Showing posts with label Stories. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stories. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

I Give You - GODMERA: Champion Of The World


GODMERA: Champion of the World
By Michael Farrah
The beginning...
This is the story of how two of the greatest monsters ever became something even greater. As many may know there is the Godzilla universe and the Gamera universe, "parallel" universes so to speak. In both universes the government of Japan wanted the self defense force (military) to finally get rid of the constant threat of the monsters, they in turn enlisted the help of the greatest scientists to develop a weapon that would stop the monsters once and for all. After many failed attempts one had a hope of promise, a weapon that would open a portal to another dimension. Most of the scientists felt it was a bad idea and didn't like it, fearing it could be used for the wrong purpose and wondering if it would even work, but the self defense force didn't care they just press them on wanting to be rid of the monsters and all the death and destruction they caused. A select group of scientists created the weapon, when activated will open the portal, where to is not known. The self defense force set up a plan to activate it in a remote area of Japan after luring the monsters there. As it turns out both of the self defense forces from each universe plan to and do this in the same place at the same time. They both at first think it is working since something seems to be happening but it stops and appears to have failed. They decided to try to figure out what went wrong and try again. What they don't realize is the weapons canceled each other out at first, this is why it appeared to fail, but then there is a unknown side effect it opens a portal between the two universes. At first minor problems occur, small objects from one universe end up in the other and vice-a-versa, then people, and then larger things. At first the self defense forces and the governments claim everything is fine but the scientists that didn't want to use the weapon start going to the public with the fact that this is being caused by the use of the weapon. The governments want the self defense forces to fix the problem, feeling they caused it by pushing for the use of the weapon to begin with, so they turn to the scientists that were against it's use. Things continue to go down hill, the monsters start showing up in the other universes, making the original issue of wanting to get rid of the monsters even worse, the universes continue to get more "mixed", and people are even more confused as to what is happening. But those problems are nothing compared to what happens next, something happens that no one foreseen, the universes merge into one. No Godzilla: King of the Monsters, no Gamera: Guardian of the Universe instead there is Godmera: Champion of the World. But it is not alone, King Gaos, Angruagon, Viran and other monsters are there as well. Not alone have the monsters merged so have the people and with this they have the knowledge from both universes. With this knowledge they manage to create another weapon, which they believe will reverse what has happened. They feverishly work on it and set it off in the same place where the original weapon was used, at first nothing seems to happen but then something does, a "wave" spreads out and in it's wake everything seems to go back to normal again. But is it, unbeknown to those in each restored universe is the fact that the Godmera universe, and all that it is, remains and will for a long time, and it's story has only just begun...


Godzilla is a registered trademark of  Toho Co., Ltd, Gamera is a registered trademark of Kadokawa Pictures, no rights are implied to these characters by me and are used solely for this story.
Godmera: Champion of the World  created by Michael Farrah.
 © 1996, 2011 Michael Farrah/Godmera's Fandom, All Rights Reserved

Monday, May 30, 2011

"Abbott & Costello Meet the Justice Society of America" By Jim Beard

This was written back when DC Comics was publishing a series called Starman, in which a young man named Jack Knight was learning to cope with the legacy of his father, Ted, who ran around in the 1940s as the super-hero Starman. Jack was a dealer in pop culture and Ted, well, Ted was aging more and more every day...
  
  
 "These old movie posters bring back a lot of memories..." Ted Knight, former costumed adventurer, dedicated astronomer and scientist.

"Do they?" Jack, his son.

Ted straightened up from leaning over his son’s work, watched as Jack bagged and boarded the past. He cocked his thumb at one of the posters. “’Mark of Zorro.' I suppose that one might have inspired a lot of people to...do what we did. But I never heard of that happening."

His son smiled, pulled tape from a rubber-bottomed dispenser. "You'd probably be surprised..."

"We were in a movie once. When I say 'we,' I mean the JSA, of course…" Ted's eyes suddenly widened, looking around his son's antique shop as if to find his old comrades standing there next to him.

"I know, Dad."

"We weren't in it much, the film, after all was said and done..."

"Yeah, I know, Dad. We've..."

 Ted's attention wandered around the room, floor to walls to ceiling. "Heh, silly thing, to be sure. They called it—“

Jack picked up and slammed down the tape dispenser. "Dad, I KNOW!  'Abbott and Costello Meet the Justice Society of America,’ 1947, directed by Charles Barton...err, Lamont - he did two of the best A&Cs in my humble opinion - starred Alan Ladd as GL, no surprise, Evelyn Ankers as Black Canary, go figure, Michael Ansara as Vandal Savage..."

"Our Alan didn't want to be in it. He had his eye on television, didn't want to be recognized...I suppose my own role in it was considered pretty minor, hmmm?"

"Dad, Evelyn Ankers kissed you, on the mouth. For that, I should kiss you on the mouth..."

"Jack!"

Animation flooded Jack's frame, waved his arms, made him pace the wood slat floor, ticking off fingers. "I've got the one-sheet, three half-sheets, four of the six lobby cards, a freakin' beautiful publicity kit. Maltin's gives it a break, uh...two and a half stars? Video Hound craps on it..."

"There were little...statuettes of us all, given away at the New York premiere." Ted murmured, paused, his attention off the leash. "Got a whole box of them...somewhere..."

"WHAT?!?"

Eyes met, young and old, as if for the first time ever. The older man sighed.

"Yes, Jack. I didn't know what to do with them, I..."

"No, no, no, no, Dad. PLEASE don't tell me you...I thought they were just another collector's rumor, like Doom Patrol Megos, or Opal City Viewmasters..."

"They're in the..."

"Warehouse. They're in the warehouse. I should've known...That goddamned warehouse of yours."

Moving to his son, stopping short of touching his shoulder, Ted's face became a mask of confusion. "Your mother understood these times better than I. I...I can't grasp these...forces that come over you."

Jack sat down heavily on a stool, faux sobs mock-wracking his body.

"It's not a bad story, you know."

"...what?"

Ted scooted a wooden crate over to Jack, bumping through tape, sheets of cardboard, plastic bags, and old movie barkers. "About how we filmed it. How it ended up just being myself, Al, Rex Tyler, and I think Terry...after an initial meeting with Lou Costello went very, very badly. Do you want to hear this, Jack?"

Jack managed a smile. "Tell me."

"Well, Barton took Lou..."

"Lamont."

"Yes, Lamont! He took Lou aside and...Jack? If I...if I give you the figurines...you wouldn't sell them, would you?"

Another managed smile. "Tell me the story, Dad."

"Well..."


Characters (c) DC Comics. Story (c) Jim Beard.

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