chapter 1

Deathmask and his newly formed crew had been destroying the power generator in the northern sector of an Ibor metropolis when they found themselves within a deadly trap. There were now in a room with a deadly bomb! They had no time to escape before the bomb had gone off. What has happened to this motley crew? Are they dead? Let's turn back time, right before the bomb had gone off.

The group was frozen in time as Mr. Big punched an enormous hole in the reinforced metal floor and shoved all the other men inside the hole. The bomb then went off with Joe facing the direction of the blast. Joe was not afraid to die since he knew that he would go to be with family in paradise. He was vaporized with a blast greater than a ten megaton nuclear bomb.

The scene clears and it reveals something truly sad.

There were mere ashes where Joe had just been. He was dead, due to the concentrated force of the blast. The bomb was designed to only affect the designated area and nothing more. This was the secreting weapon of the Ibor military: the Hughart bomb. Joe was one of the Ibor faction's first guinea

pigs. It was a sick honor for the former champion to had obtained.

Mr. Big was a man of valor and gave his life to protect the lives of his friends, despite knowing most of them for a very short amount of time. He had freely shown them the greatest sign of love, that was to die freely for your friends. He followed the example that his Lord, which had carried all those thousands of years ago. Plus, he had fulfilled his obligation to all the training that he had received under Coach J. Joe was a great athlete and as well a genetic freak, but he still learned everything about his former professions from the old trainer. But how would Joe's family take to the news of his passing?

#

Back at Joe's home, Bertha and Grandma had broken out in an outpouring of tears. Luckily the

children of Bertha and Joe's were at school when this had been going on. The two women open their

tear-filled eyes to see a vision of Joe mangled beyond repair. Flesh and bone were exposed all over the man's massive frame. Blood and broken shards of flesh were hanging all over his broken body.

Joe spoke, "I am sorry that I couldn't return home as I had promised. Please tell the kids that I love them and I will see them again in heaven. I had set up several trust funds to see that you all will be

taken care the rest of our future grandchildren's lives."

Joe's image just vanished as it had appeared.

Grandma had fainted, while still sitting in her favorite rocking chair. Bertha had rushed over to her Grandmother in the law's side.

Bertha cried out, "Oh God, why?"

Grandma was out for several minutes when she woke back up to see Bertha holding her hand.

She spoke, "Oh Lord, spare my boy! I am near death myself, so take me for his sake. I will

die anyway due to the stress' effect on my bad heart. Just give Joe my short remaining life for his sake, since I had been with You through thick and thin. He has done the same, as well. That doesn't mean that I am strong-arming you to get you to do what I want."

The old woman forced a smile on her face. Then her eyes closed and she then died.

Bertha tried to revive her but to no avail.

#

Back at the mangled power room, stood Coach J, with a brown paper sack with something inside it.

He spoke, "My young cadet, you had done well. No, you had gone beyond what I had expected out of you and obeyed my request. I don't believe that a master should interfere with a student's battle, but this time I will make an exception."

He pulled out a mask out of the paper bag and threw it on the ashes. The object appeared to be a

metal wrestling mask that was with open eyes and mouth holes. The forehead was red with the cheeks of the mask being blue. It also had white strips around all the openings and between the areas of red and blue. The ashes of Joe begun to float up into the air. The remains started to form bones again! Within less than one minute, the man's skeleton was completely reformed again. Next, was his internal organs, then his muscles, and finally his skin was formed.

The mask wrapped itself around Joe's face and covered his whole head. The chest, back,

lower arms, and legs were red as the mask. The fill in space was blue, with a white separation between

the two opposing colors. Metallic wings are attached to the back and arms of Joe, as he stretched his arms in an upward "V" position. An explosion of energy covers the reborn hero and he revels in his new found power.

Joe spoke, "I am Mr. Big and I feel fifty times more powerful than before! I am now invincible beyond measure! The Lord has bestowed upon me never-ending power!"

Coach J was still looking upon his pupil with no visible signs of emotions.

"Joe don't get too cocky since there is always someone bigger, worse, better than you. You go

can up to one hundred times your natural power and your speed could go up the same as well. This was one mask that had spent centuries with no master, or with any description for that matter. I guess we can now call it the big mask in your honor. This mask had wanted nothing to do with me, despite all my efforts. Don't be surprised if it talks to you since is sentient as we are. I don't know how though since that answer has been lost to our great race's infamous history. I will not help you again, until who knows when. I have my hands in several other pies."

Big laughed, "Thank you, my teacher. I can handle it from here."

Coach J gave Joe no answer and dissipated into nothingness.

The hero looked for the scene around him and saw the hole that he had made.

Joe spoke, "Nothing ventured nothing gain."

Big jumped into the hole without thinking where it might take him.

#

Back at Deathmask's home was his parents, William, and Susie eating at the small table built for four. The pair had only had themselves at the humble home most days, but they had always fixed a plate for their son since he had been taken from them those five long years ago. They had the faith that he would someday walk into the house and eat dinner with them as he had so many times in the past. The couple had hoped that would happen every day, but it has not happened yet. The boy had been a promise from God and that promise would return back to them one day.