Locke & Key: In the Can is the first standalone issue. It was released on January 1, 2009 as a story in "IDW's 10th Anniversary Comic". It was later reprinted in the "Heaven & Earth" Volume in 2017.[1]
Synopsis[]
"IDW celebrates 10 years in this book with stories of Locke & Key, Fallen Angel, Wormwood Gentleman Corpse and Zombies vs Robots meet Popbot. Cover by Ashley Wood."[2]
Plot[]
While exploring the woods near Keyhouse looking for more keys; Bode Locke feels the call of nature and separates from Tyler and Kinsey in search of a place to relieve himself. He stumbles upon a mysterious outhouse with the IDW Key hanging from a hook along with a roll of toilet paper.
Bode takes the key and uses it on the outhouse door and opens the door to reveal several characters from the various IDW comic series which include:
- One of Charlie Manx's vampire daughters and a bloody Snowman from "Wraith: Welcome to Christmasland".
- Another Vampire that's from "30 Days of Night"[3][4]
- The alien from "Groom Lake" comic series.
- The Wormwood Gentlemen Corpse which raises a glass to Bode and says "Cheers"
Bode screams and closes the door. He peers in again and sees:
- Snakes Eyes from the G.I.Joe comics
- Tank Girl from the Tank Girl comics
- Miss Doom, the hostess from IDW's short horror anthology "Doomed", which is done in the same vein as "Tales from the Crypt". She plays the Cryptkeeper-like role.[5]
All of them are perched on a tank with the turret aimed at Bode. He screams again and closes the door. Desperate to go to the bathroom he opens and the door one last time and enters. Bode later catches up with Tyler and Kinsey, Bode says he found a place to go and they leave.
The last page shows the outhouse door wide open with Bertie from "Zombies vs Robots" standing inside with a piece of toilet paper hanging from him looking confused. It is implied that Bode used him as a toilet.