PAUL BURK

Real Name: Paul Burk

Identity/Class: Human (1950s era)

Occupation: Hobo (i.e. unemployed)

Group Membership: None

Affiliations: None

Enemies: Genie of Barku (see comments)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Genie of Barku's bottle;
   formerly his estate;
   formerly mobile in an unidentified American city

First Appearance: Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2 (January, 1953)

Powers/Abilities: Possessing no paranormal abilities, the elderly Burk was an impoverished derelict (...and likely an alcoholic).

After finding a bottle containing a Genie, Burk released the magical entity and was granted three wishes--he utilized the wishes to attain great wealth, a large estate, and youthful good looks.

But the greedy and mean-spirited Burk had treated the Genie harshly--he later received his comeuppance when he was imprisoned inside the bottle with the Genie.

Height: 5' 10" (by approximation)
Weight: 160 lbs. (by approximation)
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond; (originally) white

History:
(Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2) - The past of Paul Burk is largely unrevealed, but one night he was on a deserted sidewalk, rummaging through a trash can--Burk was searching for something he could sell to get enough money to buy a drink, but he only found a bottle. Hoping there was still some whiskey left in the bottle, Burk held it up and was shocked to see it contained a Genie! Remembering that Genies would grant three wishes when they were set free, Burk uncorked the bottle, and out came a billowing green cloud that formed into the giant Genie of Barku.

   The Genie was angry about being set free, for he was content to stay in his bottle, and he refused to grant Burk any wishes; but because Burk was the one who had freed him, the Genie could not return to his bottle without Burk's permission (a stipulation which Burk would exploit to his advantage). The Genie threatened to strike Burk dead, but Burk pointed out to the magical giant that he wouldn't have any chance of returning to his bottle without him. Burk made a bargain with the Genie--if the Genie granted his wishes, Burk promised he would send him back to his home forever. Realizing he had no other choice, the Genie relented and began to grant Burk's three wishes--first, the Genie gave Burk a fortune in gold and precious jewels; second, an estate that would make millionaires envious; and finally, the Genie made Burk young and handsome.

   When the Genie's work was done, the wealthy and good-looking Burk sat in his palatial estate, surrounded by beautiful women; the Genie insisted that Burk keep his word and let him return to his bottle. But the petty Burk felt that the Genie had treated him rudely, so he ordered the magical giant to crawl on the ground and lick the dirt from his shoes--the Genie realized he had no alternative but to obey, so he groveled and complied with Burk's humiliating demand. After forcing the Genie to suffer the indignity, Burk finally gave him permission to go back to his bottle forever; but as the Genie transformed into billowing clouds of brimstone smoke and descended back into his bottle, he dragged Burk along with him.

   The next thing Burk knew, he found himself reduced in size and trapped within the bottle, alongside the Genie. The Genie proclaimed that the only way Burk would be able to get out was to ask the Genie for his permission...then he asked Burk what he thought his answer was going to be--Burk could only let out a horrified scream in response...

   Paul Burk's final fate is unrevealed.






Comments: Created by an unidentified writer and Larry Woromay (artist).

In regards to the Genie of Barku: It was unrevealed whether "Barku" was the name of a person or a place. And that Genie somewhat resembled the Jinni Devil--perhaps there was some connection.

   There is a village named Barku in Iran.
--Markus Raymond

This 5-page story--Forever Is a Long Time!-- would be reprinted in Beware#4 (September, 1973).

Nearly a decade after this story was originally published, it was reworked into the story of Mike Morgan in Journey into Mystery I#76 (January, 1962).

Profile by Ron Fredricks.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Paul Burk has no known connections to:

The Genie of Barku has no known connections to:

Genie of Barku

When confined within his bottle, the Genie of Barku (see comments) was a small green supernatural being; when released, he appeared in a billowing cloud of sulfurous green smoke and became a towering giant--he could only return to the bottle with the permission of the one who had freed him.

Having vast magical abilities, the Genie could grant three wishes to the individual who released him, and the only limitation of his power seemed to be the imagination of that individual.

The Genie preferred the peaceful solitude of his bottle to the outside world, and he was content to stay inside forever.

The Genie's past is unrevealed, but under unspecified circumstances, his bottle ended up in a trash can along the sidewalk of an American city, where it was discovered by hobo Paul Burk. Burk uncorked the bottle and released the Genie, but he refused to give the Genie his permission to return to his bottle until the Genie granted him three wishes. Burk promised to let the Genie go back after his wishes were granted, so the Genie complied and gave Burk great wealth, a huge estate, and youthful good looks.

After fulfilling Burk's wishes, the Genie insisted that Burk keep his end of their deal, but Burk felt the giant jinn had treated him rudely, and he only gave the Genie his permission after he forced the magical giant to lick his shoes clean.

But after suffering that indignity, the Genie turned the tables and got the last laugh--as he transformed back into smoke and descended back into his bottle, he dragged Paul Burk along with him; Burk was trapped inside the bottle with the Genie, and he would stay imprisoned there until he got the Genie's permission to leave.

--Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2

images: (without ads)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2, p2, pan2 (Main Image - Paul Burk uncorks Genie's bottle)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2, p3, pan3 (Headshot - Paul Burk contemplates his three wishes)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2, p4, pan5 (handsome Paul Burk orders Genie to clean his shoes)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2, p5, pan4 (handsome Paul Burk, trapped in bottle with Genie)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2, p1, pan3 (Paul Burk discovers Genie in bottle)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2, p2, pan4 (Genie materializes before Paul Burk)
Adventures into Weird Worlds#14/2, p4, pan4 (in Burk's estate, Genie tells handsome Paul Burk (surrounded by beautiful women) to return him to his bottle)

Appearances:
Adventures into Weird Worlds (January, 1953) - unidentified writer, Larry Woromay (pencils and inks), Stan Lee (editor)

First Posted: 02/21/2019
Last Updated: 02/21/2019

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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