
Give courage a try,  and see what appears.”

Matt sees a foot,  as big as a house
He has become,  as small as a mouse

The plaid man stomps,  to snuff out Matt's life
Plaid man yells “This  is for kissing my wife!”

Now Matt was mad,  he felt so abused
He wanted revenge,  for being so used

His anger caused him,  to become gigantic
He tore off the roof,  the patrons were frantic

He grabbed the plaid man,  he screamed in a fury
He dropped the plaid man,  who left in a hurry

Matt shrank to normal,  but Talk grew a bit
They got in in their car,  it was a snug fit

Talk says “I'm proud.  You kept your cool.
You didn't freak out  like plaid psycho-fool.”

Matt was quite happy,  he did the right thing
They drove down the road,  they started to sing



PART SIX:  HIS HUMANITY

Matt and Talk drive,  across a blue field
Talk says “Beware  of the power you wield.”

Matt turns and shrugs,  in his confusion
Talk turns and says,  simply “Illusion.”

They pass a hill,  the grass is so green
Matt looks around,  for things to be seen

They spot a turtle,  atop the next rise
As they come closer,  it grows large in size

It turns to the pair,  its shell opens up
A man made of steel,  jumps out and yells “Hup!”

Matt asks his name,  He answers “I can't.”
The steel man says  “My code word is A.N.T.”

Talk hops around,  Matt wonders why
Until he spies,  the mice in the sky

A.N.T. says “That is  our own R.A.T. patrol.
They scour the air  to draw out the M.O.L.E.”

Matt is bewildered,  by what A.N.T. has said
Before Matt can speak,  A.N.T.  says “Are you dead?”

Matt answers “No,  I'm not dead at all.”
Talk yells “Look out!”  as mice start to fall

Some mice land on Matt,  they start to excrete
They finish and drop,  Matt looks like concrete

Talk calls to Matt,  who does not turn back
Instead he runs to the shouts of “Attack!”



PART SEVEN: HIS INHUMANITY

Talk tries to follow,  the ground starts to quake
He can't leave the car,  It won't stop its shake

The sky becomes dark,  but Talk doesn't care
He only knows he,  must get out of there

Talk starts to grow,  larger and more
So fast that he bursts,  right out the door

Talk chases Matt,  to a brown tortoise
Matt ran as if,  he had rigor mortis

Matt opened the shell,  he climbed up inside
The turtle turned back,  to pummel Talk's hide

The reptile and Talk,  their fight was so fierce
Talk then raised his claw,  the head he did pierce

Talk tore off the shell,  he took Matt out fast
Talk hoped that his luck,  continued to last

Matt was a stone,  statue so still
Talk yelled “You must  use your full will!”

The statue shook,  then fell down hard
A crack appeared,  broke off a shard

The statue split,  Matt was within
Talk picked up Matt,  brushed clean his skin

Matt shook his fists,  they became guns
He shot the A.N.T.s,  down by the tons

Matt screamed and swore,  spitting out dirt
Matt did not feel,  blood on his shirt



PART EIGHT: HIS SENSES

Matt was possessed,  he knew not his acts
Fury he spent,  regardless of facts

Talk tried to stop,  the violent outpour
Matt then shot Talk,  his flesh he did score

Talk fell in a hole,  that went without end
Matt then realized,  the death of his friend

Matt was so sad,  he wept many tears
He did not want,  to hide from his fears

Matt saw a flame,  he walked to the light
He held out his arms,  he did what seemed right

He saw the guns,  they melted away
Darkness had gone,  to let in the day

Matt pulled away,  to extinguish an arm
He was amazed that,  he suffered no harm

His hands were okay,  the fire died down
Matt looked at the hole,  and began to frown

He wanted to leave,  this outlandish place
Mat jumped in the hole,  into outer space

Bright were the stars,  guiding Matt's route
It was not hard,  finding his out

Matt found a door,  and opened it wide
Excitement then hit,  his room was inside

Matt was now home,  that he was sure
He won't forget,  the mystery tour



PART NINE: HIS OWN

Matt took some time,  to look at his room
He could not go,  it felt like a womb

Matt checked the closet,  to see what was there
He turned on the lights,  he pulled up a chair

He went through his clothes,  peered over the shelf
He saw his plaid shirts,  and thought to himself

“I could not help but  remember him well.
Talk taught me how  to think past my shell.”

Matt would not once,  wear such a thing
Ideas he now,  would not so cling

He put on the shirt,  and went to his dad
Who says “Oh, hi son.  You came down. I'm glad.

Let's go outside.  I want to ask you.
What do you think?  A Chevy that's new!”

Matt thinks its cool,  a convertible car
Dad wants to drive,  with me someplace far

Matt asks to wait,  for just half an hour
He must see Pearl,  because he was sour

Matt then finds Pearl,  sitting alone
He asks her if,  she'll share a cone

Pearl is confused,  but suddenly smiles
They ride with Matt's dad,  for twenty-one miles

Dad and a Chevy,  a girl and ice cream
The life of a boy,  his toys and his dream.


This one I liked because it called to me in a way that i felt "yeah I know where this person is coming from." It has a lot of anger and frustration that reflects how people are today in our society. I hope Bill gives us more of these.

                            ZINC CARIBOU

I've spent my many days of rage
in the halls of the wilderness zoo

watching the pitiful gathering of beasts
pace the floors and perch on plastic

(Why must people do such things?)

I can't face the deadly anaconda
while it's encased in safety glass

some awesome task it must become
to confront a tranquilized ape

tears have been shed for the spirits
of eagles and leopards so broken

even their prides have been twisted aside
by useless toys of prey

lizards don't laugh at snake-hide train rides
though zebras have cried near the awnings

even the statues along the path
shall spite them until they die

(So much evil from the hands of man)

I've seen that path of earthly woe
the harbor of greatest jokes

it hosts a small cerebral sight
of steel magnolias and zinc caribou

(Look close for the soldering tears)

Try as I do to see nature's way
it only comes up as metal and rue

visions appear before my eyes
looking toward concrete jungles

Who would watch the deadly slinky?
Why fend off the Bengal paper shredder?

Close down the zoo and put up a mall
It's just as exciting and free

let go the leashes, open the cells
forget this carnivore carnival

melt the caribou where it belongs
to the unknown form of animals

species' survival is tough enough
without our meddling touch

(Go out, look out, it's there in a field
it just might be a caribou)