Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, Aquaman debuted in More Fun Comics #73 - and boy have a lot of people had fun with him. He's been mocked and ridiculed throughout all facets of pop culture; because of the supposed 'uselessness' of his powers? Because of his 'lame' costume? I'm not entirely sure why. All I know is, he's an easy target; for example, my initial script idea involved a splash page of Aquaman predicting the Netherlands to win the World Cup - contradicting 'Paul the psychic Octopus' prediction of a Spanish win (if you don't know what I'm referring to, Google it). I still chuckle when I envision that page, Aquaman face-palming himself because he's contradicted Paul; but I decided not to go ahead with it, simply because mocking Aquaman is easy. Everybody does it. What nobody's done, however - for me, anyway - is scribe an Aquaman tale I've actually had an interest in reading. The only Aquaman I've ever enjoyed were his appearances in Grant Morrison's JLA; I've tried reading his solo series, picked up the available trades - but nothing's ever held my interest. That's why I selected Aquaman as this week's character. I want to love Aquaman. He's a DC character; he's a member of the Justice League! (Or at least he was - who knows what the current roster of that team is...)
The character has so much potential - he's the king of Atlantis! And I don't care what you say about his powers, I wouldn't say no to telepathic abilities combined with superhuman strength and durability. I believe Arthur Curry - aka Aquaman - can be so much more than he is. He can be an A-lister. He just needs a writer to come up with a brilliant idea for him.
Perhaps that writer will be posting his or her one page script during the week.
Or if not - if the writer goes for a humorous take - at least we're gonna chuckle!
Aquaman is a character owned by DC Comics.
Aquaman is a character owned by DC Comics.
Hmmm, you're certainly right about the public mocking, so this one could be quite a challenge... which is what I've been looking for! I hope I can come up with something fun.
ReplyDelete*runs off to look up Aquaman bio on Wikipedia*
Man, another DC character to break my spirit, ha. I really wanted to do a Palmiotti inspired Aquaman but I just don't think I'm the man to write that one, I'll leave it up to Max, so I've tried to go in a different direction. We'll see on Tuesday if I've done any good...
ReplyDeleteBut Simon, that splash would have been awesome with all its relevancy and the google searches for Paul the psychic octopus would have helped traffic, ha, wouldn't they?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete[Before I begin, I just wanted to mention that this script has a basis in fact. Back in 1997 the U.S. NOAA detected a very loud sound with their underwater microphone array. The origin of which has yet to be explained. More details can be found on Wikipedia.]
ReplyDelete"BLOOP"
PANEL ONE, PAGE WIDTH
We see a view of the Earth from space, centered on the Pacific Ocean. Ripples can be seen radiating from a point roughly 50°S 100°W.
SFX: BLOOP
PANEL TWO
Batman sits in front of a large monitor. The Pacific Ocean is displayed with various technical read-outs overlaid. His hand is up to his ear.
BATMAN: Aquaman, my oceanic acoustic sensors have picked up an anomalous sound in the Pacific. Are you able to check it out?
PANEL THREE
Aquaman is shown speeding through the water.
AQUAMAN: I'm already on my way. I was near Easter Island when I heard it myself.
PANEL FOUR
Close-up of Batman.
BATMAN: Do you have any idea what might have has caused it?
PANEL FIVE
Close-up of Aquaman.
AQUAMAN: All I know is that it was nothing like I have heard before. I'm almost there now, so I'll keep you informed.
PANEL SIX, PAGE WIDTH
Aquaman has stopped, facing away from us. We can see before him, filling the panel, a vast undersea city, swarming with unidentifiable humanoids.
AQUAMAN: What is this place? How have I never known of it?
TELEPATHIC VOICE: You bear witness to the city of R'lyeh, human. Go forth and spread the word, for soon we shall rise, and reclaim what is rightfully our's.
AQUAMAN: Batman, I think we need to call a meeting.
[Oh, did I mention it was another Lovecraft crossover :-P]
Danial, excellent work, and so speedy. It should be noted you only find out the character as it is posted so this was very hastily put together, not that it shows.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea and concept, especially as you have based it in fact. That's pretty cool. I think you get a good amount of info out on this one page, it works well. I think the only thing you could work on is the dialogue, the characters are thinking out loud and I'd either put that into a caption instead, where thoughts generally don't look so crazy, or make sure you know Aquaman is saying this to Batman and so try to make it sound as realistic as possible. Say it out loud, pretend you are on the run (swim?) and saying it, would it fit in your mouth?
Love this concept. You reckon you got another script in you this week? Ha. Or you just goinhg to wait until next Sunday...?
I'm sure I'll go for another before the week is out. I don't have the willpower to wait another whole week!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the feedback. It's appreciated as always. I think I might have still been in the Spidey frame of mind when writing the dialogue...
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU---!
ReplyDeleteDanial, you are not going to believe what event I centered my script around? Yup, The Bloop.
It's a completely different piece though, and I'm glad I wrote it before I read yours, or else I would have scrapped it and started anew. You'll see it down the week, and I hope you dig it.
Ha, seriously? What are the odds of that happening? Matt, I look forward to reading yours and seeing how different it is to Danial's. Ha, what a crazy world in which we reside. Bloops and coincidental scripts, ha.
ReplyDeleteNow this is what I call a Bloop-er!
ReplyDelete*rimshot*
Thank you, thank you, I'll be here all week.
No way. How crazy. I look forward to seeing what you do with it, Matt!
ReplyDeleteI wish I was kidding when I say that my script was also going to be based around BLOOP. Mine is not yet complete, so I will revamp it. Haha does this show our similarities, or the fact that Aquaman is one-dimensional?
ReplyDeleteRyan, an Aquaman by Palmiotti would be pretty great, one of the few writers who could get me interested in him.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be a tough one, I know very little about Aquaman.
Really liked the script Danial! Haha and that's funny that 3 of you thought of the same idea.
Thanks, Doug!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to try and come up with another one before the week is through, but I have to admit, Aquaman has never been a favourite, and I know relatively little of the DC Universe outside of Supes and Bats...
http://drop.io/kggtkng
ReplyDeleteA 3rd bloop story, and I've never even heard of this event, what does that say about me...?
ReplyDeleteAs for a Palmiotti Aquaman, he wrote one into his Supergirl story in Wednesday Comics and it was likened to Ari Gold in Entourage but he said his inspiration was Denis Leary in Rescue Me. Golden.
Why Aquaman is mocked? Superfriends, that's why.
ReplyDeleteGreat choice of character, I have a few ideas for him already. Expect it further during the week. I'm going mystical with this one. :)
Nice work, Danial - that's exactly what Aquaman needs - more Lovecraft!
ReplyDeleteOK, so I really like the idea Simon had about hostilities within the JLA, so I've "borrowed" that and run with it. I guess it could even be seen as a sequel to his. I also want to point out that I know very little of the DC Universe, so when looking for an all-powerful being, I kind of gave up and went with the easy out...
ReplyDelete"TURNING TIDES"
PANEL ONE
Aquaman sits upon his Atlantean throne, talking to an unseen companion.
AQUAMAN: None of them understand. How could they, up there on the surface?
PANEL TWO
We see a panorama of Gotham City. The bat-signal is shining up into the clouds.
CAPTION: It's all a matter of perspective.
CAPTION: Batman's whole world is Gotham...
PANEL THREE
We see Superman flying through Metropolis, the Daily Planet building can be seen behind him.
CAPTION: Superman's is Metropolis.
PANEL FOUR
Superman is shown floating in space, looking down upon the earth.
CAPTION: I know he believes otherwise...
PANEL FIVE
We see Aquaman walking out of the ocean, holding a young boy in his arms. The boy's distraught parents are running up to them.
CAPTION: But really, how often does he even leave the U.S.?
CAPTION: Have you ever seen him save a drowning peasant boy from some small, unheard-of island?
PANEL SIX
Close-up on Aquaman, back at Atlantis.
AQUAMAN: No, you haven't.
PANEL SEVEN, PAGE-WIDTH
We see a view of the Pacific Ocean from space.
CAPTION: They don't realise that my world is so vast--360 million square-kilometers--That's 71% of the planet!
CAPTION: Not to mention all the coastlines I patrol--the bays, capes, gulfs, headlands, peninsulas.
PANEL EIGHT
Aquaman is looking angry now.
AQUAMAN: I want them to see--I want them to be here, in my place!
COMPANION (O/P): You know the price...
PANEL NINE
We can see the whole scene now, revealing his companion to be Lucifer.
AQUAMAN: Of course.
LUCIFER: Then it's a deal.
CAPTION: To be continued...
Haha, I wish I could take any sort of credit for the idea of hostilities in the JLA - !
ReplyDeleteNice scipt, Danial. I'm trying to think of another DC villain Aquaman might make a deal with... Lord Satanus, maybe? I'd love to see Aquaman make a deal with a true and proper DC villain rather than 'generic' Lucifer... but I'm struggling to think of an appropriate character.
Good stuff though, mate - I want to know what their deal involves! What's the price?!
Dabial - I really dig this idea, it is kind of overwhelming when you think of the scope of Aquaman's presence, there really needs to be a corp of Aquamen, one for each major ocean, the teen corps can handle the seas, and maybe have a few deep sea members as well (creepy buggers that they'd be)....
ReplyDelete...damn now I wish that had been my script. Lame. New character launches in a day, or so, hope you're ready. Hint, it's more of our distinguished competition. Enjoy.
I was just browsing ComicVine's list of characters (sorted by # of appearances) and the only ones in the top of the list that haven't been in films, are Aquaman and Namor. There's just no love for the Atlanteans!
ReplyDeleteI recall listening to the IGN Movie podcast - or maybe it was another podcast, not entirely sure to be honest - and one of the key factors that hinders any potential Aquaman / Namor movie is the difficulty involved in filming realistic underwater sequences.
ReplyDeleteThat's a valid-enough reason for me : )
ReplyDelete... and here I was thinking it was just that Namor's a jerk and Aquaman's costume looks stupid : P
Heh! Well, sure, there *is* that...!
ReplyDeletePAGE 1
ReplyDeleteAqua-man standing on the rocky banks of the New England Seaboard, the foamy waves breaking against him-
text- I have brought, I have brought life, I have lost my way home.
PAGE 2 top panel
jet stream of water enveloping the lower half of aqua-man's body- conveying he's travelling at 360,000 mph, so the back ground blurred from the speed
text- something separates me from the clear, the unified energy once connecting me to all life here. Harmony fades as the oceans' ebb flow grows dissonant.
PANEL TWO BOTTOM
TEXT- The Florida ever glade - moments later..
2nd text box-half the answers are in the searching, but i feel as if i am losing my balance
Aqua man's head and shoulder's emerging from the water the eyes of alligators peering up surround him.
3rd page first panel
text - if i do not keep the balance who will ?
Aqua man springs up as if to shake the alligators from him who are falling away from his upraising arms
2nd panel
mysterious word balloon as if the environment it's self is speaking to aqua man
"to be at conflic with ones surrounding , is to be at conflict with ones' self '
vines reaching up around one arm and one leg
3rd panel
the swamp thing has formed over aqua- man in a canopy looming over him, with one leg forming around aqua-mans' and one hand holding aqua-mans' wrist to suggest he is restraining him.
SWAMP THING- you are welcome to my domain, your conflict is not!
4th page first panel
aqua-man tearing loose from his grip
AQUA-MAN- expected a warmer welcome from Florida
2nd panel - swamp thing towering defensively over aqua-man
Swamp thing - your negativity, taints the clear. the troubles with you monarchy effect us all as we are all connected by it's universal consciousness. therein your true responsibility lies.
3rd panel
Aqua-man's arm folded across his chest an authoritative stance as he argues back to swamp thing
Aqua-man- perhaps if i was connected to the clear, i might be willing to accept this blame, but some thing is amiss. i'd suggest looking closer to your own branches for this negativity as you were pretty quick to point your moss in my direction.
4th panel - Swamp Thing - now more human in size his demeanor shifting more benign
Swamp Thing- my pardons lord curry , the source of this shift in the seas balance i could only attribute to you when trying to tap into the greater green, though i suppose it origins might be more elusive
5th page
panel 1
setting o.r.g.e labs in front of large computer screen, to agents analyze a holographic image of the moon
agent one - our satellites have begun using the glyph frequencies to shift the moon's barycenter.
agent two-yes, by the readings indication the tidal shift is following projections, increase frequencies, with his radar closed off our associate should be able to charge the glyphs.
panel 2
agent one- if you told me years ago we would be incorporating metaphysical into our operations i would have laughed in your face.
agent two - ever since world war 2 the pentagon has been keeping their metaphysical department more tightly wrapped than area 51. so the intel has been their we have just needed the right person to handle it , speaking of can we get him on the screen
page 6
Ocean Master -holding a trident over two oddly shaped discs inscribed with pentagrams
ocean master- the ritual is ready to begin