In the Palm of Your Hand...

In the Palm of Your Hand...
Series	Game Boy
Writers	George Caragonne Todd Haedrich
Artists	Art Nichols Gray Morrow Paul Creddick Ken Lopez The Gradations
Publisher	Valiant Comics
Label	Game Boy
Release dates	1990 Spring 1990 Summer 1990[?] Summer 1990[?] 1992
← Previous —	Next → It's a Small World After All

In the Palm of Your Hand... is the first issue of Valiant Comics' Game Boy comic series.

Plot synopsis

Part one

In his apartment in Piscataway, New Jersey, Herman Smirch plays Super Mario Land on his Game Boy and manages to reach the game's final level. Instead of battling Tatanga, though, Herman just allows him to blow up the Sky Pop, along with Mario. Herman then tells his pet hamster, Attila, what he did to Mario before looking at his watch; seeing the time on the watch, Herman realizes that it is time for him to go to work and bids farewell to Attila, telling it not to let any "creeps" in his apartment while he is gone.

While waiting for the bus, Herman is approached by a homeless man looking for money. Annoyed and disgusted by the man, Herman tells him to go away, saying that "beggars should all be shot!" The beggar, insulted, claims to be a war veteran with a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart, telling Herman that, though the beggar does not have a job or a place to live, it does not mean that he has to put up with Herman's attitude. Herman, not knowing what to do, tries to persuade the man to go away by offering him a quarter. The homeless man, angry at his attitude, tells Herman to keep his quarter and "stuff it!"

Arriving at the Wonder World Mall, Herman meets his boss, Mr. Levison, at Lev's 'Lectronics, Herman's workplace. Noticing Herman looks distressed, Mr. Levison asks him if anything is wrong, to which Herman goes on to tell an exaggerated story about the day's earlier events, saying he was nearly "mugged," and goes on to rant about how there is "no justice in the world." Mr. Levison, after listening to Herman's story and seemingly not believing it, goes to the bank, leaving Herman in charge of Lev's 'Lectronics; before leaving, though, Mr. Levison mentions that one of the store's Game Boys is missing and believes it may have been shoplifted.

Herman, now alone in the store, says to himself that he was the one to steal the Game Boy, considering the low wage he is paid, and, having had a rough morning, decides to steal another one as a little "bonus." While Herman rummages through Lev's 'Lectronics' stock, two teenagers named Josh Campbell and Rick, after bidding farewell to their mother, enter the Wonder World Mall. Josh suggests that they look for some copies of Super Mario Bros. 3 at Lev's 'Lectronics, though Rick is more interested in some girls heading to the food court. Entering the store, Rick and Josh ask Herman if he has the game, though they end up leaving the store when Herman, seemingly in a trance and staring at his Game Boy, does not answer them.

While heading to the food court of the Wonder World Mall, Josh suggests that he and Rick try Toy City next to see if they have any Super Mario Bros. 3 cartridges, though Rick says that they should head to the food court so he can meet the girls that he saw earlier. Suddenly, Josh hears a thump in Lev's 'Lectronics, though he is dragged away to the food court by Rick before he can check what caused the noise.

Inside Lev's 'Lectronics, Herman has been forced to the ground by various Super Mario Land enemies that had come out of the Game Boy, as Pionpi, Tatanga's second-in-command, introduces him. Tatanga, standing on the Pagosu along with Princess Daisy, goes on to tell Daisy that he plans on conquering this "new world" and to add it to his empire, explaining that he wants them to rule over "the greatest empire in the history of the universe." When Daisy inquires what Tatanga plans on doing with Herman, Tatanga says he has served his purpose of showing him the path to Earth and simply plans on killing him. Before Tatanga's troops can execute Herman, though, Daisy convinces Tatanga to let Herman live so he can be questioned, saying that killing him will make a mess on the floor. Seeing that Daisy has a point, Tatanga orders Pionpi to interrogate Herman.

A bewildered Herman proceeds to ask Pionpi how he got here. Pionpi responds that Tatanga had used his "psychic probes" to search for another suitable planet to conquer and Tatanga found this planet. All that was needed to gain entrance to the planet was a mind to act as a beacon, and Herman's mind was used. Asking why he was chosen, Pionpi responds that apathetic and weak-willed individuals like him are easily hypnotized by Tatanga, even across the dimensional void, and as such, Herman was perfect for him to use.

Tatanga and his troops beginning their attack on the Wonder World Mall

Herman, believing this to be a dream, says that Tatanga and his forces are merely "little bytes of data from a chip" and cannot be real. However, Pionpi, standing on the tentacle of a Gunion, finds Herman himself to be improbable before asking him where they are. Herman responds that they are in the Wonder World Mall, and Tatanga, satisfied with his answer, begins to deploy his armies, telling them to conquer the "Wonder World."

At the food court in the Wonder World Mall, Josh wonders why Rick forgets about everything he usually likes when he is surrounded by girls as he expresses delight in the girls around him. Suddenly, several Super Mario Land enemies fly by them and proceed to cause chaos in the mall. As people begin to flee, Josh recognizes the characters from Super Mario Land, with Rick in disbelief.

As Tatanga oversees the destruction of the Wonder World Mall, telling Daisy that "the giants" show little resistance in the mall's takeover, Daisy manages to convince him to get her some lunch as a distraction to make him stop his rampage, saying that Mario would take her to lunch if he were here. Though Tatanga tells Daisy that he is not interested in what Mario would, saying that he does whatever he wants to do, he momentarily stops his destruction. Tatanga asks Herman of the location of the finest "world" in which to eat, to which Herman replies that Mr. Levison took all of his employees to the Windows on the World restaurant in the World Trade Center once. Tatanga, pleased with this answer, orders him to lead him to the restaurant.

As Herman leads Tatanga's army into the "Parking Lot World," Josh, hiding behind a table along with Rick, tells him that he has a Game Boy and that he sees Tatanga and Daisy, though Rick tells him to get his head down, saying that they will spot him. Seeing that Tatanga and Daisy are able to come to Earth, Josh begins to believe that Mario can do the same and begins trying to "summon" him, as a disbelieving Rick watches. After Josh leads Mario through a mysterious "third door" in the Muda Kingdom, he comes out of the Game Boy, asking him where Daisy is as Josh exclaims that he knew that he would "come through."

Part two

Josh explains to Mario that Tatanga is loose on Earth, to which he realizes he must have opened up a dimensional Warp Zone to get here, to which Josh realizes that the extra door in the Muda Kingdom is also a Warp Zone to Earth. When Rick wonders why Mario is in color when the Game Boy has a black-and-white screen, Mario explains that he is getting reception all the way from Sarasaland. He then tells him to stop talking, saying that he needs to track down Tatanga. Josh wants to help Mario find Tatanga, saying that he and Rick know that they are going to the Windows on the World restaurant in the World Trade Center, though Rick explains that it is located in New York City, across the Hudson River, explaining that their mother told them that they are not allowed to go there alone, as she says it is dangerous. With help from Rick and Josh, Mario reaches New York City, where he tries to track down Tatanga.

In the World Trade Center station, Rick comments that he and Josh are in big trouble. When Mario wonders why they are in trouble, suggesting that it is because Tatanga reworked the station into World 1-3 of the Birabuto Kingdom, Josh responds that it is because they will be in big trouble with their mother when she finds out that they rode the train to New York City alone.

Meanwhile, a mysterious dark cloud hangs over the twin towers of the World Trade Center. In Windows on the World, Pionpi, using violent methods, begins demanding food for Tatanga's troops. Pionpi's methods work, as all of Tatanga's minions are given a large amount of food by several chefs.

Back in the World Trade Center station, Rick and Josh are surrounded by Tatanga's minions, with Mario telling them to stay back. As Rick comments that he feels as if he is in a live-action video game, Josh tells him to look out for a Gao's fireball, managing to defeat it by hitting it with his backpack. He then tells Rick that he needs to hit them from above, like in Super Mario Land, and suggests that he should play his Game Boy more instead of hanging out with girls, to which he compromises by saying that it should be instead of homework. As Mario comments that it will take forever to fight their way to Tatanga, Josh realizes that, if Tatanga's engineers rebuilt the station as World 1-3, it may have everything that the level has. He then tells Mario to hit the second block to the left of the Gao's perch, to which he responds that he understands him. Hitting the block, Mario finds a secret elevator, which begins carrying him upwards to Windows on the World. Mario says that he will take care of things from here on out, though Josh reminds him that they are now a "power team."

Upstairs, Daisy, while eating with Tatanga in the Pagosu, tries to convince Tatanga to renounce his ways. Tatanga agrees too, explaining that he wants to please her, but only if she marries him. Daisy refuses, much to Tatanga's disappointment, before he asks a server for a refill. Mario, Rick, and Josh enter the room where Tatanga and Daisy are and begin fighting their way through Tatanga's hordes. As Daisy is pleased that Mario will save her, Tatanga tells her to sit down before ordering Pionpi to kill Mario.

As Josh tries to convince Rick, who is concerned about the danger of the situation, to let him help Mario save Daisy, Mario himself, after narrowly escaping the clutches of Tatanga's troops, is knocked to the ground by Herman, who had swatted Mario with a food tray. Before Mario can fall into the hands of Tatanga's troops, though, he is saved by Rick, with Josh, having crawled along the windows of the restaurant, arriving shortly after. Mario urges them to leave while he keeps Tatanga's minions, but they refuse to do so. Suddenly, Josh points out some nearby ? Blocks constructed by Tatanga's engineers, saying there are probably some items in them that could help Mario. When Rick asks why they construct things that can help Mario, Mario replies that they do not, saying that they build things for their own comfort and convenience. However, they can be used against if one knows how.

Mario runs over to hit a ? Block, while Rick and Josh distract Tatanga's minions, and grabs a Starman, making him invincible. With the Starman, he starts defeating all of the troops attacking the two teenagers, planning to defeat Tatanga next. As Herman flees the scene, Tatanga, infuriated, orders his guards to activate his war robot, the Pagosu, only to be convinced by Daisy, who does not want either Tatanga or Mario to be killed (as on Earth, one lives only once), to return to Sarasaland, telling his minions to activate the Warp Zone vortex.

After Mario becomes infuriated by Tatanga's escape, he realizes that he needs to re-enter the Game Boy; otherwise, he will be trapped on Earth. After Rick hands Josh his Game Boy, Mario, after telling them to call him if Tatanga escapes the Game Boy again, returns to the video game world, just as the police arrive. One of the police officers finds all of the patrons locked in the restrooms, while another spots Rick and Josh. As Josh wonders where Herman went, Rick mentions that he saw him escape during the fight. As Josh wonders if anyone will believe what happened to them, Rick comments that he hopes that they would, though adds that they at least know what to do if this happens again. As Josh wonders what they will do if Tatanga appears some place far away, Rick suggests that they can tell all of their friends, asking them to spread the word.

Characters

• Mario
• Tatanga
• Princess Daisy
• Herman Smirch
• Pionpi
• Rick
• Josh Campbell
• Mekabons
• Gunions
• Tokotokos
• Bombshell Koopas
• Goombos
• Chikako
• King Totomesu
• Tamao
• Yurarin
• Bunbun
• Nyololins
• Gao
• Suu
• Biokinton
• Chickens
• Batadons
• Dragonzamasu
• Hiyoihoi
• Pedestrians
• Wonder World Mall patrons
• Wonder World Mall food court employees
• Windows on the World patrons
• Servers
• Police officers

Notable mistakes and errors

• In the first scene where Rick and Josh appear, the former incorectly refers to the latter as Rick when telling him to follow him into the Wonder World Mall.
• When Pionpi introduces Tatanga to Herman, pharaoh is misspelled as "pharoah."
• In the Norwegian translation, on the first page of the second half of the comic, Super Mario Land is incorrectly formatted as "SUper Mario Land," while Sarasaland is misspelled as "Sarasakand."

Version differences

• In the Finnish translation:
  • In the original version, when Josh tells Rick that there is only one person who can stop Tatanga and his army from taking over the Wonder World Mall, Rick suggests that it is either Hulk Hogan or Chuck Norris before Josh corrects him by saying that it is Mario. In the translation, Rick instead suggests that it is either Bruce Willis or James Bond before Josh corrects him.
    • Additionally, in the translation, when Josh asks Mario if he can hear him, Rick tells him to grow up, though suggests that he may be wishing for Santa Claus to appear. In the original version, he instead mentions Tinkerbell.
  • The original version features Pionpi mentioning the Easton Kingdom by saying, "What on Easton?" (a pun on the phrase "What on Earth?") when Rick catches Mario, which is absent in the Finnish translation.
• In the Norwegian translation, instead of saying that Tatanga must have opened a dimensional Warp Zone, Mario instead says that he must have opened a dimensional barrier.
• In the Swedish translation, Josh does not specify the extra door's location as being in the Muda Kingdom, instead merely saying that it was in the Game Boy.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Finnish	Tiukasti käsissäsi...	Firmly in your hands...
French	Entre vos mains	In your hands
Swedish	En hel värld i din hand	A whole world in your hand

Notes

• When introducing Tatanga to Herman, Pionpi refers to him as "Tatanga, the Mysterious Spaceman," which is derived from "Tatanga the Mysterious Spaceman," the name given to Tatanga in the official instruction booklet for Super Mario Land.^:17 "The Mysterious Spaceman Tatanga," also derived from this name, is also used to refer to Tatanga at the beginning of every issue of the Game Boy comics except the second.
• This comic, along with It's a Small World After All, were reprinted in The Best of the Nintendo Comics System and Super Mario: Tatanga Invades Earth.