Sherlock Holmes: The Coils of Time

Sherlock Holmes, the Time Traveler, and a Scotland Yard inspector travel to the future to prevent the birth of the Morlocks. Charles Marlow (from Joseph Conrad’s “Youth,” Heart of Darkness, Lord Jim, and Chance), Martin Hewitt (Arthur Morrison’s sleuth) and Sebastian Zambra (a detective created by Headon Hill) are mentioned. The Time Traveler’s real name is given as Moesen Maddoc rather than Bruce Clarke Wildman, so I consider this an AU.

Crossover of the Week

1910

WOLF AT THE DOOR OF TIME

Doctor Omega, traveling aboard the Cosmos, discovers a derelict time machine and its owner, Doctor Moses Nebogipfel. Omega believes Nebogipfel’s machine is from the Arcadian Hegemony of the 42nd century. Nebogipfel was transporting a masonychid, a proto-wolf, in his conveyance, but the wolf escaped and is now bouncing through time. Annoyed with Nebogipel, Omega thinks he has been lucky in his choice of companions, including Fred, Borel, and Tizairou. In 1643, the masonychid attacks a man named Sir Hugo near the village of Grimpen on Dartmoor. In 1767, Omega convinces Joseph Balsamo to make a special cylinder Jean Chastel can use to destroy the masonychid, now known as the Beast of Gévaudan. In rural France in the 18th century, the wolf convinces a sabot-maker named Thibault it is Satan. Omega tells Nebogipfel masonychids are the ancestors of all land-based whales and dolphins, and his actions have altered the time stream so a race of sky-whales in the far future will never exist, and rather than the deity Zoomashmarta, the remaining humans will worship a wolf that devours human flesh. Thibault asks the masonychid to bring him all the women he has ever desired, including Agnelette, Madame Magloire, and the Comtesse de Mont-Gobert. The Cosmos is almost hit by an ionized meteorite, which will exit the void of time in 1795, and which Omega believes might cause beneficial mutations. Omega travels to the battlefield of Mons in 1916, where he encounters Captain Yeskes of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers, who is wounded by the masonychid. A Nurse Miller treats his wounds, and contemplates writing a book about the story Yeskes tells her of the attack. Omega reveals Nebogipfel is a brainwashed member of the same race to which Omega himself belongs. Omega does not believe Nebogipfel should continue his exile in the 19th or 20th centuries; otherwise, he would drop him off in “that rather lovely Italianate village in North Wales near Penrhyndeudrath.” The Arcadian Hegemony was founded by a starship commander known as Captain Strange, who is at war with the Federation. Omega finally decides to place Nebogipfel in Randgrith Abbey near the Village of Wulnoth in the mid 11th century. In the 20th century, the Nyctalope battles the masonychid, now known as the King Wolf, and his legions at the request of Comrade Frunzoff. After he kills it and Omega takes a sample of its blood, the Nyctalope encounters Captain Gogol of Army Intelligence, who is accompanied by Oktobriana and Avakoum Zahov.

Short story by Martin Gately in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 9: La Vie en Noir, Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier, eds., Black Coat Press, 2012; reprinted in French in Les Compagnons de l’Ombre (Tome 14), Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier, eds., Rivière Blanche, 2014. Doctor Omega is from the novel of the same name by Arnould Galopin, as are the Cosmos, Fred, Borel, and Tizairou. The Lofficiers’ translation and adaptation of Galopin’s novel implied Doctor Omega was the CU universe counterpart of the Doctor of Doctor Who fame, a member of the extraterrestrial Time Lords of Gallifrey. Moses Nebogipfel is from H. G. Wells’ story “The Chronic Argonauts,” a precursor to his novel The Time Machine, and is here meant to be a counterpart of the Doctor’s foe the Meddling Monk. Wulnoth, a village headman in the year 1066, appeared in the Doctor Who serial that introduced the Monk, “The Time Meddler.” Arcadia, Captain Strange, and the Federation are from Sarah Brightman and Hot Gossip’s song “I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper.” It is worth noting the song mentions both Flash Gordon and Darth Vader as real people. Sir Hugo Baskerville and the village of Grimpen are from The Hound of the Baskervilles, arguably Sherlock Holmes’ most famous exploit. Joseph Balsamo, Count Cagliostro, is a historical figure who also appears in novels by Alexandre Dumas; Philip José Farmer also identified him as the ancestor of a branch of the Wold Newton Family in Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life. Thibault, Agnelette, Madame Magloire, and the Comtesse de Mont-Gobert are from Dumas’ story “The Wolf-Leader.” The Beast of Gévaudan was a real creature whose exact nature is much debated; Jean Chastel is usually credited as having killed the monster. The sky-dolphins and Zoomashmarta are from Philip José Farmer’s science fiction sequel to Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, The Wind Whales of Ishmael. According to Farmer’s novel A Feast Unknown, the family of the jungle lord Lord Grandrith originally called themselves Randgrith. The Grandrith/Caliban novels take place in an alternate universe to the CU, but perhaps a version of the Randgrith family existed in the CU, one of whose members founded the abbey. However, John Cloamby, Lord Grandrith, himself never existed in the CU. The meteorite will arrive in the village of Wold Newton in 1795, where it will indeed, as Omega theorized, cause beneficial mutations in the offspring and descendants of those exposed to its ionization, as revealed by Farmer in Tarzan Alive and Doc Savage: His Apocalyptic Life. The Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers were a real regiment whose CU equivalent counted Dr. John H. Watson among its numbers. Nurse Miller will later write novels under her married name of Agatha Christie; one of her stories, “The Hound of Death,” was likely inspired by the tale Yeskes told her. The village in North Wales is the Village from the cult-classic television series The Prisoner; the village of Portmeirion, located in Penrhyndeudraeth, was used as the filming location for the Village. The Nyctalope (aka Leo Saint-Clair) is the night-sighted hero of a series of novels by Jean de La Hire. Comrade Frunzoff is Frunzoff Nosh from the Doc Savage novel The Red Spider. Captain Gogol is the future General Anatol Alexis Gogol from the James Bond films The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill. Many of the Bond films are incompatible with the Fleming novels, and thus with the CU; however, despite using the titles of Fleming novels or stories, the five films in which Gogol appears are radically different from the works they are based on, and can be considered separate or sequel incidents for CU purposes. Oktobriana (or Octobriana) was created by Czech artist Petr Sadecký, and, not being under copyright, has appeared in a number of works by different artists and writers. Avakoum Zahov is a Bulgarian secret agent featured in Andrei Gulyashki’s novels The Zahov Mission and Avakoum Zahov versus 07. The year is conjecture based on Doctor Omega’s perspective, which is after the events of Galopin’s novel.

Crossover Cover: The Rook

Myfanwy Thomas is a member of the Checquy, a British agency dedicated to protecting the world from supernatural threats. She writes letters to her future self after hearing a prophecy she will lose her memories soon. Mentioned in the letters are: Brigadoon; Groke; Scabmettler; Marshwiggle; Hattifattener; Panwere; Flukeman; Morlock; Aufwader; Balrog; cat in shoes; creepy blond kids wandering around in Winshire; talking mice that infested Lewisham; a two-door wardrobe in the spare room of a country house; and a couturier in Gloucestershire who had been imprisoned for using rodents as indentured servants. Brigadoon is from Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s titular musical. The Groke and the Hattifatteners are from Tove Jansson’s Moomin books. The Scabmettlers are from China Miéville’s novels about the fantasy world of Bas-Lag. Marshwiggles and the two-door wardrobe are from C. S. Lewis’ Narnia books. The Panweres mentioned here must be CU versions of the race seen in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter books, which take place in an alternate reality where the world is aware vampires and other supernatural beings really do exist. The Flukeman is from “The Host,” an episode of The X-Files. Morlocks are from H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine; since they are mentioned as having visited Bath before the events of this book, a group of Morlocks must have traveled or been transported back in time from their native era. Aufwaders are from Robin Jarvis’ Whitby Witches books, while the talking mice in Lewisham are a reference to Jarvis’ Deptford Mice series. Balrogs are from J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy saga The Lord of the Rings. Cat in shoes is a reference to the fairy tale Puss in Boots. The creepy blond kids wandering around Winshire are from John Wyndham’s book The Midwich Cuckoos. The couturier in Gloucestershire who used rodents as indentured servants is a reference to Beatrix Potter’s children’s book The Tailor of Gloucester.

Crossover Covers: Area 52

Area 52 is a secret government storage facility in Antarctica where super-weapons, occult items, and other weird stuff are stored. Items held within Area 52 include wreckage from Roswell, the Ark of the Covenant, the Super-Soldier formula, Mjolnir, Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth, the Time Machine, and an alien power ring that shoots green energy. The Ark of the Covenant is from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, of course. Apparently the Ark was moved to Area 52 from the government warehouse where it was stored in 1936. The Super-Soldier formula turned the frail Steve Rogers into Captain America. Mjolnir is the hammer wielded by the heroic god Thor; it must have passed into Area 52’s hands millennia after Conan gave it to Crom, following the events of “What If Thor of Asgard Had Met Conan the Barbarian?” Wonder Woman’s lasso is self-explanatory. The Time Machine is from H. G. Wells’ novel of the same name. The alien power ring is the one wielded by the superhero Green Lantern. Several of Simon R. Green's novels mention an Area 52 in the Antarctic, further bolstering this series' connection to the CU.

Crossover of the Week

1857

THE NEXT OMEGA

 An old man seeking a younger fellow who claims to be Doctor Omega remarks, “A Morlock would feel right at home in this neighborhood.” The older man, who is also known as Doctor Omega, carries a robot head in a hatbox that he acquired in the future, in the city of Metropolis. His companion Fred is mentioned. The two Doctors’ carriage is driven by Eugene Papillon. The duo discovers a card bearing the name Maupertuis. The older Omega refers to Lecoq and “that Marple woman.” The Omegas find themselves pursued by robed men that appear to be followers of the Ubasti. The elder Omega tells the younger how a wave of radioactive turbulence separated him and his traveling companions, and asks if he has been to Quinnis in the fourth universe. The apparent Ubasti cultists work for Baron Oscar Maupertuis. Omega refers to a suppressed account by Watson. They are attacked by the robed men, who turn out to actually be Red Lectroids. The younger Omega shows his elder namesake a crystal, which the latter identifies as from Metebelis-Three. The young Omega regains his memory of traveling to the Moon, where he met one of the Lunian Immortals, and realizes that he is really balloonist Antoine Gerpré. Omega recognizes Maupertuis as Ozer, one of many immortals claiming to be the Wandering Jew. Omega departs with Helvetius, his fellow traveler in space and time.

Short story by Travis Hiltz in Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 10: Esprit de Corps, Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier, eds., Black Coat Press, 2013; reprinted in French in Les Compagnons de l’Ombre (Tome 16), Jean-Marc and Randy Lofficier, eds., Rivière Blanche, 2015. Doctor Omega is from Arnould Galopin’s novel of the same name, as are Fred and Helvetius. The Lofficiers’ translation and adaptation of Galopin’s book implied that the Doctor was the Crossover Universe counterpart of the time and-space-traveling Doctor from the television series Doctor Who. Quinnis in the fourth universe is mentioned in the Doctor Who serial “The Edge of Destruction,” while Metebelis-Three is from the serials “The Green Death” and “Planet of the Spiders.” The Morlocks are from H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. The robot and the city of Metropolis are from Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis. Doctor Omega visited Metropolis in Hiltz’s story “The Robots of Metropolis” (Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 7: Femmes Fatales, 2011.) Lecoq is Emile Gaboriau’s sleuth. Eugene Papillon is from Gaboriau’s novel Monsieur Lecoq. Baron Maupertuis is mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes story “The Adventure of the Reigate Squire”; here, he is conflated with Ozer from Paul Féval’s novel The Wandering Jew’s Daughter. “That Marple woman” is Agatha Christie’s detective Miss Jane Marple. The Cult of Ubasti is from the serial The Return of Chandu, and has also appeared in Hiltz’s stories “The Treasure of the Ubasti” (Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 6: Grand Guignol, 2009) and “In the Caves of the Serpent” (Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 8: Agents Provocateurs, 2011.) The serial was based on the radio series Chandu the Magician, which spawned a spin-off, Omar the Mystic. After being separated from Omega, Fred found himself in the year 1776, where he also encountered Red Lectroids, as seen in Hiltz’s tale “What Lurks in Romney Marsh?” (Tales of the Shadowmen Volume 9: La Vie En Noir, 2012.) The Lunian Immortals and Antoine Gerpré are from Alfred Driou’s book The Adventures of a Parisian Aeronaut in the Unknown Worlds, which has been translated by Brian Stableford for Black Coat Press.

Crossover Cover: Property of a Lady Faire

Eddie Drood seeks out the Lady Faire, an omnisexual being created by Baron Frankenstein later in his life. This Baron is a member of the family seen in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein and its many continuations. Also appearing or mentioned are: Harry Fabulous, the Nightside, the Painted Ghoul, the London Knights, Kayleigh's Eye, Strangefellows, Dead Boy, Sinister Albion, John Taylor, the Griffin, Hadleigh Oblivion, Rossignol, Ms. Fate, and Larry Oblivion (all from the Nightside series); Dagon, Cthulhu, and the Plateau of Leng (all from H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos); MI13 (the CU version of the branch of British intelligence seen in the Marvel Universe); the Doormouse’s shop (from the Nightside books, though the group of hippies-turned-mice the Doormouse belongs to first appeared in Green's novel Drinking Midnight Wine); Shadows Fall (from Green's novel of the same name); Carcosa (from Ambrose Bierce's short Story "An Inhabitant of Carcosa"); Lud’s Gate (from Green's Ghost Finders novel Spirits from Beyond); old Carnacki (from William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki the Ghost Finder); stuffed baby Morlock (from H.G. Wells' The Time Machine); the Deep School (from Manly Wade Wellman's John Thunstone stories); Jimmy Thunder, God for Hire (from Drinking Midnight Wine); the Bride of Frankenstein (from the titular Universal horror film); and “something from the Black Lagoon" (a reference to another Universal horror film, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and its sequels.)

Crossover Cover: Professor Challenger: New Worlds, Lost Places

This anthology of new stories featuring Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger includes several crossovers. In Lawrence C. Connolly's "King of the Moon," Bedford, Challenger, Ann Cavor and a pair of father-and-son inventors rescue Ann’s uncle from the Selenites. Bedford, Dr. Cavor, and the Selenites are from H.G. Wells’ The First Men in the Moon, which is described as having taken place ten years ago. Bedford implies here that he is the one who put Challenger in contact with Arthur Conan Doyle. Challenger must have introduced Doyle in turn to Edward Malone. Doyle became Malone’s literary agent and editor, publishing the reporter’s accounts of his adventures with Challenger under his own byline. In Josh Reynolds' "Time's Black Gulf," Professor Summerlee, Lord John Roxton, Malone, and Thomas Carnacki battle Indrid Cold and other members of his race, who are part of a conspiracy to infiltrate the human race at every stage of its evolution along with an alien race that has swapped Challenger’s consciousness with that of one of their own people. Challenger has copies of Cultes des Goules and Unaussprechlichen Kulten. Carnacki refers to the Sigsand Manuscripts, the Book of Eibon, the Pnakotic texts, the Florentine monk Corsi, and Khephnes. The Tind’Losi, the Hounds of the Angles, appear. Dr. John Silence and Jessie Challenger ultimately save the day. Thomas Carnacki and the Sigsand Manuscripts are from William Hope Hodgson’s Carnacki the Ghost-Finder. Indrid Cold is a supposedly real person connected to the Mothman sightings of 1966-1967. Here, he is also a member of the race of creatures seen in H.P. Lovecraft’s "The Festival." This version of Cold also appears in Reynolds’ stories "The Pnakotic Puzzle" and "The Yoth Protocols." "The Pnakotic Puzzle” indicates that this story happened “some years before the war.” The consciousness-swapping alien race is the Great Race of Yith from Lovecraft’s "The Shadow Out of Time."Bartolomeo Corsi and Khephnes are also from "The Shadow Out of Time." The Cultes des Goules is a Cthulhu Mythos tome created by Robert Bloch. Unaussprechlichen Kulten is a Mythos tome created by Robert E. Howard. The Book of Eibon is from Clark Ashton Smith’s contributions to the Mythos. The Pnakotic texts are a reference to Lovecraft’s Pnakotic Manuscripts. The Tind’Losi are from Frank Belknap Long’s story "The Hounds of Tindalos." Dr. John Silence is an occult detective featured in stories by Algernon Blackwood. In John Takis' "The Crystal Minders," Challenger suggests that a scientist has "invented a machine capable of traveling through time, like that loon in Surrey, have you?" “That loon in Surrey” is the Time Traveler from H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine. This story is primarily narrated by Professor Summerlee, though a framing sequence narrated by Edward Malone involves Summerlee coming to the reporter to tell him of the adventure. Malone refers to the events of “The Disintegration Machine” in passing as a past event. This creates a chronological conflict, as Rick Lai’s essay “The Anomaly of Professor Challenger’s Daughter” (Rick Lai’s Secret Histories: Daring Adventurers, Altus Press, 2008) places both “The Disintegration Machine” and The Land of Mists in 1926. According to The Land of Mists, Summerlee died “last year,” i.e., in 1925. Therefore, the reference to “The Disintegration Machine” must be obfuscation on Malone’s part, similar to Dr. Watson providing false dates in his accounts of Sherlock Holmes’ cases. In Andrew J. Wilson's "Out of the Depths," set in 1937, Challenger and Malone encounter Nazis in Maple White Land. Hobbs Lane is from the British television science fiction serial Quatermass and the Pit, although there it is located in Knightsbridge, rather than Kensington. Doctor Moreau is from H.G. Wells’ novel The Island of Doctor Moreau. The Lidenbrock Sea is from Jules Verne’s novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Medusa Von Juntz is related to Friedrich Von Juntz from Robert E. Howard’s “The Black Stone.” Doctor Moreau is revealed to have been Jack the Ripper, placing this story outside CU continuity. In Guy Adams and James Goss' "Professor Challenger and the Crimson Wonder," Challenger and his wife have a run-in with aliens who are planning to overrun the world with a remarkable plant. Mycroft Holmes is Sherlock Holmes’ brother. Lidenbrock is Otto Lidenbrock from Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Cavor is from Wells’ The First Men in the Moon, as previously stated. Abner Perry is from Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Pellucidar novels. William Dyer is from H.P. Lovecraft’s “At the Mountains of Madness.” Herbert is meant to be the Time Traveler from Wells’ novel. Herakleophorbia IV, Bensington, and Miss Cossar’s brother are from Wells’ novel The Food of the Gods. Ryland and the Great Four are from Agatha Christie’s novel The Big Four. The meteorite that landed in Woking in 1898 is from Wells’ novel The War of the Worlds. This story is too overtly satirical to fit easily into CU continuity. Also, Poirot moved to England in 1916, so the portrayal of him as an agent of Mycroft Holmes in 1914 is chronologically incorrect.