The third of three single-issue stories introduces Bobby, a survivor of the Falklands War whose tragic life doesn't begin to prepare him for the demands of a family--or for his final, deadly confrontation with King Mob of the Invisibles!
NOTE: "Best Man Fall" is the nonlinear story of one man's life.
It's Bobby Murray's turn to play best man fall. A caption tells us to try to remember./ Black panel. Somebody's thought balloon tells us that they think they're dying./ Young Bobby chooses to be killed by rifle./
Bobby is a soldier and has just been wounded in the Falklands War./ Black panel and the "think I'm dying" balloon./ Fireworks explode. Young Bobby watches the fireworks and lets his red balloon loose to join them in the sky./
Young Bobby is looking for dud fireworks on the ground, when his older brother arrives and bullies him./
Married Bobby is in the hospital at his brother's bedside. Bobby chastises his brother for crashing into a tree. He asks his brother not to die; he still loves him. Stewie regains consciousness for a brief second. He grimaces and whispers to Bobby that he always hated him. Stewie dies./
Baby Bobby stands in his crib smiling and happy. His mother gives him a teddy bear that was a gift from his aunt. A mysterious voice says, "Edith says to call him Boody". His mother is confused but believes Bobby just said something. Bobby's Aunt Alice just scoffs./
Married Bobby attends his mother's funeral while Stewie looks after their dad. A woman asks Bobby's wife Audrey how she got the bruise on her face. Bobby's uncle tells him that his mom was proud of him; he was a hero./
Teen Bobby is packing his bags to leave home and move to London. Stewie sits on the edge of his bed and ridicules Bobby, saying that he'll be home in a week. He picks up Bobby's childhood teddy bear and mockingly suggests that he take it with him to have some company. Bobby has finally had enough, and punches his brother in the face. He acidly tells Stewie that he'll send him a postcard as his teddy bear sits in the wastebasket./
Young Bobby lays in his bed and holds his teddy bear tight as he overhears his parents arguing. Bobby cries and tells Boody not to be scared; he won't let anyone hurt him./ Young Bobby laughs as his smiling mother pushes him in a swing./ Toddler Bobby is tormented by Stewie frightening him wearing a gas mask./ Child Bobby tearfully tells Boody that he won't let anything happen to him./
Soldier Bobby lies wounded in the rain./ Married Bobby joyfully listens to his pregnant wife's stomach./ Teen Bobby leaves the Army recruiting center and buys a pack of cigarettes./ Married Bobby lies in the hospital; recovering from his war wounds. Audrey tells him that he's going to receive a medal. Bobby doesn't care./ Married Bobby tries to get his disabled daughter to eat something, while in the past a nurse informs him that his daughter has been born with cerebral palsy./ Toddler Bobby's mother tells him not to be scared and shows him that Stewie was just wearing a gas mask./
Soldier Bobby is part of a joyous crew that is on their way to the Falklands. Bobby asks his friend, Archie, if he thinks they'll see any action. Archie doesn't./ Teen Bobby buries his dog in the back yard./ Young Bobby tells his teacher that he wants to be a "spaceman" when he grows up./ Soldier Bobby is carried away on a stretcher in the rain./
Married Bobby discusses his and Archie's new job at Harmony House. Bobby is uncomfortable about what seems to happen to the kids, but Archie reminds him that the money is good. Archie asks about Audrey./ Married Bobby angrily punches his wife./ Married Bobby tells Archie that Audrey is fine and tells Archie that he's a good friend./
Guard Bobby sits in the locker room getting ready for his shift. He reads a note from Audrey, when suddenly the alarms go off. At first they think that it's a false alarm, but then another guard rushes in and announces that someone's been killed. Bobby and Archie put on their helmets and run out. They run past Mr. Gelt who tells them that the intruder is down the hall./
Married Bobby is frustrated at his wife, and about his life in general. He hits Audrey and wonders how they could have ended up like this./ Teen Bobby introduces himself to Audrey who works selling hot dogs and ice cream at a stand./ Married Bobby realizes what he's just done as his daughter cries out. Bobby apologizes to both of them./
Young Bobby grabs a stick and prepares to enter the shadowy coal cellar. He repeats to himself that he's not scared./ Guard Bobby confronts the intruder who is the headdress wearing King Mob; come to rescue Dane from Harmony House(issue 1). King Mob fires his gun./
Teen Bobby and Audrey walk along the beach in the moonlight. Bobby tells her about "Hairy Trombone" who he used to imagine lived in the coal cellar and would frighten him. One night, Bobby finally overcame his fear and went down into the coal cellar. He discovered that the "Hairy Trombone" was actually just an old gas mask. The couple talks about things that frighten them. Audrey says that she's scared of dying and asks Bobby if he ever wonders how he'll die. With the hubris of youth, Bobby gallantly boasts that's going to live forever. They kiss, and Bobby asks Audrey to marry him./
Guard Bobby has just been shot in the face. He falls to the ground, muttering that he can't see and that this can't be happening. The voice of the intruder in the darkness coldly tells him that it IS happening./
Young Bobby gets up off the ground from playing best man fall. His friends all cheer him and tell him that he pretended to die very realistically./ Two captions in black panels tell us that it's only a game. Try to remember.
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