Interview from TEENBEAT magazine.

            Without doubt the hippest of the new wave of superheroes is the teen idol Rebel™. With his bad-boy good looks and his super cool super powers this hunk shows that there's more to crime fighting than a squaresville cape and mask. This cat knows the kids and knows where it's at. It was with her heart in her throat that this girl reporter approached the door to his hotel suite. I was about to meet the man who is redefining the term icon...

            Some suit opens the door and I 'm ushered into his presence. He is framed by the window and let me tell you gentle reader everything you 've heard about that profile is true! He holds an old Milwaukee in one hand and a smoking Black Label™ in the other; the bad boy of the hero world doesn 't take any bull from anyone! He slowly turns to me. I feel a blush rising. He peers deep into my eyes over the top of his sunglasses (Rayban Aviators style fiends). My heart skips a beat.

            "Hey. " He says nonchalantly.

            Hey. Just that one syllable takes on so much depth coming from his lips. I am listening to the voice of the tortured soul of our generation. Flustered I sit down and fumble with the pages of my note pad. He pretends not to notice my discomfort and lets me regain my composure while staring out of the window. I take a couple of deep breaths and try not to let myself be intimidated. On top of my game again, I turn to the teen hero and bring out my big guns. I open with my hardest question first.

            "So Rebel, a lot of your fans are wondering why you decided to change your hero clothes recently. "

            He gives me a guilty grin, like a puppy caught with a chewed slipper. . I start to feel guilty about leading with such a direct question. He answers it well though.

            "Uh yeah... So these jeans aren't as comfy as my old Levi 's, but they 're much safer. See, a couple of times I got shot doing the super thing. . I sometimes get careless. So my friend Jack knocked up this blunting cloth, so thai every guy in town doesn 't use me for target practice. "

He flashes me a smile and winks. I feel that flush rising again. I cough and follow up.

            "So this would be your colleague Playboy? My Mom really digs him, but isn 't he a little different in his approach to you? His connections to the government make him sound like Mr. Establishment. "

            He pauses. Have I touched a nerve?

            "Uh... Jack's like... Pretty cool. He has a phone in his car you know. "

            I 've been a fool! Of course Rebel can't tell me the secrets of superherodom. Expertly he leads me off the scent and protects his friends. What a guy!

            ' 7 see... and what about the other super types that you have been connected with? Do you have any comment about the alleged relationship between you and the heroine Torch? "

            He shifts uncomfortably, aware about the reports of his interrupted secret meetings. Surely the Romeo of the swinging sixties isn't embarrassed.

            "I can't really comment on that, there's a reputation at stake. I will say that I feel privileged to work alongside someone who looks so hot in fishnets. "

            We are briefly interrupted by the suit choking on his coffee. After checking that he is OK we resume the interview.

            "How well do you get on with her professionally? "

            "Pretty cool, she does backing vocals on a couple of tracks on my album and even takes lead on 'Leader of the Pack'. "

            Again he carefully steers clear of the super secrets stuff...

            "I have to ask you about your connection to Black Label cigarettes. How do you respond to the accusation that your endorsement of them is simply a case of devious corporate propaganda. "

            He leans forward suddenly earnest and serious. From anyone else this would be company line, instead I can tell that these are the words of a man whose honor has been threatened, his integrity question. A free spirit such as his can barely understand the cruel jealousy of others.

            "Dang girl! You got it all wrong, I don't endorse them, they endorse me. They enable me to do all the good work that I do. Besides, I like their cigarettes, couldn 't live without them. "

            "But aren 't cigarettes, like, unhealthy? "

            "You 're telling that to a guy who smokes 40 a day and can bench press a T-bird!"

            "And they ruin your sense of taste and smell and make you unattractive. 1 saw a film... "

            "My destroyed sense of smell tells me that you 're wearing Chanel No. 5, but that you didn 't yesterday or the day before. Hon, I can understand your concern, but get the facts from the company rather than one of these scare mongers who 've never touched a cigarette. "

            He called me Hon... Maybe I'll get to see hi later... I move on to my last question.

            "So the public is dying to know. What are the chances of Rebel getting together with the other man of the moment. Metaman! The guy of tomorrow! It's a media must!"

            He touches his ear and looks serious.

            "Ah yes. The album 'Rebel's Yell'. Music Weekly called it 'a derivative and completely unoriginal debut by a singer whose voice verges on adequate'. How does that make you feel. "

            His perfect brow creases, clearly he is pained at the short-sighted journalist's inability to appreciate his muse. He struggles to find a way to answer the question without destroying the career of a young insouciant.

            "Urn.. I like the album... It 's cool, especially the Elvis covers. "

            Carelessly (he new king of rock 'n roll dismisses the doubts of others knowing that history will crown him a genius... I return to the topic of superpowers.

            "So how powerful is Rebel? I 'm sure my readers would like to know. They say you 're very strong and phenomenally agile. Any comment. "

            Again the naughty boy grin appears. He picks up the television and balances it on his finger.

            "Next question. " He says, casually throwing the IV over his shoulder and out of the window. The suit rushes over to watch it fall to the ground (relax no one was hurt).

            "What about your powers of flight, which your colleague 'X' described as (and I quote) 'Pretty damn lousy'"

            He chuckles.

            "Oh yeah, that's real funny... So the science guys have clocked me at over l00mph, which is faster than that 'X' guy by about l00mph. I don 'I like to push the speed too much though... It messes up my hair. "

            Clearly as well as the ability to punch through steel Rebel has a super-sense of humor too! I move on.

            "Listen Doll, I 'd love to talk longer, but I just got a message. Must fly. Be good. "

            THEN HE KISSES MY CHEEK AND FLIES OFF!!! I leave with my own power of flight as my feet don’t touch the ground. Truly I have met one of the people who will define the future. And I met him when he just began.

INTERVIEW BY BOBBY-SUE JONES FOR TEEN BEAT MAGAZINE COPY APPROVED BY STAN MILLER. REBEL IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF MILLER ASSOCIATES AND IS USED WITH PERMISSION.