SAVAGE DRAGON #264
The Book of Paul!
March 2023
20 Pages
CREDITS
Erik Larsen: Story & Art
Jack Morelli: Letters
Nikos Koutsis: Colors
Mike Toris: Flats
Gavin Higginbotham: Editor
Josh Eicchorn: ribbed for her pleasure
HEROES
Graphic Fantasy:
The Society of Superheroes
– The Savage Dragon (Paul Dragon)
– The Incredible Hulk (William Jonson)
– American Commando (SuperPatriot)
– Battle Tank
– The Black Beak
– The Flame (First Appearance)
– Giant Girl
– Horridus
– Joseph Strange the Bionic Man
– Major Victory (First Appearance)
– Mako
– Poison Dart
– Rock
– Sgt. Marvel
– The Shrew
– Smasher (Susan Wilson/Jennifer Murphy)
– Star (Star II)
– Tiger
– Zeek
The Super Fantastic Hero Team
– The Original Dragon (Flash Mercury)
– Android Man (First Appearance)
– The Black Cat (First Appearance)
– Half-Man (First Appearance)
– Mini-Girl (First Appearance)
– Mini-Man (First Appearance)
– PowerHouse
– Zeek
Fon~Ti
The Crusader
The Destroyer
Vanguard
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Graphic Fantasy:
Angel Dragon (Battle Girl/Angel Murphy)
Candy (First Appearance)
Sugar (First Appearance)
Lieutenant Frank Darling
Jon Day
VILLAINS
Graphic Fantasy:
Animal (Animal II)
Bloop
Bronze Man (Death Issue)
The Demonoids
EXROE-5
The Fiend
Mental Man (First Appearance)
The Possessor
Ralph Jonson
Rock Smasher (First Appearance)
SUMMARY
Paul Dragon tells the story of his origins, beginning with an event he was not even sentient for at that point. The body of Chicago Voice reporter William Jonson woke up in a burning field with no recollection of how he got there. He is interviewed in a hospital bed by Frank Darling of the Chicago Police Department but is unable to offer up much in the way of answers. When he is released from the hospital, he is attacked by men he suspected were hired by his murderous brother, Ralph.
William is shocked to discover he now possesses the ability to transform into a superhuman form in times of great stress. He deals with the would-be assassins and begins to fight crime as the Dragon, assuming the duties that were once held by the now-missing Super Fantastic Hero Team, a group of heroes all given powers by the mystical Fon~Ti. It was not long before Dragon was teaming up with the vigilante Star whom he then moved in with. The pair began dating twin stripper sisters Candy and Sugar and before long William and Candy had their first child, Mark.
It is not long before Fon~Ti slightly aged Mark a few years but instilled within him the memories of his life had he aged normally. William is then unable to recognize that his personality and that of Dragon begin to differ until Dragon has asserted total dominance and full sentience. A now pregnant Candy ends up leaving her husband who instead ends up dating a former villainess, now the reformed superhero Smasher, also known as Susan Wilson.
Sometime later, Fon~Ti is able to physically separate Dragon and William, leaving Dragon now a green-skinned entity and William with his previous powers but no change in his mind. Susan takes to calling Dragon by the name Paul and he soon adopts the moniker of the Savage Dragon. William takes on the name of the Incredible Dragon and a now-returned Flash Mercury is dubbed the Original Dragon, with all three joining the fledgling S.O.S.
This massive superhero team were called into action against all number of threats which included the subterranean Demonoids. It was during one such clash that the heroes were losing and Fon~Ti, in an act of desperatation, aged up both of William’s sons to adulthood as the Crusader and the Destroyer. These rookie heroes took down the gigantic leader of the invasion so that Fon~Ti killed their mystic. Unfortunately, his fallen opponent cursed him with an inability to speak words properly and he lost his magical abilities and could not restore Crusader and Destroyer.
Paul and Susan were to be married and had a daughter of their own, Angel. Susan was killed on her wdding day by Bronze Man who was in turn killed by Paul. Angel would age up into a hero of her own and eventually joined the S.O.S. Many years later, Paul grew depressed and desperate to be reunited with his beloved and so decided to enter Dimension-X in search of Susan’s multiversal counterparts who had all been abducted by Damien Darklord. He set off into that realm and his story ended shortly after when the multiverse was merged and he returned to the only Earth remaining.
BACKUP STORY
DAGR
4 Pages
CREDITS
Simon Mallette St-Pierre: Story & Art
GUEST HEROES
Dagr
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Amy Dragon
GUEST SUPPORTING CHARACTERS
Dor
SUMMARY
The veteran warrior Dor takes the youthful Dagr to view the Monster Portal but as they reach it a figure is drawn forth… Amy Dragon! Dagr and Amy immediately hit it off as friends despite Dor being convinced that the new arrival is a monster needed to be destroyed. Amy easily defeats her assailant before she gets back to making friends with Dagr.
PIN-UP: Simon Mallette St-Pierre
BACK COVER: Simon Mallette St-Pierre