The Kryptonian
Created by Kevin Verdine
4-19-02
Chapter 1 - Birth
In the depths of space, a lone miner works diligently in his small, all terrain transport ship, as his nearby planet self-destructs. His vision gazing home ward sees only the planetary dust spreading away from where the once great Krypton rotated. Underneath an advanced mining suit, fear fills the soul of Zar-Mak and tears flood his eyes. Alone and now weary, he sits aboard his ship. With no food or drink, he knows his life will begin to fade fast, and believing himself to be the last soul survivor of Krypton, Zar-Mak begins to make a brief, yet basic record of his planet's history. He tells of wars, plagues, and great thinkers who changed the thoughts of the world. But being a very limited man of knowledge, Zar-Mak mainly tells of his life, his family, and his career. Hours pass, and then days move on, and his life slowly fades into that great unknown, death, and Zar-Mak and his ship are doomed to forever float throughout the great void of space.
Years pass, decades even, until eventually Zar-Mak's ship begins to enter the Earth's atmosphere, and crashes into a rural England farm outside of London. The crash is directed into the home of Alexander Hawthorne, a man stricken with grief.
Alexander grew up in a small town outside of London. He was raised on a farm where he developed many skills. But his greatest skill was not merely developed. He was born with an advanced intellect. Born a prodigal genius, Alexander graduated from High School at the age of 12. He went on to Oxford University on a full scholarship where he mastered the science of engineering. At the age of 23, Alexander began working for the European branch of Wayne Technologies. His designs on vehicles, airplanes, computers, and many more were greatly appreciated by the company's C.E.O. Alexander continued to move up in the ranks of his profession. By the age of 26, he became a freelance engineer, still occasionally working for Wayne Technologies, but more focused on his other humble ambitions. He moved to the countryside to be a farmer, returning to his childhood pastime. At the age of 27, Alexander met his wife, Emma Reed. They were soon married and had a daughter shortly thereafter.
In the latter part of that year, Alexander's wife Emma took their daughter to visit their family in London. That very night, the phone rang, and on the other end was the London Hospital with news of tragedy. Earlier that day, as Alexander's wife and daughter were entering the city, they were run off a bridge by a group of criminals who had just recently robbed the London International Bank. Emma and Theresa were dead on arrival.
Alexander slowly slipped into a melancholy of madness at this news and began to fade from reality. Weeks passed, then one fateful day, while Alexander sat in his house, practically mad, Zar-Mak's ship crashed through the roof, flinging Alexander through a nearby window, knocking him unconscious. When he awoke, he found himself lying in front of a rubble of ash which once was his home, but in the middle of the debris, a ship sat, undaunted. For a brief moment in time, Alexander's mind, which was tainted by madness, could see clearly. This, somehow, was the redemption he prayed for every night. He would soon comprehend his calling in life.
Early in that very morning, in the glowing embers of his former home, Alexander took his tractor and hauled the ship to his barn, where he concealed it with bails of hay. With news of his home's ill-fate, friends of Alexander's rushed to his farm, only to find him setting up living quarters in his barn, portraying an image of all is well. He thanked them for their generosity and concern and assured them that he was fine.
Weeks pass as Alexander studied the Kryptonian technology from the confines of his barn. He learned of Krypton and its very demise, making the connection that the ship must have came from the very same place as the legendary Superman. He continued to learn about the planet and most importantly, of the grievous man named Zar-Mak who mourned the loss of his very livelihood. The story touched Alexander's heart and he felt strongly that it was fate that brought Zar-Mak's ship unto him. At that very moment, Alexander wanted deeply, above all else, to avenge the death of his family. He began to think of the Earth's mightiest champions, and ponders why he cannot become one of them, and at that very moment in time, Alexander gave birth to a new identity within himself, the Kryptonian.
On what was left of his secluded farmland, Alexander dawned the Kryptonian mining suit, and with it began to hone its abilities. Like the Kryptonian Superman, the mining suit, because of it being solar powered, grew in strength and ability due to the Earth's yellow sun. Its powers literally doubled. Super-strength increased, radar range doubled, the magnitude of impulse charges intensified, there was more powerful laser vision, and the suit gained longer flight ability. Alexander began learn to master these skills on his farm until he felt ready. Approximately two months after the arrival of Zar-Mak and his ship, Alexander purchased a houseboat near Tilbury on the border of the Southend-on-Sea. As his alter- ego of Alexander Hawthorne, he moved all of his remaining few possessions associated with his identity of Alexander to his new home. That night, he returned to his farm to fly Zar-Mak's ship to its new location far below the water surface underneath his boat, starting a base of operations. Alexander re-entered the mainstream to partially claim his life back. He went back to work part-time for Wayne Technologies as an engineer, but at night he would soon attempt his new lifestyle as a hero for all heroes.
After a few weeks of working diligently at Wayne Technologies during the day, and by night, building a small lair underwater in which he could maintain the secret identity of the Kryptonian, Alexander was almost ready. With the completion of his underwater base along with a burial site and memorial to Zar-Mak, and the re-establishment of his former life to create a façade, Alexander knew he was ready to dawn the mantle of a new character in the game of good versus evil.
His first night was a failure in his eyes. It was then when he realized how truly large London was. Alexander knew there had to be crime somewhere, and it was just a matter of finding it. That proved to be a difficult challenge. As the early lights of dawn approached, he began to question his identity and role. Alexander returned home to his boat, where he removed his helmet and sat down, placing his face in his hands to mourn as thoughts of failing his beloved family haunted his mind. At that moment in time, he noticed an oncoming vehicle on the docks. Concerned as to the fast speed of the oncoming vehicle, a settling confusion lingered in his mind as the headlights became brighter and brighter. Soon, the vehicle crashed through a railing on a nearby dock and plunged directly into the water while a stunned Alexander Hawthorne watched.
Still confused, as Alexander watched in disbelief, a reflex somehow kicked in, one, that apparently appeared out of the sub-conscious of Alexander's mind. It was almost second nature to him, yet still surprising. Alexander dove into the water, forgetting he was unmasked, just knowing his duty and remembering his vow to protect the innocent and save the lives of the misfortunate. He swam furiously to the submerged car where he pulled the door off and pulled and unconscious woman out from behind the steering wheel.
From above the water surface, there were ripples coming off from the point of impact until the water settled calm. Suddenly, Alexander rocketed out of the water carrying the woman in his arms where he flew them back to the safety of his boat. Reviving the young woman, she came to in a slight daze, her eyes gazing directly into his.
Her name was Dr. Lisa Summers, a young scientist who was working late on her research. She carelessly began to drive home, but fell asleep at the wheel, only waking to witness herself crashing violently off the docks into the water where she went unconscious on impact. She was brilliant, eccentric, but truly brilliant as a scientist. She had been working on a project, which theoretically could mend a severed spinal cord through the use of nano-technology. Because of the importance of the research, she had to stay late that night.
Her story intrigued Alexander. He admired her work and sought after her friendship. He relayed his story to her also, revealing his identity and nature of origin. They spent the remainder of the next day together. He showed her Zar-Mak's ship and memorial in his underwater base and shared with her the stories of a lone Kryptonian miner who was vanquished by the destruction of his home world. That night, Alexander drove Lisa to her home where he instructed her on the alternate story of the previous night's dealings to conceal any discovery of Alexander's operations. She agreed upon one condition. Lisa wanted them to become allies. She knew that any super-hero is bound to receive countless injuries and that Alexander was to need someone to look after him if any medical situation should arise. Alexander promptly agreed and the two became allies as Lisa had requested.
Alexander went home to become the Kryptonian for the night. His first mission was to move Lisa's car to another location so that the story would indicate that she still crashed off the dock, but further away from Alexander's base of operations and home. The story would also include Lisa freeing herself from her car and then managing to get home on her own, only to report the incident to the authorities the next day because of the erratic behavior that she would be going through the day of the crash due to the trauma of a near death experience would keep her from contacting anyone. After the project was completed, the Kryptonian flew into the night sky of London to fulfill his vow in bringing justice to those that prosper in the affliction of pain to the innocent.
Chapter 2 – Retribution Begun
Thus the battle has begun, and retribution has been dealt its hand. The Kryptonian has arrived and has begun a journey of justice. But before the newly born hero can move forward in his new life, he must face his first and greatest villain, himself. With the coping of his lost family and the formation of his alter-ego, Alexander is finding himself in a state far worse then he could ever imagine. His madness is taking root, far more stronger than before, and it's almost as if he has become two completely separate identities altogether. When Alexander wears the suit, he becomes his own personage as the Kryptonian, fearless, instinctive, yet vengeful. As Alexander, he is saddened, focused on the death of his family, stuck in a constant state of depression, and frustrated with his job at Wayne Technologies. He is losing grip on the fabric of reality, with no hope insight of conquering his first great nemesis.
The night is young and he is ready. The transformation is complete. Alexander has left his mind, only leaving room for the presence of the Kryptonian to emerge. He flies into the realm of the darkened city. He has had several weeks of practice in being a crime fighter. Each night, the Kryptonian grows stronger in his intuition and confidence, but as he grows stronger, each day Alexander grows weaker. Hopefully, the two can learn to merge to form one unified being, perfectly balanced.
Flying above the city, the Kryptonian heads toward the nearby penthouse apartment of Dr. Lisa Summers. He lands on the balcony, and walks inside. Lisa is there, promptly waiting his arrival. The Kryptonian removes the armor around his arm and the two begin their weekly routine, a medical check-up. As the weeks have gone by, the relationship between the two has grown cold due to the formation of the two distinct characters in which Alexander has created. She is greatly concerned about him. However, Lisa's concerns have no place in his life. To him, he now lives by a code, duty first, himself second, and retribution always.
She fears for him, wanting to help him so badly. She knows there is nothing she can do except encourage Alexander to fight free of his cage of anguish and depression and gain hold of his life. But even her encouraging words cannot convince him. There is only one man who can convince him to fight, his greatest ally, himself.
After the normal routine, the Kryptonian leaves, thankful for Lisa's generosity, but more concerned with other matters at hand. He has a job to do and the night is young. As he flies above the great city of London, patrolling, he notices a peculiar moving van positioned outside of the London Museum of Art and several masked men carrying paintings outside into their van. If it were at all possible to peak inside the helmet of the Kryptonian, you would see the grin of a madman desperate for vengeance. So far beyond normalcy, he is blood thirsty, lusting for the infliction of pain on those who would violate the law.
The Kryptonian soars down from the nights sky above, and pierces through the roof of the moving van and changes positions to rocket directly into one of the thieves, blasting through the back of the van with the delinquent criminal, dropping him to the pavement, rendering him unconscious. This greatly pleases the Kryptonian. He sees the fear instilled in the eyes of the other nearby thugs. One begins to run, but it's hard to run when your Achilles tendon is severed by fierce laser blast. The others drop immediately to their knees, but the Kryptonian, in his madness, knows no mercy. He knocks one man out cold with an impulse charge and the other man begins to cry, begging for mercy. The Kryptonian approaches him and lifts him by the throat and begins to squeeze. But from the back of his mind, a once silent Alexander screams, only confusing the Kryptonian. He squeezes slightly harder, but somehow a trapped Alexander emerges from the subconscious and they scream in all their fury in the night air. They drop the criminal to the ground and the two identities fly off, grasping their head in pain, arguing, and trying to comprehend the madness, which has settled itself over their mind. The multiple personality has finally erupted into a full-fledged war between the two identities.
The Kryptonian somehow manages his way to Lisa's apartment, flying furiously out of control. The dual hero crashes through her window, frightfully wakening Lisa from her slumber. She rushes to see what strange event has occurred, only to find Alexander curled up on the floor, helmet off, gripping his head in a state of obvious madness. Lisa is stunned and doesn't know what to do, yet her compassion for Alexander is stronger than her fear. She moves swiftly to his side and holds him, lifting his head and stares into his tearful eyes. She then runs to her medical supplies and grabs a syringe. Quickly, she rushes back to Alexander and injects the serum into his bloodstream. Shortly thereafter, Alexander falls asleep, only to battle his war in a vicious dream state.
Dreams haunt him. He sees the death of his family. He sees the coming of Zar-Mak. He sees himself as the Kryptonian, and he sees himself as Alexander. A standoff begins, Alexander versus the Kryptonian. They battle. It's as though Hell's fury is unleashed in Alexander's subconscious. With the newfound bravery of the identity known as Alexander, the outcome will be mysterious. The two continue to wage war, until both strike each other at the exact same moment with one finishing blow. Lightning flashes in their mind and the two become faint, both falling towards each other. They collide, their forces erupting into a storm, causing a flash of images of both personas. They combine, and Alexander awakes.
Lisa is sitting by his side and smiles at his awakening. He thanks her, and apologizes for his erratic behavior and assures her that he has returned to normal or as normal as anyone with a dual identity could be. He has conquered himself in his mental breakdown and is once again with both of his dual identities, utterly under control. He gathers himself and leaves Lisa's apartment, returning home, finally on the right path in his quest for retribution. For indeed it has begun.
Chapter 3 – Nemesis
In the early 16th century Spain, a small group of individuals became sick with society. They sought to bring about the end of the world, hoping to initiate doomsday early. They constantly prayed to God, but without sincerity, indulging in self-righteousness, and having sinful pride, begging for His blessing. The story goes on to say that God actually visited them, instructing them to form a society, known as the Illuminati. They prepared themselves for the end of the world, which was promised to occur in the near future, and only they would be saved, and they would inherit the Earth to rule above all else. When word of the Illuminati became known, theologians criticized them, saying that it was that great serpent named Lucifer or even Satan who appeared to them. They were forced out of Spain, and moved to England to worship in secret, forming secret combinations and pacts, and they were delightful in the shedding of blood. Indeed, they became very powerful throughout the land, because of their exceedingly great wealth, which was made through all manners of thievery and whoredoms, which they did commit. In fact, their prosperity continued throughout the land even until this very day.
Today, the secret organization has over 10,000 members living in England. The organization's leader, Roman Cortez, is a direct descendent of the very founder of the Illuminati. It is him who leads the secret meetings and services of worship. Roman Cortez is a multi-millionaire, inheriting all his wealth from his father, who in turn, inherited his fortune from his father, and so on. He is the backbone of the Illuminati, which backbone is about to be broken.
There is one who opposed Cortez's rule. His name is Julian Fear, a bloodthirsty, power hungry, lustful man. Fear sought the crown, glory, and the praise of the Illuminati. Julian is the son of the high priest, Ethan Fear, who was the second to Roman Cortez. It was on one dark night when Julian approached his father on the matter of the revelations contained in the Book of Illumination, the bible of the Illuminati containing the records of the founders. Julian, being angry that the prophecies have yet to be fulfilled after all these years, insisted that the organization should act to bring about the end of the world with modern technology. Ethan attempted to explain the matter his son and pleaded with him to be patient, but Julian's rage would tolerate his father's insolence no more. That night, while Ethan slept, Julian moved into his father's room, and with a dagger, in cold blood, murdered him. With the lust for more blood, Julian journeyed to the home of Cortez, with the intent of gaining control over the organization.
Fear's attempt proved to be a failure in all aspects but one. He could not reach the bedroom of Cortez, but instead, he made his way into the Illuminati's room of technology, for the Illuminati took great pleasure in the things of the world and the modern marvels of science. There, he came across a prototype militant suit of armor, which was made for phase- shifting. Fear delighted in his discovery and stole the suit, returning home to play with his newfound possession.
At the next scheduled meeting of the Illuminati, Julian Fear, entered late wearing the phase-shifting suit, modified now with a cloak, giving an appearance of mystery and darkness. Calling himself Dark Force, he claimed to be the one and only God, who had showed himself unto the founders centuries before. He ordered the members of the Illuminati to follow him, for it was time to bring about the apocalypse. Many flocked to him and others, including Cortez, rebelled. Dark Force walked directly toward Cortez, phase-shifting as he walked, turning invisible. Unaware, of what had just occurred, Cortez began to panic, and started to depart to his chambers. Before he could reach the door, an invisible hand gripped his neck and squeezed. The room of members lay silent, except for the cracking sound, which came from the neck of Cortez. At this sight, all the members of the organization, those who were eager to follow, and those were quick to rebel, dropped to their knees as if they were in a state of worship towards their God.
The body of Cortez fell to the floor, lifeless, and Dark Force appeared to the crowd, commanding them to follow him. Those that would follow would be his minions and would be his Dark Legion as he had called them, and if any would oppose, they would share the fate of Cortez. None opposed, and the Illuminati had a new leader, one who would prove to be the most corrupt and wicked of all past leaders of the secret society.
It is Dark Force's will to begin doomsday now, but before he can begin his task in world domination, he must overcome the one man who will stand in his way, who will be his greatest adversary and nemesis, the Kryptonian. Fortunately, neither one knows of the other, but their paths will cross soon enough, and the bloodshed will be bitter-sweet. Bitter to the Kryptonian, yet sweet to Dark Force.
Created by Kevin Verdine
4-19-02
Chapter 1 - Birth
In the depths of space, a lone miner works diligently in his small, all terrain transport ship, as his nearby planet self-destructs. His vision gazing home ward sees only the planetary dust spreading away from where the once great Krypton rotated. Underneath an advanced mining suit, fear fills the soul of Zar-Mak and tears flood his eyes. Alone and now weary, he sits aboard his ship. With no food or drink, he knows his life will begin to fade fast, and believing himself to be the last soul survivor of Krypton, Zar-Mak begins to make a brief, yet basic record of his planet's history. He tells of wars, plagues, and great thinkers who changed the thoughts of the world. But being a very limited man of knowledge, Zar-Mak mainly tells of his life, his family, and his career. Hours pass, and then days move on, and his life slowly fades into that great unknown, death, and Zar-Mak and his ship are doomed to forever float throughout the great void of space.
Years pass, decades even, until eventually Zar-Mak's ship begins to enter the Earth's atmosphere, and crashes into a rural England farm outside of London. The crash is directed into the home of Alexander Hawthorne, a man stricken with grief.
Alexander grew up in a small town outside of London. He was raised on a farm where he developed many skills. But his greatest skill was not merely developed. He was born with an advanced intellect. Born a prodigal genius, Alexander graduated from High School at the age of 12. He went on to Oxford University on a full scholarship where he mastered the science of engineering. At the age of 23, Alexander began working for the European branch of Wayne Technologies. His designs on vehicles, airplanes, computers, and many more were greatly appreciated by the company's C.E.O. Alexander continued to move up in the ranks of his profession. By the age of 26, he became a freelance engineer, still occasionally working for Wayne Technologies, but more focused on his other humble ambitions. He moved to the countryside to be a farmer, returning to his childhood pastime. At the age of 27, Alexander met his wife, Emma Reed. They were soon married and had a daughter shortly thereafter.
In the latter part of that year, Alexander's wife Emma took their daughter to visit their family in London. That very night, the phone rang, and on the other end was the London Hospital with news of tragedy. Earlier that day, as Alexander's wife and daughter were entering the city, they were run off a bridge by a group of criminals who had just recently robbed the London International Bank. Emma and Theresa were dead on arrival.
Alexander slowly slipped into a melancholy of madness at this news and began to fade from reality. Weeks passed, then one fateful day, while Alexander sat in his house, practically mad, Zar-Mak's ship crashed through the roof, flinging Alexander through a nearby window, knocking him unconscious. When he awoke, he found himself lying in front of a rubble of ash which once was his home, but in the middle of the debris, a ship sat, undaunted. For a brief moment in time, Alexander's mind, which was tainted by madness, could see clearly. This, somehow, was the redemption he prayed for every night. He would soon comprehend his calling in life.
Early in that very morning, in the glowing embers of his former home, Alexander took his tractor and hauled the ship to his barn, where he concealed it with bails of hay. With news of his home's ill-fate, friends of Alexander's rushed to his farm, only to find him setting up living quarters in his barn, portraying an image of all is well. He thanked them for their generosity and concern and assured them that he was fine.
Weeks pass as Alexander studied the Kryptonian technology from the confines of his barn. He learned of Krypton and its very demise, making the connection that the ship must have came from the very same place as the legendary Superman. He continued to learn about the planet and most importantly, of the grievous man named Zar-Mak who mourned the loss of his very livelihood. The story touched Alexander's heart and he felt strongly that it was fate that brought Zar-Mak's ship unto him. At that very moment, Alexander wanted deeply, above all else, to avenge the death of his family. He began to think of the Earth's mightiest champions, and ponders why he cannot become one of them, and at that very moment in time, Alexander gave birth to a new identity within himself, the Kryptonian.
On what was left of his secluded farmland, Alexander dawned the Kryptonian mining suit, and with it began to hone its abilities. Like the Kryptonian Superman, the mining suit, because of it being solar powered, grew in strength and ability due to the Earth's yellow sun. Its powers literally doubled. Super-strength increased, radar range doubled, the magnitude of impulse charges intensified, there was more powerful laser vision, and the suit gained longer flight ability. Alexander began learn to master these skills on his farm until he felt ready. Approximately two months after the arrival of Zar-Mak and his ship, Alexander purchased a houseboat near Tilbury on the border of the Southend-on-Sea. As his alter- ego of Alexander Hawthorne, he moved all of his remaining few possessions associated with his identity of Alexander to his new home. That night, he returned to his farm to fly Zar-Mak's ship to its new location far below the water surface underneath his boat, starting a base of operations. Alexander re-entered the mainstream to partially claim his life back. He went back to work part-time for Wayne Technologies as an engineer, but at night he would soon attempt his new lifestyle as a hero for all heroes.
After a few weeks of working diligently at Wayne Technologies during the day, and by night, building a small lair underwater in which he could maintain the secret identity of the Kryptonian, Alexander was almost ready. With the completion of his underwater base along with a burial site and memorial to Zar-Mak, and the re-establishment of his former life to create a façade, Alexander knew he was ready to dawn the mantle of a new character in the game of good versus evil.
His first night was a failure in his eyes. It was then when he realized how truly large London was. Alexander knew there had to be crime somewhere, and it was just a matter of finding it. That proved to be a difficult challenge. As the early lights of dawn approached, he began to question his identity and role. Alexander returned home to his boat, where he removed his helmet and sat down, placing his face in his hands to mourn as thoughts of failing his beloved family haunted his mind. At that moment in time, he noticed an oncoming vehicle on the docks. Concerned as to the fast speed of the oncoming vehicle, a settling confusion lingered in his mind as the headlights became brighter and brighter. Soon, the vehicle crashed through a railing on a nearby dock and plunged directly into the water while a stunned Alexander Hawthorne watched.
Still confused, as Alexander watched in disbelief, a reflex somehow kicked in, one, that apparently appeared out of the sub-conscious of Alexander's mind. It was almost second nature to him, yet still surprising. Alexander dove into the water, forgetting he was unmasked, just knowing his duty and remembering his vow to protect the innocent and save the lives of the misfortunate. He swam furiously to the submerged car where he pulled the door off and pulled and unconscious woman out from behind the steering wheel.
From above the water surface, there were ripples coming off from the point of impact until the water settled calm. Suddenly, Alexander rocketed out of the water carrying the woman in his arms where he flew them back to the safety of his boat. Reviving the young woman, she came to in a slight daze, her eyes gazing directly into his.
Her name was Dr. Lisa Summers, a young scientist who was working late on her research. She carelessly began to drive home, but fell asleep at the wheel, only waking to witness herself crashing violently off the docks into the water where she went unconscious on impact. She was brilliant, eccentric, but truly brilliant as a scientist. She had been working on a project, which theoretically could mend a severed spinal cord through the use of nano-technology. Because of the importance of the research, she had to stay late that night.
Her story intrigued Alexander. He admired her work and sought after her friendship. He relayed his story to her also, revealing his identity and nature of origin. They spent the remainder of the next day together. He showed her Zar-Mak's ship and memorial in his underwater base and shared with her the stories of a lone Kryptonian miner who was vanquished by the destruction of his home world. That night, Alexander drove Lisa to her home where he instructed her on the alternate story of the previous night's dealings to conceal any discovery of Alexander's operations. She agreed upon one condition. Lisa wanted them to become allies. She knew that any super-hero is bound to receive countless injuries and that Alexander was to need someone to look after him if any medical situation should arise. Alexander promptly agreed and the two became allies as Lisa had requested.
Alexander went home to become the Kryptonian for the night. His first mission was to move Lisa's car to another location so that the story would indicate that she still crashed off the dock, but further away from Alexander's base of operations and home. The story would also include Lisa freeing herself from her car and then managing to get home on her own, only to report the incident to the authorities the next day because of the erratic behavior that she would be going through the day of the crash due to the trauma of a near death experience would keep her from contacting anyone. After the project was completed, the Kryptonian flew into the night sky of London to fulfill his vow in bringing justice to those that prosper in the affliction of pain to the innocent.
Chapter 2 – Retribution Begun
Thus the battle has begun, and retribution has been dealt its hand. The Kryptonian has arrived and has begun a journey of justice. But before the newly born hero can move forward in his new life, he must face his first and greatest villain, himself. With the coping of his lost family and the formation of his alter-ego, Alexander is finding himself in a state far worse then he could ever imagine. His madness is taking root, far more stronger than before, and it's almost as if he has become two completely separate identities altogether. When Alexander wears the suit, he becomes his own personage as the Kryptonian, fearless, instinctive, yet vengeful. As Alexander, he is saddened, focused on the death of his family, stuck in a constant state of depression, and frustrated with his job at Wayne Technologies. He is losing grip on the fabric of reality, with no hope insight of conquering his first great nemesis.
The night is young and he is ready. The transformation is complete. Alexander has left his mind, only leaving room for the presence of the Kryptonian to emerge. He flies into the realm of the darkened city. He has had several weeks of practice in being a crime fighter. Each night, the Kryptonian grows stronger in his intuition and confidence, but as he grows stronger, each day Alexander grows weaker. Hopefully, the two can learn to merge to form one unified being, perfectly balanced.
Flying above the city, the Kryptonian heads toward the nearby penthouse apartment of Dr. Lisa Summers. He lands on the balcony, and walks inside. Lisa is there, promptly waiting his arrival. The Kryptonian removes the armor around his arm and the two begin their weekly routine, a medical check-up. As the weeks have gone by, the relationship between the two has grown cold due to the formation of the two distinct characters in which Alexander has created. She is greatly concerned about him. However, Lisa's concerns have no place in his life. To him, he now lives by a code, duty first, himself second, and retribution always.
She fears for him, wanting to help him so badly. She knows there is nothing she can do except encourage Alexander to fight free of his cage of anguish and depression and gain hold of his life. But even her encouraging words cannot convince him. There is only one man who can convince him to fight, his greatest ally, himself.
After the normal routine, the Kryptonian leaves, thankful for Lisa's generosity, but more concerned with other matters at hand. He has a job to do and the night is young. As he flies above the great city of London, patrolling, he notices a peculiar moving van positioned outside of the London Museum of Art and several masked men carrying paintings outside into their van. If it were at all possible to peak inside the helmet of the Kryptonian, you would see the grin of a madman desperate for vengeance. So far beyond normalcy, he is blood thirsty, lusting for the infliction of pain on those who would violate the law.
The Kryptonian soars down from the nights sky above, and pierces through the roof of the moving van and changes positions to rocket directly into one of the thieves, blasting through the back of the van with the delinquent criminal, dropping him to the pavement, rendering him unconscious. This greatly pleases the Kryptonian. He sees the fear instilled in the eyes of the other nearby thugs. One begins to run, but it's hard to run when your Achilles tendon is severed by fierce laser blast. The others drop immediately to their knees, but the Kryptonian, in his madness, knows no mercy. He knocks one man out cold with an impulse charge and the other man begins to cry, begging for mercy. The Kryptonian approaches him and lifts him by the throat and begins to squeeze. But from the back of his mind, a once silent Alexander screams, only confusing the Kryptonian. He squeezes slightly harder, but somehow a trapped Alexander emerges from the subconscious and they scream in all their fury in the night air. They drop the criminal to the ground and the two identities fly off, grasping their head in pain, arguing, and trying to comprehend the madness, which has settled itself over their mind. The multiple personality has finally erupted into a full-fledged war between the two identities.
The Kryptonian somehow manages his way to Lisa's apartment, flying furiously out of control. The dual hero crashes through her window, frightfully wakening Lisa from her slumber. She rushes to see what strange event has occurred, only to find Alexander curled up on the floor, helmet off, gripping his head in a state of obvious madness. Lisa is stunned and doesn't know what to do, yet her compassion for Alexander is stronger than her fear. She moves swiftly to his side and holds him, lifting his head and stares into his tearful eyes. She then runs to her medical supplies and grabs a syringe. Quickly, she rushes back to Alexander and injects the serum into his bloodstream. Shortly thereafter, Alexander falls asleep, only to battle his war in a vicious dream state.
Dreams haunt him. He sees the death of his family. He sees the coming of Zar-Mak. He sees himself as the Kryptonian, and he sees himself as Alexander. A standoff begins, Alexander versus the Kryptonian. They battle. It's as though Hell's fury is unleashed in Alexander's subconscious. With the newfound bravery of the identity known as Alexander, the outcome will be mysterious. The two continue to wage war, until both strike each other at the exact same moment with one finishing blow. Lightning flashes in their mind and the two become faint, both falling towards each other. They collide, their forces erupting into a storm, causing a flash of images of both personas. They combine, and Alexander awakes.
Lisa is sitting by his side and smiles at his awakening. He thanks her, and apologizes for his erratic behavior and assures her that he has returned to normal or as normal as anyone with a dual identity could be. He has conquered himself in his mental breakdown and is once again with both of his dual identities, utterly under control. He gathers himself and leaves Lisa's apartment, returning home, finally on the right path in his quest for retribution. For indeed it has begun.
Chapter 3 – Nemesis
In the early 16th century Spain, a small group of individuals became sick with society. They sought to bring about the end of the world, hoping to initiate doomsday early. They constantly prayed to God, but without sincerity, indulging in self-righteousness, and having sinful pride, begging for His blessing. The story goes on to say that God actually visited them, instructing them to form a society, known as the Illuminati. They prepared themselves for the end of the world, which was promised to occur in the near future, and only they would be saved, and they would inherit the Earth to rule above all else. When word of the Illuminati became known, theologians criticized them, saying that it was that great serpent named Lucifer or even Satan who appeared to them. They were forced out of Spain, and moved to England to worship in secret, forming secret combinations and pacts, and they were delightful in the shedding of blood. Indeed, they became very powerful throughout the land, because of their exceedingly great wealth, which was made through all manners of thievery and whoredoms, which they did commit. In fact, their prosperity continued throughout the land even until this very day.
Today, the secret organization has over 10,000 members living in England. The organization's leader, Roman Cortez, is a direct descendent of the very founder of the Illuminati. It is him who leads the secret meetings and services of worship. Roman Cortez is a multi-millionaire, inheriting all his wealth from his father, who in turn, inherited his fortune from his father, and so on. He is the backbone of the Illuminati, which backbone is about to be broken.
There is one who opposed Cortez's rule. His name is Julian Fear, a bloodthirsty, power hungry, lustful man. Fear sought the crown, glory, and the praise of the Illuminati. Julian is the son of the high priest, Ethan Fear, who was the second to Roman Cortez. It was on one dark night when Julian approached his father on the matter of the revelations contained in the Book of Illumination, the bible of the Illuminati containing the records of the founders. Julian, being angry that the prophecies have yet to be fulfilled after all these years, insisted that the organization should act to bring about the end of the world with modern technology. Ethan attempted to explain the matter his son and pleaded with him to be patient, but Julian's rage would tolerate his father's insolence no more. That night, while Ethan slept, Julian moved into his father's room, and with a dagger, in cold blood, murdered him. With the lust for more blood, Julian journeyed to the home of Cortez, with the intent of gaining control over the organization.
Fear's attempt proved to be a failure in all aspects but one. He could not reach the bedroom of Cortez, but instead, he made his way into the Illuminati's room of technology, for the Illuminati took great pleasure in the things of the world and the modern marvels of science. There, he came across a prototype militant suit of armor, which was made for phase- shifting. Fear delighted in his discovery and stole the suit, returning home to play with his newfound possession.
At the next scheduled meeting of the Illuminati, Julian Fear, entered late wearing the phase-shifting suit, modified now with a cloak, giving an appearance of mystery and darkness. Calling himself Dark Force, he claimed to be the one and only God, who had showed himself unto the founders centuries before. He ordered the members of the Illuminati to follow him, for it was time to bring about the apocalypse. Many flocked to him and others, including Cortez, rebelled. Dark Force walked directly toward Cortez, phase-shifting as he walked, turning invisible. Unaware, of what had just occurred, Cortez began to panic, and started to depart to his chambers. Before he could reach the door, an invisible hand gripped his neck and squeezed. The room of members lay silent, except for the cracking sound, which came from the neck of Cortez. At this sight, all the members of the organization, those who were eager to follow, and those were quick to rebel, dropped to their knees as if they were in a state of worship towards their God.
The body of Cortez fell to the floor, lifeless, and Dark Force appeared to the crowd, commanding them to follow him. Those that would follow would be his minions and would be his Dark Legion as he had called them, and if any would oppose, they would share the fate of Cortez. None opposed, and the Illuminati had a new leader, one who would prove to be the most corrupt and wicked of all past leaders of the secret society.
It is Dark Force's will to begin doomsday now, but before he can begin his task in world domination, he must overcome the one man who will stand in his way, who will be his greatest adversary and nemesis, the Kryptonian. Fortunately, neither one knows of the other, but their paths will cross soon enough, and the bloodshed will be bitter-sweet. Bitter to the Kryptonian, yet sweet to Dark Force.