Xavier Ramier / Mr. Pigeon

Nathaniel was at the Palais de Chaillot, hard at work.

He sat on a step, his laptop by his side and drawing tablet on his lap.

He was drawing a new comic, featuring Stormy Weather, Lady Wifi, and Dark Cupid. The fight scene was based on a game of Heroes and Villains he played the previous night.

The fact that it happened at this very spot only made it the perfect place to draw.

But as he neared the final panels, he couldn't help but feel that it needs something new. Like a new character.


Down by the fountains, Xavier Ramier threw bird seed liberally around him, attracting a flock of pigeons. "Happy day, happy day! Splendid is the afternoon day!"

A pigeon landed on his arm. "Ah, Edgar, you fancy one. Fantastic, dazzling performance."

But his festivity was soon interrupted.

Roger Raincomprix, the only police officer in Paris, stomped at him, swatting the pigeons away. "Scram, you winged rats!"

Mr. Ramier recoiled in fear when the policeman got too close for comfort. "How many times do you need to be told, Mr. Ramier? No! Feeding! The pigeons! It's strictly forbidden. If everyone feeds them, they'll leave their waste everywhere!"

"But how are the poor pigeons gonna eat?"

"All the park keepers know about you, Mr. Ramier. You're banned from every park in Paris. Leave now or I'll call the authorities!"

Officer Roger realized his slip-up. "Oh, wait, I'm the authorities. Now GET OUT!"

Mr. Ramier walked away, dejected.

"Sheesh, I almost feel sorry for that man," mouthed Nathaniel as Mr. Ramier walked by.

"What a unique character," commented Sketch telepathically. "He was like a human bird. All he needed were some feathers to complete the look!"

"A human bird, hmm," thought Nathaniel. "Great thinking, Sketch!"


Mr. Ramier hid behind the stairs, away from everyone's sight.

He ate some of his bird seed, which was genetically modified to mutate pigeons' brains to make them more like insects', effectively placing them in a hive mind.

He then swapped his cheap wooden pigeon whistle for a special one developed in his secret lab.

Cooing manaically, he took off, flapping his arms. Something big was going to happen.


Five minutes later, Nathaniel finished drawing his new character.

He wore a skin-tight, feather-patterned suit that had the colors of a common pigeon. He had the power to control and communicate with pigeons. Being positively terrible at making up names, Nathaniel called his new OC "Mr. Pigeon".

"Now that's a character!", complimented Sketch.

"Not quite, Sketch," replied Nathaniel.

"What's wrong? Is anything missing?"

He pored over his flat-shaded concept, his gut telling him something was definitely missing.

When his fingers scrolled over the drawing's chest, the idea hit him like a truck. "Wings."

Why did it have to be wings?, Sketch thought. My holder hates drawing wings!

But it was his heart's own decision. The drawing looked incomplete without them. He had no choice but to go to the place he knew has the best references.

He picked up his things and left, accidentally bumping into Officer Roger. "Uh, sorry, mister officer, sir."

The policeman left without a word.

As he walked away, the officer had no idea that a flock of pigeons was diving towards him. They formed into a ball and lifted him away.


Nathaniel sat in a city bus.

The journey was quick for the most part, but when it hit an intersection, it ground to a halt.

For some unknown reason, it's been stuck here for the past fifteen minutes.

"Come on," complained Nathaniel. "Can't we go any faster?"

The bus driver stood up, noticing what's been delaying them: scores of pigeons, blackening the streets. They occupied every little space between the vehicles, rendering them unmovable.

"Sorry, folks, we have a situation here," announced the driver. "You'll need to get off the bus now."

He opened all the doors, allowing Nathaniel to see the pigeons all pressed up against the bus. "This is weird."

Nathaniel tiptoed across the street, careful not to squash any of the birds. He made his way to a large screen, playing the news. Several people, just as bewildered as him, were gathered in front of it.

"Pigeons have taken over Paris," reported Nadja, visibly stressed.

The footage behind her showed pigeons on train tracks and bridges. "This is just one of the many alarming situations giving authorities cause for major concern."

Suddenly, her earpiece beeped. "Sorry. I've just been told that someone named 'Mr. Pigeon' is making an announcement."

Amateur live footage appeared on the screen, showing Mr. Ramier on the top of the Eiffel Tower. He was wearing a costume that looked exactly like Nathaniel's drawing.

"Oh, dreary day, poor Parisians," he said, perched on a steel beam. "Rooo! Rooo! Sorry to ruffle your feathers, but Paris now belongs to the pigeons. Flap flap! Rooo! Rooo!"

Shocked, Nathaniel dove into a subway, and pulled out his pen.

"Good thing I haven't drawn the wings yet. Art on!"


Super Nathan soared through the air on his jetpack, passing by the top floors of apartments.

He followed flocks of pigeons towards the horizon, omniously flying in the shapes of old bomber planes.

"Super Nathan!"

He stopped in his tracks to see a young girl waving at him from her top floor balcony.

Curious, he floated up to her.

"Uh, hi?"

"OMG! Are you the real Super Nathan?"

"Why, yes, I am."

"Let's take a selfie!"

The girl wrapped her arm around Nathan's and took a photo. She was super excited; he wasn't.

She then bombarded him with questions. "By the way, how old are you? Do you have any partners? There's no way-"

"Listen kid," he interrupted, "I'm very busy today. I've gotta defeat Mr. Pigeon before his pigeons take over Paris!"

He reactivated his jetpack and jumped up, but the girl pulled him back down. "Wait!"

He glared at her, but she continued. "Those birds aren't the only things you should be worried about."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Policemen are going missing too! My Dad went to work at the park this morning and he still hasn't come home!"

"Maybe Mr. Pigeon took them! I've gotta find him ASAP!"

"But how?"

"I'm not sure how, but I do know how he can find me."


Super Nathan strolled down the Place des Vosges. It was deathly quiet.

He took the opportunity to examine the park's details with his artistic eye, adjusting the visor of his drawn policeman's cap from time to time.

He stopped under a tree, where he drew an iPod attached to some large speakers.

They played his favorite songs: "I'm Sexy and I Know It" by LMFAO, "Cheerleader" by OMI, "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake, "Uptown Funk" by Mark Ronson, and "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson.

He had no choice to dance.

Because he had no audience, he felt as free as he'd want to be. He Moonwalked and Gangnam Styled as much as his partying self wanted, without having to risk being discovered by anyone.

Except, of course, for Sketch.

"Act natural or he'll never show up," she warned telepathically.

"What do you mean?", Nathan thought back. "I am acting natural."

Unfortunately for his free spirit, he was being watched. A pigeon, perched on a lamp post, caught the superhero. It reported its findings to Mr. Pigeon, who was at the top of the Fontaine du Palmier.

Even though he was still 100% human, he could understand the pigeon's coos perfectly.

"Super Nathan? Job well done, buddy boy. Pigeons will reign supreme! Power to the pigeons!"

He jumped off the ledge, only to be caught mid-air by a platform of pigeons.

As he cooed away, the birds flew him somewhere unknown.


Back at the park, Super Nathan was still dancing.

Although he was having fun, his legs were tired. He'd rather be doing something else, like fighting Mr. Pigeon.

Unfortunately, to ask is to receive.

A ball of pigeons swarmed him mid-step, leaving him with no time to at least turn the music off. The feathered fiends flew him all the way to the top floor of the Hôtel Le Grand Paris.

Stunned, he looked around. No one's there, but all the pigeons have circled him, staring at him. It gave him the creeps.

"Now where's that bird-brain Mr. Pigeon?", he muttered under his breath. "He's gotta be around here somewhere."

Unknown to him, Mr. Pigeon was right behind him. He blew his bird call, producing several notes.

Immediately, tens or hundreds of pigeons surrounded Nathan. Their wings were so strong, he felt like he was in a tornado.

"Call me crazy, but I feel like bird seed all of a sudden," commented Sketch.

"Got any bright ideas, Sketch?"

"You're the artist; you're the one who's supposed to have the ideas!"

Before he can think of any, a giant cage with no door fell on top of him.

The pigeons clear, allowing Mr. Pigeon to step onto the floor.

"Rooo! Rooo! Turpy day. I'm so ruthless." he bragged.

"Why are you doing this, Mr. Ramier?", asked Nathan, trying to shake the bars free.

"Four words. Power to the pigeons!"

"What is it with you and pigeons and why do you want them to take over Paris?"

"Simple. It's illegal to feed pigeons in Paris, so how will they eat? I've tried feeding them undercover, but it only made the park police ban me from every park in the city. Now that they're all imprisoned in the Grand Palais, pigeons can finally reign supreme!"

"Don't you know that pigeons can eat on their own?"

"Well, I guess you're right. But it isn't as fun as creating mutant birdseed and pigeon hive minds."

"So do you promise to stop feeding pigeons from now on?"

"I promise, Super Nathan."

"Good. Now will you please release the prisoners - including me?"

"Let my pigeons do the honors."

Mr. Pigeon blew his whistle.

In another feathered whirlwind, Super Nathan was set free.

The policemen were released, too, as evidenced by all the cages flying across the horizon.

"But what about my experiments?", asked Mr. Pigeon. "Between them and feeding pigeons, I don't know what else to do with my life."

"I believe your experiments are awesome," replied Nathan. "I think you've made a major discovery. You should become a scientist and let your knowledge change the world."

"But all scientists need a laboratory. All I have is an abandoned kitchen near the Cite des Sciences."

Nathan pulled up a map of Paris on his tablet, and drew a square on a vacant lot in the 1st arrondissement. "I think I know the perfect place."


Super Nathan and Mr. Pigeon landed at the foot of a high-tech building.

Most of its space was a transparent greenhouse with many tall trees. Various small birdhouses were everywere. And most importantly, there were at least fifty pigeons flying everywhere.

"You're saying this is my laboratory?", asked Mr. Pigeon.

Nathan nodded. "Everything in this building is yours - including the pigeons. You can do anything you want with them; you can feed them, talk to them, experiment on them; I'd suggest you even put on pigeon shows for the public."

Mr. Pigeon rushed inside, filled with pure happiness. "This is splendid! When do I start?"

"As soon as you want."


Super Nathan floated back to the same spot he transformed in. "Art off!"

Now regular Nathaniel, he picked up his laptop.

When he opened it, he saw a new comic that he didn't draw.

It detailed all the events of today, from his point of view, in his art style.

Then he noticed the time. It was 7:37 PM. Oh no, Mom's gonna kill me!

He quickly boarded the Métro train that had just pulled up. He sat beside a young man and woman.

With nothing better to do, he listened to their conversation.

"That was a great first day in Paris, my dear," said the woman.

"It sure was!", replied the man.

"Where do you think we should go tomorrow?"

"Let me check our itenerary!" The man checked his phone, searching for "top tourist destinations in Paris". Much to his surprise, the first result wasn't the site he bookmarked, but rather a news report about a newly-opened attraction. "Check this out, honey!"

He showed the woman his phone. "Paris Pigeon Park? I've never heard of it before," she replied.

"It only opened earlier." He scrolled down. "Hey, look at this: it's only three blocks from our hotel!"

"Maybe we should go there first thing in the morning! I'm sure we'll love it."

Nathaniel smiled.