| Bob Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
|
Real Name |
Bob Martin |
|
First Appearance |
City of the Living Dead (1952) |
|
Original Publisher |
Avon Periodicals |
|
Created by |
A.C. Hollingsworth |
Origin[]
Searching the Yucatan near the Gulf of Mexico, Professor Bob Martin and his young wife, Anne, are traveling to the abandoned Aztec city of Quetana, hoping to find gold artifacts. Two of his assistants, Red and Grogan, intend on murdering the couple and stealing the gold if the couple finds any.
A guide named Ramon refuses to go the Quetana. He them that Quetana is known as the City of the Living Dead, relaying a story of a group criminals who had overtaken their transport ship from a Caribbean penal colony and slain the crew. Torque, the prisoner leading them, orders they land on the Mexican coast. The ship crashes on a reef, and the escaped prisoners shelter in the ruins of Quetana.
Torque and the others are pleased to discover a fortune in the form of a large cache of gold artifacts. Their fortunes turn as they all come down with yellow fever.
Torque bemoans that they are "all going to die!". In little time, the statement becomes true as the group passes away.
Quetzal, the Aztec God of Justice, appears and delivers eternal punishment for profaning the city by turning them into the living dead.
Ramon and some of the other guides leave after Ramon is finished with the tale, with only Red and his cohort Grogan remaining as guides for Professor Martin, who dismisses the story as a superstitious folktale. He and Anne continue on to enter Quetana, despite Anne's protestations. After a freak thunderstorm breaks out, they seek shelter in the city. The professor decides to explore. Refusing to be left behind, Anne follows Bob into a building in the city. The living dead inhabiting the city, the remnants of the criminals lead by Torque, are thrilled to see living humans. "Warm lifeblood Relief from our torture!" one of the rotting revenants proclaim.
The Martins meet the Living Dead
Against Anne's express wishes, The professor begins to gather gold objects to take with them. Anne tells him they must leave, Mr. Martin reminds her of the storm, saying they can't go out into it.
Red and Grogan hear the professor and Anne discussing the gold relics, and decide to kill Anne and her husband right away and take the gold. As the murderous pair move forward to kill the couple, they are attacked by a group of the undead criminals. "Blood! Blood we must have!" they say.
The other undead are angry that Red and Grogan's attackers took all the blood. Torque admonishes them. One of the undead remind Torque of the Martin couple, whom they subdue and restrain with chains.
Torque says he will manage how to share the couple. He says the professor will "go first", retaining the captive Anne Martin for later.
Quetzal suddenly appears, saying, "Stop! Evil ones--go back to your eternal sufferings! Back, I say!" He then turns to the Professor and his wife, Anne Martin, and says, "Of them all, only you two are not really evil! I shall spare you!" He continues, "Be gone! And never must you dare profane my sacred city!"
Gladly, Anne Martin and the professor agree and leave the city. Red and Grogan remain, and are punished with the same fate as the living dead criminals.
Public Domain Appearances[]
- City of the Living Dead