D.P.7 Vol. 1 1

"We were all alone with our problems before we came here. Now we've got one another. Somehow, together, we're all gonna make it."

### **Synopsis**

In Winnebago County General Hospital, Doctor Randy O'Brien is on duty in the emergency room when a huge man called David Landers is brought in, unconscious due to painkillers overdose. Before the doctor and his team have even finished pumping David Landers' stomach, Landers awakens and starts throwing the medical staff and security guards around. When Randy tries to inject Dave with valium, he's surprised when a pair of dark arms emanate from his own torso, holding Dave for long enough that Randy can inject him.

Later in his room, Dave tells Randy that in the last week he'd suffered agonising muscle cramps, and had grown hairier and taller, and that he'd tried to kill himself for looking like a freak. Dave asks to be put out of his misery, but Randy tells him he'll give him the best treatment he can.

The following day, Randy reports to his superior, Dr. Eastman. Randy wants Dave moved to a better equipped hospital, but the angry doctor wants such a unique case kept in his hospital for the publicity. When Eastman turns his back, Randy thinks that he'd like to strangle him, when suddenly a dark shadowy figure flies out of him and flies at Eastman as if to strangle him. Randy shouts and the figure flies up, while an oblivious Eastman berates Randy for shouting at him. After Eastman leaves, the figure dives back into Randy, and Randy experiences the event from the figure's point of view.

That night at his apartment, Randy reads in the local paper an ad for the Clinic for Paranormal Research, and realizes it seems appropriate for his case. After phoning the number, he wonders if they could help both him and Dave with their problems, before falling asleep. As he sleeps, his "anti-body" leaves his body and flies off.

Back at the hospital, Dave considers jumping from the window to kill himself, when Randy's "anti-body" arrives. When it touches him, Dave sees Randy looking at the newspaper ad, and escapes from the hospital. Randy's "anti-body" returns to his body and when Dave appears at his front door, however, Randy realizes it was no dream.

The following morning, Randy drives himself and Dave to the Clinic. The two men meet Dr. Semple, who explains the Clinic's work and shows them around. Afterwards, they decide to try it. That afternoon, they meet the other members of their new therapy group Charly Beck, Jeff Walters, Dennis "Scuzz" Cuzinski, Lenore Fenzl, and Stephanie Harrington (to whom Dave is immediately attracted). The Clinic's senior staff meet with Philip Nolan Voigt, head of the Clinic and think that Dr. Semple's therapy group are some of their most promising subjects yet for their plans.

Dave and Randy grow close to their fellow therapy group members over the next few weeks, becoming a close group. However, Randy reveals he's troubled by things like the Clinic's tight security and their isolation from other therapy groups, while Lenore says she thinks it odd that the Clinic is so unconcerned about being paid.

That night, Randy sits awake wondering why he has such a problem with the Clinic's policies and forces his anti-body out of him as Hackbarth, Charne, and Speck monitor him on CCTV. Hackbarth says Randy's anti-body makes him a danger to them and wants to put him in intensive care so they can mentally reinforce Randy round the clock. When Speck realizes Randy's anti-body is out of him, Hackbarth prepares to give Randy a severe asthma attack, when the anti-body attacks him. The anit-body flies back to Randy and shows him what he saw. Randy sends the anti-body to tells the others, before he's surprised by Hackbarth forcing his door open. The anti-body shows what happenned to Dave, who busts out of his room in time to see Hackbarth carrying the unconscious Randy. When Dave refuses to go back to his room, Hackbarth gives him severe stomach cramps. When Scuzz finds Dave, Dave tells him to tell the others. The rest of the group debate what to do until Clinic security guards show up with tranquillizer dart-firing guns. Lenore tranquillizes them using her powers. Randy's anti-body leads them to Randy and Hackbarth, but Hackbarth uses his power over others' bodies to disable them in different ways. However, Dave, thanks to his experiences of dealing with pain, manages to resist Hackbarth and knock him out. Certain that the Clinic means them no good, the seven paranormals make a run for it out into the night.

### **Notes**

* It's suggested that one of the therapy group's patients (probably Scuzz) commemorates his/her birthday during the weeks transpired in this issue.

### **Creators**

* Writer: **Mark Gruenwald**
* Penciler: **Paul Ryan**
* Inker: **Romeo Tanghal**
* Letters: **Phil Felix**
* Colorist: **Paul Becton**
* Editor: **Ralph Macchio**
* Editor in Chief: **Jim Shooter**

### **Characters**

**Protagonist(s)**

* Randy O'Brien **(First appearance)**
* Dave Landers **(First appearance)**
* Charly Beck **(First appearance)**
* Jeff Walters **(First appearance)**
* Dennis "Scuzz" Cuzinski **(First appearance)**
* Lenore Fenzl **(First appearance)**
* Stephanie Harrington **(First appearance)**

**Deuteragonist(s)**

* Dr. Semple **(First appearance)**

**Tritagonist(s)**

* Monica **(First appearance)**
* Dr. Eastman **(First appearance)**
* Tommy **(First appearance)**
* Mr. Pommer **(First appearance)**
* Ms. Pommer **(First appearance)**
* Unnamed Clinic's patients

**Antagonist(s)**

* Philip Nolan Voight **(First appearance)**
* Hackbarth **(First appearance)**
* Charne **(First appearance)**
* Speck **(First appearance)**

### **Locations**

* Winnebago County General Hospital
* The Clinic for Paranormal Research