When You Least Expect It

(Spoiler: To fully appreciate this story, the reader should have some familiarity with comic books and comic strips.)

            It was in August of the year, 2458, when young Tommy Parker visited the Space Museum with his father, Howard. It was one of their favorite places to go and there was always something new to see and a new story for Tommy to hear. This time, they found themselves looking at a statue of a man wearing a lab coat and holding a brick in one hand. Perplexed, Tommy asked his father who the man was and why he was important enough to have a statue devoted to him

            Patient as ever, Howard Parker sat down and began to speak, “This is a statue of Dr. I. Herriman, who saved the world from an alien invasion. Together with his research partner, Dr. Karl Kurtzman, they had been involved in experiments in telepathy and mind control. Eventually, they discovered that the ability to read minds, manipulate objects and the like resided in a part of the brain that is normally dormant in humans. So, they worked for years and eventually developed a formula that would allow the human brain to expand and active those dormant areas.

            “Of course, as usually happens in such cases, Dr. Kurtzman couldn’t wait for the official approvals and documents to be signed for the testing to begin so he tested it on himself. By the time, Dr. Herriman found him, he had been laying on the floor in a fetal position for over eight hours. He was mumbling about voices, voices that were calling to him, asking him to do things. The medical team came and took him away. Finding that he had little ability to communicate with anyone any more, he was committed to a sanitarium and locked away.

            “Dr. Herriman continued to visit him every week for the next few years and found little improvement. Mostly Dr. Kurtzman would just sit and mumble about the voices and would carry on conversations with them. Then, one day, Dr. Herriman arrived to find that Dr. Kurtzman had had a miraculous recovery. Not only had his powers of speech returned to normal but his thinking was clear and sensible. The doctors had even allowed him outside to sit in the solarium with other patients. When Dr. Herriman went to see him, he was stunned to find that, not only did Dr. Kurtzman recognize him but was actually thrilled to see his old research partner.

            “‘I had it wrong all these years,’ Dr. Kurtzman said, ‘I shouldn’t have resisted. I should have just given in right from the start. Really, they want what’s best for us. Man has never been able to handle himself or this planet well so it’s only fair that I give it to them.’

            “‘What have you done?’

            “‘It was quite simple, actually. With my new powers, I was able to read minds and learn access codes and computer passwords. They should be arriving any minute now. Shall we go and greet them?’

            “Dr. Kurtzman followed his friend up to the roof where they could see giant spaceships filling the sky. Each one was filled with weaponry. Kurtzman walked to the edge of the roof and spread his arms wide in the air. ‘You see? They’ve come just as they said they would and soon they will rule this world!’

            “He was so engrossed in his ranting that he never saw the brick flying towards him. It hit him square in the back of his head, killing him instantly. Without his mind making constant contact with them, providing them with the codes and hiding them from the military, the aliens were quickly destroyed and the Earth was saved. All because Dr. Herriman threw that brick.”

            Tommy looked closer but had trouble reading the plaque below the statue. “I can’t see it. What was his full name?”

            “Why, Dr. George Ignatz Herriman, of course!”