Madman Atomic Comics #3

”SWIPED FROM DIMENSION X!”

Frank Einstein must run the gauntlet through multiple realities in various comic strip and comic book universes in a story you’ll have to see to believe! Will Frank make it back to Snap City? Or will he settle into a new world and just try to make the best of it?

Madman continues his journey back to the land of the living. He was lead to believe that he was the only person alive and his entire life was a fabrication in his mind. It turned out that his enemy, the former head of the Tri-Eye Agency, Mr. Monstadt was behind it. Madman now finds himself with a guide, the comic book hero from his childhood, Mr. Excitement.

Mr. Excitement tries to get Madman to follow him through the pages of a comic book. He tells him he needs to reconnect with his body as soon as possible. Madman is reluctant to simply follow him blindly, not knowing if this is more delusions in his mind. He knows that Mr. Excitement can't be real. Excitement tells him that he isn't real. He is a "technological rescue beacon." Madman is still hesitant. Mr. Excitement mentions Frank's girlfriend, Joe, and the fact that he'll never see her again if he doesn't get a move on. Everyone in the real world believes that Frank is dead.

They begin to travel through the "pages," taking on different images (a homage to several famous artists and cartoonists). Mr. Excitement tells Frank that when he reconnects with his physical body, he will be able to distinguish between his real memories and the false ones. They have to travel through all his false personas in order to learn what is real.

Meanwhile...back in Dr. Flem's lab, they begin to accept that Frank is dead. He apologizes to Joe that he wasn't able to do more. His last resort was to hook up Astroman, who shared Frank's brain patterns, to his body in the hopes of bringing him back. It seems that the astral shock was too much for Astroman's programming. Dr. Flem says that is fitting that they bury them together. The plan is to launch the two of them out into space. Joe's final words are that she will always love him.

Frank is beginning to understand his journey. He knows that if he can gain confidence in who is as and who he's been since he was reborn, whoever he was before won't matter. Mr. Excitement tells him that he shouldn't try to grasp the pieces of his past life since he is no longer connected to that life. He says it is best to simply move forward. Mr. Excitement tells Frank that his ability to touch others' mind has also altered his own memories. He mentions the "bad guy" that Frank fought and pulled an eye out. He says that he really made the guy think his eye was removed. As it turned out, Frank also convinced himself that he actually did it in order to serve as penance for what he may have done in the past.

Frank finally realizes who Mr. Excitement really is. Since he's a "digital imprint" of Frank, he knows that it must be Astroman. He is beginning to accept the truth and is letting go of the guilt.

They are close to the end of the journey. Frank says thanks to Astroman, in case something goes wrong. They both awake to find that they are no longer on Earth...