Welcome to Lovecraft

Welcome to Lovecraft • Head Games • Crown of Shadows
Keys to the Kingdom • Clockworks • Omega • Alpha • Golden Age

Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft is the first volume of the Locke & Key series. Issue #1 was originally published February 20, 2008, and ran until Issue #6 on July 30, 2008.

Issue List

Welcome to Lovecraft #1

Welcome to Lovecraft #2

Welcome to Lovecraft #3

Welcome to Lovecraft #4

Welcome to Lovecraft #5

Welcome to Lovecraft #6

First Appearances

Characters

• Tyler Locke
• Kinsey Locke
• Bode Locke
• Nina Locke
• Duncan Locke
• Rendell Locke (flashback)
• Dodge
• Sam Lesser
• Al Grubb
• Ellie Whedon
• Mark Cho (photograph)
• Lucas Caravaggio (photograph)
• Kim Topher (photograph)
• Erin Voss (photograph)
• Joe Ridgeway (photograph)
• Rufus Whedon (photograph)
• Jackie Veda
• Daniel Mutuku

Keys

• Ghost Key
• Anywhere Key
• Gender Key
• Head Key

Synopsis

In Willits, California, the Locke family are spending their summer. Tyler Locke, the oldest son of Rendell and Nina Locke, is upset that his own summer plans had been cancelled by his father after an argument.

The family is soon attacked by Sam Lesser. Sam, under the orders of "Dodge", demands Rendell turn over the Anywhere Key and the Omega Key. Rendell refuses, and is killed.

The Lockes move to Rendell's childhood home, Keyhouse, in Lovecraft, Massachusetts, escorted by Rendell's younger brother, Duncan Locke. While exploring the manor, Tyler's youngest sibling, Bode Locke, discovers he can use the Ghost Key to leave his body and become a ghost.

Meanwhile, Sam is contacted by Dodge, who promises to help him escape from the detention facility he was taken to after murdering Rendell.

Bode continues to explore the Wellhouse, experimenting with the Ghost Key, learning he can teleport around the property by thinking about who he wants to see. Back in his body, he soon hears an echo speak to him from the well. He uses the Ghost Key to descend into the well as a ghost. At the bottom he finds a woman, who senses his presence and speaks to him. She asks him to come back when he isn't a ghost, claiming she wants to be his friend.

Bode returns, and is told stories by the Lady in the Well about magical keys and doors. The Lady tells him that she is an Echo, that was brought to life in the Wellhouse, but can't leave through the door without fading away. She tells him that the only way she can leave the Wellhouse is with the Anywhere Key.

The Lady asks Bode to bring her a mirror and a pair of scissors so she can cut her hair. Bode complies, dropping a bag down the well. The Lady, revealing herself to Sam as Dodge, delivers the items to Sam in the detention centre so that he may use them to escape.

Sam escapes the detention centre, killing several guards in the process. He begins travelling towards Massachusetts to confront the Lockes.

Meanwhile, the middle Locke child, Kinsey, struggles with her image, having abandoned her more eccentric style in an attempt to blend in at Lovecraft Academy. She meets and befriends fellow student Jackie Veda and coach Ellie Whedon, a classmate of her father's. After taking some advice from Ellie, Kinsey cuts her hair and reassumes a style closer to her older image. As they speak, Ellie becomes distracted by Kinsey's bracelet, noticing a key in it.

As Sam arrives at Lovecraft, Bode is taken hostage by Dodge. Sam beats Kinsey unconscious, locks Nina and Duncan in the cellar, and disables Tyler. He drags the siblings to their mother, demanding she give him the Omega Key and the Anywhere Key.

In the Wellhouse, Dodge tells Bode that Sam has arrived, and will kill his family unless Bode brings her the Anywhere Key.

Bode tries to use the Ghost Key to teleport to Anywhere Key, but finds himself next to Kinsey. At first thinking it didn't work, he soon realizes the Anywhere Key is in Kinsey's bracelet. He returns to his body, leaving the Ghost Key in the door. Sneaking down to the cellar, he takes Kinsey's bracelet and returns to the Wellhouse.

Nina lies, telling Sam that the keys are in her room, hoping Tyler can use the opportunity to use her gun to stop Sam. Tyler is unable to get the gun, as his hands are bound. Tyler tries to run away, and is knocked through the Ghost Door, which Bode left activated. Tyler becomes a ghost, and Sam believes he killed him.

Sam drags Tyler's body back to the cellar, again threatening Nina. Tyler, recalling what Bode told him about how it was to be a ghost, realized he could re-enter his body. He surprised Sam, knocking him over. Kinsey, waking up, takes Sam's gun and shoots him twice.

Bode delivers the Anywhere Key to Dodge, who uses it to escape the Wellhouse to Kinsey's room. She uses the Gender Key on a small door at the back of Kinsey's closet to become a young man. He soon finds Sam bleeding and stumbling through the halls. Dodge breaks Sam's neck, throwing him through the Ghost Door, leaving Sam as a ghost with no body to return to. Dodge then arrives at Ellie's house, pointing out that she owes him for killing her mother.

Two weeks later, Bode is fishing in one of the ponds at Keyhouse with Kinsey. Tyler arrives, and introduces Zack Wells, the newest alias assumed by Dodge. As Tyler, Kinsey, and Dodge head to the beach, Bode reels in his line to find the Head Key.

Notes

• This is the only volume of the series not to have 'named' issues.