Bob Franklin was a musical child prodigy who toured the country. He also shared the same birthday as Mozart, January 27th. Because of this Bob was constantly compared with the famous composer. Then Bob discovered when he was 12 years old that not only did he and Mozart share the same date of birth but also had identical handwriting. Bob came to believe he and Mozart were one and the same and also that he would die at the age of 35 on December 5th just like Mozart.

Bob decided to give up music and grew up to become a lawyer. He meets a young woman named Alice Simmons and after a brief courtship they get married. Alice begins to notice Bob aversion to Mozart and the piano, but she learns of his hidden talent after witnessing him expertly play a sonata at a friend's party. She demands answers and since Bob won't tell her about his past, goes to meet with his sister in Chicago to learn about his secret past.

Years later after turning 35, Bob announced his retirement from law and tells Alice they are taking a trip to Europe. They head to Salzburg, the birthplace of Mozart, but Bob starts to act strangely. That night Alice was awoken to piano playing and goes to see what was going on. She discovers her husband composing music in his sleep and when confronted about it the morning having no memory of it.

Alice took the sheet music to an expert and discovers that it was in fact Requiem Mass for a Departed Soul, a piece of music written by Mozart at age 35 shortly before his death. She also compared the sheet music with Mozart's at the museum and discovered that her husband had the exact same handwriting. She then confronts Bob and he breaks down and explains his fears about being fated to die just as Mozart.

When December 5th arrived, Alice speaks with doctors and they come up with a plan. She fakes a brain stroke which distracts her husband long enough for the day to pass without him noticing. The doctors and his wife revealed their ruse and with his destiny averted, Bob and Alice live the rest of their lives happily but both avoid Mozart going forward.

*Forbidden Worlds #59

*[https://comicbookplus.com/?dlid=15981 Comic Book Plus]
*[https://www.comics.org/issue/13821/ GCD]
Category:Comic Book Characters
Category:ACG Characters
Category:1957 Debuts
Category:Emil Gershwin - Creator
Category:Musician Characters
Category:Male Characters
Category:Non-Powered Characters
Category:Franklin Family Characters