Secret Origins

The Creeper

Beware: The Origin of the Creeper

by Chrissie Nightstar

The Mysterious Death of Professor Emil Yatz

Professor Emil Yatz dead at age seventy-two, noted expert in bioelectric engineering. Shot through the head execution style. Survived by wife, Mary. Police investigating the circumstances of his death.

***

Time 06:05 am The scene focuses of two men lying on the ground one breathing, the other…dead. Captain Marvel was standing next to the lead investigator. “Looks like a standard Mob execution except for our friend, Knuckles, over there, Cap.”

“So I see but Knuckles isn’t one to be taken down so easily, even in the times that I’ve been called to apprehend him.”

“There’s evidence of a third party here… that’s for sure. If Knuckles came in on the execution or was here to kill the professor that’s still undetermined as yet. I doubt that Knuckles will be cooperative.”

“So who is this third party, Inspector?”

“We haven’t been able to figure that out yet. We haven’t even found the notes on what the professor was working on. But someone commented on seeing a figure crawl out the upstairs window last night and jump away.”

“Jump away?… Not swing or fly?”

“That’s what I asked too but all accounts said that he jumped over to the building across the street, climbed to the roof and jumped across the roof tops away.”

“When was this?”

“Reports started coming in at about… when was the first call, Scully?” The inspector said trying to read the notes of his partner.

“Can’t you tell? It was at ten twenty-five.”

“Got calls from all over the area about someone disturbing the peace… Until midnight. Patrol vehicles couldn’t find the perpetrator but could see signs that someone had been beating the hell out of the trashcans.”

“When was the professor killed?”

“Time of Death from the state of his body pointed to between ten and Eleven O’clock last night. Cleaning lady called us at about Four a.m.”

“So our third party could be this mysterious troublemaker that disappeared at midnight.”

“That’s what we’re working on, we’ll let you know if we come up with anything else. Someone able to knock out Knuckles Shultz; that has got to be a first.”

“It’s not a first but it I can’t recall it happening that often.” Captain Marvel responded. He looked over at the unconscious mob enforcer who was being finally lifted into the ambulance. Captain Marvel looked down as he flew away… looking at the buildings around the Laboratory/ Crime scene.

“I’m going to be checking what Knuckles was doing here in the first place. Old Professor Yatz just doesn’t seem the type that would be involved with the Mob.”

“Maybe he was but didn’t know who he was working for.” Scully said.

“Wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.”

—

The figure of a young man was just getting out of bed. He didn’t remember how he got home or leaving the window open.

“Man, I got to stop eating Betty’s Chili and drinking… gives me the weirdest dreams.” He said to himself. He shuffled over to the bathroom and started to relieve himself. He placed his hand against the wall to brace himself as he did so.

“Eh… what’s this?” He said noticing himself wearing long red gloves with dark furry green frills that extended to his elbow. Flushing the toilet he shuffled over to the sink below the mirror to wash up.

“Betty and Carl really went all out with this outfit…” He said thinking what he was seeing in mirror was a practical joke pulled on him by his friends while he was passed out, drunk the night before. The furry red vest flared out over his head, a green and black striped Speedo style swim trunks around his more intimate areas and his legs were covered by long boots, which looked to match the gloves, that came to his knees.

“Now how did they do that?” He noticed a scar in his left side that looked like he’d been cut as he took off the red furry vest. It looked like it had been almost healed totally but he didn’t remember anything concerning it.

—

“What do you mean Knuckles is in jail, I thought he went over to put a little incentive into that professor for us?” The older man in the high back chair asked as he sat his cigar in the ashtray.

“The professor got killed last night, Mister Mussolini.” The young woman standing across from him responded.

“Knuckles knows better than that… The Professor was developing a way for us to be able to be on even terms with the Marvels and the other flying freaks around here.”

“I know that, Mister Mussolini but the professor wasn’t cooperating. He said that he put the only prototype where we wouldn’t be able to get our ‘dirty criminal hands’ on it.”

“This is most displeasing and knowing Knuckles he tried to ‘persuade it out of him’?”

“Yes Mister Mussolini before he was interrupted by a green haired yellow skinned freak in a red outfit.”

“That doesn’t sound like any of our boys… do you think Calvatori is trying to muscle in on our operations again?”

“No Sir, the freak didn’t look like any of Calvatori’s known troubleshooters. I have our boys checking to see if it matches any of the descriptions of any other super heroes out there.”

“Could this freak be the one that the Professor trusted the prototype to?”

“I won’t say that the thought hasn’t crossed my mind but when I started picking up a lot of chatter on the police band scanner heading our way. I had to get out of there fast and retreat to rendezvous point for when things went south. Knuckles never showed up.”

“Why didn’t you go back to check on Knuckles when things quieted down again?”

“It wasn’t part of the plan… if things went south we were to meet up at the pit. You know what it’s like to get a cab when the heat’s on.”

“Nearly impossible cause they all have scanners too nowadays and head as far away as possible when the heat is on.”

“I want our new mystery-man 500 for any solid information on him. Put it out now through the normal channels. I want this freak to take the fall for the Professor’s death. If he does have the prototype I want that too.”

“Don’t you think we should call in the ‘team’, Mister Mussolini?”

“Don’t you think the boys can handle another freak in tights?”

“Knuckles is in the Intensive Care area of the secure block in the Hospital. Knuckles has never been put in the ICU before, even when the Big Red Cheese had to capture him.”

“I see your Point… Call the Team, tell them that we may have a job for them.”

“Yes Mister Mussolini and your ten O’clock is waiting for you in the garden.”

“Thank you Carrie.”

—

Inspectors Dominguez and Scully were on the trail of the money for Professor Yatz’s Laboratory. The records were quite… a mess, to put it mildly. Trying to figure out who was backing the Professor’s research.

“I can’t even find the financial files, Dom.”

“You’d think after five years of trying to decipher your handwriting I’d be able to read just about anything but his handwriting is much worse than yours.” Dominguez stated.

“Well anytime you want to take the notes instead of letting me do it for the both of us, let me know. Otherwise shut the hell up.”

“Your wife invited me over again… who’s she trying to hitch me up with this week?”

“A cousin of hers… but don’t tell her I told you.”

“Great, what is this Cousin… an accountant or an legal clerk?”

“She didn’t tell me, but I will tell you that she doesn’t think its right that a woman your age being single, Dom.”

“If I could find a guy that I actually liked that wasn’t more boring than mold I’d be interested.”

“She also asked me to mention not to wear that black thing you wear every time you come over… you look like something out of a horror movie.”

“I like wearing black… and that outfit is comfortable.”

“I’ll let you two ladies argue it out… I’ll be hiding in the living room with the children, where it’s safe.”

“Coward.”

“Witch”

The two inspectors laughed then went back to work.

—

The Blonde headed young man had dressed and started to wake up further when he noticed a thin bracelet around his wrist. A thin metal cord, no wider than a wristband for a woman’s watch with a single metal stud, no larger than a watch battery.

“First that weird outfit and that scar now this… today is turning out to be a weird day.” The young man said. He didn’t take off the metal cord, deciding it wasn’t hurting anything and it wasn’t unattractive, as bracelets go. Shrugging he drank his coffee and started reading his morning newspaper. The image of the dead Professor Yatz sparked some memories that he had discounted as dreams.

—

Flashback: the Night before

He was stumbling home from Betty and Carl’s around Nine P.M. after excusing himself early. He had been picked up by the kindly older gentleman in the car…Professor Emil Yatz.

“You look like something the cat coughed up, boy.” Professor Yatz commented as he lifted the inebriated young blonde man out of the gutter, where he had fallen.

“I’ll be ok, I just need a place to…” the young man threw up into the gutter where he had lain just seconds before.

“Don’t worry I know a place where you can sleep it off.” Professor Yatz stated and helped the young man into the back of his car.

The young man didn’t remember anything for another half-hour… he remembered waking up on a bed, his side feeling like it was on fire. The old man standing over him dressed in a surgical gown and covered in blood.

“I can’t let my sponsors get my prototype… I know who they are, and if it falls into their hands Fawcett City will be in deep trouble. The prototype will make sure you recover from its installation quickly.”

“What did you do to me?”

“I installed my bio enhancement prototype in you… when you activate it, it will give you superhuman abilities until turned off. I haven’t been able to work out the side effects yet though… but at least it won’t be in their hands.”

“What side effects?” the young blonde man asked wearily and groggily.

“Discoloration of epidermis and hair follicles, slight mental instability leaning towards manic behavior in most cases…”

“What about this outfit?” the young man asked again.

“The gloves and boots have microfibers that allow you walk on any surface. The vest serves no purpose; it was the only thing besides the trunks that I put on you that was cleaner than your shirt and pants, which are in the wash, as we speak. Your wallet is in the inside vest pocket.”

He passed out again and was awakened by a shot fired by Knuckles Shultz trying to persuade the professor to tell him where the Prototype was. The boy didn’t know how he activated the prototype just then; everything was a blur for a few seconds.

“What the hell are you?” Knuckles said as the yellow skinned red and green clad wild man jumped towards him.

“What am I? I don’t know… what are you doing beating up an old man like that?”

“This isn’t any of your affair, freak, shove off.” The mob enforcer said pulling his gun and pointing it at the yellow wild man.

“Ohhh a gun…. Is that a Roy Rogers special?” the yellow skinned green haired youth asked as he saw the gun level at him. The first bullet was dodged by stepping to the side just in the nick of time… The second bullet missed because the youth had jumped up towards the ceiling, flipping out of the way, his boots holding on to the hanging light. As the light fixture started to fall towards the ground the yellow skinned youth leapt again to a support beam.

“That could have hurt if I didn’t jump when I did.” The youth said before starting to laugh maniacally. Three more bullets shot towards the yellow skinned youth as he bounced from place to place avoiding the gunfire.

While Knuckles was reloading his pistol the youth bounced down in front of him.

“You aren’t a nice man… How could I think a meanie like you could have had a Roy Rogers special?” The youth punched the mob enforcer, who dropped the gun and took up a boxing stance to fight the youth who was laughing hysterically.

“Put them up, put them up I’ll moiderlize you, I’ll clean your clock” the youth repeated while trying to stop himself from laughing too hard, Knuckles hit him three times in the face.

“That’s the pepper that’s the pepper, fight like that and you’ll go all the way.” The youth said dancing around the angry mob enforcer like he was a professional boxer, dodging the mobster’s punches.

“Stand still you, Creep… so I can finish you.” Knuckles said growing angrier and angrier with the youth.”

“But I thought you wanted to play… I was right you are a meanie.” The youth turned and started to walk away from the mob enforcer acting like he was crying Then turned suddenly and yelled “Psyche!!!” punching Knuckles right in the face and knocking the mob enforcer off his feet. The professor was starting to get up again when Knuckles grabbed his gun from the ground and emptied it into the professor.

The youth’s face turned from one of jocularity to pure rage and started pummeling the mob enforcer. When the Mob enforcer stopped resisting something hit the youth like a realization of what was happening.

He started running, but as he climbed out the window the cool night breeze hit him and he started to laugh in revelry of his abilities… —

Remembering what had happened the night before just left the young man confused…

“How did I transform last night?” was the first of the questions he asked himself aloud. Followed by “How did I get home?” The memories and flashbacks didn’t help.

He looked at the outfit that he had come home in the night before… and started to examine it more closely in the vest he found a tape recorder.

“Young man, if you are listening to this it means I am dead and cannot answer in person the many questions that you may have. But I will try to answer the most pressing of them. How do you transform? Is probably the first question, you had… So I will start with that.”

“You can switch forms by touching the stud on that bracelet I put on your wrist… It will only respond to your touch, so nobody can transform you but you. I was able to transform you before my death by putting it on a timed activation cycle. I was expecting my patrons to come for me that night and through you was able to prepare for them.” The young man clicked the stop button and thought for a moment. That answered one of the many questions he had but there was still so many more. He hit Play again.

“The second question you may have is Why did I choose you? The answer is I’m afraid, I had been watching over you for quite a while, young man. The prototype can only work for certain people, a little thing I didn’t tell my criminal patrons. It is complicated to explain and has to do with your DNA. Certain people like yourself have an unusual chemical signature in their DNA which when activated gives those people superhuman abilities. The Bioenhancement prototype allows you to activate and deactivate these superhuman abilities at will. As I told you last night the prototype was not perfected, so that there are some side effects. My wife will be able to point you towards any of my trusted colleagues who may be able to modify the prototype without putting you through surgery.” The Professor’s voice stopped for a moment then continued.

“I also knew who you were and a lot about your upbringing. I knew you to be of the type of character that would not use the prototype’s bestowed abilities for evil purposes. You might use them for selfish or irresponsible purposes now and again which I would if were still young like you, but you wouldn’t use them to purposely hurt society.” The young man clicked the tape off again and left it off until he had absorbed all of what the professor had said thus far, then he hit play again.

“If you ask about the transforming I will explain this, the outfit you wear when you transform into your superhuman form is stored as bioelectric data in the prototype so that you don’t have to worry about risking your secret identity. The Outfit I chose for you to wear in your superhuman Identity has been imprinted already in the prototype. So you don’t have to worry about transforming and losing your effects.”

“Your superhuman abilities which I have been able catalogue so far are as follows through the gloves and the boots you have wall climbing ability… You can lift over your head about twenty-five hundred pounds maximum. Unless your body type changes drastically your bone structure wouldn’t support more. You have superhuman speed, reflexes and dexterity. You can run about ninety miles per hour for short distances and jump for distances of twenty-five to fifty yards. A positive side effect of using your superhuman abilities is that you could eat fattening foods and still appear extremely physically fit in your normal form. If you go on a diet however or eat less food than normal while using the superhuman abilities a lot you will start to burn up more than fat… and waste away.” The young man rewound and listened to that apart again… twice before allowing it to go on.

—

“I ain’t got nothing to say to you, without my lawyer, Copper.” Knuckles Schultz said as the two inspectors came into the hospital room.

“Typical Mob flunky, sees a policeman and has nothing to say without his lawyer… How boring.” Inspector Scully said as he sat a vase of flowers on a stand beside the bed.

“Doesn’t even appreciate that we got him flowers and a get well card, how typical.” Inspector Dominguez added “out of our own money yet.”

“How nice of you, put it on the table and get lost.” Knuckles said.

“I guess he wants to be alone…” Dominguez replied and the two police inspectors left the hospital room.

—

Ten Minutes later outside the hospital.

“You remembered to put the bug in the vase right?” Scully asked.

“I put it on the lip of the vase on the underside where it wouldn’t be noticed or get wet.”

“So all we have to do is listen and wait for him to talk about the third person. The Lieutenant will have our badges if he finds out what we did.” Scully stated

“So We’ll become private investigators if that happens. We’re qualified. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“I always get a cold shiver when you say that, Dom.”

“You worry too much, Scully… that’s probably why the lieutenant likes you instead of me.”

“He likes me because I don’t go out of the way to buck the system…”

“Details, details, details I’m a big picture sort of girl.”

“Is that why you got suspended twice last year?”

“Shut up… His lawyer’s just come in the room.” Dominguez said as she cupped her hand over the ear piece.

Jeepers, It’s the Creeper!!!

It had been three weeks since the death of Professor Emil Yatz and the yellow skinned green haired wild man had been dubbed the Creeper by the Media, mostly for his tendency to visit Fawcett City University’s Sorority and Women’s dorms to watch them undress. He never harmed the girls or anyone else for the most part. He’d just act like a perverted peeping tom until he was noticed and the police were called. Then run away into the night laughing.

The police and the Mob were no closer to catching him currently than they were three weeks ago. Though reports of his actions were everywhere neither side of the law were closer to catching him. He’d make a game of tag out of it with the police cars. Letting them get close enough to think that they might actually catch him this time, than take to the rooftops and disappear and reappear long enough for them to see where he was.

The Mob weren’t so lucky, if he caught sight of a mob car, he’d raise an unholy noise causing the police to get called to investigate the noise. The sight of police cars in the area usually chased off the mob tails and the creeper could go about his business of being a civil nuisance.

Detectives and Patrol Cars hated getting calls concerning the Creeper. Following the creeper was a pain in the butt, he’d play tag with them for hours before tiring of the game and disappearing for the night. There was nothing that they could do it seemed to catch him.

The Police and the District Attorney didn’t want to call in the Marvels or any of the other Fawcett City Heroes to handle him. One police Chief suggested that they form a task force to go after this nuisance.

—

The young blonde man, who was the Creeper, had gotten a phone call from his Father. With his father it was always the same story. Taking responsibility for his actions and his life. He had to put his life towards something… Make something of himself.

The young blonde man was greeted by the guard as he walked into the CCI (Chambers Communications Incorporated) Building.

“Good Morning Mister Chambers, your father is waiting for you in his office.”

The young man mumbled something under his breath. Pushed the button for the elevator and turned the key. He just knew that Jessica would be lurking about as well.

His older Sister, Jessica, wasn’t someone to confide in either; She had always been the ideal child in their father’s eyes. She graduated high school early, went through college and law school. Worked her way through their father’s communications corporation and had caused CCI to diversify into Real Estate, Research and Development and two casinos in Vegas and Atlantic City, all by the Age of thirty.

The nineteen-year-old young man didn’t like being reminded about his older sister’s accomplishments. His father held them over his head as he held his mother’s accomplishments over the young man’s head too. Elisabeth “Libby” Lawrence Chambers was a motivated woman during a time when women weren’t encouraged to be so. And broke so many stereotypes for what women should and shouldn’t be. Her daughter followed her mother’s footsteps.

Then there was Jonathan Chambers Junior… He didn’t have the drive his mother or sister had at this stage of life. He didn’t even know what he wanted to do with his life. He had convinced his father to give him a year after high school to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Before being forced to go to college… That was what this summons was about. He had almost exhausted his year and still had no idea what he wanted to do with his life.

John Sr. was a very accomplished man himself. Started out as Korean war correspondent and with a lot of luck and some degree of planning founded CCI in nineteen seventy. He became one of the first Cable television pioneers and currently few others wealth rivaled his own.

J2, as his friends called him, however, couldn’t see himself working as a reporter as his parents had started, oor as a business tycoon like Jessica or his father. He didn’t have the stomach for medicine and had poor science skills. His father didn’t even acknowledge his son’s talents for problem solving and working with people. John jr. had looked into teaching (a waste of time because there was no money to be made in teaching), consulting (he had better things to do than play toady for some other rich S.O.B), and Law Enforcement. Considering the last few weeks and the way he harassed the police, Law Enforcement didn’t look that good, unless he became a private detective. Just then the elevator door opened to John Chambers Sr.’s office; Jessica was standing next to her father, While their mother was standing behind the bar in the corner.

“I’m glad you got my message, Jonathan” John Sr. said as he dropped some files onto his desktop.

“Nice to see you too, Father.” J2 responded keeping things formal, if his dad wanted to treat him like a little kid, J2 would treat him like an old man.

“That’s uncalled for Johnny, calling dad that.”

“Drop dead Jessie, I don’t need all three of you telling me how I’m screwing up your master plan for my life. Least of all you, Miss Vice President.”

“Both of you stop that.” Libby cut in, then continued. ” It’s just that we’re concerned about you Johnny and we want the best for you.”

“Then why the triple team, Mom?”

“I’m only here as a spectator today… Your father promised me that he’d listen to you and then we’d have a nice civil brunch… Isn’t that right Hon?”

It was nice to see that his mom hadn’t lost any of her influence with John Sr., even though she didn’t exercise it as much any more. John Sr. just looked at his wife then at his daughter and son and said “Jessica, go set up the reservations for our flight to Vegas at your New Casino.”

Jessie Chambers looked at her father and got a stern look stating that ‘I don’t need your help to talk to your brother now go.’

“Private jet or commercial airline, Dad?”

“Private jet will do Jessica, now scat.” Libby Chambers said. Pointing her daughter out the door. When Jessie Chambers had left John Sr. began to speak.

“John, I know that you have been trying to find yourself and even examining various careers for the last year. But the year that we agreed upon is almost up and you are going to have to live up to your end of the bargain.”

“I know, Dad but it’s not easy… You, Mom, even Jessica already knew what you wanted to be when you were my age but I haven’t a clue and it doesn’t make it any easier with the deadline coming up either.”

“All it takes is the proper motivation, John, and you have to find yours. We all found ours early in life. But you take after your Grandpa Lawrence, he had several jobs in his life before he found the one that would allow him to use all of his talents.”

“Grandpa Lawrence was an auctioneer… I know that.”

“But did you know he worked in a factory, served some time in the army, tried professional boxing and even door to door salesman?”

“No, I didn’t… but what does that have to do with me, Dad?”

“You have a lot of him in you; fiercely independent, curious, good with people, and are good at solving problems.” Libby said and John Sr. nodded in agreement.

“We just don’t want you to waste your life trying to find something you already possess.” John Sr. said.

“What do you mean, Dad?”

“You already know what interests you… but are afraid to pursue it because you think it will disappoint us… don’t worry as long as you work hard at it and do the best you can, we will always be proud of you.” John Sr. said.

“I was thinking of studying criminal justice and psychology…”

“What brought this interest on?”

“Been trying out some newly acquired talents… I guess you’d call them, and they seem almost perfect for some sort of investigator.”

“It’s been a long while since there has been a good crime reporter at FQCK here in Fawcett City.” John Sr. stated suggestingly.

“I don’t think I can be a reporter, Dad. I’m not that good on a typewriter or computer. I tend to be biased, and there are two major Networks in Fawcett City Yours and William Batson’s Network. If I go to work for Batson, the tabloids will have a field day with the story. If I go to work for you, you know what will happen there as well. I’m the boss’s son… They won’t treat me like a real reporter.”

“So you are going to College and study Criminal Justice for what, John?”

“Maybe try my hand at being a bounty hunter or Private Investigator”

“Those are dangerous professions John.”

“More dangerous than being a Korean War Correspondent, like dad was? Or the only female reporter inside the Civil rights movement?”

“But you will be putting yourself in danger consistently.” Libby protested.

“I’ll do an field training period with one of the best in the business if you want. A sort of junior partnership after college, so I can learn how to not get myself killed.”

“He’s got a good idea and he seems pretty well decided on it, Libby.”

“But I … couldn’t live with myself if he did so and died. He’s our baby.”

“Libby, we have to let him at least try. Its his life not ours”

—

On the Airplane to Vegas, Jessica walked over to her brother.

“I don’t know what you said to Mom and Dad to let you go ahead with that foolishness about Criminal Justice and being a detective or bounty hunter but just don’t expect CCI to bail you out when you fail, John.”

“It’s not any of your business what I want to do with my life, Jessie.”

“Yes it is because I’ll have to clean up your mess like I always do… or have you forgotten?”

“Forgotten that you are an overbearing pain in the ass who doesn’t know when to butt out Jessie?”

“You know what I mean John.”

“Go bug the pilot Jessie, or better yet take a walk outside for your health.”

“I won’t allow CCI to clean up any mess you make again John.”

“Well it’s a good thing that you aren’t in charge of CCI then Jessie. Now go away.”

“Sounds like the kids are getting along better, John.” Libby said.

“Sounds like… He told her butt out once, commit suicide once and get lost twice… and she only threatened him twice… that’s the best they’ve gotten along since the Bicentennial.”

“Well she is a great deal older than he is.”

“It’s not my fault, you’re the one who wanted to put off on having another kid for so long, Libby.”

“It’s nobody’s fault John, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t fight like that.” Libby said.

“Jessie and John fighting means everything is right in the world… If they didn’t fight I’d be very worried too.” John Sr. replied

“I’m just glad that he wants to go to college nearby… at FCU.”

“You know that’s only because all his friends are going there.” John Sr. replied.

—

The Chambers’ Vegas trip was one of the few nights since the Creeper had burst on to the Fawcett City scene that there was no Creeper Calls anywhere in the city. The City sighed in relief for a night. The next day however the Creeper was back.

The significance of the Creeper being gone during that night wasn’t lost on Inspectors Dominguez and Scully but because of their stunt with the listening device in Knuckles’ hospital room, they were assigned to desk duty indefinitely. Their Lieutenant had gotten tired of putting up with Dominguez’s bending and breaking of the rules.

“You know this is all your fault, Dom…”

“Oh shut up, Scully.” Dominguez threw a wadded up ball of paper at her partner.

“Unless we can solve this case before Muldar and Bridges we’re pretty much stuck here.” Scully stated factually.

“And present it to the captain before the Lieutenant give them credit for solving it.” Dominguez stated.

“While stuck here at our desks for who knows how long.”

“Sounds like an interesting challenge.”

“You are going to cost me my pension yet, Dom.”

—

Mary Marvel had been called by the university to stop the Creeper from ‘visiting’ the university. The Board of Trustees didn’t think that the police had the University’s best interest in mind.

“I don’t really know what I can do to stop him.” Mary Marvel stated

“We don’t care what you do to stop him as long as you do stop him.”

“Here’s the list of crimes that he’s committed on University grounds.”

“The majority of these are misdemeanors, you do know, and could have been caused by any student.”

“The fact that he’s using our sorority and women’s dormitories as his own private peep show is the most disconcerting and if it continues we will loose students.”

“So call the police… why call the Marvel Family?”

“Because the Police do not have the universities best interests in mind and have been unable to catch this …Creeper.”

“I will coordinate my actions with both your campus security and the police.”

“Just stop this pervert before we loose all our young women students.”

“Your concern for their safety is so overwhelming.” Mary Marvel stated sarcastically before flying off.

—

The prowler had jumped over the university walls and started to head to the women’s dormitories. He was observed from above as he made his way across the campus.

“This has got to be our Creeper.” Mary Marvel said.

She swooped down on the prowler in yellow and red. At the last moment she saw it wasn’t the person she had expected it to be…

She had found that the figure in yellow and red wasn’t the Creeper but a male student in a yellow wet suit and red vest.

From behind her as she captured the student she heard a voice…

“Thanks a lot for finding this jerk for me… He was giving me a bad rap” the voice said and laughed.

“So you are the Creeper”

“And you are beautiful.” The Creeper said.

“The Police want to have words with you about the death of Emil Yatz.”

“I’m betting they do… but they aren’t going to get it until they stop slandering me. No they aren’t”

“Slandering you? In what way?”

“Blaming me for every little crime that they can’t solve or don’t want to waste time on. Though it is funny, me who never did anything worse the public intoxication before three weeks ago.” He laughed maniacally.

Mary Marvel was about to let the college student go and chase after the Creeper, when he jumped a good twenty yards away and shouted.

“You can keep the student or chase me… you can’t do both. Unless you know how to keep him or me from escaping.” The Creeper blew a kiss to Mary Marvel and ran off to parts unknown. —

Later, after turning in the college student Mary Marvel used her abilities and a few connections to track the Creeper again. She found him perched on the Fawcett City Museum watching the cars go by.

“Hello Beautiful, fancy meeting you again.” He said without turning around.

“I have to take you in to the police for questioning.”

“I’d love to take you out on a date…” The Creeper countered

“I don’t date criminals…”

“I’m not a criminal just your run of the mill, fruitcake out on the town. Now how about a kiss?” The Creeper puckered and as Mary Marvel was about to slap his face pulled it out of the way.

“I’m not a bad yellow skinned guy… Just ask any yellow skinned guy.”

“You’re the only yellow skinned person I’ve seen recently…”

“Sigh… Its true I’m too sexy for my skin but I can’t help it.” The Creeper jumped off the side of the building yelling as if he were plummeting to his death. When Mary ran over to see if she could stop it his head popped up and kissed her on the lips. He hadn’t fallen further than four feet to a ledge below rooftop.

Mary was flustered by the kiss and angry too, the Creeper laughed and ran away before she could recover her wits and again disappeared into the night.

***

The Creeper entered Johnny Chambers’ apartment around midnight and was totally pumped about kissing Mary Marvel. He bounced off the walls for a few moments than sat down.

“That was totally worth it… After Kissing me Mary Marvel will most certainly turn down that Captain Marvel Jr.” His voice then imitated Mary Marvel’s “I’m Sorry CMJ but my heart belongs to a handsome yellow skinned fruitcake I met…” then he imitated Captain Marvel Jr.’s voice. “But Mary … I won’t be able to hero without you.” The Creeper imitated Captain Marvel, the Bullets and other Fawcett City Heroes before laughing himself hysterically off the couch.

“Being a villain would be the obvious way to get Mary’s notice but …that is so nineteen forties… Besides she’ll love me more if I am a heroic figure and fight side by side beside her against the forces of evil.” The Creeper than heard Johnny Chamber’s doorbell and hit the button to change back to Johnny Chambers. He draped a bathrobe over his outfit and answered the door.

“Is there a problem officer?”

“We thought we heard something weird coming from your apartment.”

“Sorry officer I had my television on a little loud…just getting ready for bed.”

“Sorry to disturb you, Sir.”

After he closed the door on the police officers, Johnny Chambers said “If I’m going to be a Super Hero I’m going to need a place the Creeper can… ugh be the Creeper and not get me in trouble.”

And so it begins…

The End