Issue #1
"The Morbius Project, Part 2"
"The Icon of Ages"
Written by Gary M. Miller
Downtown 2099
The sun was dimming that night. A young man who knows not even his own name,
awakens from his slumber. He rises up quickly from a strange nightmare which he
cannot yet understand--dreams of the night, of a monster, and himself losing
all control. Why he has these dreams will all be clear to him soon. This man,
although he could not be more than sixteen years old considers himself a man,
lifts himself up to walk out of the alley he slept in. He feels at least lucky
to be alive after the recent floods of the area. As he walks towards the dimly
lit evening sky he stumbles over a man sleeping on the ground.
"Watch it ya damn son of a glitch!" the man yells.
The young man known to himself and all who have known him as simply "The
Son" stares at this man laying on the ground.
"What did you say?"
"You heard me you little bastard, watch where the shock you're
walking!"
The Son steps closer to the man. "I thought that's what you said."
And suddenly with a strength that surprises even him, The Son grabs the man and
lifts him off the ground.
"Listen up, don't talk to me that way ever again, or you may not live to
see tomorrow, got it old man?"
The man begins to tremble in fear as he looks into The Son's pupilless eyes,
seeing them change to a blood-red color. "Yeah, yeah I got it please don't
kill me just let me go."
The Son stares at the man, finally dropping him and running out of the alley.
As The Son vanishes from sight the man grabs his things and huddles in a
corner, breathing heavily, convinced he had just seen the devil himself. The
strange eyes, hair everywhere, distorted facial features, long finger nails,
and chalk white skin.
"What kind of shockin' c-creature w-w-was he?" the man stutters.
The Son walked the streets of Downtown, below the newer version of New York, or
Nueva York as some now refer to it. This young man feels nothing but hate and
contempt for the world around him. They have ignored and hated him--so he hates
back. He is a young man with no past, no family, not even a real name to his
recollection. Yet he feels he has a purpose in this world, not as its savior,
but maybe, just perhaps, its ruler. The Son feels he is destined for greatness.
Suddenly his eyes began to ache. He grabs at them with his hands. Dear God the
pain made him want to rip his eyes out, a feeling of stickpins being pushed
into the pupils filled his mind. He was now bent over from the pain, nearly
screaming. Amidst this a woman walks up to him.
"Are you all right? You take some bad drugs man?"
"I'M NOT A DRUGGIE, NOW GET THE SHOCK AWAY FROM ME!!" yells The Son,
and the moment he does he throws his arm in the direction of the woman, hitting
her with such force she actually leaves the ground, landing a good ten feet
from where she had been.
As suddenly as it began the pain in his eyes stopped, and he opened them. To
his amazement he could now see perfectly in the dark!
"How is this possible?" he comments to himself.
And then with great horror he looks over at the woman, lying on the ground. She
is on her back, blood spilling from her head, painting the sidewalk a crimson
color. The Son runs to the woman's side.
"I'm sorry--please, give me a sign that you're alive!"
The woman opens her eyes and looks at The Son, she too thinks him a devilish
creature, his strength, his eyes which are now fully red, and his black
clothes, and hair. She begins to speak to him, though in a weak voice.
"I'll be fine you pusbag, but my friends will kill you."
The Son looks over his shoulder to see a mob coming his way!
**She must belong to one of those damn cliques.** he thinks to himself.
"You pusbag stay right there." yells an approaching attacker.
"Please I didn't mean too, I swear, I don't--"
One of the men jump for The Son. He quickly ducks but another attacker starts
his pursuit. The Son makes a run for a nearby alley but has almost the whole
group following him. They catch him at the alleys end and begin to beat him.
The Sons strength seems to be sapped for now--he cannot fight back, and as
blackness closes in around him, he begins to remember something from long
ago...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sixteen years ago, New York City, the Alchemax Building
From the Holographic Professional Research Journal of Dr. Michael Fielding
Research scientist, governmental test division, Alchemax Industries, Inc. USA
TOP SECRET---EYES ONLY
Date: June 15, 2083 (03:21)
Re: The Morbius Project (N-OS-4A2)
"Due to the subject's surprising development I have decided to do
something no one but I shall know about. I am taking four of the test subjects
and subjecting them to a drug of my own design, called V-X1.0. It is the first
and only version of said drug. I derived it from my knowledge of Michael
Morbius's condition. I hope that if these creatures are suffering from a
condition similar to that of Morbius I may at least be able to make them more
like him, that way I will be able to know more about how they will develop, and
maybe eventually cure them. So tonight I begin the treatment on four different
subjects. I should know the results within a week...."
Date: June 22, 2083 (02:30)
Re: The Morbius Project (N-OS-4A2)
"I fear I have been found out and it will all come to an end today. I'm
afraid the subjects to whom I gave the V-X1.0 may be doomed. Two of them were
dead when I came in today. The other two seem all right but it is unknown what
manner of changes will occur in them. I noticed one of their changes earlier,
though. When I came into the lab it was dark, yet I saw two red eyes staring at
me. I believe one of the subjects is developing night vision, though I cannot
be sure. Unfortunately V-X1.0 is not full-proof, the changes may not actually
take full effect for many years. I fear I have condemned these creatures once
again! If only I had more time to study the V-X drug and perfect it for
immediate change! Alas I fear the end is near. I shall await its coming."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Son wakes up in the alley. It is now day and he remembers little after the
mob started hitting him. But he does remember parts of his dreams, parts that
reveal that tests were performed upon him at some time--when he was very
little, maybe less than a year old. Then he remembers the weird things that
occurred last night--the augmented strength he seemed to have, the pain in his
eyes which cleared his vision in the blackness of night.
It all comes together for The Son and his first reaction is of course fear:
that, and rage...
"WHAT THE SHOCK AM I?" he yells.
The Son had always felt that he was destined for something great. Perhaps now
Fate had started him on the path toward that destiny.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was the next day and Tyler Stone was sitting at home, being the piece of
human trash that he is. Tyler's vidphone rings and he accepts the call. A
ghoulish smile comes to his lips when he sees who the caller is, a smile he
quickly hides from the man on the other end. The man on the screen is fairly
young, perhaps in his thirties, with dark hair and a mustache, and wearing a
brown business suit.
"Mr. Stone, this is Mr. Larmer from the Drekk Corporation, have you give
any thought to our earlier offer?"
Stone stays silent for a moment then says--
"Yes, yes I have. I believe I shall accept your offer, Mr. Larmer. Call me
back later this week and we'll set something up."
"No problem sir, and welcome aboard Drekk."
The screen fades to black and Tyler's restored grin widens even more.
"You thought you could take it all away from me Mike. Now we'll see who
has the last laugh." And with that an insane laughter fills the room.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Downtown-
It was night again, and the alley was decimated. The Son's first reaction to
his situation was to destroy. His "mother" always told him not to
talk with anyone, that this was an uncaring world. If only she knew just how
uncaring it would be for The Son.
"What am I going to do now, who can I get help from?" asks The Son as
two Downtowners walk into the alley. Immediately something, an instinct,
triggers an response in him, like a jack-in-the-box popping open to reveal a
new treasure. He knows these men have drugs in their systems! The Son walks
closer to the men to see if he can tell whether or not they are high. The
closer he comes, though, the worse a feeling he gets, as if this is a
particularly unpleasant drug.
"What the shock are you....AAAHHHH!" One of the men screams out in
pain as he falls to the ground. As he does his body twists and contorts wildly.
A whitish foam mixed with blood starts to spew from his mouth. Within seconds
he is dead.
"What the shock are you guys on?" asks The Son.
But the other one is lost in a world of illusions.
Again the Son acts on impulse. Seeing as he is not getting through to the man,
he decides he needs to find a place to sleep and leaves the strange man behind,
after all he remembers vividly what happened last night--as though he could
forget!!
As he leaves, though, something happens. The man he left behind also falls to
the ground, his body beginning to twist and change until he rises back up to
his feet. Taller and stronger than he was before, the man stares into the night
with red eyes. As he opens his mouth he reveals a rows of sharp teeth, and
makes an animal like scream before he runs off into the night.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Son walks the streets looking for a place of salvation. He notices an old
church kind of building in the distance. As he gets closer he can see it is
run-down, and he doubts there is anyone living there- "Church. Heh. I
wonder, can I even walk into a church now after last night? I don't even know
what I am anymore." But The Son decides another night on the cold-damp
Downtown streets is not worth it, so he enters the church. As he walks in he
sees the brightly colored stained-glass windows and the rows of pews that have
not been used in years. As The Son reaches the last row he sits down. And just
when he thought his life would be peaceful for at least one night he is greeted
with a smack to his head, and a woman's voice-
"I know what you are, creature, now get the shock out!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The newly born creature stalks the night streets looking for a purpose or a
"victim" to exact its revenge upon. Its mind is a jumble of
thoughts--knowing not who he is or how he has become what he is. He just is, at
least in his own mind. He runs at an amazing speed, a speed which defies a mere
normal human. Suddenly he thinks he sees a figure in the shadows watching him.
He turns to look, but his momentum carries him headlong into a wall. This
creature does not hit the wall though he actually phases through it! This act
seems completely surprising to him as well as to his silent stalker.
"Naughty, naughty," says the stalker, "I see they finally put
this out on the street. Well this will simply not do. I must find him and tell
him." And with that the creature's silent stalker disappears just as the
creature itself makes yet another discovery. It comes across a severed power
cable still flowing with electrical energy. The creature seems to have an
uncontrollable urge to pick up the cable. He does so and slowly but surely
absorbs its power, making him stronger than ever.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"What the shock do you mean?" cries out the son as he sees the figure
of a black woman. She approaches ever closer with a weapon of some sort in her
hand.
"I said, I know who you are, and what you're here for! Now leave or die,
MONSTER!!!"
**She called me monster, but how would she know about my changes?** thinks The
Son. He sits up and the woman jumps back a step, and begins to yell again--
"One would think you'd be smarter than this, attacking someone who has met
Marie Laveau! I know quite well of the Vampire!"
The Son is alarmed at this remark he knows he is different, and that he is
changing--but becoming a Vampire? Could it be possible?
"Vampire," The Son says. "I assure you I am not a Vampire. I was
just looking for a place to crash at for the night. Please don't try to fight
with me-- I don't know what I could do."
The woman walks closer and seems calmer as if she has sensed something new
about him.
"Yes, you tell the truth young one, but you are different than those I
have encountered before, quite different. You know not what you are, or will
become, do you?"
"Lady, I have no shockin' idea what you are talking about!" comments
The Son.
"Please, you call me Le'Osha, it is my name." She walks closer to The
Son now and sits near him.
"What are you doing in here?" asks The Son.
"Why, boy, this is my church, I am a voodoo priestess, I know its not the
best place but it was all I could find in this area.
"Oh, I have neglected to ask, do you have a name? asks Le'Osha.
"People just call me The Son, I don't know what my real name is. How did
you know about my changes?"
Le'Osha now moves yet closer to The Son, proving to him she no longer fears
him, though deep down she knows he could probably kill her quite easily even in
this state, for he has only begun to change!
"As I said I have met the famed voodoo priestess Marie Laveau before. She
drank the blood of the Vampire to stay young and beautiful. I have learned the
ways of the Vampire and how to sense them around me, and trust me, young one,
you are to become a Vampire."
The Son suddenly loses all expression on his face, and replies in a slow almost
crying voice-
"But how is this possible, there are no supernatural events anymore, how
come I'm the only one, how did I get this way?"
"I fear you are not the only one, for recently I have sensed one other and
he stalks the night as we speak."
The Son suddenly regains his composure and an expression of determination comes
across his face.
"Maybe--"
"You think he has the answers you seek? I'm afraid not, but you will
confront him--and, I believe, soon.
"As for your answers I think you will also get those soon, but from a most
unexpected source. I'm sorry but this is all too much. I must leave. Please
come back, when you are done. I can be a friend, I can try and help you learn
about yourself, and your powers, and how to control them."
"I'll think about it, but thank you, Le'Osha. You are probably the nicest
person I've ever known."
As he finishes his sentence The Son walks out the doors, taking a second to
look back at Le'Osha, then putting his mind to the task at hand. Finding this
"other one", and the people who made him what he is becoming, and
when he finds them, there will be Hell itself to pay!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The creature has found its prey. He watches as a woman no more than maybe
twenty-five stumbles down the street, obviously drunk. As a matter of fact this
creature seems to know that the woman is drunk, like a sense! Realizing she
will be easy prey, the creature lunges for her. The electrical energy was nice
and sustained him for almost an hour, but now he feels he needs something
else--blood!
Landing on the woman he knocks her down, she turns and looks at this demonlike
monstrosity, and begins to scream and flail about wildly on the ground. But
this is a hopeless effort, as the creature crushes her windpipe with his hands,
then proceeds to start sucking her blood, using the animal like rows of long
fags he has grown. He finishes his meal and again feels he is being watched by
someone, someone clever enough to escape his detection--but who?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As The Son walks he begins to feel strange again. Fear shoots through him as he
suspects, no, knows more changes are coming. Again his eyes begin to stab to
the very roots of his brain, but somehow the pain is lees than it was the night
before. Again his eyes turn a blood red, and again when he opens them he sees
perfectly in the night air. He also feels a pulse of strength surge through
him, and notices something new--his teeth hurt! He feels them to see they are
starting to get longer, the gums are shrivelling up a little but at least they
aren't full- fledged fangs. And again the thought hits him.
"Le'Osha was right! I am becoming a Vampire!
"Shock it! Why does this have to happen to me? I should make the whole
world pay for this mistake!"
But The Son's train of thought is disrupted by a sudden scream piercing through
the night air. He looks down a street to see a silent figure watching
something. The Son runs toward the figure but to his surprise there is only a
cat perched in its spot. But the sight out in the street is much more grisly.
A creature--"God, " The Son thinks, "he almost looks like
me"--is on a woman's corpse at her throat, and he sees blood trickling
down onto the ground. Quickly the creature turns its head to reveal rows of
blood- covered fangs, almost seeming to sense that The Son is there. Then
without warning the creature leaps for The Son, knocking him to the ground. He
struggles against the creatures might, but seems over- powered. But he notices
something about this creature. He notices that same feeling that this thing has
a drug in its system, and he just knows its the same drug he felt earlier! All
at once he realizes who this creature is--or was.
"Shock, you're that man in the alley, that drug did this to you didn't it?
"WHO THE SHOCK GAVE YOU THIS DRUG??"
But the creature only wants blood, and does not answer. The Son musters the
strength to kick the creature from his body. He then jets up to face his
attacker, all the while thinking, "Is this what I am to become?" But
he refuses that thought, pushes it down inside him along with all his hatred
for the world and begins the attack. Within one minute it is over, and The Son
is victorious as the creature lay dead, like the other man who went into convulsions
after only landing one punch on The Son, and begins to foam a thick white
liquid then blood. Within seconds of his death the creatures body simply turns
to goo, and dissolves. The Son, now left with more questions than answers,
decides to go back and see Le'Osha again, but before he can reach her someone
else wants to talk to him, a certain someone who even now watches him.
Above, the cat purrs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tyler Stone watches the night sky of New York, wondering what it will look like
from his new office at The Drekk Corporation. He hates sitting in the chair to
which he now feels bound--the one that he had ever since Conchata O'Hara tried
to fatally shoot him, but ended up instead nearly crippling him.
The Drekk Corporation, located in London, is for the ruling Icy Eye what
Stark-Fuji is to Alchemax, but with a twist--The Drekk Corporation is near
total corporate control, and with Tyler as its new director, he plans to make
sure that happens!
"One day Mike will be sorry for his indiscretions against me," Stone
says to himself. But there are more pressing matters right now--Tyler wants to
keep his "nice guy" standing with certain people, and for that he has
a plan.
"Give me a feed to SHIELD Central." Tyler requests of his vid phone.
"SHIELD Central, how may I help you, Mr. Stone?"
"I want to tour The Downtown area to see how much the floods have damaged.
For this I will require an escort of protectors."
"No problem, what time will you be going?"
"Day after tomorrow at dawn."
"Okay Sir, three agents will be by to pick you up."
"Thank You, I'm ever so grateful. Disconnect line feed."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Hello there, I think we should talk."
The Son is amazed as he walks back the way he came and the cat that was sitting
there starts talking to him.
"Oh, don't be scared you're not crazy, although I most certainly am. Hee
hee!" And the cat starts to change and contort until it takes on a
humanoid shape. The form is that of a tall, lanky, green-skinned man with red
eyes and a devilish smile.
"You may call me Halloween Jack!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Son jumps back in fear for a second, then stands tall, ready to attack.
"Oh, looky here the big bad monster wants to get me!! Poor boy, you know
not even what you are, much less will become!" and as Jack finishes his
sentence he starts to laugh an insane cackle, and each giggle makes The Son
angrier until he explodes.
"YOU'RE THE ONE YOU MADE ME THIS WAY, YOU SHOCKIN' BASTARD!"
Jack is taken by surprise by this outburst and jumps, nearly missing The Son's
attack.
"No, no my boy. I didn't make you like this--but I know who did."
The Son stops his attack and peers into Jack's eyes, until Jack feels he is
peering into his very soul. He only speaks one word but for even someone crazy
like Jack it is enough:
"Who?"
It is not the word, but rather the way he says it, in a voice almost inhuman,
and full of rage.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured it out yet my boy, you see about
sixteen years ago a certain corporation did some experiments. You were part of
them. Since then the whole subject has been buried. But now, it's out--even
here in Downtown. You do realize that drug going around is making them all like
you?"
But The Son only says one word again:
"Who?"
Jack is in a playful mood though and does not answer, a mistake he nearly pays
for with his life. The Son grabs at Jack, holding him off the ground by his
throat, with only his right arm.
"Who?"
"Sorry, old chap," Halloween Jack merely reaches his hand to The
Son's, and he is automatically released from his grip. The Son sees him once
again change, back into a cat. "I can't disclose that information. Perhaps
later. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps! But alas, I must go."
We'll meet again," The Son swears. "I'm sure of it."
"As am I, creature, as am I."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It is the next morning and at least these three Downtowners awaken to a drug
urge.
"C'mon man they say its the best," the man at the fore says,
"derived from Rapture itself, only way cheaper!"
"I don't know Chuck, I've heard it does things like..."
"Like get you ripped? C'mon, I'm buying some! You in, Felix?"
Their silent companion simply nods, and the two of them walk off, leaving their
other friend, Bob, behind. Lucky him.
They reach a street corner and approach a raggedly clothed man.
"Hey word is you got some of that new stuff.."
"Yeah I got V-X how much you want?"
"Enough for me and my friend here."
"No prob."
And the two men take the drug from the man's sweaty hands. In turn, they pass the
word along, and those who they tell do so as well, until....
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Le'Osha awakens him. Somehow he stumbled back to her in the night. The answers
he wanted have done nothing but make him feel worse.
"Did you sleep well young one?"
The Son sits up and grasps the cup of water she holds to him. He sips eagerly.
"Yes, at least it wasn't the street I was sleeping on."
Le'Osha moves closer to him, and whispers a question-
"You found your answers, no? "I don't know what I found. Some man
with green skin, red eyes. Called himself Halloween Jack, I think." Then
he stops, slumping down further onto the ground in the church. "Excuse me,
I think I need to rest more. Don't know what's coming over me, but it had
better stop soon. Have... to....rest."
"Of course you do. Your powers are not yet full, you have been
weakened."
The Son escapes to his dreams as he sees Le'Osha leave his side.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The men stand on the street, their drug still making them high. But they are
changing--even more advanced than the first creature, these two sense
something, they sense a competition, and they begin to hunt!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
He wakes late in the night, wondering where Le'Osha might be but figuring she
must be asleep...until he hears it.
A muffled scream.
He looks to the corner to see another creature this time. He is holding
Le'Osha, and there is yet another standing next to him. The creature attacks,
grabbing The Son and throwing him at a wall, but The Son phases through it!
**Shock it, I thought I was dead!!** thinks he.
But The Son only has a moments of relief as the creature also comes through the
wall and lands a punch on his face. He falls back in pain and again feels the
changes coming on--but too late! Yet again he is lifted from the ground only
this time thrown into an old power box. Sparks fly and The Son screams. But the
energy does not kill him so much as feed him! Energized, he runs toward the
creature and punches him in the head with such force that his fist comes out
the other end of his head, brains splattered on his hands.
The Son's next thought is of Le'Osha as he notices the sun starting to rise.
"Funny, I feel fine. Shouldn't I be shockin' scared of you?" he asks
of the sun. He phases back through the wall and runs for the other creature,
who has dropped Le'Osha. The Son concentrates, grabbing hold of the creature
and slinging him into the wall with him. He waits for a minute, watching the
creature's reaction. Obviously, the creature had not been aware of this new
ability, nor prepared for The Son's sudden release from his grip. With a scream
the creature is dead, his body phased solid inside the wall. He walks closer,
and sees the creature melting, smoke rising from it as the rays of the sun
strike it.
"Well, I guess the sun can hurt some of us monsters," he says.
Suddenly, something catches The Son's eyes. He looks and sees three SHIELD
officers standing around someone in a hover-chair, someone he knows he
recognizes...TYLER STONE!
What's going on? I remember... that man... and...something else..."
NOT the present:
"My, you are a foul creature, aren't you?"
"I don't think of them as creatures, Mr. Stone. They are just as human as
we are."
"Are they now? Time will tell if they serve my purpose, won't it,
Fielding?"
The evil grin. He sees it on this man's face. Many years older but still he
recognizes him. He called The Son a monster, though The Son had no idea how he
now knows this. He has only one impulse.
"Stone, its you!!! You're shockin' dead you son of a glitch!"
The Son
pounces.....
0 Comments