Thursday, February 8, 2007

Rejection

I went to the office to Register today, and it did not go well, and I can understand why. While I was able to get a reasonable simulacrum of my old costume, I was without my beloved Buick Electra, and everyone knows that a captain without a ship can only be a deranged old man. I will now detail how the visit went:

I walked into the office and said, "Hello, is this where I register for the act?"

The Government Agent was busy looking at some paperwork, and said, "Yes." After he pulled out some forms, he looked up and saw me for the first time. He had to stifle his laughter, and was only able to say, "Who are you? The Yachtsman?"

Despite his less-than-professional demeanor, I replied, "No, sir. I'm the Land Captain!"

At this point, he sat back down and filled in something on the form. He adjusted his glasses, and said, "Well, Land Captain. I have to be frank with you: you don't look like a costumed hero. Do you have any powers or gimmicks that aid you in your career?"

"I used to," I said, thinking about my car which now laid at the bottom of the sea, "It was lost when I came to this world."

"So you're an alien?"

"No, I used to live on Earth. Then I defeated some aliens and somehow ended up in this universe."

The man looked thoughtful for a second, then seemed to remember something, "I think I remember you from the reports. Did you..." more stifled laughter, "arrive here on February 3rd?"

I thought for a moment, and replied in the affirmative.

"Why didn't you go with our agents then to register?" he asked.

"I hadn't been here for a half-hour yet. It was all so confusing."

The man sat down, put my unfinished paperwork in a file, and folded his hands, "I'll be honest with you. From where I'm sitting, you look like another guy trying to take advantage of all the chaos going on right now to make a quick buck. Yesterday we had a man come in here in a suit of armor made of emptied cans of Mister Pibb claiming to be Sir Soda. If you like, however, we can take a sample of your DNA and send it to the main office to see if you really are from another universe. If that's the case, then we have no choice but to accept your claims, or maybe we can send you back. That'll take until Monday, though, so I'd advise finding a place to stay until then."

"All right," I said, "What do you want? Hair? Blood?"

"Some of each," said the man, "Though you'll have to go to the office down the hall to do so. Also, no costumed heroics until we have all this cleared up."

I nodded, and went to send in the DNA samples, then I wandered around the city and came back here and changed into some civilian clothes and came on here. I'm waiting for Maria to come home, to tell her the bad news. It'll be a long weekend.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

Decisions

I have made several decisions today. The first of which is to stop putting "Dear Journal" at the beginning of these entries. The second is to stop putting my image signature at the bottom of my entries. The other decision is that I am going to attempt to continue my super-career, and to do that I am going to have to register under the Superhero Registration Act. Maria has agreed to take me shopping when she returns from work at five, at which time I'll obtain a new costume. She doesn't exactly support my decision, but is being kind enough about it. Chances are, she still thinks I'm crazy, but she's still kinder than who I am starting to refer to mentally as "Evil Maria". Tomorrow morning, I'll go to the nearest Registration Station and hope for the best.

Perhaps they can help me figure out how to get back home? Funny, that's the first time I've thought of returning since I got here.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

The Plot Thickens

Dear Journal,

I have spent the past day trying to learn what I could of this world. There is apparently a sort of "Civil War" happening between registered and unregistered heroes, but it seems to be winding down. Maria Lopez, this Maria Lopez, was the daughter of a man who was killed in an accident between two super-people, but she bears no grudge against those who engage in heroics. She doesn't seem to believe me when I tell her that I'm one of them, however. This does not bode well for my future career, but I shall try to make her see the light. I'm still unable to fully trust her after what her counterpart from my universe did to me, but that means we both have things to work on. She has told me I could stay with her until I got back on my feet, which is quite kind of her.

The most disturbing thing I found out was that my Universe did exist, but only in a newspaper comic strip about Spider-Man. My sole appearance in it occurred about a week ago, but two people seemed to like me. I suppose this is a blessing and a curse, as my secret identity has not been revealed and if I so choose, no one will mourn the Land Captain's passing. I have much more to learn about this world, and much to think about.



PS: I found the online diary of the Incredible Hulk. I seem to remember hearing about him, and it seems he has more prominence in this universe than in my own. I've gleamed many tidbits of information from it, and only hope that there are other sources like this.

Monday, February 5, 2007

Mystery

Dear Journal,

I'm quite confused. Over the past several days, I've tried to find Spider-Man or Maria Lopez, only to find that no newscaster named Lopez has never existed and Spider-Man is on the East Coast. Not only that, but it turns out that he was the husband of Mary Jane Parker, the starlet. Except now it seems she has not recently been a starlet. In any case, trouble reared its ugly head as I drove through the streets of Los Angeles. I noticed a robbery taking place, and of course, set about trying to stop it when a man in armor came up to me and demanded my name and registration. I told him my driver's license was in my glove compartment, and he replied in a manner most rude. Apparently, wherever I am now has instituted a "superhero registration act". He tried to apprehend me, but I managed to get back to my Buick and drive off.

My poor, poor Buick. Within moments, other costumed types were upon me, demanding I pull over. I was quite startled, and did not notice that I was quickly coming up on the Marina. Both my Buick and I went over the edge, and then there was darkness. I woke up mere hours ago, and I was quite surprised to see Maria Lopez herself looking down upon me. At first I was dazed and sure I was dead, and somehow gone to Hell, but I think something sinister happened when I plowed through that alien spaceship all those days ago. Miss Lopez was kind enough to loan me the use of her computer, but now I am faced with a mystery of epic proportions: where am I, and how do I get back? More so, my uniform and vehicle were destroyed. Could this be the end of Land Captain?

Saturday, February 3, 2007

ALIEN INVASION!

Dear Journal,

I picked up the paper scraps and tried to follow that witch Maria Lopez. She got away, however, because I had to deal with an ALIEN INVASION. I was driving a good distance behind her news van, when I looked down a side-street to ensure no one was coming, and saw a flying saucer! Now, living in Los Angeles for so long has taught me a thing or two about the ol' "movie magic" and when a flying saucer is a real one, and when it's not. It all has to do with the fact that fake ones have a bunch of cameramen and whatnot surrounding them, as well as entire casts and crews of people. This one did not. It instead had sinister looking blue men coming out of it, with laser guns! So I turned down the side street, put my head out the window and yelled, "LAND CAPTAIN IS COMING AT YOU, VILLAINS, FULL SPEED AHEAD!"

The aliens looked at me and pointed their ray guns at me, but they jumped out of the way when they saw I wasn't stopping. I drove up their spaceship's ramp and, utiziling the momentum, flew through the air and left a big gaping hole in the opposite side of the ship. I swerved to a stop, turned one-hundred-eighty degrees, and leapt out of the car with my fists up. The aliens were getting back onto their feet, but then we were all thrown for a loop when their spaceship exploded, each piece disintegrating when it hit the ground. I got up and brushed myself off.

"Foolish Earthling!" said one of the aliens, "You have earned our ire this day!"

Then they all teleported away. I'm sure not everything is as it seems with them, however. Perhaps I should have found out if they were peaceful or not before I charged into battle? Oh well, if I meet them again, I'll be sure to ask. Now, I need to either get to the television station or find Spider-Man. I'm sure Maria Lopez is up to no good! Come to think of it, I wonder why Spidery wasn't here? I guess he was already too far away.

Friday, February 2, 2007

Spider-Man Left

Dear Journal,

Spider-Man left. After that harlot Maria Lopez leaves, I'll go pick up the scraps of paper he threw on the ground. I may follow Maria Lopez, in case she's planning on doing to Spidey what she did to me. I don't feel like talking about it right now, but maybe later.

Eep

Dear Journal,

I am hiding behind my car right now because I am really freaking scared. Maria Lopez has convinced my buddy Spidey to appear on her talk show, I guess, and I hope he fares better with that tramp than I did. I am scared because at one point during their conversation Spidey picked up a newspaper and tore it right in half. Something must have angered him something fierce, but that's no call to tear up a newspaper and proceed to toss the remains on the ground. I plan on picking up the pieces of paper and putting them in the nearest trash can.

Right after Spider-Man leaves...