Life continues to be difficult for our intrepid hero, Dan. Quick recap: After killing one of his father’s murderers, Dan and his wife, Debora, were turned into living statues by another of Dan’s father’s murderers, Bishop Ladja. They were then found by treasure hunters and Dan was sold to the rather rich Porgie family. At this point, I don’t think his life could get much worse.
Oh wait, how about if Dan had to spend the next eight years as a statue. That’s bad enough, but here’s the real kicker. Horii goes and twists the knife once it’s inside your heart with one simple twist. Mr. Porgie bought Dan for a reason. Dan is intended to be a good luck gift for his newborn son, Georgie. The emotional twist is that Dan is forced to watch Georgie grow up before his very eyes, in lieu of his own progeny.
The helpless statue is forced to watch Georgie take his first steps, say his first words, and just live his first six to eight years of life. Meanwhile, his own children are being raised by Sancho who is witnessing these very precious moments and relishing in the joy that is rightfully Dan’s.
Dan’s torture abruptly ends somewhere between Georgie’s sixth and eighth birthday. Hawkmen swoop down and kidnap the poor lad, no doubt agents of the ancient evil whose power is brewing. A month later, Mr. Porgie’s despair is so great that he begins to abuse Dan, knocking him over and screaming about how Dan was supposed to bring good luck to his family. How ironic that Dan, the very definition of unlucky, could ever be a worthwhile charm.
Seasons continue to pass with Dan face down in the dirt until one blessed day when Sancho appears with two children in tow. It seems Dan might be back in business soon.
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