Journey Into 03

Journey Into... # 3 (July 2006, Tom Russell) is the thirty-first Eightfold publication. A stand-alone three-chapter story introducing Fleetfeet, it borrows the premise from the 1958 Superman story, "Clark Kent's College Days"-- namely, a college professor becomes aware that one of his students is in reality a costumed adventurer and seeks to prove it.

In the story's first chapter, "Race Against the Reaper!", Brian Clipper-- better known as the super-speedster Fleetfeet-- does battle with his frequent opponents Arson Nick, the Gorgon, and Doctor Proteus. The latter infects Brian with an adrenaline virus before the Gorgon launches a cross-continential missile in the direction of Washington, D.C. Brian is able to use his powers to vibrate the virus out of his body and disarm the missile; he then celebrates by chatting with President George Bush and proposing to his girlfriend, Daphne-- the latter of which surprises even him.

The second chapter, "The Professor and the Speedster!", finds Fleetfeet protecting his college campus from the villain Tom Vertigo. After doing so, he blurts to Professor Arnold Pillowhead that he's one of the professor's students. The Professor embarks on a campaign to suss out which of his students it is-- for example, keeping track of their diets (because a speedster would need to eat more in order to run at such intense speeds). Through a series of feints and tests, Pillowhead is able to narrow it down to one of two pupils-- Brian and his friend Ford Kidder.

In the final chapter, "The Gorgon's Revenge!", it is revealed that the Kidder is a robotic disguise for the Gorgon, and that Doctor Proteus's virus infected Fleetfeet's DNA with the same hypnotic suggestions that his super-speed had previously rendered him immune to. These suggestions are what made him propose to Daphne, and what caused him to blurt out his identity to Pillowhead. Fleetfeet manages to defeat the Gorgon's robotic body, but fakes the death of his super-ego so that Pillowhead won't be able to connect the dots to Brian Clipper.

Brian next appears in Jolt City # 4, as the second Darkhorse.

First-Apps
Brian Clipper;

Daphne Clipper;

Arson Nick;

Doctor Proteus;

The Gorgon;

Tom Vertigo;

King Kudzu.

Canon
In this story, Clipper states that the older Phillip Whaley, the first Darkhorse, had only been active a year before Clipper was. This contradicts Green Knight # 3, which states that Whaley got his powers and began his career shortly after attaining puberty. The Green Knight story is correct.

Links
[http://lists.eyrie.org/pipermail/racc/2006-July/002304.html Journey Into... # 3]