Dolphin Flash

Robert Quincy was an expert marine biologist. He specialized in marine mammals, and worked often with dolphins, porpoises, whales, seals, and otters.

One day, while he was out in the Pacific Ocean doing some research, North Korea's Kim Jong-Il set off a test nuclear explosion near Quincy's research site. The detonation rocked his boat as he was hanging off the deck trying to set up some equipment, and he fell in with a splash.

Quincy was not the kind of man to panic. However, the bits and pieces of neon green glowing particles floating around in the water were a bit worrisome. Must be some kind of nuclear residue, thought Quincy. Vaguely, he wondered if floating in such a radioactive body of water was good for his health, but before he could reflect any further, he saw a dolphin swimming nearby. It circled and circled for a while, then suddenly opened its mouth and swallowed one of the glowing green pieces of debris.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Quincy.

The dolphin suddenly began to shake uncontrollably in the water, splashing its tail up and down. It looked like it was in terrible pain. And then suddenly, with one final massive shudder, it glowed extremely bright green for two seconds and then disappeared from the water.

Quincy was shocked. How could this have happened? Knowing that he would probably be in some serious trouble if he stayed in the water any longer, he quickly clambered out and plopped himself down onto the deck, the physical exhuastion of having treaded water for so long just now hitting him.

Except he didn't land on the deck. He landed on the dolphin. The dolphin had somehow reappeared onto the boat. Quincy figured it had teleported instantaneously. He wished to God that he was back at his lab, where he could analyze this dolphin and figure out exactly what had happened to it after it had eaten that piece of nuclear waste. As suddenly as he thought of this idea, he felt a warm green glow on his skin. His vision disappeared, replaced by a bright white light. I'm dying, thought Quincy. As soon as it had started however, it was over. When he opened his eyes again, he was back at the lab, and so was the dolphin, on his examining table, ready to be studied.

Quincy wasn't one to ponder too excessively about things of supernatural import. When something like this happens to most people, they usually need to spend about a week getting used to the idea that they are superhuman. Quincy was much more mentally prepared for this event, having grown up on comic books. He realized right then and there that he had a super power that he could use to fight evil in the name of good. He named himself Dolphin Flash, protector of aqua marine mammals and their families. So long as there is even one otter who is being hunted for his hide, so long as there is even one dolphin with his nose stuck in those six-ring plastic soda thingies, so long as there is even one person who continues to think incorrectly that whales are fish and not mammals, I'LL BE THERE, he swore to himself. After making a costume, fit with cape and mask, he set to work on saving the dolphin on his lab table. And from then on, Robert Quincy the marine biologist expert was no more.

The oceans and seas of the world were about to come face to face with the era of Dolphin Flash.

[This story is dedicated to Chandan Misra, for his inspiring two words.]