Cosmics: Cliffhanger

Finally, Marty had found him.

After all the searching, it was Unicorn - Dr Dynamo's teammate from the Cosmic Knights - who had provided the answer. Marty had checked the Orlando hospital written on the card Unicorn had passed to him and discovered someone on the patient list with the same name as Dr Dynamo's secret identity. It had been a long shot - surely there were dozens of men called Robert Hammond in the state of Florida alone - but, nevertheless, he'd whizzed northwards to check it out.

He hadn't been expecting to meet an old guy in his 80s.

"Hullo Marty. You found me at last, eh?" the frail old man wheezed, as he lay almost hidden within crisp white sheets on the hospital bed. Wires and tubes were festooned about the man, whilst some sort of monitor beeped occasionally next to the bed.

"Doc? Isthatyou?Itcantbeyou!" Kid Kinetic babbled, excitement and suspicion colouring his lightning quick words. He glared at the man in the bed who, to Marty, looked like he was close to the end of his life.

"Kid, kid. Slow down. *cough* I can't tell what you're saying", the old man stuttered, shuffling a little in an attempt to sit up.

Marty squeezed his eyes shut and, with effort, tried to calm down.

"Sorry. It's just I can't believe it's you Doc. Was this what Entropy did to ya? Turned you into an old man?!" This time Marty spoke at a more normal pace, though his words were still a little rushed.

Finally managing to sit up a little, the old man replied with a sad sort of smile.

"Yeah, it's me - in the flesh. Well, what's left of it. And Entropy was sort of responsible for my predicament but not in the way you think". Dr Dynamo stopped for a moment to catch his breath before continuing. "It's a long story".

Kid Kinetic stood there, tapping his foot, waiting for Dr Dynamo  - also known as Bob Hammond to those few who knew his secret identity - to continue. The old man rolled his eyes and took a rattling deep breath.

"Ok, ok. Just give me a moment, it's been a long time", he replied, closing his eyes.

For a moment, Marty thought his old mentor had fallen asleep. However, a second or two later the man in the bed opened his eyes, nodded, coughed weakly and continued. He spoke slowly, his rasping voice strained and peppered with coughs.

"When the villain you know as Entropy and I fought towards the end of last year, the clash somehow ripped a hole in space-time creating a temporal bridge between now and then..."

Dr Dynamo glanced up at Marty and saw the look of confusion on the teen's face. He sighed.

"During the fight, Entropy's chaotic power threw us both back in time. Back to November 1961. I appeared there first, closely followed by Entropy. Our arrival did something though. *cough* Caused some sort of energy fluctuation that rippled outwards".

Dr Dynamo's cough got the better of him at that moment and he paused to let his wheezing, rasping chest settle before continuing.

"Anyway, when we reappeared in '61, we were both disorientated and not sure where or when we were. All we knew was that we were fighting, trying to stop one another. So we continued to fight. *cough* Eventually I halted his attack, although it took a lot of my power. *cough* But just as I hit Entropy with a electro-bolt that should have rendered him unconscious, Entropy disappeared. Though that wouldn't be the last I saw of him".

Again, the old man's cough resurfaced. He struggled to reach for a glass of water on the bedside table, until Marty zipped around the other side of the bed and handed it to him. Dr Dynamo took a sip from the glass before carrying on.

"*cough* Thanks kid. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. Entropy had disappeared again, leaving me there in Miami at the start of the '60s. I soon learned what had happened to me and where, or more importantly when, I was. I also discovered something that really shook me up. *cough* Before my arrival there had never been any other person with cosmic powers. I was the first".

"What do you mean, you were the first?" Kid Kinetic interrupted. "Cosmics have been around for ages!"

"Nah, kid. Read your history books", Dr Dynamo admonished. "Cosmics didn't start appearing until the end of 1961. It was my arrival that started it off, you see? The influx of tachyon particles caused a chrono-atomic reaction that, in turn, released a wave of exotic cosmic rays. *cough* These rays mutated the DNA in some people causing the birth of the Cosmic Age. Entropy and I caused all the cosmic powers".

"You sure, doc? Really?! Wow, that'ssoawesome". Kid Kinetic zipped around the bed, his arms waving in the air as he went. Dr Dynamo simply took another sip of water and sighed.

"Yeah, well. Whatever it was, there was nothing I could do about it. I was stuck in the '60s with no way back. *cough* So I had to live my life as best I could. First, I helped the fledgling cosmics come to terms with their new, and sometimes bizarre, abilities. Then later, I helped set up the first iteration of the Cosmic Knights. All the while I had to get a job, find somewhere to live, and try to adjust to being fifty years in the past".

"So that's it? That's why you're so old?" Marty stopped zooming around and actually stood still for a moment, a look of astonishment on his face.

"It is, kid, yeah", Dr Dynamo rasped. "But there's more and this is important, Marty. Y'see, like I said earlier, that wasn't the last we saw of Entropy. Around 12 years later in 1973, he reappeared in Miami. *cough* He was bigger this time, about twice the size of a regular person, and his chaos energy had mutated him. He went rampaging through downtown Miami causing lots of weird things to happen and, unfortunately killed a couple of people - including the Arachnid's girlfriend. Eventually we stopped him but he went and disappeared on us again *cough*".

He took another glug of water to help his cough and then put the glass back down on the nearby table, his boney hands shaking as he did. When he spoke again, Marty noticed that his mentor seemed somewhat more agitated; worry and concern was etched across his grey, wrinkled face.

"He reappeared in 1986 and, again, his arrival caused a crisis", Dr Dynamo continued. "This time he'd grown even taller; he was now around 50 feet in height, perhaps more. And, he was meaner and more powerful. Like before, a bunch of us tried to stop him but all that happened was that he vanished again. Though not before we'd all caused a lot of damage and quite a few deaths".

Dr Dynamo paused thinking for a moment back to those darker days.

"That event led the way for the Cosmic Powers Registration Act. The government had seen how much damage cosmics could do and so wanted to curtail, or at least control, our actions. Although in hindsight it seemed somewhat harsh, I could understand why they did it. They feared us and what we could do. That's when I retired for good *cough, cough*".

The old man shook his head and slumped a little in his bed. He turned his steel blue eyes away from the past and stared towards Kid Kinetic.

"You know of the last time he reappeared", Dr Dynamo finally stated, somewhat enigmatically.

"What do you mean? A couple of years ago when he broke out of the Cube!?" Marty asked, puzzled, trying to look away from the other man's cold gaze.

"No, kid. I mean back in 1999. Of course, then everyone called him Monstro..." Dr Dynamo explained, his voice trailing off into another fit of coughing.

"What the...?!?" Marty exclaimed. He'd heard of Monstro - everyone had heard of Monstro. He'd been the biggest threat cosmics had ever faced. And here was his mentor saying Entropy and Monstro were one and the same. "Monstro was Entropy!? Entropy is Monstro? How the...? Are you serious?"

"Deadly serious, kid" Dr Dynamo replied, his voice low. "The latest time Entropy reappeared, he was so powerful and so crazy that he caused the wholesale destruction of Miami. *cough* Millenia was built in it's place with help from the cosmics, like the Professor. But that won't help next time. Each time Entropy reappears, he gets exponentially larger and more powerful. Next time... *cough* well, he'll cause the destruction of most of America, I'm sure of it. Tens of millions will die!"

Dr Dynamo lifted his frail hand and suddenly gripped Kid Kinetic's arm. Although the retired cosmic hero was old and weak, Marty could feel the tingle of electricity from the fingers that dug into his arm. Dr Dynamo glared at his sidekick, his eyes wide and his voice shaking with fear.

"I've been doing the calculations, kid, analysing when he arrived the last three times. If I'm right, I reckon we've only got a couple of months. Kid, you've got to warn the Knights. Tell them to build up their strength and prepare".

"Tell them... Entropy, Monstro, whatever you want to call him... is returning and he's going to destroy us all!"

Cosmics: Dynamic Daydreams and Missing Mentors

Kid Kinetic still couldn't find Dr Dynamo. Any clues to his whereabouts didn't seem to make sense. It was so frustrating. But then again, life in his normal, slowed-down guise was frustrating. He wanted to run, wanted to feel the excitement that came with hurtling along the ground at a hundred miles an hour. Instead, right now, he was stuck in class listening to a boring lecture whilst daydreaming about one of his first training sessions with Dr Dynamo…

…

"No kid", called out Doctor Dynamo, one of America's finest superheroes, "you've got to time your punch right. Accelerate up, pull back your fist and, just a moment before you think you're going to hit, swing. No earlier!"

The blurred figure of Kid Kinetic, also known as Marty MacNeil when not in costume, zipped from the other side of the abandoned warehouse and, in the blink of an eye, was standing next to Dr Dynamo rubbing his injured right fist.

"ButitfeelslikeI'mswingingtoolate", explained Marty, speaking so fast that the words all ran into one.

"Slow down, kid", admonished Dr Dynamo, "That's your problem; sometimes you're too quick".

Marty saw Dr Dynamo sigh and then, with a crack of lightning, launch himself across the warehouse. Dr Dynamo was about to pick up the mannequin they'd been using for target practice when Marty suddenly zipped past, a blur of colour, and picked it up himself.

"Letmegetthatforyou", uttered Marty as he placed the dummy on the stand. Dr Dynamo shook his head but Marty didn't notice. He was too busy rushing around the room. He zipped off, turned on a dime and then rushed back, trying once more to land a decent supersonic punch on the dummy.

…

Kid Kinetic realised that he'd been lucky to find a mentor like Dr Dynamo. When his cosmic powers had surfaced nearly a year ago, it had taken him by surprise.

Up until then, Marty had only dreamed of moving fast. He'd always loved watching motor racing on TV, jet fighters at air shows and sprinters at sporting events but he'd always been slow and steady.

Suddenly he found himself running as quick as a car and not being able to stop. His cosmic abilities had been so hard to control at first - the energy just wanted him to move quicker and quicker. It was exhilarating but also a little scary and not very practical.

Thankfully, Dr Dynamo had been nearby and, after they'd managed to get him to slow down, the good Doctor had trained him in the use of his abilities. Together they had fought crime, stopping those who wanted to harm or cause fear in others. He'd been the sidekick to one of the greatest heroes who had ever lived (at least in Marty's view).

That was then though. Now he was no longer a sidekick because just a while back, Dr Dynamo disappeared. No one seems to know where he's gone or what's happened to him. One day he was fighting Entropy and then suddenly he was gone. Maybe Entropy's chaos effect had sent Dr Dynamo somewhere? But no one has seen Entropy since that day either, so Marty can't ask him. It was all so frustrating.

But perhaps, wondered Marty as his teacher waffled on at the front of class, he could get a lead to his mentor's whereabouts from the Cosmic Knights?

Cosmics: Entropy

David Rogers' life had never amounted to much. Although bright, he'd not done well at school and since then had jumped from job to job. He'd worked as a cleaner, as a stacker in a store, as a waiter in a rundown restaurant, in telephone sales, and finally as an input clerk for a company dealing in statistical data.

Although better than his previous jobs, the work was monotonous. The numbers he entered seemed random, almost like he was involved in some time-wasting joke. Like his life, the numbers were chaotic without any excitement, disordered whilst also mundane and boring.

Things changed though during the destruction of Miami in 1999. What David thought was chaotic was nothing compared to the powers he could suddenly emit. Blasts of spatial distortions would fly from his body. Time could be flexed and broken down. Mechanical objects fell apart at his touch. He tried to control this power but was never fully successful. The chaotic cosmic energy that powered him didn't allow it and ruined his chance at keeping a normal job.

So, for a while, David tried being a hero. However, this did not prove to be a successful career choice. Not only were his powers too unpredictable, the work didn't come with a steady income. Inevitably, David - now calling himself Entropy - resorted to villainy to help provide money and food for himself.

Small time thievery, such as robbing stores and breaking into banks, seemed to work best for him. Most of the time he only faced normal security guards or, on occasions, the police. He could handle those. He managed to make quite a bit of money but, sadly, that increased his infamy. Which meant he attracted the attention of local cosmic heroes - such as Dr Dynamo.

In the latest conflict with the dynamic doctor, Entropy had managed to hold the Living Lightning to a stalemate. The electrical hero's attacks would somehow miss or hit something else. But then, at the exact moment that Entropy was about to release a wave of his reality altering power, Dr Dynamo's electrically powered punch hit him. The entropy blast warped and something strange happened.

Dr Dynamo disappeared.

And then so did Entropy.

Cosmics: Kid Kinetic

 (story from the Millenia Herald, 17th December, 2010)

Kid Crimefighter Clocks Clown King

Yesterday, at approximately 8pm, Millenia's speeding hero Kid Kinetic, sidekick of the respected crimefighter Dr Dynamo, stopped a raid at the downtown Bank Of America. The raid was conducted by the Clown King, a gadget wielding villian well known to the local authorities, and four other unknown associates dressed in clown outfits. Kid Kinetic, one of the city's newest costumed cosmics, arrived whilst the Clown King held up the bank.

Ms Beth Monroe, 31, one of the assistant banker tellers at the scene was somewhat shaken by the attack. "The Clown King and his men had burst in just as we were closing for the day. One of the bank's guards approached the gang and told them to stop. But the Clown King just laughed and threw what looked like a shiny Christmas bauble at the guard. The bauble exploded, knocking the guard out and showered the place with paper streamers. The other clowns then rounded everyone up, brandishing large candy canes as clubs. The Clown King just kept on laughing the whole time. It was terrible".

The arrival of Kid Kinetic was also something of a shock to many in the bank. Bill Williams, 40, a customer at the bank and one of those held hostage, was the first to see him. "There was a sudden breeze in the room and then that Kinetic kid appeared out of nowhere. He was this blurred blue and red figure. He told the Clown creep to stop. When one of the other clowns pointed his piece at him there was a sudden flurry of activity and next thing you know, the clowns' weapons were in a pile at the kid's feet. The kid was smiling the whole time".

Apparently, so witnesses describe, Kid Kinetic subdued three of the Clown King's associates before the ringleader himself confronted him. Details at that point are a little vague but Mr Williams had this to say. "The kid had punched the Clown King a couple of times. At least, I think he did - he was moving so fast it was difficult to see. Anyway, the kid told the clown to give up and come peacefully but the guy just laughed. He then pointed one of those joke plastic flower squirters at the kid and a stream of sizzling liquid hit him in the face. The kid dropped to the floor holding his face. I think the liquid might've been acid or something".

Police officials state that the Clown King and one of his associates left the bank soon after the attack and that both the police and Kid Kinetic were unable to stop him. Due to the cosmic hero's timely intervention, three of the Clown King's thugs have been taken into custody.

Deputy Chief Frank Fernandez of Millenia's Police Department stated "Thankfully Kid Kinetic was in the area and managed to stop the Clown King's gang before anyone was seriously hurt or any money was taken". The police are still searching for the whereabout of the so-called Prince of Pranks.

This is the second bank robbery that Kid Kinetic has prevented in the last month. Again, during yesterday's struggle, there was no sign of the cosmic sidekick's mentor and member of the Cosmic Knights, Dr Dynamo. It has now been nearly two months since the dynamic defender was last seen fighting the notorious Entropy. Unfortunately, Kid Kinetic was unavailable to comment on yesterday's attempted bank robbery and Dr Dynamo's absence.

Cometh the Cosmics

"Dynamic Defender - An Interview with Dr Dynamo" 

by Janice Jones

(excerpt from the September 2010 edition of Cosmic Magazine)

The brightly lit lobby of the Hyatt Regency Hotel here in downtown Millenia was surprising quiet when I agreed to meet the subject of our interview. Outside, a typical Floridian thunderstorm deposited gallons of swampy rainwater into the streets and gutters, painting the outside world a dark gray. As I sat waiting for my hero to arrive, pools of the rainwater ran off my coat and collected at my feet. Not a good start.

Thankfully, I didn't have to sit in my self-made puddles long. As if generated by the thunderstorm itself, a streak of lightning suddenly erupted from the front doors of the hotel. A moment later, there in front of me was Dr Dynamo, protector of Florida's supercity and member of the newly reformed Cosmic Knights.

Unlike the gray day outside, the man who stood in front of me shone with, dare I say, inner light. I can quite definitely say that I was in awe of the glowing figure in front of me. He's easily six foot tall, with a strong, square jaw and a Roman nose. The mask of his golden costume covers his hair and eyes, but one can imagine short, dark hair and blue eyes sparkling with energy beneath the strange fabric. The skin-tight costume also shows off his muscled, athletic build to swooning effect.

He's not at all what you'd expect from a typical doctor of science.

Dr Dynamo, known by some as the Living Lightning, greeted me warmly, if a little apprehensively, before we made our way over towards the bar. The hotel had been made aware of the interview and so had cleared the area to ensure no one else, other than the barman, was around to distract us. We sat and I ordered a soda whilst the golden god in front of me ordered, perhaps surprisingly, a cool beer. Once my heart had sufficiently settled, I began my questions.

Cosmic Magazine: First, may I ask, are you any relation to the original Dr Dynamo, active in the 60s?

Dr Dynamo: (looks somewhat shocked) There was an original Dr Dynamo?! No, I didn't know I was the second with that name and I've never met the man or heard anything about him, I'm afraid. I just chose the name because it indicated my scientific background and because dynamos generate electricity, like myself.

It's not like I've trademarked the name nor am I considering releasing a range of action figures, like some cosmics. So I hope he doesn't mind, if he reads this.

Still, it's good to know that the Dr Dynamo name has been around since the advent of cosmic beings.

CM: So you've not been around since 1961? How long have you been Millenia's protector?

DD: Well, now...(thinks for a moment) Probably since the end of 2001. I gained cosmic powers in '95 but didn't actually start in the hero business until the spring of '97, after the Cosmic Powers Registration Act had been dropped. That was up in South Carolina. I was young then and made a lot of mistakes. It wasn't until I moved here to the newly built Millenia that I finally found my feet, as it were.

CM: So you've been a hero for 13 years now? That's quite some time. It doesn't seem that long.

DD: (laughs) No, it doesn't. Thirteen years, eh? To be honest, the first few years were quite low key and, thankfully, no one remembers the stuff I was doing back then. But still, yeah. Long time.

CM: And, may I say, you don't look a day over 21. So has it all been good? Do you enjoy your life as a superhero?

DD: Enjoy being a superhero? Well, it has its moments. But I'm not in it for the enjoyment. I do it because I can. Because I have these cosmic abilities and, rather than abuse them, I've decided to use them to help others and protect those that need protecting. Those rewards are more than ample, Miss Jones. Anyway, I do have another life to enjoy.

CM: Yes, you're one of the few cosmics who keeps his identity secret. So what about those other enjoyments? What hobbies and interests do you have when you're not being a hero?

DD: Well, as people may have guessed from my name, I'm a scientist. I'm interested in new scientific advances and technologies. Stuff like cosmology and research into the bursts of exotic cosmic rays. I'm also interested in the New World project on Mars and all the exciting advances in space exploration. During any downtime, I'm a big fan of science fiction and love to read whenever I can. Or watch old sci-fi shows like, you know, reruns of Star Trek. God, that sounds a little geeky, doesn't it? (smiles)

CM: Only a little, maybe. Being a hero is somewhat surprising for a scientist and the living conduit of lightning. Why aren't you helping to power Millenia or something similar?

DD: (lightning briefly flashes from his raised hand) That's a good point. I'm afraid my lightning powers don't lend themselves to continuous operation. They work best in short bursts. I can fly lightning quick but only for a short length of time. I can fire bolts of lightning, but these last only a second. If I sent a blast of electrical power into the power grid, it would probably fry the transformers and blow fuses.

Still, I have used my powers to provide electrical energy a few times, but usually only when it's really needed. Such as just after the Monstro disaster that destroyed Miami and also to cover during the occasional blackout in this city. However, since the recent advent of fusion reactors I'm glad to say my talents as an energy provider are rarely needed.

CM: Your other talents, by which I mean stopping villains, are still required though.

DD: Yes. It seems there are more and more villainous cosmics created every day. Sadly, my work countering them will probably continue for some time.

CM: You said earlier that you liked to watch TV. Have you ever seen the show Cosmic Reality? Would you be interested in being a part of something like that? Perhaps increasing your fame?

DD: Cosmic Reality?! God, no. Yes, I watched some of the first season of that rubbish, but really, I'm surprised it does so well. It's just so boring watching these sell-outs sitting around all day arguing. They should be using their gifts to help people not to be famous and make money.

No, I'm not interested in fame. Although, of course, what I do comes with a certain amount of publicity. You can't help but attract attention when you're fighting people like that Red Baron and his Red Brigade.

CM: You've now started mentoring another young hero known as Kid Kinetic. How is that going?

DD: (winces and pinches bridge of his nose) Oh, Kid Kinetic. Well, yes, erm, things are going slowly, which considering the speed of the kid is kind of surprising. He just won't stand still for more than a second. Always running off without listening to plans or tactics. Still, I think he's improving. And his heart's in the right place, if you know what I mean. Eventually, he'll make a good hero. I'm sure he will.

At this point in the interview, I was about to ask another question when Dr Dynamo held up his hand whilst tilting his head as if listening to an inbuilt radio. A moment later, the golden man stood, apologizing. The Masters of Mayhem were attacking the Cube, Millenia's cosmic prison, for the second time that month.

With a wave, Dr Dynamo transformed into the familiar bolt of human-shaped lightning and zapped off into the gray downpour outside. I didn't even get the chance to say thank you (or to ask the golden hero for his phone number). Instead I'm left in the hotel bar with the remains of my glass of soda and the smell of ozone in the air, hoping that Millenia's most energetic hero can save the day once again.