D.P. 7 Issue Guide #12

Issue 32:
The Cure

In late February, David Landers was having breakfast with his current girlfriend, Merriam Sorensen, when he saw in the paper that some paranormal was promising a Cure for their terrible mutations. The two discussed the ramifications for this, while David got ready for work. Of course, things got all wonky when, upon attempting to leave for the day, David spied Stephanie Harrington at the doorstep!

Joined by Randy O'Brien, David welcomed Stephanie back, only to learn that Stephanie couldn't return to her normal life in Wisconsin as planned, since the locals - people she'd known all her life - couldn't accept her for her freakish paranormal sparkles. Tired of being unable to find work, much less having her kids picked on due to her nature, she returned to the Rotten Apple... she had nowhere else to go.

Elsewhere, Charlotte Beck was leaving a failed audition when she was suddenly hailed by a handsome man identifying himself as John Mason. Claiming he knew her from her records at the Clinic, John described his useless parability to Charlotte, and then asked her out to lunch. Though she was dubious, having had such trouble finding a normal looking man in the past, Charlotte accepted... her libido getting the best of her.

Elsewhere again, Scuzz was hanging out with his White Eventist friends when one of his paranormal buddies brought in the newspaper detailing this so-called Cure. This prompted a tantrum from one of the more bossy freaks at the table, and the others declared that they must do something about this power-stealing 'villain'. But Scuzz thought it'd be great to be able to touch someone again.

Someone like his latest crush, Hannah...!

Speaking of the Cure, Captain Manhattan was hovering outside his hotel window with his ersatz side kick, Jennifer Swensen (aka Chrome). Feeling the need to investigate if he was a charlatan or not, the Captain busted into his room, though after a heart to heart with William Wexler, the Cure, the hero decided to leave him be for the time being... but promised to exact a heavy toll if his Cure was a scam.

Later that evening, David was mulling over his dilemma with Randy. He enjoyed being with Merriam, to be sure, but the problem was that he was still in love with Stephanie - and her coming back reminded him of that keenly. Of course, the problem got amplified when a catty Merriam freaked out at Stephanie in the paranormals' loft, prompting the lady to leave with her children in order to not be a bother to Merriam or David.

At around that time, the other Displaced Paranormals' lives were moving along rapidly. Scuzz began to shake off the calm he'd gained upon joining the White Eventists, his need for human contact overcoming his desire to stay with the so-called faithful. Charlotte, on the other hand, was making dinner plans with John after their lunch, inviting him to the loft in order to meet all of her friends.

This fell apart upon David's arrival, when he discovered that Stephanie had left (and why). Storming out the door, he was joined by Jennifer as he began his search for his one true love. As he zeroed in on the place, with the help of Jennifer and some antibodies, Charlotte learned the real identity of John Mason: He was actually George Mullaney - the Mutator! Naturally, Charlotte recoiled in horror at his revelation.

He was starting to grow eyes out of his chest, after all.

Nearby, David and Jennifer had finally found where Stephanie and her kids had holed up - a rather run-down hotel. There, David tried to apologize for everything that'd gone wrong upon her arrival, at which point he finally got up the courage to tell her how he really felt. David finally put all his cards on the table. And, upon hearing this, Stephanie finally let her own feelings for him show, and gave him a big ol' kiss.

Shortly afterwards, once things had calmed down a bit, David walked back to the loft in order to tell Merriam what he'd decided to do, when he found out she'd already left. Assuming that this was going to happen, Merriam left the loft - and David - before he could even get back. Naturally, this made David feel like a total heel, since he hadn't really wanted to hurt her in the first place... and did anyway.

Come Saturday, the Cure was holding his first session at the Jacob Isaacsen Middle School in Lower Manhattan, where he was offering to rid any paranormal who asked him to of their powers. Captain Manhattan was keeping watch outside, but the truth was that he didn't wish to risk losing his powers by being exposed to the Cure's abilities... they're what allowed him to answer his calling of cleaning up the Rotten Apple...!

Inside, within the school's auditorium, many of the Displaced Paranormals were present. David and Stephanie were there, though they hadn't made up their minds about whether or not they'd keep their abilities. Randy wanted to get rid of his outer 'shell', while keeping his 'children'. Scuzz was there incognito, up to no good as a result of his little tantrum. And Merriam... she was there too.

The first to be called by the Cure, she gladly ran up onto the auditorium stage, and let him erase her paranormal powers. Shrinking before everyone's eyes, she happily pranced out of the school, ready to return to her normal life (and the family fortune). Mutator was the next to be called, and he also gladly gave up his paranormal powers - happy to finally be returned to his original form.

Though as Charlotte observed, it wasn't nearly as 'hunky' as his John Mason configuration.

When Randy realized he couldn't give up his antibody appearance without deleting the power to create his little buddies, he fled the school - unable to kill his 'babies'. As he flew (and later ran) out, Randy was followed by David and Stephanie, who knew their friend needed them. Charlotte decided to join them as well, thinking her powers actually had no negative effect on her appearance or life these days.

Jennifer stayed on, however, wishing to be a normal woman again, even if it meant she would have to say good bye to the Captain - who seemed to be intent only on fighting crime. But Scuzz, Scuzz ran up to the Cure quite happily. Thinking to be 'strong' when the White Eventists couldn't, he attacked the man with his acidic flame, hoping to kill him to stop him from stealing any more paranormal powers.

He seriously damaged the man, though the Cure reflexively fought off Scuzz with his own power - permanently neutralizing his acidic abilities. Thinking to quell the imminent riot, the Displaced Paranormals carried Scuzz off to safety, while Stephanie healed up the Cure. Once things calmed down, Scuzz's friends took him back to his cultist buddies, who were very happy to see him.

As it turned out, the White Eventists took Scuzz in despite his newly found normalcy - a strange thing, considering their supposed pacifism. This had the odd effect of making Scuzz able to touch his love, Hannah, without hurting her... something she seemed okay with as well. That just left the others, who were sort of mulling over the fate of their friends, who'd either been killed, de-powered or drafted.

Deciding to stick together, they then wandered off into the sunset... and went to get some ice cream!!

Post Series Summary:

As it turned out, Jennifer never bothered to get herself 'Cured'. This allowed her to remain as Captain Manhattan's crime fighting partner, though it was never revealed if the two finally hooked up together. Aside from their proactive crime-fighting, the rest of their paranormal friends mostly settled into a life of normalcy. All of them save for Jeffrey Walters, that is.

Having made it onto the Paranormal Platoon's first team, he joined the Pit Bull and several other weaponized paranormals in the United States' efforts to capture the man who claimed to cause the Pitt. This, of course, was a trap set up by rogue South Africans intent on furthering their racist goals, and Jeffrey - though he was severely wounded in the process of this - managed to help foil this plan and save the entire world!

After he eventually left the service, Jeffrey joined the others in New York City, along with none other than Chris Barnett: the Metallurge! These two settled into the loft alongside the rest of the Displaced Paranormals who remained, and the group mostly managed to enjoy a mundane life in the Rotten Apple. At least, when the Captain didn't pull them into some caper or another in the city's defense.

One such incident would occur several years after the Cure's visit to New York City. This involved the explosive arrival of the extra-dimensional hero Quasar, who almost demolished the city upon his crash-landing... and would have done a frightening amount of damage if not for the efforts of the Captain and Randy. Though he seemed deranged, the gang helped Quasar out as best as they could and sent him on his way.

A couple years later, the entire planet was sucked into Quasar's universe by beings of vast power who craved even more: the Star Brand, in particular. Both the so-called Stranger and a diabolical techno-organic entity known as Skeletron vied for the Star Brand's power, and in the course of their battle the Stranger pulled the world of the Displaced Paranormals out of its time line and into his own.

This act stranded it in a new continuity, though at the same time left Skeletron in its old universe, all alone... save for Randy Kellogg: the Gladiator! Their world was subsequently sealed off by an even more powerful entity known as the Living Tribunal, who didn't want the Star Brand's power to contaminate its multiverse any more than it already had. Of course, this effort ultimately failed.

Or perhaps it didn't.

You see, the Star Brand, along with several other marks of power, have manifested in an entirely new time line adjacent to the one which Quasar (and these other, vastly more powerful entities) hail from. It's possible that this was a result of the Living Tribunal 'cleaning up' things and making the Star Brand a part of his own multiverse (to balance out its influence), or this may be further 'leakage' of the Brand's power.

Either way, the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, and the Tribunal's barrier sealing off the world of the Displaced Paranormals is no longer necessary. This may allow it to be returned to its rightful continuity in time, if this hasn't already occurred. Of course, that means all of the paranormals would then have to contend with a likely furious Skeletron - and any progeny he'd built since his arrival in their universe...!

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