In another reality, Jonathan Joestar goes by Johnny “Joe Kid” Joestar. Instead of a good English boy, he’s an arrogant American. Though they’re two different personalities, they still each have their own bizarre adventures. So who is Johnny and what’s his deal? Let’s find out!
Johnny “Joe Kid” Joestar is the second son of George Joestar. Born into wealth, his father had made a name as a horse racer and raised his sons to follow suit. Johnny was called a genius for how he was able to study horses and their potential at such a young age. His older brother Nathan was proving to be quite the jockey himself and Johnny looked up to him. The two brothers were very close, Nathan mentoring and befriending Johnny.
When Johnny’s father discovered the boy had been raising a wild mouse, he demanded Johnny drown the thing. With Nathan’s help, Johnny was able to set the mouse free without his father knowing. Johnny witnessed his brother lose control of his horse and die from the resulting accident, one of the hands who saw the whole thing claimed he saw the horse spooked by a mouse before Nathan lost control. Johnny would live with this guilt, believing that mouse to be the one he’d set free.
As Johnny grew into a teenager he proved to be quite the capable horse racer. As he gained wins, he also gained fame and an ego. The rich and famous wanted to hang out with the up-and-coming star. It seemed the only person who couldn’t find it in their hearts to like Johnny was his own father. The two would get into a fight that ended with his father telling him the wrong son died; Johnny would leave his family behind on that note.
Going on to win the Kentucky Derby at 16, Johnny’s stardom would continue to rise. His skills as a champion made him quite the ladies’ man. On a date, Johnny cut in front of someone who had been waiting all night in line to see a show and the young man shot Johnny in the spine. Paralyzed from the waist down, Johnny was no longer able to be the jockey he once was. Left alone in a hospital, he would be abused by the staff for years.
By the time Johnny was in his early twenties, he was hearing word of the Steel Ball Run, a race across the United States from San Diego to New York City, following check point cities along the way. The winner would get $50million dollars (that’s with today’s inflation, not the values at the time). Most competitors were going by horse and while Johnny wasn’t interested at first, that changed when he met the mysterious Gyro Zeppeli.
Gyro Zeppeli would apply for the Steel Ball Run and when a man tried to attack him for his entry fee money, Zeppeli easily stopped the man with a strange, spinning steel ball he had instead of guns. Johnny was entranced by the spinning sphere and would touch it, sending a jolt of energy through his body and allowing him to stand on his own for the first time in years. Just as quickly, the energy was gone but Johnny’s curiosity was piqued.
The mysterious Gyro explained that the spin of the sphere wouldn’t give Jonny the ability to walk again but was a powerful force all the same. For the first time in years, Johnny had a goal: he would also enter the Steel Ball Run, determined to learn of this spin from Gyro Zeppeli. The race was second to learning this power. He would have to work his hardest to keep pace with Zeppeli and survive all the other competitors. Johnny’s bizarre adventure across America was about to begin.
There you have it! Johnny Joestar is a return to the JoJo that started it all but rebooted and completely different from the man he was before. This Johnny would even get himself a Stand! What is that Stand? Check out Steel Ball Run to find out! See you next time!
Suggested Reading
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Part 7: Steel Ball Run
Dr. Bustos
drbustos@comicattack.net
