John "Johnny" Bell is a character created by American author Jeffrey Thomas as a recurrent protagonist in his Punktown series of dystopian science fiction stories. He made his first appearance in the 1995 short story "The Bones of the Old Ones".
Description[]
Bell is described as "a man of thirty-one, with sandy short hair neatly cut and brushed back from his forehead. His eyes were blue and far-spaced, his lips too full for his taste though his ex-wife had called them sensuous"; "[t]here was to his face, oddly, both a boyish quality and a prematurely wasted, haggard aspect."
When first introduced, he is working as a Detective Inspector for a local police force; later appearances show him to have an affinity for jobs involving the protection of others.
History[]
In the extra-terrestrial colony of Paxton, Oasis, Bell was involved in the investigation of mass murders and cult activities which eventually led to his involvement in the thwarting of a scheme to return the Old Ones to this plane of existence (EXP: "The Bones of the Old Ones").
Having been exiled from Oasis for highly illegal activities involving the elimination of more cults, Bell made his way to Earth where he was again instrumental in foiling an attempt by the mutated survivors of the earlier incursion to bring about the return of the Old Ones (EXP: "The Avatars of the Old Ones").
Now a Special Investigator with Colonial Security, Bell is sent to the planet of R'lyeh where experiments in dimensional travel have sparked another incursion event, this time orchestrated by the Old Ones themselves, rather than their minions. Once again he plays a key role in putting an end to the threat (EXP: "The Young of the Old Ones").
Appearances[]
- "The Bones of the Old Ones" (1995)
- "The Avatars of the Old Ones" (1999)
- "The Young of the Old Ones" (2005)