Tuesday 13 March 2012

The Pelican

This was created for a challenge for the 2011 New York Comic Con, it made the popular vote but got pinged by the Red Bubble judges.
I looked everywhere to see if I'd infringed someone's copyright but found no reference to a Pelican Comic/superhero/villain character.
So I thought I might even develop it a bit further.
INTRODUCING.....


THE PELICAN
Bio
Born horribly disfigured after his mother was attacked by a flock of Pelican who had nested on the pondage of the Three Mile Island nuclear facility young Derek Derringer was hidden away by his loving but embarrassed parents.
Fearful that Derek would fall the way of John Merricks the infamous Elephant Man and become a side show spectacle.
The family located to the Florida Everglades where home schooled Derek led an idealic life among the creatures of the swamp.
It did not go unnoticed by Mr. and Mrs. Derringer that their son had a way with animals and were often surprised to see an alligator or grey fox waiting patiently for Derek on the front stoop as he got something from inside the house.
Derek’s parents learnt early that while Derek was around they were also safe from the beast of the marshlands.
As Derek grew older his parents seeking human companionship started to seek out neighbours and were surprised of the acceptance by them ofDerek despite his unique appearance.
The least of these was an old hermit who in actual fact was the scientist responsible for the attack on Mrs. Derringer. A secret he kept to himself as well as the reason he coincidently relocated so close to the Family.
As he grew Derek was popular among the neighbours who kept all knowledge to themselves on request of his doting parents.
They affectionately called him Pelican boy.
One day whilst Derek was on an adventure with his wildlife friends a gang of hillbilly bootleggers robbed and killed his parents after an orgy of violence due to an new strain of mind bending alcohol brewed in the stills deep in the swamp.
Derek came home to find the neighbours gathered on his verandah, the discovery of his parents too gruesome a sight for the young man.
Due to no official records of Derek existing it was agreed Derek should be sent away with one of them so the murders could be reported and Derek would not be taken away , knowing the feeling of his parents about the outside world.
The hermit Mr.Eintfold volunteered to take on Derek until the mess was sorted and hopefully Derek could return home.
These chain of events would lead to Mr. (Professor) Eintfold to reveal his true identity to Derek and the revelation of his unique appearance.
Derek shattered by his parents death vowed vengenance on those who prowled on the weak and law abiding in the Everglades and pronounced he would now go by the moniker:
The Pelican.
With the help of the Professor, Derek was fitted with prosthetic wings to glide over the swamp and using his protruding beak sac as a utility bill to hold all manner of wonderful weapons and tools especially invented by the Professor.
Using his abilities to communicate with the beasts of the Everglades The Pelican – with the aid of the Professor- wage a war on bootleggers, moonshiners and criminals who choose the swamp as their hiding hole so that one day he will also avenge the death of his loving parents.
Deep in the swamp, something else is stirring, Professor Eintfold was responsible for more than the mutated birds and the attack upon Derek’s mother. Growing stronger everyday is The Pelican’s nemesis,
The stone in his shoe when it comes to crime fighting and his ultimate revenge.
STAY TUNED.