The story seemingly wastes no time on set-up but opens on our protagonist Amberson, running desperately through the jungle while being hunted for sport - but then the magazine's host Cousin Eerie steps in and the story steps back to explain itself. Amberson washes ashores on a Caribbean island after his ship is sunk. A man named Rochefort welcomes him to the island and plays host in his manor. But Rochefort wastes little time in bringing Amberson to his trophy room to show off his collection of human heads!
Amberson passes out. Two days later he awakens to find Rochefort standing over him with a gun drawn. Rochefort explains himself: "Perhaps you're familiar with a short story by Richard Connell, 'The Most Dangerous Game'?" Ah, just like the Dreamer story, this one isn't afraid to admit it's a reworking! Rochefort was a big game hunter loved Connell's story so much that when he tired of big game hunting he started hunting men. But even that wasn't enough, so he used biochemistry to transform himself into a weird 'beast', granting himself something of an ability to hunt men like an animal. Amberson is desperate to get back to the mainland but Rochefort intends to make him his next sport, imploring him to prove himself "worthy of the hunt".
After a grace period, Rochefort adopts his 'beast' form and tracks Amberson. It doesn't take long before he finds his quarry and he admits to being disappointed in Amberson for leaving such an obvious trail. But Amberson has a surprise for the hunter: you see, it's a full moon tonight. Amberson was trying to get to the mainland so that friends there could chain him up. But now nothing can stop his transformation into a werewolf! Rochefort might be a 'beast' but Amberson is the superior animal as he leaps upon his prey! Cousin Eerie returns to joke that unless Rochefort has "a set of silver teeth" that he just lost the hunt.
My thoughts: This was a pretty good story! The Most Dangerous Game, Goodwin, Ditko - three things I like! And boy, Ditko's Warren stories were so beautiful with those lush black & white tones. The twist to the story is pretty basic by Eerie standards but it's an interesting twist on The Most Dangerous Game to have both men essentially become animals rather than fight like men.
The Hunter:
- A
RussianEuropean? nobleman (2/4 points) - Who is a big game hunter (4/4 points)
- But is no longer challenged by big game (4/4 points)
- So he hunts men on his secluded island (4/4 points)
Justifying this through a eugenics/Darwinian philosophy(0/4 points)He is aided by his servants, including a disfigured mute(0/4 points)And his vicious hunting dogs(0/4 points)- He obtains his prey by scuttling nearby ships (4/4 points)
His victims are given a time limit of 3 days; if they are alive at the deadline, they win the hunt(0/4 points)As a further example of his sense of "sportsmanship", he will deliberately prolong the hunt if he finds it interesting(0/4 points)- His victims are placed on display in his trophy room (4/4 points)
The Hunted:
A famous big game hunter(0/4 points)Who philosophizes about what (if anything) animals sense while being hunted(0/4 points)- He is cast overboard and finds himself on the hunter's island, alone (4/4 points)
The hunter knows him because of his reputation(0/4 points)When he learns the hunter's scheme he refuses to hunt alongside him(0/4 points)- Hunted by the hunter, he flees into the wilderness trying to avoid detection (4/4 points)
His only tool is a knife which the hunter gave him(0/4 points)In time he constructs traps to kill the hunter or his servants(0/4 points)He survives the ordeal by leaping over a cliff(0/4 points)Although the hunt is over, he confronts the hunter and duels him to the death(0/4 points)
The Island:
- Is a tropical island in the Caribbean (4/4 points)
- Surrounded by dangerous reefs which wreck ships (4/4 points)
The island has a dangerous swamp(0/4 points)And high cliffs(0/4 points)
Once again I'm awarding an arbitrary +1 to the story's score for directly referencing Richard Connell's story.
Total score: 39/100!
This black & white game is most cunning; let's hunt up another tomorrow!
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