Start up window stuck in firmware(?) -- "-sh-2.05b#"

iMac500/SL, no peripherals attached. Internal partitioned 120 GB hard drive, OS partitioned wiped and verified with Disk Warrior prior to trying to install 10.4.
Restarting computer resulted in black screen with prompt "-sh-2.05b#" -- a helpful neighbour may have been resetting the P-R-AM during this restart but he won't own up to it. He had been intrigued with the various Mac keyboard commands and when I turned my back, his hands were on the keyboard. He maintains he wasn't actually pressing down on the keys....
I've tried various commands (quit/bye/help/$%@$%/etc) to no avail. The only way to turn off the computer is to literally pull the plug. Using a disc utility to restart or even a OS install disc to restart may, very occasionally, get me the OS Apple screen for about 3 seconds, then it's back to the black screen and the prompt.
On advice from various mailing list techies, I've tried booting from known-good firewire drives (DVD/HD), using various OS install discs. Still the "sh-2.05b#" prompt. I've removed all RAM, replaced the PRAM battery, even replaced the hard drive with one from another iMac running 10.4. One suggestion was to unplug, remove everything, and let it sit for a day. Then reset the CUDA, replace the original RAM and power on. I let it set a week or more, twice, and still get the "-sh-2.05b#" prompt.
Google and searching the knowledge base have brought no resolution.
I'm hoping someone here might have an answer. It's been over a month now and I'm losing patience.
Thank you.
iMac 500/SL   Mac OS X (10.4.7)   everything worked prior to trying to reinstall a clean OS.

Update: I tried everything suggestion, still booting back to the prompt. So I gave up, removed the hard drive to reformat in an external Firewire device hooked up to an iBook. After formatting the external drive mounted on the iBook (10.4.7) without any problems.
Prior to reinstalling the erased hard drive, I booted from the external DVD drive hooked up to the iMac 500. It booted, the installer went all the way to the Select Hard Drive window so I quit knowing that portion of the installation was okay.
But now I can't get the installer to acknowledge that there's an internal hard drive. I'm offered no choice of drives to install.
I did not replace the CD drive as I'm swapping that one out with one that has a CD stuck in it in my iMac 350 SL. I left the connector on the bus vacant, made no changes to the jumpers on the hard drive.
Any thoughts on why I can't see the reformatted hard drive now? Is it a hardware problem (ie jumpers/termination) or is this a continuation of the -sh-2.05b# prompt problem?
I did not try to reset a PRAM with the external drive holding the installation CD since it was setting PRAM that started this.
Thanks for any feedback.
Steve R

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