Amazing Stories

I am vengeance. I am the night. I am Batman.

I'm whatever Gotham needs me to be.

Take it easy.

What the hell is he wearing?

He's Batman. It's Halloween this weekend, Dad.

Looking good, buddy.

Isn't he a little old for that?

Please.

You know, Dad, you can view this as an opportunity.

You know, be with us, not have to work.

Spend some time with your grandkids, your family. We'll just take care of you.

I don't need taking care of, Michael.

Dad, come on. It doesn't have to be a bad thing.

This could be a new beginning.

You know, I got all the exercise equipment that the trainer recommended.

And she'll be here to start rehab tomorrow.

- It's like I tell my patients... - You're a gastroenterologist.

I still have to tell them stuff.

Okay. We've got Dylan's room all set up for you.

Where's the kid gonna sleep?

Oh, upstairs with Bryce.

And we're just down the hall if you need us for any reason at all during the night.

I think I can handle being unconscious for six hours.

Be the best six hours of my day.

You know, Joe,

if at any point you wanna talk about how you're feeling, I'm around.

In my practice,

I've counseled a lot of patients going through similar transitions with aging

and the grief that goes with that.

I don't feel any grief.

Oh, no, no. Yeah.

I'm just saying that it's natural, you know, if there's some sense of loss...

And I'm not feeling any loss.

Well, I am here if you wanna talk.

You're into comics, huh?

You're... You feeling any better?

Since an hour ago? No.

You can read any of my comics if you'd like.

I made these.

You made Batman?

Well, no. I'm trying to make my own.

I wanna be like the next Neal Adams. The guy who made Batman.

- I need to be alone, kid. - Oh, yeah. Yeah, sure.

If you need anything, just let me know.

I will have to come in and feed him every once in a while, but yeah.

Sorry.

- Jesus, Dyl. Why don't you knock? - Sorry.

Do you need something?

Why is Grandpa such a jerk?

I don't know. He's old.

Can we talk about this, like, any other time?

Oh, yeah. Sorry.

What are you doing?

Mom said I'm sleeping here.

Why aren't you in Bryce's room?

I like this better.

- Listen, I know. Grandpa can be a bit... - Mean.

- Well... - Dad, he's just mean.

Well...

Look, he's had a different life.

His dad died young. He had to be tough.

So, I don't know. Maybe we can cut him a little slack.

- Okay? - Okay.

All right. Don't stay up too late, pal. Okay?

- Good night. - Good night. Love you.

All right. Let's see where you are. So, let me see if you can lift the foot.

All right. Okay. It's okay.

I have patients too. Important ones.

I'm not suggesting yours aren't important, just that mine aren't less important.

My 3:00 has a colon that's completely wrapped around itself.

So gross, Dad.

Sorry, Bryce, but this is what I do for a living. People's colons paid for your car.

Hey, can you drive Dylan home from school?

- Can he wait till I'm done with practice? - That's like 6:30.

- Dylan, be flexible. - Stop. I'll get him.

What else am I doing around here? Let me have the keys.

Well, Dad, I don't think you can drive.

I can drive, Michael. It's my left leg.

Hey, Brady. Did you get my texts? So, you wanna start at your house or mine?

Actually, Dylan, I was thinking.

This year I might have something I need to do.

What are you talking about?

We always spend Halloween together. Since, like, preschool.

No, I know. But this year I was thinking of going to the dance.

A dance? On Halloween? What are you talking about?

- It's just that... - Hey, Brady.

Hey. One sec.

Okay.

I'm sorry, Dylan. Just not this year, but...

I'll catch up with you.

Hey, Maya, wait up.

Yeah, catch you later.

Boys, I'm back.

- Hey, Joe! - How's it going?

Hey, how you do...

Frank, watch your fingers. You're gonna lose one.

- Hey, Joe. - Kenny.

I was gonna come check on you. Why you dragging yourself in here?

I got a check in the office.

You don't think I'm gonna let you son of a bitches grab it, do ya?

Seriously, Joe. Do you need a hand or something?

I don't need a hand, Kenny. I don't need a hand.

- Lance. - Joe.

Don't worry. Doc says I'll be back in six weeks.

Don't even think about hiring a replacement.

Slow down a second, Joe.

You've been out of surgery, what, three days?

Four days. But I'm getting better. I'm gonna be better than better.

Look, I was gonna put this in the mail.

But seeing as how you're here...

It's your union contract.

What's that got to do with anything?

Well, your pension plan is in there. You've been with us for 45 years, Joe.

You're fully vested.

I mean, with social security, you were practically working for nothing. You know?

What are you talking about, Lance? You want me to retire?

Got some A-plus benefits in here, Joe.

I'm not gonna retire. I belong here. This is my shop.

I've been here longer than you.

- I'm the best guy in the place. - I'm not denying that you were.

What do you mean "were"? I am. I am getting better every day.

Look, we got a lot of big contracts coming in right now.

We got restaurants, hotels, and these are some hard deadlines I gotta meet.

I can't put a man out there who can't do the work.

We'll see.

You know, look. Come on. Save yourself the heartache, Joe.

We all know it's time to...

Look, this happens to other people.

- I've seen it. - I'm not other people. I will be back.

No, you won't.

Look, I'm saying this as a friend. Okay, Joe?

You're either gonna take this retirement plan right now

or you're gonna take it in six weeks, but we both know you're taking it.

I thought you forgot.

No, I had to deal with something at the shop.

So, how was your day?

Great.

Great. Buckle up.

I hate junior high. It sucks.

You hate junior high? I'd give anything to be back in school.

- I was captain of the football team... - So you were popular.

Well, popular? That's an understatement. I was a legend.

- Really? - Yeah.

Night of the senior prom,

I got the football team to put the principal's car on the roof.

- The roof? - Yes!

- What? - Well, not all at once.

You gotta disassemble it and...

Doesn't matter how you got it up there.

At the end of the dance,

everybody came out, and there we were on the roof.

Football team, Principal Moon's car and me. Legendary.

They talk about it at every reunion.

So, to become popular,

I gotta become captain of the football team and put a car on a roof.

Got it.

So, what's the story? You don't have any friends?

I sorta have one. Brady.

But recently, I don't think he wants to be around me anymore.

Well, to hell with him then.

Buckle up, please.

Hey, this is for you, Grandpa.

Probably some exercise equipment from your father.

He goes overboard with that kinda stuff.

It says it's from Wham Comics.

What'd you say?

What is it?

Let's find out.

"Dynoman."

I ordered this when I was a kid. I don't understand.

Maybe it got lost in the mail.

For 60 years?

I ordered this from the back of a comic book, and it never came.

I bugged my mother for months to get my 50 cents back.

Wait. You were into comics too?

Long time ago.

This is nuts. It must be a joke.

Probably Kenny at the shop is behind this. Yeah.

What did you do with the comics?

I guess I probably gave 'em to your dad.

He never throws anything away.

What's the story of Dynoman?

He was a miner like my dad. I think that's probably why I liked him.

He was working underground one day,

and a stick of dynamite blew up and shot three radioactive rocks into his ring.

Each one had a special power. Strength, speed and flight.

So, like, how do the powers work?

What do you mean?

Like, are they alien rocks that change his metabolism?

Or is it magic?

Why do you need an explanation for everything?

Your generation needs an explanation for everything.

What the hell's the matter with you guys?

Sorry.

So, who's that?

That's the Volt, Dynoman's archenemy.

Dynoman saved Volt's village in Romania from a meteor.

He smashed it with his ring. But a chunk of debris destroyed a house,

killing a man and woman inside while their son played outside.

The boy vowed vengeance on Dynoman.