Appearing in "He Called Me a Coward!"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Zumbo
- New York Yankees (First appearance)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "He Called Me a Coward!"
Martin Lippincott, industrial tycoon, embodies the epitome of masculinity; a miner who rose to a filthy rich captain of industry, he finds fault in all those who fail to live up to his hyper-masculine expectations. One of those people who fails to meet those expectations is his son, Ronald. While Martin would prefer his son engage in things like boxing, or taking up engineering in order to one day take on the Lippincott family business, Ronald desires to be a doctor, and devotes his time to his studies. After Martin calls Ronald a gutless coward, Ronald's mother Margaret suggests Ronald accompany his father on his annual big game hunting trip to Africa.
Ronald agrees, and Martin is ecstatic. Ronald and Martin's entire relationship changes; they go to movie premieres and watch New York Yankee games, and become close friends. They eventually travel to Africa, along with Margaret, only to find that the village of their guide Zumbo is deserted. They learn that a large gorilla has killed a number of villagers, but Martin decides to proceed with the hunt anyway. After trekking through the jungles, they happen upon a lion. Martin insists Ronald takes the kill, but Ronald hesitates and the lion attacks. Martin manages to shoot the lion before it harms anyone. Infuriated, Martin disowns Ronald, and they head back.
On their way back to the village, the large gorilla Zumbo warned them about attacks and carries Martin away. Ronald and his mother follow their trail, and Ronald attacks and kills the Gorilla with a makeshift spear. In the struggle, Ronald kills the gorilla, but has his back clawed by the beast, and passes out. While Margaret nurses both Martin and Ronald back to health, the local villagers grow worried when the family doesn't return. After searching for them, they bring the family back to the village, and, impressed by Ronald's bravery, the African tribe makes Ronald their first white chief. Martin grows to accept his son's medical career decisions, and tearfully confesses how impressed he is in Ronald.
Appearing in "Johnny Orchid!"
Featured Characters:
- Johnny Greer / Johnny Orchid
Supporting Characters:
- Cora
- Oliver Brown
- Nick Vendredes
Antagonists:
- Flavia's Outfit
- Pete Flavia (Death)
- Klem (Only in flashback)
- George Fagin (Death)
- Maxie (Only in flashback)
- Nicola's Gang (Dismantled)
- Tony Nicola
- Marco
- Lang's Outfit
- Pop Lang (Death)
- Three unnamed members
- Joe Moretti's Gang (All members killed)
- Baby Carter's Gang (All members killed)
- The Spencer Gang (All members killed)
- The Harris Brothers (Death)
- Bugs Connor's Mob (All members killed)
- The Perrin Gang (Dismantled)
Other Characters:
- Angel Serkin (Death)
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "Johnny Orchid!"
Teenage orphan Johnny Greer is adopted by an elderly flower shop owner named Oliver Brown, who brings Johnny on to sell flowers for the business in St. Lois. Johnny becomes infatuated with Orchids, and chooses to sell them on his shifts.
Finding no customers in the slums around the flower shop, a police officer tells Johnny to try and sell his expensive Orchids in Downtown St. Lois, near the nightclubs and dance halls. Finding a repeat customer in Angel Serkin, Johnny makes a hundred dollars a week, until Serkin is taken out in a mob hit on New Years Eve. Scarred by the incident, Johnny spends his time shooting targets at the local midway, where he is discovered by Maxie and Fagin, a pair of mobsters working for Pete Flavia. When Johnny, who insists on being called Johnny Orchid, meets Flavia, Flavia tells Johnny he wants him to kill rival mob boss Tony Nicola to prove his loyalty. Johnny, recognizing Flavia as Angel Serkin's killer, storms out of the building.
Two weeks later, Johnny shoots and kills Nicola on a golf course, and returns to Flavia's headquarters to shoot Flavia dead. Johnny makes himself the new head of the outfit, and proceeds to spend the next few years out muscling, dissolving, absorbing, and out right killing any other gang in the Midwest. Johnny makes himself known to the rest of the underworld by marking all his kills by leaving a blood-covered orchid in the hand of his victims.
After marrying a young woman named Cora, and buying a an Orchid farm, Johnny and his crew prepare to take out the last mob boss left in the Midwest, Pop Lang. However, on his way there, Cora betrays Johnny and calls Pop Lang to tip him off to the hit. As soon as Johnny arrives at the gang's meeting place, they're ambushed by Lang and his men, who kill everyone but Johnny.
Taking Johnny's bloody body to a basement, Lang and his men beat Johnny within an inch of his life, and dump him in a lake to die. Johnny is found the next morning by a Greek junk picker named Nick, who nurses Johnny back to health over the next year. Johnny once again starts selling Orchids in downtown to make ends meet, and on chance comes across Lang on a date. Lang, failing to recognize Johnny, buys a bouquet of Orchids. Unbeknownst to Lang, Johnny has hidden Nitroglycerin in the flowers; Johnny sets off the Nitroglycerin, which kills himself, Lang, and a number of Lang's men in a final act of revenge.
Appearing in "A Boy and His Dog!"
Featured Characters:
- Jimmy Kovacs
- Herman Kovacs
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
- Montana
- Clark City
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "A Boy and His Dog!"
In 1946, Jimmy Kovacs finds a stray mutt with a can tied to its tail while walking home. Smitten, Jimmy removes the can, and takes the dog home with him. However, Jimmy's father Herman is less than please to see Jimmy's new pet, who he only sees as an extra mouth to feed. Herman forbids Jimmy from keeping the dog, and sends it away. Later that night, as the family sleeps, the dog returns, scratching at the door and barking. Furious, Herman opens the door, and begins whipping the dog with his belt. As the dog runs past Herman into the house, Herman realizes the house has caught fire. The dog finds its way to Jimmy, and the two embrace as flames engulf Jimmy's bedroom. Hours later, the local fire department finds that Jimmy held the dog in his arms to the end, which brings Herman to his knees in grief.
Appearing in "Mind Over Brawn"
- Appearances not yet listed
Synopsis for "Mind Over Brawn"
- Synopsis not yet written
Appearing in "The Payoff!"
Featured Characters:
- Neil Jordan
Supporting Characters:
- Cathy Burrows
- Bob Burrows
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Red
- Rocky
- Tony
- Mr. Jordan
Locations:
- Iowa
- Daytonville
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for "The Payoff!"
Two years ago, 18-year-old Neil Jordan and his parents lived next door to his high school sweetheart, 17-year-old Cathy Burrows, and her twin brother Bob and their parents. While very much in love, Cathy and Neil do no see eye to eye about Neil's new group of friends, Red, Rocky and Tony. While Neil thinks they're a fun bunch, Cathy sees them as hooligans, and worries that their wealthy backgrounds are too different from Neil's upbringing.
Bob attempts to sway Neil to join him for dance classes at the YMCA, but Neil instead heads to the garage to tune up an clunker car with his friends. With some work, the car becomes a suped-up hot rod, which the boys take on a wild joyride through town. In the following months, the boys all get their own roadster, and begin racing them all over town bringing police attention and mayhem everywhere the go.
One afternoon, Neil convinces Cathy to join him on a ride through town. Despite Cathy's protests, Neil drive fast and reckless, until he blows out a front tire. Neil loses control, jumps the curb, and runs down a man on the sidewalk. Neil soon learns that the man he hit was in fact Bob, and he is arrested on the spot. After spending the night in jail, Neil is released, and learns that Bob has declined to press charges.
At the hospital, Neil is confronted by Cathy, who curses his name, and tells Neil to never contact her again. Neil learns that Bob's leg had to be amputated, crushing Bob's aspirations of being a professional dancer. While Neil is remorseful and distraught over what he did, Bob forgives him, while simultaneously expressing pity that Neil will forever be haunted by the accident.
Neil's father meets him at the hospital, and informs Neil that his college funding will be put towards helping the Burrows family pay for Bob's care, a plan Neil agrees with. Despite his father's insistence, Neil decides the only way he can live with himself is to leave town, as he cannot imagine having to be reminded of his mistake each day.
Two years later, Neil, now 20, has become a cab driver in the city. Ever haunted by the memory of his crash, Neil has changed his speed demon ways, and honors his vow not to break speed limits, or even approach them.
Appearing in "Trapped!"
- Appearances not yet listed
Synopsis for "Trapped!"
- Synopsis not yet written
Notes
- Also includes a text-only story titled "Mind Over Brawn".
See Also
Links and References
References
- ↑ In the first half the story, the father is referred to as "Martin Lippincott". However, for the second half of the story, he is referred to as "Elliot Lippincott" for unexplained reasons.