The Greatest Gamble (comic story): Difference between revisions

{{Infobox Story SMW

|image         = The greatest gamble.jpg

|main character = [[Gaylord Lefevre]]

|enemy         = [[Celestial Toymaker]]

|setting       = [[Mississippi River|The Mississippi]], [[Old West]]<br>[[The Toyroom]]

|editor         = [[Dez Skinn]]

|writer         = John Peel

|artist         = [[Mike McMahon]]  

|colourist     =  

|letterer       =  

|publication   = [[DWM 56]]

|release date   = 13 August 1981

|publisher     = Marvel Comics

|format         = B&W 1 part / 4 pages

|prev           = 4-D War (comic story)

|next           = Black Sun Rising (comic story)

'''''The Greatest Gamble''''' was a [[DWM backup comic stories|backup comic strip]] published in [[DWM 56]] on [[13 August (releases)|13 August]] [[1981 (releases)|1981]]{{fact}} by [[Marvel Comics]] and written by [[John Peel]].

 

THe comic strip marked the first appearance of the [[Celestial Toymaker]] since his debut in the [[1966 (releases)|1966]] ''[[Doctor Who (TV series)|Doctor Who]]'' serial ''[[The Celestial Toymaker (TV story)|The Celestial Toymaker]]'' as well as the debut of [[Gaylord Lefevre]], who would later return in the [[1996 (releases)|1996]] [[BBC Past Doctor Adventures|BBC ''Past Doctor Adventures'']] novel ''[[Divided Loyalties (novel)|Divided Loyalties]]''.

 

However, Gaylord is not lead to a cabin, but, as the mysterious man confesses, to [[Celestial Toyroom|his Toyroom]]. They pass a group of frozen people, which the man merely claims are his toys, and enter into another room to sit down to play. Gaylord blindly enters the game of cards without caring what is at stake, although becomes uneasy as an audience appears around them, though his feelings are quickly overcome by the desire to best his opponent, to win. Before long, Gaylord's [[luck]] begins to turn bad despite still being ahead of the man, so after a few more [[hour]]s, they agree on a halt, and the Toymaker leaves the room.

 

Gaylord attempts to mark the cards to provide himself with an advantage, but unbeknownst to him, the Toymaker is fully aware of his actions and alters the cards to disrupt his illegitimate tactics. Some further hours later, the duo resumes the game, but Gaylord's arrogance is immediately depleted when he discovers his hand contains four [[joker (playing card)|jokers]]. He draws his [[revolver]] on the Toymaker and fires, enraged that he had been cheated yet the [[bullet]] merely falls to the table; the Toymaker controls this domain — [[gravity]] included — and proclaims that the game is [[forfeit]] and Gaylord must pay.

 

* [[Roman soldier (The Greatest Gamble)|Roman soldier]]

 

* [[Mississippi River|The Mississippi]] is the longest [[river]] in [[North America]]. In the [[Old West]], travelling its length takes a long time, so people find ways to pass the time, such as [[romance|romancing]], [[fishing]], [[talking]], and [[gambling]].

 

=== The Toymaker and the Toyroom ===

* Both Gaylord and the Roman soldier assume the Toymaker's toys are [[statue]]s.

* The Toymaker claims that he wasn't cheating, but following a new rule — that cheating was acceptable — that Gaylord had created.

* [[Time]] has "little meaning" in the Toyroom, and [[day]]s, [[week]]s, or [[year]]s may have passed between the Toymaker's games with Gaylord and the Roman soldier.

 

''to be added''

# [[DWM 56]] (4) End

* Gaylord Lefevre appears again in [[1996 (releases)|1996]] novel ''[[Divided Loyalties (novel)|Divided Loyalties]]''.

 

[[Category:The Toymaker comic stories]]