ANI-MAX #1

ANIMAX_NEW.indd 23 17-03-2010 PM 2:19:12


Okay, so not exactly how I was expecting to be spending my school field trip.


EEEEEK!

Are you okay? I mean, I’m still getting used to this, and I know

the landing was a little hard…

Who…

…but better than getting

squashed by a herd of elephants,

right?

…what…

…are you?

But lately, not much goes how I expect it to.

By the way, my name is Max Duncan. I’m 12.

…I don’t look like a “tiger boy”

all the time.

And no…

Don’t worry, I gotcha.


Uh…I’m…Ani-Max.

It’s…a long story. Huh?

Well, thanks for saving me, but…but don’t

come any closer.

But I’m not going to

hurt you.

Are you the one who set all the

animals loose?

NO!

No, it wasn’t me, I didn’t have anything to

do with that. I’m just trying to help.

Hey, wait! I said I wasn’t

going to…

…hurt you, Callie.


EEEEW!

EEEYAH!

I bet the Locusts are behind all the animals

being loose. This isn’t an accident, it’s sabotage.

I guess they’re my sworn enemies…

…but I’m not sure they’d set all the animals free.

I mean, what’s it gain them?

Well, doesn’t matter why right. What matters is that

I get them back in their enclosures before...

Oh, that’s gross.

Oh man, that sounds just like…


I think her dad’s a zoologist or

something like that…

HELP US!

What’s THAT? Oh my

God!

And that’s know-it-all Jenny Larson. I swear, she’s always got her hand up in any class

I’m in with her.

…Chris.

Yup, that’s Chris all right. Sometimes

I wonder why he’s my best friend.

Well, somebody’s got to look out for him, right?

Maybe I can do this fast and not

give away my secret.

…so as much as I might like to see her get eaten by a tiger, I think she’d just be an appetizer while Chris

would be the main course.


Hey, it worked!

I know you’re not looking to hurt

anybody, you’re just a little freaked out

by all this.

Good boy.

And I don’t want to see you get hurt either.


So let’s get you back in your enclosure,

where you’ll be safe, and so will everybody else. Sound

like a plan?

Cool.

Uh-oh…

Gotta go!

Max, WAiT!

Looks like my time’s almost up.


Okay…but how did you know it

was me?

I didn’t know it was

you.

I’m not blind Max.Plus, I recognized your

eyes. You have…nice eyes.

The real question isn’t who you are, but

how you did that.

Yeah, Max, you’re supposed to be my best

friend! How come you never told me you were

half-tiger?

I’m NOT half-tiger, Chris. But I can take on the characteristics of

any animal I touch.

Your dad’s a scientist guy, right?

That’s impossible, isn’t it?

Any animal or bird or insect…fish

too, I guess.

He’s a zoologist,

and yes, that’s impossible.

You want proof? Look

at this.

Dude, what’d you do? Glue

that on?

If I tell you, you have to promise not

to tell anybody, okay? All this started over summer

vacation…


“…on that trip to the rainforest my parents took me on. It was

an awesome vacation, except for the night I got lost in the jungle.

That wasn’t cool at all.

“You ever have that feeling you’re being

watched? I totally had that feeling in the jungle…

“…and then this huge black panther jumped out of the trees and almost landed

right on top of me!

“I was all ready to run, but something…

I dunno…something just told me the panther

wasn’t going to attack.


The Animus Stone deems you a worthy successor.

The stone must be protected, and I have

little time left.

“I had, like, no idea what

he was talking about.

“And that’s when he stood up on his hind legs and started talking

to me.

“I could see he was more like half panther,

half human, and that he was wounded.

“But he still scared the daylights out of me

when he grabbed me.

“I could see he had this gem embedded in his chest,

and it was glowing red, just like his eyes.

“But then he let me go, and he said…”


“Then all of a sudden he yanked the Animus Stone… that’s what the red gem is

called...out of his chest...

“...and slammed it into mine!

“It didn’t really hurt, it just felt kind of warm…

“…until it felt like nothing I’d ever felt before. It was like this wave washed over

me, I could sense every animal in the jungle.

“I had this connection to them, I was in tune with them. I understood every

growl and chirp and grunt. I understood everything.

“Which of course freaked me out. I tried to yank the stone out of my chest, but no way, it wouldn’t budge.


The Animus has successfully bonded

with you. Already I can feel its powers

leaving me.

“So the guy, the panther,

he tells me…”

“And by that point, the dude had completely turned

into a man. I mean, an old man, and he seriously looked like about ten miles of bad road.

He would’ve keeled over if I hadn’t caught him.

“He told me that I was the new protector of the Earth Spirits, and that

the stone was part of me now. I was stuck with it.

“I was thinking that was gonna be awkward

in gym class…

“…but then he told me the stone would disappear under

my skin when I wasn’t using it. Which is kinda gross, but better than

having it there all the time.


Boy, you must listen to me carefully. The Locusts have found

me and are quickly approaching.

You are not ready to face them, and

there is no time for me to teach you how to channel the Animus Stone. Even if I could, the stone has been reset with

no power and there is nothing here for you

to absorb.

You need to run and keep the stone safely

hidden within you. I don’t have much longer, but I will hold

them off as long as I can.

Now go, quickly!

“But I didn’t have any more time to think about it, because just then we heard this howl echo

through the whole jungle.

“I knew it wasn’t some animal, because I had

that connection now. It was…something else.

“But before I could even ask

about it, the old man said…”

“I must’ve looked around to see exactly who he was talking about, because when he said ‘The Locusts’ I could tell he wasn’t talking about a bunch of bugs.

“I didn’t see anything, but when I turned around again…”


“…the old man was gone.

“I could hear his voice off in the jungle, taunting someone, like he wanted to be found. The howling sounds got further and further

away chasing after him…

“Just a few minutes later, my parents found me. It’s weird, I hadn’t wandered

that far from our camp…

“…and then I was alone again. Or at least that’s what I thought.

“…but it was far enough that I got all turned around in the jungle. Almost like it was supposed to

happen that way.

“I didn’t tell my parents about what happened

since I knew they would never believe me.

“We flew back home a couple of days later...”


…but by then I’d realized what the Stone

could do.

Max, that’s amazing! I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t

seen it with my own eyes!

When I touch any new animal, the stone absorbs and stores it’s characteristics.

It’s absorbed dozens of animals whose powers I can

access whenever I need to. That’s what you saw when I rescued you.

My father is going to want to do a

complete scientific study of you and the Stone!

Anyway, we don’t need

a scientific study, because I’ve already figured out the rules

that go with the Animus Stone.

I didn’t! But I’ve got a suspicion

that maybe the Locusts are the behind it…

Come on, do one now! Be an

animal now!

When I absorb an animal’s characteristics,

it only lasts for seven minutes at a time.

…although to be honest I haven’t really

figured out who or what the Locusts are.

Take it easy, you two.

We have to keep this a secret.

And, I can only transform three

times a day.

And that definitely means no telling your father, Jenny.

Okay…so why did you set

all these animals in the zoo

free?

EEEEEE!


Maybe she tried to give those

birds Detention.

Maybe you could talk her

into giving me a B+ in Math while you’re at it.

Dude…

How ’bout it, buddy? Wanna lend

me a hand?

Look! That’s Mrs. Widdershins!

You have to save her!


…that is SO cool!

Gotta make ’em count!

Ohhhh, NO!

Only got seven minutes!

Oh, go away birds! Please

go away!

Okay, you guys head back to your habitat so I don’t have to grab

you too.

You know, you could be a

little nicer to your students.

It… talks?

Of course I talk. But I don’t really have time

to chat…


“…I’ve got a job to do.”


I think that’s everybody…

You did it!

And, dude, you were so strong! How

strong do you think you are? Could you lift

a car?

I know you were kind of busy and

all, but did you remember to ask about my math

grade?

Okay, calm down a little, you two. Remember…

secret.

…and just in time.

That was Awesome! You were all like, swooping

here and jumping there and springing over

there!

What does it feel like? I mean,

after you transform, do you “think” in gorilla

or in English?

Of course we’ll keep your secret,

Max. What kind of friends do you think we are? Well, truthfully,

I didn’t know you and I were even—


But, I mean really, how can you

stay calm about this? The possibilities

are endless.

Elephant-Max!

Bird-Max

Scorpio-Max

Yeah! You can be, like, anything.

Chihuahua-Max!

Rhino-Max!

Squid-Max

Monkey-Max

Lizard-Max

Spider-Max


Max Duncan!

Where have you three been? I’ve been

looking all over for you.

We…uh…we were…

hiding.

Jenny Larson! Chris Davis!

The whole class is accounted

for except you.

You know, just hangin’

around.

Well, let’s go. The situation seems to

be under control, but I want us back on the bus and headed for school before anything

else goes wrong.

You never know what to expect

with animals.

You can say that again.


I told you our plan would work to perfection.

Now our enemy has exposed himself.

Now we know his identity.

Tracking the Stone to this American town was

easy. But we could not pinpoint the bearer.

And when the time is

right…

…we will destroy him and the Animus Stone

forever!

The End...for now!




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ANI-MAX #1