The Birth of a Juke Box Hero pt. 2
Author's Note: Hey! L1701E here! I hope you're enjoying my story! Well, I wrote this chapter to pay tribute to an old Marvel Comics policy about new characters appearing. The old policy stated that a new character had to be introduced in a way, helping the reader get familiar with the character. I hope you have and continue to enjoy this little product of my wild imagination. I need ideas for villains for this guy. If you have any, send in with reviews. They are greatly appreciated.
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"It can't be!" Bobby turned around, and the man leaned on a wall. His slim 6'3" frame was leaning against the wall of his bathroom, smirking at him. His partially transparent glowing body was clothed in a futuristic silver bodysuit with a low lightning bolt-shaped neck, and blue and sea green highlights, blue shoulder pads, and platform boots. He had some matching paint on his face, and his long blond spiky hair cascaded down his back. Bobby instantly recognized the man.
"Ronnie Rocker!" Bobby was in shock. "But how?!?! You-You-You-You're dead!"
"Yeah, I'm dead." The late glam rocker smirked. "So, how you doing?"
"Mr. Rocker, how!" Bobby stammered.
"My spirit is kinda trapped in that guitar right there." Ronnie pointed to Bobby's new guitar. "That ain't any replica, kid. That is my old Ringer." Bobby's eyes bulged. "Yeah, I thought you'd react like that."
"But how--?" Bobby said in shock.
"I can explain, kid. You ever heard that old story about my transferring my soul into the guitar?"
"Yeah?"
"You see..." Ronnie sighed. "Magic was one of my biggest interests besides music. From the day I saw a magic show at six. I used to read about magic. I used to try out magic. Until one day, my life was changed forever. I was given a mystical charm by an old man. He claimed that the charm's magic can enhance certain aspects of a person."
"Huh?"
"Like strength and all." Ronnie smirked. "I found the artifact, and it bonded itself with my Ringer." Ronnie pointed at the guitar. "I discovered the artifact channeled a mystical energy called 'The Power of Rock'."
"The Power of Rock?"
"It's a form of magic energy, inside every person. I named it that because rock 'n' roll music seemed to create & intensify that energy. That energy gives a person confidence and a sense of greatness. The old man told me that one day, a warrior will arise. That warrior will have a tremendous amount of this energy within them. The energy will grant them the ability to perform feats of physicality like any rock performer."
"Like the flying kicks and mike stand twirls David Lee Roth does?"
"Kinda." Ronnie smirked. "Call me Ronnie, kid. Mr. Rocker is so...formal."
"If you call me Bobby." Bobby then remembered his hair. "Oh yeah. Ronnie, my hair. It changed. Really changed." Ronnie looked over Bobby's new blond mane.
"I think it looks good. Exposure to the guitar's magic has supercharged your body. The hair's color and length change is a side effect." Ronnie grinned. "Just play the guitar."
"Play what?"
"Anything. Think about your hair changing back, and it will."
"Wait a minute, I need to connect it to an amp."
"You don't need an amp, kid. Trust me. Pluck a string."
"Okay..." Bobby plucked a string, and he heard the sound it made. Full and all there, like it was connected to an amp. "How..."
"Magic." Ronnie said. "Didn't you want to change your hair back?"
"Oh yeah!" Bobby improvised a riff, and his hair shrunk back to its original length, while growing darker and changing back to brown. He then stopped and felt his hair, looking at himself in the mirror. "Whoa! It's normal!"
"See?" Ronnie shrugged. Bobby appeared to be thinking for a second. "What?" Bobby turned to the ghost.
"What'd you mean by a warrior?" Bobby scratched his head. "You said something about a warrior capable of wielding this 'Power of Rock' thing."
"Well, yeah." Ronnie sighed, as if he was very reluctant to tell him. "You see, the magic charm in that guitar told me that a threat of great evil will come, and only the warrior can stop him. I was chosen by the charm to help this warrior adjust to his power."
"And I was chosen to wield it?"
"Yup." A look of excitement crossed Bobby's face.
"This is great! Wow! You know what this means! I can be a superhero! I can be like Spider-Man! Or the Avengers! This is great!!!" Bobby examined the guitar excitedly. "How do I activate the power? Magic word? Hidden switch?"
"Whoa, kid! Whoa!" Ronnie said. "Hold the horses, kid! You ain't opening for Van Halen here. If you activate the power, you become...essentially, the living embodiment of rock 'n' roll. Not just in body, but in mind. Your personality will go through a slight transformation."
"What do you mean?"
"Rock 'n' roll is thought of as rebellious, wild, and crazy. Rock stars are viewed as a tribe of animals, addicted to passion and fun. If you activate the power, you will gain those traits. You will become a cool, cocky, wild, crazy rocker with superpowers. It's my job to help you with that."
"So I gain a bit of an attitude." Bobby shrugged. He raised his fist.
"Kid, no!" But Ronnie was too late. Bobby smacked the guitar with his fist and a glow exploded from the instrument. In a flash of rainbow light, Bobby's body and mind went through an incredible transformation. When the glow dissipated, Bobby's hair was again the long wild blond mane. His clothing had also undergone a transformation. Bobby's Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt was unchanged, tucked into a pair of tight white jeans with red and black stars sown on them. The button-down shirt Bobby had on over his Ozzy shirt was transformed into a white sleeveless leather jacket with red-and-black tiger print on the inside and on the lapels, decorated with some silver chains on the sides and back, and silver sequins on the shoulders. Bobby's wrists were adorned by semi-long white wristbands with a red-and-black center, and his hands had white fingerless biker gloves. His shoes were now red boots. His ears were adorned by beautiful earrings with brown feathers hanging out of them. Around his neck were two thin gold chains, each with a medallion: one had a cross, and the other had a reclining woman. The guitar itself morphed into a white Stratocaster with red-and-black streaks. The transformed teen looked at himself in the mirror, and he let out a cocky smirk.
"Wow! I look good!" Bobby said. He ran his hands through his now-blond hair in the mirror like he was trying to straighten his hair. "The hair is rockin'!" He then looked over his clothes. "Man, I really look good." He then turned to Ronnie. "Hey Ronnie! Check me out! Am I cool or what? Man, I'll bet ya the chicks will dig me once they see me!"
"Kid, calm down!" Ronnie said. Bobby smirked.
"Jealous?" Bobby's voice now had a more cocky but light-hearted tone to it. "Whoo-hoo!" Bobby, almost by instinct, cartwheeled out of the bathroom, and flipped up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Aw man..." Ronnie floated after him. "Kid, get back here!"
"Wow!" Bobby looked at his hands. "I doubt even an Olympic gymnast could do that!"
"Agility and reflexes are two of the attributes enhanced by the guitar's magic, kid." Ronnie sighed. "So is your reaction time."
"So I'll be able to dodge bullets at the speed of light." Bobby shrugged. "Good ability to have."
"Kid, your powers come from the guitar. You must keep it with you at all times. If you lose the guitar, your powers will slowly fade."
"Oh?" Bobby crossed his arms. "How long? Two days?" Bobby asked mockingly.
"Two hours. You lose the guitar, your powers fade over two hours. Once the two hours are up, you change back."
"No way!" Bobby grunted. "I am not going back to the way I was. I feel great! I could kick some serious butt right now! WHOO!! I feel like I can take on Doctor Doom, and whip his Latverian armored ass ALL NIGHT LONG!!! WHOO!!!" Bobby ran to the mirror he kept inside his closet. He looked himself over. "Man, I look good! But something is missing."
"What, a superhero name?" Ronnie joked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He then saw the gleam in Bobby's green eyes. "Oh no..."
"Yeah..." Bobby slammed the closet door. "I need a superhero name. I mean, I can't fight crime as the 'Amazing Bobby Parkins'. Nononononononono! I need a name that rolls off the tongue. A name that has punch! A name that people will remember! A name like..." Bobby stared at his wrestling posters. He looked at the one of Razor Ramon. "Razor." Bobby said lightly. "Razor. Something with Razor."
"Think up a name, kid?" Ronnie laughed. However, something clicked in Bobby's mind.
"Wait a minute." Bobby smiled, knowing he got his name now. "Kid Razor. That's it!"
"Kid Razor? What kinda name is that?" Ronnie groaned.
"It has punch. It rolls off the tongue, and is simple. I love it!" Bobby then struck a dramatic pose. "To all the bad guys around, you have been warned." The transformed musician spoke in a dramatic voice. "The world's newest superhero is here! Cleveland's Rock Sensation! The Kid of Rock 'n' Roll! The Juke Box Hero, Kid "Rock 'n' Roll" Razor has arrived, and he will rock this town, ALL NIGHT LONG!!! WHOO!!!"
"You are gonna get your ass kicked, kid." Ronnie smirked.
"Call me Razor for short." Bobby, now Razor, smirked back. He looked down at his clothes. "I need to make some minor alterations. How do I do that?"
"Just think about how you want the clothes to look...Razor." Ronnie shook his head. {This isn't what I had in mind. This guy's gonna be harder to control than I thought.}"Look Razor, this isn't some rock 'n' roll fantasy! This is real! Your powers can be quite dangerous."
"Ahh, you worry too much." Razor looked over at his poster of Shawn Michaels. "Ahh, HBK. Your costume has provided me with much inspiration. Just make some minor changes..." Razor plucked the guitar string and his costume changed again. White jeans changed into white tights with red-and- black razor blades all over them and "Rock 'n' Roll" on the back. His Ozzy Osbourne shirt and jacket were unchanged. His boots were now red with black- and-white fringe, and he had white kneepads. His fingerless gloves were now white. Over them, he had HBK-style wristcuffs with white fringe and a red- and-black razor blade on each one. He looked over the alterations. "Now we're rockin' like Dokken. So, now what else can I do?" Bobby then realized something. "Oh yeah, I'm gonna need a mask or something. I can't let anyone recognize the Kid of Rock's face while he's saving the world." He looked at his poster of the Ultimate Warrior. "Maybe I can use paint." Bobby plucked his guitar, and his face got painted in a manner similar to the Ultimate Warrior, mostly white with red-and-black streaks. Out of his jacket, Bobby pulled out and put on a pair of white sunglasses with heart-shaped frames and red-and-black lenses. Ronnie looked at Bobby's karate trophies.
{Wait a minute, I think I can find a way to get through to Bobby} Ronnie smirked, turning to Razor. "Hey Bobby, you're really good at that martial arts stuff, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Razor asked impatiently. "I'm bored. When do we go kick butt?"
"Martial arts requires someone to be disciplined, right?" Ronnie asked.
"Yeah, why?" Razor shrugged.
"Well, this requires discipline, too." Ronnie pointed to Razor's guitar. "Your new powers require you to maintain some form of control."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Razor waved him off. "Let me try to lift up something big."
"Kid..." Ronnie tried to stop Razor as he went out to his car.
"Not now!" Razor said. He ran to the old blue car, and put his hands on the bottom. He then strained as he tried to lift it. However, he couldn't even budge it.
"Kid, you ain't the Thing, man!" Ronnie laughed. "Superhuman strength is not a power associated with rock 'n' roll."
"Whaddaya mean?"
"You see Razor, Your powers reflect a rocker on stage. When rockers move, they call upon their natural agility, reaction time, reflexes, and flexibility. In you current state, those attribute are enhanced to superhuman levels. You can dodge bullets before they can even touch you. You also have invulnerability."
"So bullets will bounce off me." Razor asked excitedly. "That's cooler than a Van Halen show!"
"Uh..." Ronnie scratched the back of his head. "Not exactly."
"Not exactly? Not EXACTLY?!?!" Razor looked shocked. "You said I was invulnerable!"
"You have a special kind of invulnerability, Razor." Ronnie sighed. "Do you know how John Lennon died?"
"Yeah, he was shot by an insane fan." Razor replied. "Are you saying that I can be shot?"
"Or slashed. Or blown open by a laser beam." Ronnie groaned. "You are invulnerable to physical attacks."
"What do you mean?" Razor crossed his arms. {Man, this guy is weird. I got some weird powers. I'm invulnerable, but not, I can do feats of agility that would make that Spider-Man guy scratch his webbed head, I even get a free costume and face-concealing paint! Wait...} Bobby noticed his bicep. He was normally a skinny kid, but now he noticed that his bicep had doubled in size, like he suddenly packed some muscle on him. {Huh? Suddenly, I got mini-Arnold muscles? This guitar is really freaked out!}
"Your body can handle physical attacks. For example, you can be thrown through a wall, and your body suffers no damage. You will still feel the pain, though."
"Brilliant." Razor crossed his arms and grumbled.
"That's where the guitar comes in." Ronnie said. "Basically, your guitar gives you some extra abilities. If you call upon its powers, you can create forcefields around your body. You can use those forcefields to protect yourself from blades, beams, and bullets. Also, the forcefields allow you to fly. As well as fire beams of energy from the guitar's head. Speaking of heads, you have to use your head to use your powers. You mentally control your flight, the strength of your forcefields and energy beams, among other things." Ronnie warned. "It's my job to help your ass out, Razor."
"Don't get Kid Razor wrong." Razor said. "I really appreciate it. I really do. I have superpowers. You're a ghost. I am a sixth-degree black belt in karate. You're dead. I am the first and only rock 'n' roll superhero. You're..." Razor trailed off when he heard a voice call for help. "That voice sounds like...it's far away. Too far away. How?"
"Superhuman hearing." Ronnie grinned. "You can hear things much better and much further away than the average human."
"I just hope I don't end up being driven mad by dog whistles." Razor grumbled. "How do I fly?"
"Use your brain to control your direction and speed and you'll be..." Ronnie didn't get to finish. Razor plucked his guitar's strings, and a field of energy formed around the super-musician's body. Razor jumped in the air and took off, flying towards the source of the call for help. "Dammit, kid..." Ronnie flew after the rocker.
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"Alright! Just stay down and no one gets hurt!" A masked bank robber in jeans ordered, pointing a sawed off shotgun at the patrons, who were all crouched down. "That's right! Just stay down!" He turned to his six accomplices. "Hurry it up!"
"Yeah, yeah!" They shoved money into a bunch of bags. A wad of squad cars belonging to Cleveland's Finest stopped in front of the bank. A hard-nosed sergeant stepped out of one of the cars. He had black hair in a crew cut, and intense brown eyes. His face was rather stony. His white shirt and red tie were messy, as was his blue jeans and his brown trenchcoat.
"Alright." He grumbled in a gravelly voice. "Let's take these scumbags down." He spoke into a megaphone. "This is the police! You're surrounded! Come out with your hands up! Now!" He ordered. The lead robber looked at all the cops.
"Bite me, copper!" He had an accomplice fire what looked like a bazooka with a satellite dish over the barrel. The weapon emitted a sonic wave, causing the windows to shatter and the cops to drop down. The sergeant growled.
"Alright, he wants to play?" He said to himself. He then looked up. "The hell?" Razor landed in front of the cops, back to them. The robbers looked in shock, and the cops started chattering amongst themselves. "What is this? I thought New York had all the costumed clowns!" Razor smirked at the robbers.
"You might wanna put that money back. Or else I'll be forced to kick each and every one of your asses." Razor smirked.
"Oh really?" The lead robber cocked his rifle and aimed it at Razor. He fired a pair of bullets from the rifle. However, Razor's reaction time was so fast, he dodged the bullets before they went halfway towards Razor. The robber with the sonic cannon tried to fire the weapon, but Razor punched him out, smashing the device as he fell.
"What in the name of..." The sergeant growled. He turned to the pretty policewoman across the car from him. "Get on the dispatch and find out anything you can about this nut." He barked.
"Sure." She nodded, grabbing the radio. "Uh Dispatch, I want any information you got on someone. Long blond hair, looks like an Eighties rocker, white, red, and black paint on his face." She described Razor. The sergeant grumbled.
"A costumed freak. Right here in Cleveland. Terrific." The sergeant grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I leave New York to get away from the likes of Spider-Man, the Avengers, the FF, and now this!"
"Is that the best you got?" Razor yawned. "I'm bored."
"Grrr..." The lead robber emptied this rifle on Razor, but the rocker used his agility to dodge every bullet.
"Nice try, Masked Magician. Got any more tricks?" Razor remarked. The lead robber dropped his rifle and charged Razor. He fired a right cross, but Razor did a split. "HIYA!!" Razor smacked the lead robber hard in the gut with his palm, then swept his foot, knocking him off his feet, while Razor got back on his own. "Nice try. I'll give you an A for effort, but an F for fighting skill." The other robbers charged. Razor downed one with two kicks, one to the gut, and the other to the face. Two were taken down by a spinning roundhouse kick. A fourth got chopped in the back of the head, and the final one got thrown over Razor's shoulder and hit in the chest by Razor's palm. Razor looked at all the bank patrons and smirked. "Man, I'm good." Razor grinned and the bank patrons clapped. The cops rushed in an arrested the hurt robbers. The sergeant marched up to Razor.
"Alright." He growled. "Who the hell are you, and what're you doing here in Cleveland?"
"Who am I? I'll tell you who I am! I'm a hard-rockin', good-lookin', butt- kickin', kung fu-fightin' machine! I'm Cleveland's Rock Sensation! The Ultimate Rock Star! The Kid of Rock 'n' Roll! I am Kid "Rock 'n' Roll" Razor!!!"
"Sergeant Harold Polanski of the Cleveland Police Department." Sgt. Polanski flashed his badge. Razor saluted in respect. "Listen you little Van Halen wannabe, I don't know how you pulled those stunts you did, but realize this, Kid Razor. Cleveland has absolutely no need for costumed vigilantes. You wanna play superhero, go to New York!"
"I'm hurt." Razor grinned. "Your badge-packin' self was gettin' whooped by some idiots in masks, and I go all this way to help you out." The policewoman ran up to Sgt. Polanski.
"Sir, I got nothing. Dispatch checked. There's nothin' on this kid." She pointed at Razor, who winked at her. She started blushing.
"Well, I do happen to be new in town." Razor shrugged.
"Shut up, smartass!" Polanski snapped at Razor.
"Kiss mine!" Razor snapped back. "Look Pulaski, I just did what you couldn't do, and you are jealous. I don't blame you. If I were you, I'd be jealous of me too." Razor grinned. Ronnie watched in disbelief.
"Crazy kid." Ronnie groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"My name is Polanski, kid." The sergeant growled. "Not Pulaski."
"Touchy, touchy." Razor mocked. He grabbed the policewoman. "I see you're grateful, babe." The policewoman blushed. "What's your name, honey?"
"Kid, she's older than you!" Ronnie laughed. Razor was ignoring the late rocker. Polanski pushed away the officer and stared at Razor.
"Try this stuff again, and I'll have you arrested for obstruction of justice." Razor smirked mockingly.
"Those charges won't hold. Any idiot could see I was helping. If any idiot could see that, then you must be a complete retard!" Razor burst out laughing. Some of the patrons laughed.
"That's it!" Polanski snapped, pulling out some cuffs. "You are under arrest for assaulting an officer!"
"No, this is assaulting an officer." Razor punched Polanski in the jaw, causing the sergeant to hit the floor. The patrons clapped and cheered as Razor put the handcuffs on Polanski, hooking the ungrateful sergeant's cuffed hands on his legs.
"Thank you, thank you." Razor bowed. Two cops who were watching whistled and laughed.
"That's kid's fearless. He's gotta be to mouth off and punch out Polanski like that." The first cop said.
"Polanski had it coming. The guy's a jerk. Kid was only helping. Thanks to him, no one's hurt, and we got the bad guys. I like that kid." The second cop laughed. "Besides, I've wanted to punch Polanski's face a couple times myself."
"Me too." The first cop agreed. "Hey kid!" He yelled. Razor turned to the cops. They gave him a thumbs up. Razor responded with a flash of the "Rock On!" sign. A news van drove up, and a beautiful woman jumped out with a microphone. She had her auburn hair tied in a bun. Her caramel-colored skin seemed to indicate she had a bit of Hispanic in her. She wore a light-blue button-down shirt with a dark-blue business jacket and matching slacks and shoes. A cameraman followed.
"Okay, ready?" She asked the cameraman.
"Yup. Rollin', Jane." The cameraman replied. The woman spoke into the microphone.
"This is Jane Santos of Channel 6 News. We are in front of the First National Bank of Cleveland, where an attempted robbery was foiled by a mysterious costumed hero clad in face paint and carrying a guitar." She turned and saw Kid Razor strut out. He saw the camera and flashed the "Rock On!" sign. "Excuse me, sir!" She ran up to Razor. "Tell us about yourself. Who are you? Where are you from? Why are you here?"
"Give me your number, and I just might tell you, babe." Razor winked, taking the microphone. "HELLOOOOO CLEVELAND!!!! This is Kid "Rock 'n' Roll" Razor! The Ultimate Rockstar! The Juke Box Hero! The Rock 'n' Roll Warrior! The Fearless One! I have arrived, baby!! WHOOOO!!!! Listen up!! To those who want to rock, I salute ya! I have come to bring rock to the masses! I wield the Power of Rock in the battle against evil! WHOO!!! Spider-Man, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four..." Razor shook his head, smirking. "You guys can keep New York! Cleveland now has its own hero. Born and raised a Cleveland rocker, baby!! WHOO!!! I also come to deliver a warning. To aaaaallll the villains, losers, and boy bands. Come to Cleveland, and you'll get yourselves messed up! WHOOO!!!! I am the man!!!" Razor gave Jane back the mike and flashed his sign. "Rock On!" He flew off.
"Wow..." Jane shook her head. "Well, looks like Kid Razor has made a point: Cleveland now has a hero of its own. He says he plans to use rock 'n' roll to battle evil. Hopefully, we'll get statements from witnesses, and the Cleveland police about this incredible new hero. This is Jane Holmes, Channel 6 news. Back to you, Harvey."
Wow! A new hero! How will the other Marvel Super Heroes react to the Kid of Rock 'n' Roll? What great evil is on the horizon? Find out on the next chapter of Birth of a Juke Box Hero!
Author's Note: Hey! L1701E here! I hope you're enjoying my story! Well, I wrote this chapter to pay tribute to an old Marvel Comics policy about new characters appearing. The old policy stated that a new character had to be introduced in a way, helping the reader get familiar with the character. I hope you have and continue to enjoy this little product of my wild imagination. I need ideas for villains for this guy. If you have any, send in with reviews. They are greatly appreciated.
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"It can't be!" Bobby turned around, and the man leaned on a wall. His slim 6'3" frame was leaning against the wall of his bathroom, smirking at him. His partially transparent glowing body was clothed in a futuristic silver bodysuit with a low lightning bolt-shaped neck, and blue and sea green highlights, blue shoulder pads, and platform boots. He had some matching paint on his face, and his long blond spiky hair cascaded down his back. Bobby instantly recognized the man.
"Ronnie Rocker!" Bobby was in shock. "But how?!?! You-You-You-You're dead!"
"Yeah, I'm dead." The late glam rocker smirked. "So, how you doing?"
"Mr. Rocker, how!" Bobby stammered.
"My spirit is kinda trapped in that guitar right there." Ronnie pointed to Bobby's new guitar. "That ain't any replica, kid. That is my old Ringer." Bobby's eyes bulged. "Yeah, I thought you'd react like that."
"But how--?" Bobby said in shock.
"I can explain, kid. You ever heard that old story about my transferring my soul into the guitar?"
"Yeah?"
"You see..." Ronnie sighed. "Magic was one of my biggest interests besides music. From the day I saw a magic show at six. I used to read about magic. I used to try out magic. Until one day, my life was changed forever. I was given a mystical charm by an old man. He claimed that the charm's magic can enhance certain aspects of a person."
"Huh?"
"Like strength and all." Ronnie smirked. "I found the artifact, and it bonded itself with my Ringer." Ronnie pointed at the guitar. "I discovered the artifact channeled a mystical energy called 'The Power of Rock'."
"The Power of Rock?"
"It's a form of magic energy, inside every person. I named it that because rock 'n' roll music seemed to create & intensify that energy. That energy gives a person confidence and a sense of greatness. The old man told me that one day, a warrior will arise. That warrior will have a tremendous amount of this energy within them. The energy will grant them the ability to perform feats of physicality like any rock performer."
"Like the flying kicks and mike stand twirls David Lee Roth does?"
"Kinda." Ronnie smirked. "Call me Ronnie, kid. Mr. Rocker is so...formal."
"If you call me Bobby." Bobby then remembered his hair. "Oh yeah. Ronnie, my hair. It changed. Really changed." Ronnie looked over Bobby's new blond mane.
"I think it looks good. Exposure to the guitar's magic has supercharged your body. The hair's color and length change is a side effect." Ronnie grinned. "Just play the guitar."
"Play what?"
"Anything. Think about your hair changing back, and it will."
"Wait a minute, I need to connect it to an amp."
"You don't need an amp, kid. Trust me. Pluck a string."
"Okay..." Bobby plucked a string, and he heard the sound it made. Full and all there, like it was connected to an amp. "How..."
"Magic." Ronnie said. "Didn't you want to change your hair back?"
"Oh yeah!" Bobby improvised a riff, and his hair shrunk back to its original length, while growing darker and changing back to brown. He then stopped and felt his hair, looking at himself in the mirror. "Whoa! It's normal!"
"See?" Ronnie shrugged. Bobby appeared to be thinking for a second. "What?" Bobby turned to the ghost.
"What'd you mean by a warrior?" Bobby scratched his head. "You said something about a warrior capable of wielding this 'Power of Rock' thing."
"Well, yeah." Ronnie sighed, as if he was very reluctant to tell him. "You see, the magic charm in that guitar told me that a threat of great evil will come, and only the warrior can stop him. I was chosen by the charm to help this warrior adjust to his power."
"And I was chosen to wield it?"
"Yup." A look of excitement crossed Bobby's face.
"This is great! Wow! You know what this means! I can be a superhero! I can be like Spider-Man! Or the Avengers! This is great!!!" Bobby examined the guitar excitedly. "How do I activate the power? Magic word? Hidden switch?"
"Whoa, kid! Whoa!" Ronnie said. "Hold the horses, kid! You ain't opening for Van Halen here. If you activate the power, you become...essentially, the living embodiment of rock 'n' roll. Not just in body, but in mind. Your personality will go through a slight transformation."
"What do you mean?"
"Rock 'n' roll is thought of as rebellious, wild, and crazy. Rock stars are viewed as a tribe of animals, addicted to passion and fun. If you activate the power, you will gain those traits. You will become a cool, cocky, wild, crazy rocker with superpowers. It's my job to help you with that."
"So I gain a bit of an attitude." Bobby shrugged. He raised his fist.
"Kid, no!" But Ronnie was too late. Bobby smacked the guitar with his fist and a glow exploded from the instrument. In a flash of rainbow light, Bobby's body and mind went through an incredible transformation. When the glow dissipated, Bobby's hair was again the long wild blond mane. His clothing had also undergone a transformation. Bobby's Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt was unchanged, tucked into a pair of tight white jeans with red and black stars sown on them. The button-down shirt Bobby had on over his Ozzy shirt was transformed into a white sleeveless leather jacket with red-and-black tiger print on the inside and on the lapels, decorated with some silver chains on the sides and back, and silver sequins on the shoulders. Bobby's wrists were adorned by semi-long white wristbands with a red-and-black center, and his hands had white fingerless biker gloves. His shoes were now red boots. His ears were adorned by beautiful earrings with brown feathers hanging out of them. Around his neck were two thin gold chains, each with a medallion: one had a cross, and the other had a reclining woman. The guitar itself morphed into a white Stratocaster with red-and-black streaks. The transformed teen looked at himself in the mirror, and he let out a cocky smirk.
"Wow! I look good!" Bobby said. He ran his hands through his now-blond hair in the mirror like he was trying to straighten his hair. "The hair is rockin'!" He then looked over his clothes. "Man, I really look good." He then turned to Ronnie. "Hey Ronnie! Check me out! Am I cool or what? Man, I'll bet ya the chicks will dig me once they see me!"
"Kid, calm down!" Ronnie said. Bobby smirked.
"Jealous?" Bobby's voice now had a more cocky but light-hearted tone to it. "Whoo-hoo!" Bobby, almost by instinct, cartwheeled out of the bathroom, and flipped up the stairs to his bedroom.
"Aw man..." Ronnie floated after him. "Kid, get back here!"
"Wow!" Bobby looked at his hands. "I doubt even an Olympic gymnast could do that!"
"Agility and reflexes are two of the attributes enhanced by the guitar's magic, kid." Ronnie sighed. "So is your reaction time."
"So I'll be able to dodge bullets at the speed of light." Bobby shrugged. "Good ability to have."
"Kid, your powers come from the guitar. You must keep it with you at all times. If you lose the guitar, your powers will slowly fade."
"Oh?" Bobby crossed his arms. "How long? Two days?" Bobby asked mockingly.
"Two hours. You lose the guitar, your powers fade over two hours. Once the two hours are up, you change back."
"No way!" Bobby grunted. "I am not going back to the way I was. I feel great! I could kick some serious butt right now! WHOO!! I feel like I can take on Doctor Doom, and whip his Latverian armored ass ALL NIGHT LONG!!! WHOO!!!" Bobby ran to the mirror he kept inside his closet. He looked himself over. "Man, I look good! But something is missing."
"What, a superhero name?" Ronnie joked sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He then saw the gleam in Bobby's green eyes. "Oh no..."
"Yeah..." Bobby slammed the closet door. "I need a superhero name. I mean, I can't fight crime as the 'Amazing Bobby Parkins'. Nononononononono! I need a name that rolls off the tongue. A name that has punch! A name that people will remember! A name like..." Bobby stared at his wrestling posters. He looked at the one of Razor Ramon. "Razor." Bobby said lightly. "Razor. Something with Razor."
"Think up a name, kid?" Ronnie laughed. However, something clicked in Bobby's mind.
"Wait a minute." Bobby smiled, knowing he got his name now. "Kid Razor. That's it!"
"Kid Razor? What kinda name is that?" Ronnie groaned.
"It has punch. It rolls off the tongue, and is simple. I love it!" Bobby then struck a dramatic pose. "To all the bad guys around, you have been warned." The transformed musician spoke in a dramatic voice. "The world's newest superhero is here! Cleveland's Rock Sensation! The Kid of Rock 'n' Roll! The Juke Box Hero, Kid "Rock 'n' Roll" Razor has arrived, and he will rock this town, ALL NIGHT LONG!!! WHOO!!!"
"You are gonna get your ass kicked, kid." Ronnie smirked.
"Call me Razor for short." Bobby, now Razor, smirked back. He looked down at his clothes. "I need to make some minor alterations. How do I do that?"
"Just think about how you want the clothes to look...Razor." Ronnie shook his head. {This isn't what I had in mind. This guy's gonna be harder to control than I thought.}"Look Razor, this isn't some rock 'n' roll fantasy! This is real! Your powers can be quite dangerous."
"Ahh, you worry too much." Razor looked over at his poster of Shawn Michaels. "Ahh, HBK. Your costume has provided me with much inspiration. Just make some minor changes..." Razor plucked the guitar string and his costume changed again. White jeans changed into white tights with red-and- black razor blades all over them and "Rock 'n' Roll" on the back. His Ozzy Osbourne shirt and jacket were unchanged. His boots were now red with black- and-white fringe, and he had white kneepads. His fingerless gloves were now white. Over them, he had HBK-style wristcuffs with white fringe and a red- and-black razor blade on each one. He looked over the alterations. "Now we're rockin' like Dokken. So, now what else can I do?" Bobby then realized something. "Oh yeah, I'm gonna need a mask or something. I can't let anyone recognize the Kid of Rock's face while he's saving the world." He looked at his poster of the Ultimate Warrior. "Maybe I can use paint." Bobby plucked his guitar, and his face got painted in a manner similar to the Ultimate Warrior, mostly white with red-and-black streaks. Out of his jacket, Bobby pulled out and put on a pair of white sunglasses with heart-shaped frames and red-and-black lenses. Ronnie looked at Bobby's karate trophies.
{Wait a minute, I think I can find a way to get through to Bobby} Ronnie smirked, turning to Razor. "Hey Bobby, you're really good at that martial arts stuff, right?"
"Yeah, so?" Razor asked impatiently. "I'm bored. When do we go kick butt?"
"Martial arts requires someone to be disciplined, right?" Ronnie asked.
"Yeah, why?" Razor shrugged.
"Well, this requires discipline, too." Ronnie pointed to Razor's guitar. "Your new powers require you to maintain some form of control."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Razor waved him off. "Let me try to lift up something big."
"Kid..." Ronnie tried to stop Razor as he went out to his car.
"Not now!" Razor said. He ran to the old blue car, and put his hands on the bottom. He then strained as he tried to lift it. However, he couldn't even budge it.
"Kid, you ain't the Thing, man!" Ronnie laughed. "Superhuman strength is not a power associated with rock 'n' roll."
"Whaddaya mean?"
"You see Razor, Your powers reflect a rocker on stage. When rockers move, they call upon their natural agility, reaction time, reflexes, and flexibility. In you current state, those attribute are enhanced to superhuman levels. You can dodge bullets before they can even touch you. You also have invulnerability."
"So bullets will bounce off me." Razor asked excitedly. "That's cooler than a Van Halen show!"
"Uh..." Ronnie scratched the back of his head. "Not exactly."
"Not exactly? Not EXACTLY?!?!" Razor looked shocked. "You said I was invulnerable!"
"You have a special kind of invulnerability, Razor." Ronnie sighed. "Do you know how John Lennon died?"
"Yeah, he was shot by an insane fan." Razor replied. "Are you saying that I can be shot?"
"Or slashed. Or blown open by a laser beam." Ronnie groaned. "You are invulnerable to physical attacks."
"What do you mean?" Razor crossed his arms. {Man, this guy is weird. I got some weird powers. I'm invulnerable, but not, I can do feats of agility that would make that Spider-Man guy scratch his webbed head, I even get a free costume and face-concealing paint! Wait...} Bobby noticed his bicep. He was normally a skinny kid, but now he noticed that his bicep had doubled in size, like he suddenly packed some muscle on him. {Huh? Suddenly, I got mini-Arnold muscles? This guitar is really freaked out!}
"Your body can handle physical attacks. For example, you can be thrown through a wall, and your body suffers no damage. You will still feel the pain, though."
"Brilliant." Razor crossed his arms and grumbled.
"That's where the guitar comes in." Ronnie said. "Basically, your guitar gives you some extra abilities. If you call upon its powers, you can create forcefields around your body. You can use those forcefields to protect yourself from blades, beams, and bullets. Also, the forcefields allow you to fly. As well as fire beams of energy from the guitar's head. Speaking of heads, you have to use your head to use your powers. You mentally control your flight, the strength of your forcefields and energy beams, among other things." Ronnie warned. "It's my job to help your ass out, Razor."
"Don't get Kid Razor wrong." Razor said. "I really appreciate it. I really do. I have superpowers. You're a ghost. I am a sixth-degree black belt in karate. You're dead. I am the first and only rock 'n' roll superhero. You're..." Razor trailed off when he heard a voice call for help. "That voice sounds like...it's far away. Too far away. How?"
"Superhuman hearing." Ronnie grinned. "You can hear things much better and much further away than the average human."
"I just hope I don't end up being driven mad by dog whistles." Razor grumbled. "How do I fly?"
"Use your brain to control your direction and speed and you'll be..." Ronnie didn't get to finish. Razor plucked his guitar's strings, and a field of energy formed around the super-musician's body. Razor jumped in the air and took off, flying towards the source of the call for help. "Dammit, kid..." Ronnie flew after the rocker.
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"Alright! Just stay down and no one gets hurt!" A masked bank robber in jeans ordered, pointing a sawed off shotgun at the patrons, who were all crouched down. "That's right! Just stay down!" He turned to his six accomplices. "Hurry it up!"
"Yeah, yeah!" They shoved money into a bunch of bags. A wad of squad cars belonging to Cleveland's Finest stopped in front of the bank. A hard-nosed sergeant stepped out of one of the cars. He had black hair in a crew cut, and intense brown eyes. His face was rather stony. His white shirt and red tie were messy, as was his blue jeans and his brown trenchcoat.
"Alright." He grumbled in a gravelly voice. "Let's take these scumbags down." He spoke into a megaphone. "This is the police! You're surrounded! Come out with your hands up! Now!" He ordered. The lead robber looked at all the cops.
"Bite me, copper!" He had an accomplice fire what looked like a bazooka with a satellite dish over the barrel. The weapon emitted a sonic wave, causing the windows to shatter and the cops to drop down. The sergeant growled.
"Alright, he wants to play?" He said to himself. He then looked up. "The hell?" Razor landed in front of the cops, back to them. The robbers looked in shock, and the cops started chattering amongst themselves. "What is this? I thought New York had all the costumed clowns!" Razor smirked at the robbers.
"You might wanna put that money back. Or else I'll be forced to kick each and every one of your asses." Razor smirked.
"Oh really?" The lead robber cocked his rifle and aimed it at Razor. He fired a pair of bullets from the rifle. However, Razor's reaction time was so fast, he dodged the bullets before they went halfway towards Razor. The robber with the sonic cannon tried to fire the weapon, but Razor punched him out, smashing the device as he fell.
"What in the name of..." The sergeant growled. He turned to the pretty policewoman across the car from him. "Get on the dispatch and find out anything you can about this nut." He barked.
"Sure." She nodded, grabbing the radio. "Uh Dispatch, I want any information you got on someone. Long blond hair, looks like an Eighties rocker, white, red, and black paint on his face." She described Razor. The sergeant grumbled.
"A costumed freak. Right here in Cleveland. Terrific." The sergeant grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I leave New York to get away from the likes of Spider-Man, the Avengers, the FF, and now this!"
"Is that the best you got?" Razor yawned. "I'm bored."
"Grrr..." The lead robber emptied this rifle on Razor, but the rocker used his agility to dodge every bullet.
"Nice try, Masked Magician. Got any more tricks?" Razor remarked. The lead robber dropped his rifle and charged Razor. He fired a right cross, but Razor did a split. "HIYA!!" Razor smacked the lead robber hard in the gut with his palm, then swept his foot, knocking him off his feet, while Razor got back on his own. "Nice try. I'll give you an A for effort, but an F for fighting skill." The other robbers charged. Razor downed one with two kicks, one to the gut, and the other to the face. Two were taken down by a spinning roundhouse kick. A fourth got chopped in the back of the head, and the final one got thrown over Razor's shoulder and hit in the chest by Razor's palm. Razor looked at all the bank patrons and smirked. "Man, I'm good." Razor grinned and the bank patrons clapped. The cops rushed in an arrested the hurt robbers. The sergeant marched up to Razor.
"Alright." He growled. "Who the hell are you, and what're you doing here in Cleveland?"
"Who am I? I'll tell you who I am! I'm a hard-rockin', good-lookin', butt- kickin', kung fu-fightin' machine! I'm Cleveland's Rock Sensation! The Ultimate Rock Star! The Kid of Rock 'n' Roll! I am Kid "Rock 'n' Roll" Razor!!!"
"Sergeant Harold Polanski of the Cleveland Police Department." Sgt. Polanski flashed his badge. Razor saluted in respect. "Listen you little Van Halen wannabe, I don't know how you pulled those stunts you did, but realize this, Kid Razor. Cleveland has absolutely no need for costumed vigilantes. You wanna play superhero, go to New York!"
"I'm hurt." Razor grinned. "Your badge-packin' self was gettin' whooped by some idiots in masks, and I go all this way to help you out." The policewoman ran up to Sgt. Polanski.
"Sir, I got nothing. Dispatch checked. There's nothin' on this kid." She pointed at Razor, who winked at her. She started blushing.
"Well, I do happen to be new in town." Razor shrugged.
"Shut up, smartass!" Polanski snapped at Razor.
"Kiss mine!" Razor snapped back. "Look Pulaski, I just did what you couldn't do, and you are jealous. I don't blame you. If I were you, I'd be jealous of me too." Razor grinned. Ronnie watched in disbelief.
"Crazy kid." Ronnie groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"My name is Polanski, kid." The sergeant growled. "Not Pulaski."
"Touchy, touchy." Razor mocked. He grabbed the policewoman. "I see you're grateful, babe." The policewoman blushed. "What's your name, honey?"
"Kid, she's older than you!" Ronnie laughed. Razor was ignoring the late rocker. Polanski pushed away the officer and stared at Razor.
"Try this stuff again, and I'll have you arrested for obstruction of justice." Razor smirked mockingly.
"Those charges won't hold. Any idiot could see I was helping. If any idiot could see that, then you must be a complete retard!" Razor burst out laughing. Some of the patrons laughed.
"That's it!" Polanski snapped, pulling out some cuffs. "You are under arrest for assaulting an officer!"
"No, this is assaulting an officer." Razor punched Polanski in the jaw, causing the sergeant to hit the floor. The patrons clapped and cheered as Razor put the handcuffs on Polanski, hooking the ungrateful sergeant's cuffed hands on his legs.
"Thank you, thank you." Razor bowed. Two cops who were watching whistled and laughed.
"That's kid's fearless. He's gotta be to mouth off and punch out Polanski like that." The first cop said.
"Polanski had it coming. The guy's a jerk. Kid was only helping. Thanks to him, no one's hurt, and we got the bad guys. I like that kid." The second cop laughed. "Besides, I've wanted to punch Polanski's face a couple times myself."
"Me too." The first cop agreed. "Hey kid!" He yelled. Razor turned to the cops. They gave him a thumbs up. Razor responded with a flash of the "Rock On!" sign. A news van drove up, and a beautiful woman jumped out with a microphone. She had her auburn hair tied in a bun. Her caramel-colored skin seemed to indicate she had a bit of Hispanic in her. She wore a light-blue button-down shirt with a dark-blue business jacket and matching slacks and shoes. A cameraman followed.
"Okay, ready?" She asked the cameraman.
"Yup. Rollin', Jane." The cameraman replied. The woman spoke into the microphone.
"This is Jane Santos of Channel 6 News. We are in front of the First National Bank of Cleveland, where an attempted robbery was foiled by a mysterious costumed hero clad in face paint and carrying a guitar." She turned and saw Kid Razor strut out. He saw the camera and flashed the "Rock On!" sign. "Excuse me, sir!" She ran up to Razor. "Tell us about yourself. Who are you? Where are you from? Why are you here?"
"Give me your number, and I just might tell you, babe." Razor winked, taking the microphone. "HELLOOOOO CLEVELAND!!!! This is Kid "Rock 'n' Roll" Razor! The Ultimate Rockstar! The Juke Box Hero! The Rock 'n' Roll Warrior! The Fearless One! I have arrived, baby!! WHOOOO!!!! Listen up!! To those who want to rock, I salute ya! I have come to bring rock to the masses! I wield the Power of Rock in the battle against evil! WHOO!!! Spider-Man, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four..." Razor shook his head, smirking. "You guys can keep New York! Cleveland now has its own hero. Born and raised a Cleveland rocker, baby!! WHOO!!! I also come to deliver a warning. To aaaaallll the villains, losers, and boy bands. Come to Cleveland, and you'll get yourselves messed up! WHOOO!!!! I am the man!!!" Razor gave Jane back the mike and flashed his sign. "Rock On!" He flew off.
"Wow..." Jane shook her head. "Well, looks like Kid Razor has made a point: Cleveland now has a hero of its own. He says he plans to use rock 'n' roll to battle evil. Hopefully, we'll get statements from witnesses, and the Cleveland police about this incredible new hero. This is Jane Holmes, Channel 6 news. Back to you, Harvey."
Wow! A new hero! How will the other Marvel Super Heroes react to the Kid of Rock 'n' Roll? What great evil is on the horizon? Find out on the next chapter of Birth of a Juke Box Hero!