Dr. Goot, a mad scientist, shoots and apparently kills the homeless vagrant Ralph Snart. He hooks Ralph up to an electric shock machine, and the surge of current sends him into his fantasy dreamstate. A rat drinks from a toxin polluted stream. Crazed and radioactive, the dying rat grows huge and bites Ralph. This triggers a metamorphosis in Ralph that enlarges his muscles and leaves him with the powers of a giant rat, Rodent Ralph. Hopelessly trapped in a superhero parody, Ralph endures a sidekick (kid Rodent); a crossover hero from another comic; a superhero group (the Mega Team), and the Comic Crudulator, a monstrousity that devours comic characters. Back in reality, Dr. Goot thinking he used to much current and killed Ralph again, dumps him on the side of a road.

INTERESTING FACT

We are first introduced to Ralph's No. 1 nemesis Dr. Goot in this issue.