Wonder Boy in Ghost World is a 6-part Wonder Boy story, the second and final strip in the series. Directly following on from Wonder Boy in Demon World, this adventure follows Shion as he tries to protect the Skyrock Mountains from dinosaur ghosts.
Staff[]
- Mark Eyles - script
- Bojan Djukac - art
- Steve Potter - letters (part 1 only)
- Elitta Fell - letters (final 5 parts)
Story[]
Shion has heard of trouble on the Skyrock Mountains and, sure enough, the whole area has been swarmed by odd pterodactyls. The Wonder Boy begins to fight them, but is confused when they seem to splatter when hit by a sword. Shion is soon outnumbered and one even steals his shield. Desperate, Shion uses magic to turn his weapon into a fire sword, something much more likely to win him the fight. He quickly wins the battle, but his precious sword has melted. Suddenly, Shion is joined an old woman riding on the back of a giant bird - who is dropped onto the ground by the stupid creature. Happy that she has found the Wonder Boy, she ushers him onto the bird and introduces herself as Lukout, a cosmologist who's hard as nails. The stargazer gives a rousing speech on the void between Monster World and the Skyrock Mountains but Shion isn't too bothered, more worried about the "jellified" ghosts. Lukout insists that they're really made of ectoplasm and that there are plenty more where they're going. They have been rampaging on the mountains and have managed to scare away the cowardly philosophers and poets, but the cosmologists decided to call for help. Arriving at the Light Tower, Lukout leads Shion to a ledge below the mountain, pointing out the staircase the dinosaurs have been using to climb to Skyrock. Unfortunately, they have arrived right at the same time as another invading T-Rex. Shion is confident, but his sword isn't looking too good.
The fight goes badly, with Shion wobbling on the staircase and falling off towards the void. As he ponders where he'll end up, Lukout jumps after him with intent to rescue him. Suddenly, she pulls out a magic handkerchief which transforms into a massive flying vehicle with the right incantation. Now they're there, they feel they should investigate the staircase, but passing through a patch of clouds sends them to sleep. The pair stay asleep for some time, somehow waking up in Ghost World in front of Wordsmith, a poet considered dead when he was carried off by a quetzacoatlus. In fact, Wordsmith had also fallen asleep when passing through the clouds, waking up in a dinosaur nest, but had woken up in time to escape with his life. He finally made it back to the staircase, but was unable to climb due to the sleep clouds. Unfortunately, he's also had time to compose a terrible poem which seems to have earned the ire of a mammoth and a prehistoric human ghost.
Actually, the caveman seems to be running from something else, something surely terrifying.. which really seems to be a tiny dinosaur decked in battle armour. Although Lukout mocks the guard, the guard gets his revenge by turning the cosmologist to stone. Shion acts fast, using the last of his magic to send the dinosaur on a tropical holiday (actually to Yuria where Ax-Battler, Tyris-Flare and Gilius-Thunderhead are sunbathing with the Golden Axe. Realising the dinosaur came from Dinotown, the remaining two humans venture in that direction, dragging the statue Lukout with them. Their first stop is Tom's Trading Post and Supply Emporium, a shop owned by a ghostly plumber only too happy to provide them whatever they need. Shion picks up an energy potion and a few spell boxes before the gang journey on into a forest. The stench from Dinotown picks up, but the immediate problem is a dino bird that knocks Shion out of a tree.
Fortunately, Shion wins the scuffle and knocks out the foe. However, he is quickly knocked out of the tree again by Morcie and Wisie and he is captured, although Wordsmith escapes. In Dinotown, Shion is presented to the Dinosaur King who realises that Shion is not a ghost. The warrior reveals he is here to put a stop to their plans, but the King merely laughs. He states that his kind once ruled all of the worlds but were wiped out by the Great Dying. The ghosts joined their ancestors in Ghost World and watched as humans took their first steps, waiting for them to sink into oblivion. Instead, humans became the dominant species, but the dinosaurs plan on "reclaiming their birthright". Shion is confused since they are dead, but the King reveals they received help from the Wailing Sisters of Witchery World, creating a Power Jar to link and maintain a route between Ghost World and Skyrock Mountains. After conquering the Skyrock Mountains, they plan on moving on to Monster World and wants Shion to become a ghost, joining his armies. For this, Shion needs to be dead...
Waiting for his execution, Shion is kept in a cage guarded by several hungry dinos. Fleshripper wonders how they'll divide him to eat, but Bonegrinder insists that there isn't enough on him to go round, so dice need to be thrown - winner takes all. Gutsucker is made to guard the prisoner as they go for the dice. That night, a hooded figure creeps up on the cage and Shion is less than impressed, until he reveals himself to be Wordsmith and unlocks the cage! Unfortunately, Shion's earlier rage has awoken Gutsucker and the guard chases the terrified poet. Wordsmith tries his best to defend himself but the hungry dino proves too strong. Shion comes to the rescue with Wordsmith's salvaged spear, knocking the foe out. The pair journey into the Dinosaur King's chamber, where the monarch is asleep and the Lukout statue is waiting. While Wordsmith uses a Stone to Flesh wand on Lukout, reviving him, Shion uses a Potion of Ignorance to confuse the King. Unfortunately, the commotion caused by a newly-revived Lukout wakes the enemy.
Fortunately, the ignorance potion begins to work and the King has no idea who he or the little people are. Shion's next step is to unleash a genie from a magic box and asks her to convince the King that they are his friends - after this, she goes back to sleep for at least five years! Lukout forces the stupid lizard to take them to the staircase, Wordsmith picking up a Bottled Hurricane and Shion stealing the Power Jar. The King smashes through his wall, merrily carrying his new friends on his back. However, the ignorance begins to wear off at the staircase..but the genie's magic isn't. Despite knowing he has been tricked, the Dinosaur King wishes to follow his pals up the staircase, but soon realises he has had magic used on him. Furious, he charges at them; the heroes' response is for Wordsmith to clear the clouds with his Bottled Hurricane and, when at the top, Shion drops the Jar off the edge of Skyrock Mountains, destroying the staircase with the King still on it. Shion is happy that Skyrock is now safe, but is curious about the part played by the Wailing Sisters. Worse still, Wordsmith has another awful poem to recite...
Trivia[]
- This is Djukac's first strip and only Wonder Boy entry.
- The Void is portrayed differently to the Non-existent space in the Nameless Zone, with Shion unsure where he would end up should he fall into it. There is every chance he may just have ended up in Ghost World, albeit dead.
- The Legend of the Golden Axe main characters make a one-panel cameo in the story, making it the only instance of a Sega Superstars series crossing over into another one. This was made possible with Eyles being writer for both of them. Sonic the Hedgehog similarly makes a cameo as the head on a rubber ring.
- Tom's Trading Post and Supply Emporium is supposedly a place that only sells things with taps on them. It is suggested that Shion still managed to pick magical items up from here.
- The heroes state the first dinosaur guard came from Dinotown and a caption confirms they soon make it there. However, upon leaving Dinotown, they then say that they are still on their way to Dinotown.
- The frozen statue of Lukout frequently changes pose.
- The Dinosaur King wonders if Shion came from Monster World down the staircase, when the route technically begins on the broken-off region of the Skyrock Mountains.
- Despite being left on a cliffhanger, there was no "Wonder Boy in Witchery World" finale.
Timeline[]
The previous Wonder Boy story was Wonder Boy in Demon World. This is the final story.