The Impossibles and Big D are the property of Hanna Barbera.
The Evil Plant Emperor
He was the envy of all the local gardeners, winner of many prizes at their shows and fetes with his superior flowers, fruit, and vegetables as well as prestigious awards for his own garden. He undeniably had the proverbial green fingers.
Genetic modification of plants in the form of cross-pollination had of course existed since the dawn of agriculture; cloning plants by the simple method of taking and establishing cuttings was also long commonplace, but it was rumoured that he actually practised the more experimental technique, as yet almost unheard of outside scientific circles and science fiction tales, of gene splicing. There were also more furtively spoken suggestions that some fanatical geneticist ancestor had introduced plant DNA into the family gene pool, (inevitably followed by the words "It's nonsense of course" or similar).Whatever the rest of the reality, the obvious truth was that he was a brilliant gardener.
The singing Impossibles were delighted to have been asked to perform at one of Empire City's most celebrated social clubs. The venue had generously agreed to lower it's normal age limit for the evening so their younger fans could be included, and they were determined to make the event an extra special one.
In preparation, the Impossibles were having a stage-wear trying-out session at Coil Man's home. They had decided, for the occasion, to have a change from their usual matching outfits and go for individual looks instead, (although they all decided to stick with their beloved high-heel boots).
Coiley had decided on black pants, a black leather jacket with plenty of zips and studs, ("Hope they don't have a metal detector at the entrance", he quipped), and a T-shirt in a glowing purple shade which set off his blond hair to perfection. Multi Man, also in black, his red locks gleaming under the light, had a cropped top under his open jacket. Stopping somewhat short of his waist-band, it showed off a few inches of his trim midriff. "H'mm – does this look O.K"? he asked his friends. "I thought it would be cooler – you know how hot it can get in club venues"…."Oh, so that's why you chose it"! sniggered Coiley, who agreed with Fluid Man that Multi could certainly carry off the abbreviated garment. Fluey turned to the mirror to check his own choice of alternative stage wear. He'd chosen dark red pants and a white frilly shirt – quite flamboyant, but by all accounts that was very much in keeping with the place they would be performing in anyway, so hopefully it would go down well. He added a green cravat to which he fastened a pin set with a glittering red stone. As he turned to face the others, he saw Coiley's eyes widen, (he assumed Multi's did, also), so he adjusted his frilled cuffs and stated; "Just wait and see; this could be quite the thing in years – well, maybe a decade or two – to come – say the 1980's"? He spent a few moments adjusting his dark hair in the mirror, and then the boys checked each other out and decided, yes, they would do O.K. for the coming performance.
"But you will have to fasten your jacket when we leave the dressing-room until we reach the club main", Fluey warned Multi. "Apparently the actual dressing- room is nice and cosy, but there's a really long corridor between there and the actual venue which is absolutely freezing cold all the way along – you want to avoid a chill on the stomach"!
He had decided on the title The Plant Emperor …. a fitting one, he thought, as he made his plans for the very near future ….
The singing Impossibles took to the stage to a deafening round of applause and not a little screaming and, after greeting the audience, went into the first verse of "I knew a Girl". A bunch of smitten female fans near the stage were, (along with many others), discussing the appeal of the band's members as they listened to the music. Which aspect of the show they liked best was open to debate. "Ooh, Coiley looks like my perfect biker hero in that outfit", a girl in a leather skirt and vest enthused, "I'd love to be his biker chick"! "Multi looks soooooo good in that crop top", her friend gushed, "I'd have paid three times the ticket price just to see him in that" "Especially where he isn't in it!" a third girl quipped, then, gazing at Fluey, (who's frilled shirt had slipped off one shoulder giving him a rather rakish, dishevelled look), sighed. "Fluey looks like the perfect romantic hero tonight – somehow makes those Jane Austin novels teacher makes us read come to life"! "Romantic hero for our time", replied Multi's admirer, "you could say a New Romantic"!
This was the night he had been planning for … soon he would be rich, and everyone would know and fear The Plant Emperor ….
"Great idea to hire this gizmo", said Multi, looking at the synthesiser and pressing a few keys as the Impossibles chatted during the interval. (Each of the boys was taking turns to add a few sounds from the revolutionary instrument to their set), "Who knows", he continued, "this invention of Dr. Moog's could revolutionize music one day, so we could be pioneers…..yikes"! he exclaimed as Fluey playfully touched an ice-filled glass to his exposed midriff. "If you'r planning on giving me a heart attack, at least wait until we finish the set"! As Fluey turned 'round, Multi picked a dripping ice cube out of his own drink planning to drop it onto his friend's shoulder, (which was still bare where his shirt had slipped), but Fluey turned suddenly and exclaimed; "Planning on giving me the cold shoulder, were you"?! They then started flicking drops of the iced drinks at each other, Coiley joining in.
The Impossibles returned to the stage to more applause and screaming, repeated when they finished their set. They then mingled with their fans, who included fifteen-year-old Jakey, son of the club's owner, chatting and signing autographs, before they left for the dressing-room.
"That was a good performance, even if I do say so myself", Multi stated with enthusiasm as they neared the door to the infamous cold corridor, fastening his jacket while Fluey pulled his shirt back over his shoulder. "It's a pity Europa couldn't make it" ….. "Why did you say that was, Multi"? asked Coiley. "She told me her cousin had a 'Sinkhole-for-brains' moment when he set the date for their great Granny's 80th birthday party, which of course she couldn't miss", Multi reminded his friend, "It's not as if it's even the actual night of her birthday! She said she nearly shoved a handful of cold used tea-bags in his face"! "Well, I wouldn't worry too much", Fluey sniggered, "There will be other opportunities for her to see you in that crop top, no doubt" ….
Opening the door to the corridor, the boys had a shock. The mosses and algae which had grown on the walls of the corridor, barely surviving on the scant amount of light and damp they received, seemed to be bigger, more plentiful, and somehow more vigorous, increasingly so as they ventured further down the corridor …
Suddenly, they came to a dense area of assorted ….. and large ….. vegetation. It seemed to be moving, too …. Then, they heard a muffled cry. As they went a little further, they saw Jakey, wrapped and gagged by the tendrils of a huge creeper. Beside him stood a man in a glittery green suit - The Plant Emperor himself! "What the"…... Coiley exclaimed. This guy in green was definitely up to no good, and this was before Big D even had a chance to call them! Suddenly, he did, on Coiley's guitar receiver …."I see you already encountered this character", he stated, "he is very dangerous; as well as being able to accelerate plant growth to an unprecedented extent, he can also slow down and halt it, and has hinted strongly that he is capable of causing a global famine that way"! "He's right", the Plant Emperor, having heard Big D's broadcast, stated, grinning evilly, " but I'm going to start by asking for a healthy ransom for this little brat! I cracked the wall of this passage by super-sizing a couple of toadstools, then sent a tendril from this little beauty I just raised from seed to grab him while I opened the door to the club … he's worth a fortune; his Pa owns quite a number of other entertainment venues as well as having his fingers in other lucrative pies, so he will be willing and able to pay me plenty in ransom dues for the return of this kid"! With that, the villain seated himself on the creeper, and directed the immense plant to carry him and Jakey out through the gap in the wall, and into a waiting armoured car. There, severing the tendrils holding Jakey with a pair of shears while leaving them wrapped around the boy, he sped off in his vehicle.
Time for a change. The singing Impossibles became the super-hero Impossibles! They quickly got into the Impossimobile, (parked outside the venue, of course, and at the ready as always). "Rally-Ho"! they shouted, following the Plant Emperor. "He's heading to the Botanical Gardens", Fluey noted. "I think that was to be expected", Multi replied, "Goodness knows what he'll get up to in there", Coiley added, "but we're about to find out"!
At the Empire City Botanical Gardens, (which had been evacuated due to the alarming plant over-growth which had suddenly occurred), the Impossibles fought their way through the dense forest until, finally, they located the Plant Emperor and the still-bound Jakey in the tropical section. The Emperor smirked; suddenly, the Impossibles were scooped up by the huge cup of a vast pitcher-plant which the crook targeted towards them. "This baby can feed on more than just insects and spiders", he informed them, "in keeping with it's size, it has extremely potent digestive juices in that cup which will make short work of you"! It also, typically of such species, had a very slippery lining to the cup to help stop it's prey escaping. However, the boys were not to be defeated; Fluey went into liquid phase to dilute the potent solution, while Multi duplicated upwards, and, sitting on the rim of the pitcher and holding onto the stem, with one hand, held out the other to help Coiley climb out. He then did the same for Fluey when he returned to his solid form. "Give up now", Fluey addressed the villain, " we're not about to be out-done by you and your little house-plants"! "Oh, no"?! replied the Plant Emperor. "Try these for size – and I do mean size"!
A pair of gigantic banana leaves swooped towards the boys. Multi duplicated and held back one with the shields while Coiley bored through the stem, severing the leaf; the other, aimed at Fluey's middle, passed harmlessly through the Impossible as he turned his midriff to liquid. Then, they heard a rustle overhead, and they saw the coils of an incredibly long liana dropping towards them, seemingly intent on tangling it's-self 'round them. "That will come in useful", Multi remarked, and, duplicating again, swiftly picked up the rope-like vine and wound it many times around the Plant Emperor, immobilising him just as he has Jakey, who was being freed by Coiley and Fluey. Unlike the boy, however, the crook wasn't gagged, and he spat; "It's true – you Impossibles really are impossible"! "Well, you've always been wrapped up in your gardening", Fluey replied, "now you are literally"!
The Plant Emperor was taken away by the police, and Jakey returned to his grateful family. Later, Big D told the Impossibles about the plans for the Plant Emperor;. "He will be back at the Botanical Gardens helping – in a less extreme manner, needless to say – with the cultivation of rare plant species, after which he will do a stint at the Agricultural Research Institute helping the team working on increasing the yield of fruit and vegetables – that will keep him out of mischief"!
"He might even 'grow' to like it", Fluey quipped, to which they all groaned before they wholeheartedly agreed with him!