Tigerman Universe: Tigerman vs. The Purple Mosquito

The cat was silent No noise he made From his mission, no one could dissuade Is it mercy Or evil afoot? He scans the area for more input The lightning strikes The thunder rolls Neither distracts him from his patrols If one could see His frightening form They'd fear him more than the outside storm His quiet vigil Disturbed no more He stands as if to strike once more No frightened child Not one small peep Young Wade Brandywine has gone to sleep

Lee And what is this, a comic book? Tom Lee, won't you take another look? Lee The mystery is clear to see It doesn't make much sense to me Tom It isn't fiction, it is fact Before you go on, make a pact What you see here, it's reality I reveal my secret identity Lee This says "Wade" and who is that? And what's the purpose of the cat? And secret? I know you as Tom To me it reeks of bad sit-com Tom Wade is me, it's not a role I feel him deep down in my soul He is as real as the two of us There's no further need to discuss But if you doubt that I'm sincere Take for example, the story here It says one Clark was once Jor-el On that you cannot quarrel Lee You have your recollections wrong But sure, OK, I'll play along It's Kal-El that became a Kent The name you do misrepresent Tom It doesn't matter, it's fictional My mistake is forgivable But more will be revealed to all And I am sure you'll be enthralled

In India, deep in its heart Begins this tale which I impart A tiger, lone, now stalks his prey The deer is spied, his feast this day His stealth, his silence, unafraid His blood lust raised, his teeth displayed His empty stomach churns in hunger He cannot make a single blunder Slowly stretching muscles, sinews Dark and dreary, rain continues Thunder rumbles, flash of light The deer runs off into the night Enraged, engaged, now is chasing That same deer who now is racing Wanting only a safe haven Tiger only wants his craving Deer must flee or be consumed Leap to live, or else be doomed The tiger stops, his prey eluded Wade Brandywine observes, secluded

[Lee] This character of Brandywine Is he someone you can define? The novel, when's it coming out? A bestseller? I have my doubts [Tom] It's not a book, it's my true tale But at this stage, the truth is veiled I've given you but a small taste I won't stand to see his name disgraced [Lee] So he's a he, or he is you It seems you don't know what to do To bring him out onto the page You think that he deserves a stage [Tom] I tell you true, that Wade is me It's just that you refuse to see He's not a simple entity He's my secret identity [Lee] So tell me, just what does Wade do? Is he the hero you pursue? He seems to be obsessed with cats Can't you take time to explain that? [Tom] Wade is me, as you've been told The tale slowly starts to unfold I/We observe the jungle beast A stealthy cat, to say the least [Lee] The purpose of this observation That occupies this strange narration? [Tom] I trust you to tell no one here I can't make this any more clear The secret life, the master plan: Wade and I are Tigerman

It’s Brandywine again I see Your obsession makes no sense to me A character from history Or from your own mind’s fantasy? This Brandywine he makes no sense But yet you come to his defence Why keep me in such fake suspense? Eliminate all this nonsense? What is the reason, this pursuit? The chance he's real is too minute And your claim he can transmute It's something that I must refute The poison that infects your mind Is surely something you can find To be a detriment to mankind It's something you should leave behind So Brandywine is just a myth A simple fiction from a wordsmith Not worth a piece of my bandwidth I see a crack in your monolith

I am the one you were warned about The one who promises to take out Everything you've fought for and won Everything will now be undone I am the menace, the Purple Mosquito Damage, destruction are part of my credo Always be wary, don't let down your guard A moment's distraction and I'll hit you hard You may think I'm the essence of evil You may think that I am the devil But from my point of view It's the same way for you This world is due for upheaval The Purple Mosquito, as the legend foretold Is the one who brings dangers that can't be controlled The hatred against me that you have amassed With come back and bite you in time at long last So Tigerman still has a bite, I can see But the Purple one's bite is the one most deadly It's tiny, yet fatal, and you soon shall be Aware it's for your own life that you will soon plea.

That cat in the hat Is a bit of a brat He thinks he's all that But his efforts fall flat He's no fashion plate Cannot master the gait His manners do grate Must obliterate I can see him from a mile away All of that flash is just one way to say "Hey, I'm important, the top of my class" Well, I think he's just a self-styled pompous ass Wade Brandywine is a fake and a fraud Is nothing but fluff, a scam, a façade He's touts himself worthy of great wide appeal Truth to be told, he comes off as a heel Silver-spooned upbringing, check the result The way that he moves is just an insult His rabid fans are no more than a cult It's time that I show him how to be an adult That cat, his chapeau Really does have to go It is nothing but show He has reached his plateau

I dream at night It's been revealed Wade Brandywine is me But now I fight I'm ridiculed When someone doesn't see It was so long ago, I fear It was the distant past When me, as Wade, it was so clear But now I'm just harassed I didn't just wake to this thought It wasn't like it's all for nought It's something known my whole life through It's something that I know is true Why can't the prophecies unfold? Why can't they just appear? Why are the tales left untold? Why are they left unclear? Another life, another time It really is my destiny Why not when I was in my prime? Consider it my infamy The years have passed, and nothing yet The heartache's there, I can't forget Is it more than my mindset? Will it all end with my regret?

What just happened The tale you tell is true It’s like I always knew Wade Brandywine is you I don’t know what I’m doing in this Fantasy Or is it reality Now that I really see No longer up to me The enemy is me I wake from a dream and then I fall into a trap again A Fantasy Or is it my reality Now that I can really see I think we both agree The enemy is me I woke from a dream and then I fell into the trap again I cannot comprehend the facts I cannot justify my acts There I go My tale is one of woe This is the status quo No reason to bellow The truth I must follow Choice is mine Where do I draw the line? I take this as a sign I no longer can malign Apologies are genuine

Wade Brandywine, set in his place Observer of the tiger's trait He spies the cat in locked embrace A bear who understands his fate The struggle's real, a fight ensues The tiger 'round the neck he wraps The bear is now about to choose 'Tween life or death, a moment's lapse A fatal strike, the sharpened claws A swipe, the blood begins to flow The bear goes limp, his only flaw Could not anticipate the blow The bear, he falls upon the ground The tiger, victor on this day More daily sustenance he's found Another victim he has slayed

Never heeding words of warning To you I am just a feast Any room you'll find your way in Such an opportunistic beast Doesn't matter my protection Cannot get away from you I wonder why I'm your selection When I see you, troubles brew I won't bear the indignation Hoping you'll just go away It results in altercation Just a victim that you prey In my mind I make a war plan Something buzzing at my ear Surely it is nothing more than Just a tiny thing I fear At the time I'm restless, searching Time to make that fatal blow On my arm it's you there perching One slap, dead, you mosquito

I come through an interdimensional rift I come through to bring you the ultimate gift Not power, or riches, or instant appeal But you will discover that this one's for real It's knowledge you'll need to make sense of this time And wisdom to recognize this paradigm A fighter you'll be 'gainst the most heinous crime Even though your self-doubt thinks you're way past your prime The tiger in you will lash out with its claws The criminal element slashed by its flaws When strife seems to weigh on you down to the core While hopelessly triggered by those from before You'll find that you strengthen and gain a rapport With natural forces you'll need to explore This won't be the only time I come to you I'll be there to guide you, to help you get through The fate of the world on your shoulder it lies Your courage and faithfulness keeps it alive.

For all these years I'm trying to reach you To stop your tears, so much to teach you So listen, don't refuse my call Accept, or you will lose it all I've tried through dreams to make our contact But even those you often reject You really need to pick it up You need to make that followup Reach out to you from this dimension Yet you think it's a deception Don't bury it with apprehension It's you that I have chosen You just sit there addle-headed Something that I've always dreaded My choice of you I've not regretted Take that chance, don't be frozen The powers I have I must endue They're something that you must accrue There aren't even a chosen few It's only you, it's only you To reach your goal you make an effort The words I give you have great import No wasting time, not for an instant You'll be there to make a difference You clear your mind, you close the trap Someday truth will be unwrapped I've laid it all out like a map It's up to you to follow

What's it like to be a tiger? What's it like to be a man? Is it strength and muscle fiber? Is it someone's master plan? I can't be man/cat together I can't be a blend of both I refuse to choose whatever Fate, selection, or sworn oath Never will I follow that path Never will I tread that trail I would rather face the sure wrath Than to live beyond the pale Is it choice, or is it fate? Was it set back in my youth? Could it be that it's too late? That my fear is now the truth? What's it like to be a tiger? That is what I have to face Man or beast, a great divider It's a fate I must embrace

They say I’ve got the tiger’s eyes Transformation’s my disguise There’s no mask and there’s no cape Transformation’s my escape No horn-rimmed glasses hide my face I’m in my alter ego’s space We occupy the same domain And Tigerman I do remain