"Ink," the origin and meaning of his tattoos...

[Red Shirt]

This isn't just another Ink, Man in the Pinstriped Suit, Bill Roberts, Zombie Pimp theory thread. Bear with me please.

I was reading through the thread for Chapter 30, part 1 of ?? and also went of in search of the cover art to have a look at it. Later in the thread, I read this, posted by wh33t:

Ink is one tricky Mutha... who knows what he is up too. Maybe Ink is like a "god father" of the Families or something.

I thought to myself, why not check? I've had this thought before myself. The art for Chapter 27 is his hand gripping a door way. Surely someone would have noticed a ring by now, but I want to see for myself.

I think that I might have found something more interesting and sinister.

Have a good close look at his hand. At first glance it looks like a bunch of convoluted mumbo jumbo. I looked closer and made a few startling discoveries.

At his wrist (and on his pinky finger) are what looks like molecular symbols of a Benzine Ring. More specifically, those found in Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons. This specific one looks similar to Chrysene and Benzo(a)pyrene, both of which are known carcinogens. More specifically, the diagram on his wrist, if you flip it over, bears a striking resemblance to Benzo(a)pyrene's interaction with DNA. My guess is that it is another AH/PAH that is interacting with DNA in a way far more complex than cancer.

A great deal of these hydrocarbons are found in coal tar, oil, fossil fuel, ect., the stuff found underground. Did Ink know something about zombie causing chemicals underground and tattoo their symbols on his body?

It gets better and goes deeper.

On the back of his hand (and on his middle finger) are a series of lines and dots. To me, these look like one of, or a combination of:

The Celestial/Angelic Alphabet: (WIKI)
Documented (Created?) by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa in the 16th century. Derived from the Hebrew and Greek alphabets, and purported to be used for communication with angels.

The Malachim: (WIKI)
Same guy, also derived from the Hebrew and Greek alphabets. Still in use to a limited extent by the Freemasons.

The Transitus Fluvii or "Passing the River alphabet" (WIKI)
Same guy again. Derived from the Hebrew alphabets. It is described as an occult alphabet.

These, combined with others are found in/on the magical incantations of wards, talismans, curses and the like in many faiths such as early Judeo-Christianity and Druidic/Paganism. It seems that Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa may have building on King Solomon and the incorrectly attributed Key of Solomon, around which there are many legends of magical power relating to the summoning and control of spirits and demons.

Then there is the Snakes and the Bacteria. I'm at somewhat of a loss to explain these. The snakes could be a reference to the Original Sin, where the Fallen Angel Lucifer, in the form of a snake, persuaded Eve to eat the forbidden fruit.

As for the bacteria, I don't know if it is a generalized representation or meant to be a specific strain. While looking them up I was struck by the idea that the bacteria may be responsible for secreting the above mentioned chemicals. Perhaps a Molecular Chemist and a Bacteriologist could shed more light on this.

I wonder... it this meant to be indicative of the fusion of science and religion? The combination of the occult with technology that brought about the zombie holocaust? This adds another layer to the already mysterious question of who is this guy?