Story Overview
The comic and novelization of Triptych has been laid out for more than
a decade, and has never deviated from its original intention. One five-issue
storyline, plus a second five-issue story after that which has not been
completely scripted, have been written. In addition to that, as mentioned
elsewhere, there is also a 7 page prequel story.
Prequel
At a Polygen facility, we meet several of the characters involved in
our story. Wolf in the Moon, a part time janitor at the facility and
native Snow Rising inhabitant, speaking to what appears to be a big
octopus in a large underwater tank. This octopus rapidly turns from
an animal into a humanoid, proving that it's actually a clone - Dane
Rhein - and he hears and understands what Wolf has to say. That being:
he's learned that when Polygen researches a normal 'non-exotic' like
himself, they plan on sterilizing the subject! Snip snip! While this
revelation is bad enough, a pair of guards approach and confront Wolf
with a new complication: a control collar. This collar apparently inhibits
shifting, as the one Tripper guard learns when he attempts to fight
Wolf in his own triptych form. One guard beaten, the other subdued by
his collar, Wolf bids Dane and Polygen farewell. Ominously from a window
above, as Wolf flees in his four-footed shape, a figure watches and
smiles approvingly. Who is this man? Will we find out?
Issue One
Eighteen months later... The group of thirteen Triptych are introduced
in small cliques. In the wee hours of the morning, a Polygen facility
is vandalized and robbed by two half-bird half-... somethings. Dave
and Rita, the main characters (minus one). They escape back to their
home, a set of apartments in a small development in a suburb of Chicago.
While they're breaking out, Polygen's owner Stephen Faust (a direct
descendant of the first Faust) is informed. He is none too pleased.
At dawn, when the pair arrive home, their 'babysitter' Diva seems rather
unhappy herself. She's been watching over their newest arrival, Dane
Rhein, apparent "brother" of Dave. He's been awake all night,
watching MTV and smoking cigarettes. Dave and Rita tell him to get to
bed, and settle in for the night, Diva heads up to her own room, and
Dane ... Goes outside to the 7/11 to buy some more cigarettes.
Arriving home right about this time are Tracy and Wade, flying about
in their flappy-shapes. This handsome black couple sees Dane headed
into the 'sev, and follows him quickly - because trouble's on the way
in the form of a pair of armed hoods. Dane is blissfully looking at
frozen foods and car fresheners, as the first hood demands cash from
the clerk. However, before anyone else can react, and there's no one
else in the store, Dane slops out a pair of tentacles to disarm and
subdue the 'hood! Tracy and Wade enter with the other hood in their
care, and pay off the clerk to rewind the video of the incident. They
all head home.
Arriving home as Drake is leaving for work, this draconic and angry
young Triptych makes a short appearance waking up Dave and Rita to inform
Dave of an online window opportunity at Polygen. As he's leaving, Dane
and Angela are having breakfast - the night-dwelling Wade and Tracy
collapsing after their fun at an all-night rave. While eating, Dane
explains in a rush of excitement what he'd done that morning. Angela
at first disapproves, but then apologizes.
Having been awakened by Drake, Dave decides that he should go work on
this online project. With a secret insider helping him break into their
deleted and trash files, and on a tight time schedule, Dave downloads
a number of mysterious files with extentions like ".arc" and
".trm". When he sees something in a text file labeled "potential
offspring" his loud exclamation brings Dane and Angela into the
computer room. While Dave doesn't explain why he's angry to them both,
Dane does tell him of his adventure. It turns out that Dave was 'dreaming'
the same thing, they share a clear mental connection. Though Dave chastises
his 'brother' for leaving the house unattended, Angela makes sure that
the brothers are okay with how everything turned out. When she leaves,
Dave asks his clone brother what the extentions mean - and the reply
is not one which makes the gryphon man happy at all.
Frustrated but finished with his online work, Dave decides to go back
to Rita and try sleeping a little more. He tells Dane to do the same,
and while Rita and her lover share a moment together Dane angrily notes
to himself that when they make love he always winds up needing a cigarette.
Dave doesn't yet realize that the connection works both ways. Since
he's been told to sleep, Dane attempts to do so. While Rita and Dave
are in the shower, however, Dave recieves whatever it is that Dane sees
in his huge brain when he dreams. Startling Dave from the shower,
he discusses this while Rita dries off in the other room. She overhears
something - that one of them (she can't tell their voices apart without
looking at them) is in love with her, but she's never actually been
told that. Angry, she confronts them both when Dave comes into the bedroom.
But when she realizes that both of them love her equally - and they're
essentially the same man twice over - her 'horny' side kicks in. Dave
realizes that his 'little brother' has never actually gotten any booty.
And Rita's pretty much bootylicious.
While Dane and Rita do the naughty, Dave attempts to do some 'work'
which turns quickly into him reacting openly to whatever it is that
Rita's doing to his clone. Playing Doom is his excuse, when Ramon comes
in and asks what the commotion is about... Just playin' doom...
Downstairs, as the day-walkers awaken... Angela has been teaching the
three youngest members of their group, the "phoenix brothers"
Andrew, Alexander and Anthony, their school lessons. Since they can't
be entered into public school - they were liberated from a Polygen facility,
and yes, they are clones not brothers but even they don't know that
yet, their schooling all has to take place at home. Math is apparently
harder for some than others - and with his failing grade mocked by his
more intelligent brothers, Tony storms out. Angela offers to help tutor
him.
Upstairs, Caroline and Diva (well-slept since her late 'sitting' job)
are comparing newly sewn clothing. Caroline shows off a pretty little
sundress, and when Diva makes the comment that she should gain a little
weight - as she's extremely skinny - Caroline angrily shifts into her
gazelle shape. However, she almost immediately passes out from the stress
on her anemic system. Diva puts her into bed, and tries to find Drake.
The now-wakeful Wade bumps into her and tells her he's at work, so he
rushes downstairs to Angela. Since Angela's prime is a unicorn, and
she's been able to heal some of their injuries with her odd 'magic'
powers, Wade explains what happened, and Angela heads upstairs where
a terrified Diva watches over her friend...
Issue Two
continue to Character Listing