John Constantine – One Final Test For The Girl – Ryan K Lindsay

 

1. We see John Constantine behind the bar at a pub. It’s an old school pub, lots of wood, and maybe just on the left of this wide panel we see a pentacle on the wall, it’s right on the dart board. Sitting at the bar are a few gentlemen with trenchcoats on, we don’t see their faces. One of them has a nice big fedora on the seat next to him like it’s his lady.

Constantine: Saddle up, what can we do you for, pard’ner?
Constantine (smaller): Heh, I love this gig.

2. We see a distraught woman at the door, this is Dala. She is clearly lost, alone, on the run.

Dala: Where am I? I’m running out of time?

3. Constantine smiles as he lights a cigarette, because in this pub the smoking laws need not apply.

Constantine: Well, lady, we don’t exactly deal in time here, and I have no idea where you want to be, love?

4. Dala is unsure.

Dala: I have to leave. I have to find my friend.

5. Constantine yells at Dala as she is already leaving the pub, probably have this close on JC and have Dala leaving in a mirror somewhere behind the bar.

Constantine: Beware the moors, Dala!

6. We are outside the pub now, we can see an old shingle for the place naming it The Slaughtered Lamb, and there’s some paddock work out the back. The moon is full in the sky and Dala is running away, beating her feet to beat the devil.

Caption: Shit, it’s beware the moon, isn’t it? Keep clear of the moors and beware the moon. Why do I always fuck that bit up?
Caption (different colour): You really want one of us to answer that?
Caption: Ah, fuck it. This is the last time, if she fails the test again I say I shoot her.
Caption: (different colour): A magician shooting a girl. You always were a pleb.
Caption: You know the drill; ours is but to reason why…theirs is but to do or die.
Caption: Let’s go you mouldy motherfuckers.

John Constantine - No Escape - Matt Duarte

John Constantine in “No Escape” by Matt Duarte

This whole scene is set from the point of view of John Constantine. Panels 3 through 5 are a small flashback, so the colors should change accordingly. It is set in eight different panels. Panels 1 and 2 on the first row, 3 through 5 are smaller and on the second row, 6 and 7 are the same size as the first two, and the final one is the biggest one from the page on it’s own row.

Panel 1

Description: A completely dark panel.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Ugh.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Hate waking up not knowing where I am. Alright, situation assessment.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Dead? No.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Pissed? No.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Hungover? Possibly.

Panel 2

Description: We can now see some prison bars, and though it is still very dark there is a door somewhat far away, from where light is beaming in.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Movement? Can turn around, but legs and arms are bloody useless.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Location? Seems to be some kind of jail. I guess I’m a prisoner.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Been here, done this. Heh.

Panel 3

Description: Flashback scene. We see a pint of Guinness, and a hand holding it, as well as another hand holding a fag.

CONSTANTINE (Caption, top left): Last night?

Panel 4

Description: Flashback scene. A pair of breasts in a rather revealing blouse, seen from incredibly (and inappropriately) close up.

Panel 5

Description: Flashback scene. Vomit on the floor, seen from incredibly close up.

CONSTANTINE (Caption, bottom right): Typical.

Panel 6

Description: Once again, the prison bars and the lit door, though now there is a shape standing in the doorway.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Someone is coming. Time to work my “magic” and get out of here.

Panel 7

Description: Same as previous panel, though now the figure is a lot closer and we can see through the shape that she is a woman.

WOMAN: Johnnie, are you alright?

CONSTANTINE (Caption): What? It can’t be..

Panel 8

Description: A mirror, in which we can see a blond woman, with short and slightly spike-ish hair, making her look like Sting during his The Police days. She is happily holding a baby, who is wrapped in a blanket. She just took him out of his wooden crib, and the baby’s short blond hair looks disheveled. The baby is looking directly at the reflection of the mirror.

CONSTANTINE (Caption): Mum?

To Be Continued!

About The Script: I’m of the mind that John Constantine cannot be defeated. You can try to fight him, trap him, outsmart him, but you will definitely and inevitably fail once he figures out what is going on. The idea behind this script is that what we are seeing here is not reality, but rather a “What If...” being shown to Constantine about how different and how much better his life could have been. In the reality we know, his mother died during his birth, but not here, and that changes everything for him. Instead of the cynic bastard, we learn that John could have been a well-adjusted and highly talented magician, a place where those around him don’t constantly die... if only his mother had lived. Something that John can’t ever change. You can’t defeat John, but I can’t think of a worst torture for him than this.

John Constantine - Archie Meets John Constantine - Max Barnard

The Premise: Oh as if you don't already know!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 1 - 6 Panels

1-- Archie Andrews is being chased by a demonic hellhound down a dark road, a ferocious black shape with glowing red eyes, white fangs dripping with saliva and a collar with giant spikes jutting out from it. Archie himself is down to his boxers, flailing wildly as he flees.

SPEECH BUBBLE/ARCHIE - Cripes! This vicious dog is more obsessed with me than Betty! AND it's got to see me in less clothes than she has!


2-- The monster is now much closer to Archie, who has tripped and is halfway towards hitting the ground.

SPEECH BUBBLE/ARCHIE - OOP!


3-- Archie is now being dragged backwards by the hellhound as a fiery hole is tearing open in the road behind them both.

SPEECH BUBBLE/ARCHIE - JUGHEAD! VERONICA! MOOSE! BIG ETHEL! PUNISHER! ANYBODYYYYYYY!!


4-- The hellhound's head is blown off by a giant fireball, spraying Archie with blood.

SFX/FIREBALL HITTING HELLHOUND - FWASPLURCH!!

SPEECH BUBBLE/ARCHIE - YEEP!


5-- Constantine is now standing over Archie (who is crawling out from under the hellhound's corpse) as a sillhouette, smoking shotgun in hand. The fiery hole in the road is now gone, leaving only a bit of rising smoke.

SPEECH BUBBLE/CONSTANTINE - Sorry I took so long Ginge, took a while to get this soddin' gun set up. Not one to use magic often, m'afraid.

SPEECH BUBBLE/ARCHIE - H-h-who are you, mister?


6-- John constantine is now revealed in all his glory, using the lingering flames from the magical shotgun to light a roll-up fag.

SPEECH BUBBLE/CONSTANTINE - I'm Keanu bleedin' Reeves, mate, who do you think I am? John Constantine, all-around magical bloke at your service. Come with me if you want to live an' all that.

CAPTION - Will Archie come with this strange Liverpudlian? Can a chain-smoking, cursing humanist fit in with Archie's strong Christian values? Find out all this and more... In YOUR IMAGINATIONS!

John Constantine - Dream a Little Dream - Ben Rosenthal

The following could take place in current continuity, where John has recently been having dreams about his Demon offsider, Demon Constantine (for those of you not in the know, Demon Constantine is all of the dark and worst attributes John had put into a body which now roams freely in hell doing whatever it wants).

There are nine panels to this page, but am unsure how they would fit. All I can suggest is your basic 3x3 grid.

This takes place in a dream.


1. John Constantine is sitting at a table in a seedy looking bar. He is lighting a cigarette with a match, the red glow of flames illuminating his face.

JOHN CONSTANTINE
You going to by me a drink, or what?

2. Sitting across from John is a man who looks almost identical to him. He could pass for John’s twin, if it were not for the maggots crawling from the holes where clumps of flesh once lived. This is Demon Constantine.

DEMON CONSTANTINE
Why would I do that? You hate yourself John, almost as much as I hate you.

3. John Constantine is exhaling smoke, looking at his demon doppelganger.

4. Demon Constantine is talking. In the background directly behind him there are a few sets of glowing eyes appearing. There are ten or so non-descript humanoid shapes floating behind Demon Constantine. He has a smirk on his face.

DEMON CONSTANTINE
You once wanted me back, and I declined. I wanted you back, you declined. Third time to win the game John, but this time I have a home team advantage.


DEMON CONSTANTINE
All those innocent people you ever so willingly let die, all those you allowed to be sucked in the abyss. They want vengeance, John. And I want the Throne.

5. John Constantine is looking down at his cigarette as he taps the ash from its tip into an ash tray.

JOHN CONSTANTINE
Here’s the thing – these geezers floating behind you. They were good people. Only a dark individual would let innocent people fall for his own ends. And I’m afraid I don’t have that in me anymore....

JOHN CONSTANTINE
...but you do.

6. Demon Constantine looks worried as the humanoid ghosts suddenly sprout large gnashing teeth, reaching for him with their spindly clawed hands. A large vortex is opening behind them.

7. All we can see coming from the vortex are the legs of Demon Constantine as he is pulled into the vortex by the ghosts.

DEMON CONSTANTINE
YARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

8. The same panel, however in place of the portal is now just a little spark, and a ‘BOOP’ sound effect.

9. John Constantine is taking another puff from his cigarette.

JOHN CONSTANTINE
Wanker.

John Constantine - I Know You Got Soul - Rol Hirst

Panel One.

Close up on a jukebox. A young woman’s hand reaches towards it and selects a song.

SONG (from jukebox – with musical notes): You better be prepared ‘cos I’m coming to get you…

CAP (Constantine): Oh, not THAT – I hate that bleedin’ racket!

Panel Two.

Pull out. We are in a shabby British pub. John Constantine is sitting at the bar wearing his trenchcoat, a pint of beer in front of him. He’s got his hands over his ears. Behind him, the girl who chose the song on the jukebox is dancing. She looks like a dancing jukebox girl from a Quentin Tarantino movie, the sort of girl who’s drawing stares from around the pub and knows it. Her boyfriend stands watching her dance, holding a pool cue. He’s built like a brick outhouse. Behind the bar, a middle-aged, balding landlord (Archie) stands polishing a glass.

SONG: Nothing I can do is ever gonna upset you…

ARCHIE: I thought everyone liked this song, John. Twenty weeks at number one?

JOHN: Only because he did a deal – Teddy Threlfall, snotnosed lead singer of these talentless scrotes. Wanted a hit bigger than Bryan Adams, so he sold his soul to some 7th Circle demon wearing Malcolm McLaren’s corpse as an overcoat. Wanker.

Panel Three.

Close on John, having just taken a long swig from his beer.

SONG: I’m ready – I’m able…

JOHN: Course, Teddy didn’t read the small print. Thought he’d get to live out his natural before the debt came due. Malcolm had other ideas.

JOHN: That’s when Teddy came to see me.

Panel Four.

Archie gives John a suspicious eye. John puts his empty glass down for a refill.

SONG: Gonna spread you all over my table!

ARCHIE: But… the papers reckoned he killed himself ‘cos he couldn’t handle not being Number One no more…

JOHN: When will you stop believing what you read in The Sun, Arch?

Panel Five.

John continues talking. The landlord is pulling him another pint. In the foreground, the pretty girl keeps dancing.

JOHN: Anyway, I was having a little trouble of my own round that time with this East End gangster who’d got himself possessed by Sid Vicious. Now I may or may not have lost my own soul to Sid in a card game back in '79…

SONG: Love love love – la la la – Love love love – la la laaaa…

JOHN: I was very young and very stupid… but not quite as stupid as this chorus.

Panel Six.

Close on John, sipping his new pint.

SONG: La la la, love love love…

JOHN: There’s this recording studio down Soho knows how to transfer a singer’s soul into a digital recording. So we burn Teddy’s soul onto CD for safe-keeping… then when Vicious turns up – “Here you go, my son, paid in full.”

Panel Seven.

Archie looks confused. Behind John, the girl and her friends begin to sing along with the song’s chorus.

ARCHIE: But what about when Sid found out it wasn’t your soul on that CD after all?

JOHN: Too late. ‘Cos when Malcolm found out Vicious had made off with his prize, he ripped old Sid into so many pieces, even Nancy wouldn’t have recognised him.

GROUP (loud singing): La la la – love love love – la la la—

Panel Eight.

Archie frowns at John. The off-panel singing ends suddenly with a loud explosion. John is still drinking his pint.

ARCHIE: So Malcolm got Teddy’s soul after all?

JOHN: Not exactly. Having burnt all his greedy, selfish, vainglorious swagger onto that CD, Teddy realised just what a sham his life had been. Topped himself rather than listen to this bloody song one more time.

JOHN: Which wiped Malcolm’s disc before the stupid demon even got to play it...

GROUP (off-panel): Love love lo—

SFX: Ka-boom!

Panel Nine.

The jukebox is on fire. The dancing girl and her friends are most upset. So is the landlord. John pushes his empty glass across the bar for another refill.

LANDLORD: Jo-ohn…! My jukebox…

JOHN: Put it on my tab, Arch. You know I’m good for it…

Why John Constantine?

If you've got a problem with the occult, and no one else can help... go find Dr. Strange, Daimon Hellstrom or Dr. Thirteen. Pray you don't ever get desperate enough to need John Constantine. Because the scouse mage, supernatural conman, and devil-taunting hellblazer is not a man you should ever wish to turn to in a crisis. John Constantine is good at helping one person, and one person only: John Constantine. Just ask his friends or family - well, you could if they weren't all burning in hell, possessed by demons or getting their insides ripped out by serial killers. (Yeah, there is Chas. Somehow Chas manges to survive everything John throws at him. Lucky bastard... if you can call that lucky.) Count on one thing - if you're in trouble and John Constantine gets involved, things are going to get much worse before they get better.

Why John Constantine? The real question is: why has it taken us so long?

Jubilee - Candidacy - Simon McDonald

Dear Imaginary Artist;

This page would be an absolute bitch to illustrate. Possibly quite a bore too; two people, sitting togther in a coffee shop, chatting. It's gonna be a packed page; word balloons galore.

Perhaps this is why I'm writing to an Imaginary Artist...

* * *

1. Magneto and Jubilee are sitting in a diner, clad in civilian gear. From afar I suppose it might look like a father and daughter sharing a coffee; but there’s none of that familial comfort here. Jubilee is clearly anxious, eager to have this meeting over with.

MAGNETO

Your powerlessness does not equate to uselessness.

JUBILEE

I’ve already had this pep talk. Months ago.
You missed the boat, Magnus.

2. Magneto brings his steaming cup of coffee to his lips, smiling.

MAGNETO

Yes, I’m sure Scott fed you his nonsense X-Man diatribe...

“It isn’t a requisite for an X-Man to possess a mutant gene, rather it requires a particular type of thinking... a certain self-belief and desire to protect the world and all of its species...”

Or maybe it was Logan.

The man might have zero tact and a panache for violence, but he’s actually quite the covert inspirational speaker, isn’t he...

Always had quite a knack for rallying the troops...

3. Jubilee makes a show of glimpsing at her watch; she wants to leave - now. Magneto’s arms are now crossed, coffee cup settled into place on the table.

JUBILEE

Y’know, I promised Pixie I’d meet her at the mall...

MAGNETO

Then allow me to finish.

You may no longer be a mutant –
- but you’ve become a far more powerful entity thanks to your impotency.

4. Tight on Jubilee, rather miffed at what she’s taken as a jibe.

JUBILEE
Hey!

5. Pull back; Magneto, arms still folded, talking. Jubilee, leaning forward.

MAGNETO (1)

I have a contact within the upper echelons of the United States Government.

He feeds me information from time to time in exchange for favours.

JUBILEE

Sexual?

MAGNETO (2)

Jubilation, you try my patience.

 6. Tight on Magneto, deadly serious. Jubilee’s taken aback by his words; visibly stunned.

MAGNETO
There is, very soon, going to be an opening within the newly founded Mutant Management Agency as Director of Human / Mutant relations.

I’d like my contact to put your name forward as a candidate.

And I believe, with your history  it is a position you’re highly likely to attain.

JUBILEE

Me?

7. Magneto’s expression softens. He’s being completely honest now.

MAGNETO

My time is passing, Jubilation.
And given my previous ... misdemeanours... I would not be accepted into the fold.

It’s time for a younger generation to speak out for mutants.

Someone who can bridge the gap between mutants and humans.

Who better than a young woman who has been both?

Will She?

Won't She?

To Be Continued!

Jubilee - Remember, Remember... - Rol Hirst

To fully appreciate this story, a certain knowledge of the cultural history of the United Kingdom is required. Being a tiny backwater little nation whose best years are about three centuries behind us, I’m never entirely sure how much the rest of the world knows – or cares – about out folklore. Anyone who’s read or watched V For Vendetta will know what I’m talking about, but if you’ve never heard of Guy Fawkes and The Gunpowder plot, you might want to click here for an intro. That’s all the help I’m giving you.



Panel One.

Splash page. A huge explosion fills the entire page. Perhaps it’s made up of many mini-explosions, like fireworks on the 4th of July (or November 5th for those of you who’ve clicked that link). An enormous sound effect crashes across the page too – I’m thinking John Workman lettering Walt Simonson.

SFX: KRAK-A-BANG-BOOM-BZANG!

CAPTION: WHAT IF JUBILEE AND BOOM-BOOM WERE SENT BACK IN TIME BY KANG THE CONQUEROR TO NOVEMBER 5th, 1605... TO DO BATTLE WITH NITRO, THE EXPLODING MAN AND BLASTARR, THE LIVING BOMB-BURST IN THE CELLARS BENEATH THE UK HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT?

Panel Two.

Inset over the bottom right corner of the explosion. Present day UK. A small girl in a duffel coat pushes a life-sized rag-doll effigy of Jubilee down a suburban street in a wheelbarrow.

CAPTION: FOUR HUNDRED YEARS LATER…

GIRL: Penny for the Jubilee, Penny for the Jubilee…

Jubilee - My Generation - Matt Duarte

Jubilee in “My Generation” by Matt Duarte

This story set in the early 90’s so, unless otherwise stated, everyone is wearing their Jim-Lee designed outfits from the Gold and Blue era of the X-Men, pouches everywhere, and all that. It is laid out in 5 panels, a 2 by 2 grid, and then a final big and wide panel at the bottom of the page.

Panel 1

Description: The X-Men are all in their briefing room, with members like Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, Jean Grey, Wolverine, etc. and at the front of the group is Jubilee, who is raising her hand. Separated from the group is Professor Xavier, who is in his awesome yellow hover-wheelchair. He is giving the briefing, looking calmly.

XAVIER: The plan therefore is to travel all the way to Asteroid M and confront Mag...

JUBILEE (interrupting): Professor Xavier! I have a question!

XAVIER: Yes, my child?

JUBILEE: Can I sit this one out? I promised my friend Melissa that we would go shopping together.

Panel 2

Description: Jubilee is now standing closer to Xavier, who looks frustrated.

XAVIER: Jubilation, this is a matter of utmost importance, we must stop Mag...

JUBILEE: Yes, but they are having a sale on all yellow raincoats at the mall! You know I only have six of those left!

XAVIER: The answer remains no, Jubilee! We need all the help we can get against Mag...

JUBILEE (interrupting): Aw, come on!

Panel 3

Description: Xavier is now visibly angry while Jubilee is looking inside one of her coat's pocket.

XAVIER: Child, the safety of the whole world hinges in all of us coming together and battling Mag...

SFX (interrupting): RING RING!

JUBILEE: Oh, that must be Melissa calling! Where did I put that cell phone again?

Panel 4

Description: Jubilee is now walking away, while talking on one of those ridiculously huge 90’s cell phones. Behind her, Xavier is now completely enrage, raising his arms and shouting!

JUBILEE (on phone): Yeah, Melissa, I’m heading there right now.

XAVIER: Miss Lee, if you walk away now, I will be demoting you!

JUBILEE (shouting): Whatevs!

JUBILEE (talking on the phone): I hope I die before I get old.

Panel 5

Description: Jubilee is now wearing her red Generation X outfit, surrounded by the other members of Generation X, such as Chamber, Skin, Husk, M, etc who are all looking at her. She is closing her eyes and screaming at the reader.

JUBILEE: Professor Xavier is a jerk!

The End!

Jubilee – Honey, You’re The Only Danger In The Room – Ryan K Lindsay

1. Jubilee stands over a bashed up Pixie. She has her wings broken and Jubilee has blood dripping off her clenched fists and a grimace an abyss deep.

Caption: It’s just not ever going to end.

2. Jubilee leans against the wall and wipes her face with the back of her hand. She’s exhausted.

Caption: Everywhere I turn they keep coming at me.
Caption: I’m not even getting a moment to breathe.

3. Jubilee looks up to her right, down into the alley. She has a look of concern on her face.

Caption: All I want is to get off this ride.

4. Jubilee now has a look of anger in her face.

Caption: I’ll do anything it wants me to do just to be free.

5. Big panel, Jubilee stands with hands splayed at her sides, slightly rising up. Sparks and flares shooting from her finger tips.

Caption: I’ll do anything.
Jubilee: Let’s see how you sneak up on me now when there aren’t any shadows, you bitch!

Title/Caption: Honey, You’re The Only Danger In The Room
Caption: Next week: Out Of The Shadows Comes The Cat

Jubilee - The Light That Never Goes Out - Ben Rosenthal

This page consists of 6 panels. The first panel take up half the page in length, and also half the width. Panels 2 and 3 are to the right of this panel, each taking up half the length of Panel 1, so that they are on top of each other. Panels 4 and 5 are identicle in size, as Panel 6 again takes up half of the full page's length and width.

(By pure coincidence, I too have used a song title for the title of this weeks script. A No-Prize to the first person to guess who sang it).


1. A wide panel looking down on a room. A large double bed is at the centre of the panel. Jubilee is lying in the bed, eyes closed as if asleep. However, she is clutching at the sheets, clearly looking uncomfortable.

TEXT BOX: “How many things can a 20 year old gal be?”


2. A closer shot of Jubilee, from the chest up. There are lines on her forehead as she frowns. It looks as if she is having a bad dream.

TEXT BOX: “Mallrat, Sidekick, Human, Vampire...”

TEXT BOX: “Like, I’ve had and lost powers more times than Magneto!”


3. Closer on Jubilee, now from the neck up. Sweat has begun to bead from Jubilee’s forehead. Her lip is curling back in pain. The colours in the panel have also gone slightly opaque, looking a few shades lighter.

TEXT BOX: “And that’s what it always comes down to – powers.”


4. Closer again, this time from the chin up. We can still see all of Jubilee’s head. The same panel as above, however Jubilee’s face is showing slightly more pain. The colours of the panel are whiter still.

TEXT BOX: “My powers are in my DNA. You can’t stop them any more than you can make my eyes blue or hair green.”


5. A tight shot on Jubilee’s face. A mostly white panel with the feint outline of Jubilee’s shocked and pain ridden face. Her eyes are open wide, and mouth gaping – wrestling with a scream which refuses to come.

TEXT BOX: “You can suppress them for a while, but eventually they will...”


6. A mostly white panel. We can see a faint outline of a female amongst the bright light. She is floating, composed entirely of light. She looks powerful, with light bursting from her, and at the same time being a part of her.

TEXT BOX: “...explode.”



Basically, Jubilee becomes an Omega powered mutant with powers similar to that of the Living Laser (but wayyyy cooler). She would be the first of some (or possibly all) of the depowered mutants to have her powers come back after laying dormant for so long.

This would lead to some of these said mutants, who would have similarly ramped up power levels, taking vengeance on those who they feel persecuted them. It would get us back to what makes the X-Men cool – people with ridiculous power fighting each other with it.

Jubilee - Who I Am Hates Who I'll Be - Max Barnard

The Premise: Despite the fact I'm a vocal hater of soapbox scripts, more than half of my material on here has had a whiff of the ole personal opinion shout-out to them. This is no exception, as Jubilation Lee has basically been horrifically destroyed by comic stories in the last few years, and I feel like complaining about it somehow. So here's a story where Gen-X era Jubilee is given a glimpse into what's to come for her. Enjoy.

(Also bonus points for anyone bright enough to know what band's song I've paraphrased for the title)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 1 - X Panels

1-- Gateway and Jubilee (in her Generation X uniform) have teleported into a dark cave, appearing in a misty swirl. Other than them and the teleport effect all that is visible is a fire and the dimly lit walls of the cavern. Jubilee appears surprised.

SFX/TELEPORT - FWOOP!!

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - Wha?!


2-- The teleport effect is now gone and Gateway is seating himself in front of the fire. Jubilee is now appearing even more shocked, pointing at Gateway with her other hand to her mouth.

SMALL SPEECH BUBBLE/GATEWAY - ... sit

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - YOU CAN SPEAK?!

SPEECH BUBBLE/GATEWAY - ... Sit. I must show you the horrors that are to come.


3-- Jubile is now seating herself in front of the fire as well, right next to Gateway. As she is doing this smoke is rising into a spherical shape.

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - What's to come? Geez, you speak to me for the first time and it's that much of a downer? Something tells me we aren't going to get along that well, Gates.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GATEWAY - Silence. The future is forming before our eyes.


4-- We're now viewing the sphere of smoke from over the shoulders of Jubilee and Gateway. In the sphere we can see Jubilee in her Robert Kirkman days, where she gained huge slitty eyes and incredibly yellow skin.

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - What the hell! How did I become such a charicature? I'm cute as a button dammit! And my *ahem* assets really stay this small? That sucks!

SPEECH BUBBLE/GATEWAY - We're only beginning Ms. Lee. Let us continue.


5-- The same view, with the image in the sphere changing to Jubilee in her New Warriors-era guise, where her breasts grew to be larger than her head.

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - Now THIS is what I'm talking about, G! Though... Those are KINDA big... My back must hurt like hell!

SPEECH BUBBLE/GATEWAY - You've also lost your powers at this point.

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - WAIT WHAT?!


6-- Same view, though Jubilee is now facing Gateway and yelling at him. The image in the sphere is now her in Gischler's X-Men, covered in blood from the vampiric suicide bomber.

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - WHAT DO YOU MEAN I LOSE MY POWERS?!

SPEECH BUBBLE/GATEWAY - Hush, child. Observe the fate you are doomed to.

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - WHY AM I COVERED IN BLOOD?!


7-- Jubilee is now holding Gateway by the shoulders, shaking him violently. The image in the sphere has changed to a scene from X-Men issue 2, namely the one where Jubilee says the truly awful line I'll be referencing in the speech.

SPEECH BUBBLE/SMOKE SPHERE - "--Like pure desire coursing through my veins. And I'm afraid. Afraid to touch the DARKNESS, but I can't stop myself."

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION LEE - WHY AM I SAYING THAT?! IS THIS EVEN ME?! I'M LIKE A HAMMER HORROR REJECT! SHOW ME HOW TO CHANGE THIS, GATEWAY! SHOW ME OR I'LL END YOU RIGHT HERE!


8-- Gateway is pushing Jubilee away from him and is getting up from the fire. The sphere is dissipating back into ordinary smoke.

SPEECH BUBBLE/GATEWAY - There is no way. I just felt you ought to know. Now we shall leave.

SPEECH BUBBLE/JUBILATION - NO! Don't do this to me, G! Please just do--

NARRATION BOX - And Jubilee was teleported back to her ordinary life with Generation X mid-sentence. Somehow she forgot all this by the time all the awful things happened to her, but isn't it nice to know that really, deep down, she saw it all coming? Lessens the pain some, yes?

NARRATION BOX - Fin (with apologies to years of comics history)

Why Jubilation Lee?

Honestly? Because I hate how she's treated now and am a HUGE Generation X fan. Like HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE. But I'll get to that. Let's talk about what makes Jubilee a great character for this week on Thought Balloons, shall we?

A name that can only bring celebrations to mind, Jubilee is probably known by most as the chilli-dog eating, fireworks spurting member of the X-Men from the absolutely stunning 90s cartoon (and if you don't know the cartoon you're either ancient or a toddler yourself), and I expect that side of her is what we'll see more of this week than anything else. But there's a fair bit more to her than that, as you'd expect almost two decades after the fact.

No, since those early X-Men days she became a core character of the "best team book ever", Generation X, where her powers were explored to greater effect, revealing that Jubilee's powers actually have the potential to detonate matter on the sub-atomic level. That basically makes her a fusion bomb generator. You can't ask for more power than that really. Throughout that series she formed close friendships with characters like Husk and Chamber (the BEST Marvel character of all time), and an almost-romance with fellow team member Skin. Oh and she pursued a Hollywood career, but that didn't go too well, with typecasting and sexual advances becoming too great a set of issues for her.

Of course since then the years haven't been kind to the girl with the nonsensical name, as she got depowered after House of M, opened a half-way house in Queens that she swiftly abandoned, joined the anti-registration New Warriors team, almost died multiple times, appeared in a short-lived and painfully awful Robert Kirkman comic and most recently became a shoddy Twilight stock character and got vamped up in Victor Gischler's new X-Men series.

But I implore you to ignore all the awkward stuff that's happened in those recent years. Instead just take a crack at a character that is the embodiment of 90s youth culture at its finest with a power set that carries a fair bit of potential.

ch'yeah, and an excuse to use hip 90s comics slang.


Find out more about Jubilee by going to:
Her Wikipedia Page
Her Marvel Wikia Page
The Generation X Marvel Wikia Page
Pre-Order Generation X Classic vol. 1 from Amazon.com (UK)



*Ahem* If you wish to contribute an entry to Thought Balloons using this character, enter your script into the comments on this post. You know you want to!

Scott Pilgrim - Vs. The Evil X-Boyfriends - Rol Hirst

Panel One.

Scott and his friends are drinking in a dingy club.

WALLACE: So what you’re telling me is this NEW girl, she really IS the woman of your dreams.

SCOTT: Totally, dude. Ramona and all her crazy ex’s… that was just way too much trouble.

Panel Two.

Close on Scott, beer bottle in hand, chatting excitedly.

SCOTT: But Emma… Emma’s like uber-sexy… she dresses like you wouldn’t believe…

SCOTT: It’s like she knows exactly what I’m thinking the whole time we're together… AND she utterly, utterly digs guys named Scott.

Panel Three.

Wider shot. Scott’s sister Stacey comes over. She’s pointing behind her.

STACEY: Sco-ott… there’s some guys here want a word with you.

Panel Four.

Scott looks over in the direction Stacey's pointing, his eyes going wide. Wallace covers his own eyes with a hand.

SCOTT: Gulp!

WALLACE: I’ve got a very bad feeling about this.

Panel Five.

Approaching the table is a group of seven angry individuals. Among them: Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club, Prince Namor the Submariner, Tony Stark (in his Iron Man armour)… and Scott Summers, his visor burning red. Three other characters are seen in shadow only, two men and a woman, just to get the fanboys in a stir because bi-sexuality is, like, SO exciting… if you haven’t left your mum’s basement in the last seven years.

CYCLOPS: Scott… Pilgrim?

Panel Six (set inside panel five).

Headshot of Wallace, peeping out between his fingers.

WALLACE: And… here we go again.

Scott Pilgrim –V EC Horror V 80’s Video Games – Ryan K Lindsay

1. Scott Pilgrim is sitting up on a dirty floor. He has just woken up, he looks groggy, there’s little *’s circling his head.

Caption: Your name is Scott Pilgrim and the last thing you remember is Ramona screaming.
Caption: It sounded like she might have seen a monster...or a monster sale.

2. Scott is standing up and looking around him.

Caption: Either way, she is now gone and you are all alone.

3. Scott is walking down a long hallway.

Caption: You’d only come to fill out a prescription with Dr West. You’d had trouble sleeping. The wetness had returned.

4. Scott has come across some creepy little red things that bounce along the floor and look like they’d possibly form a piranha frenzy around your ankles.

Caption: But now you’ve lost your girl, you’ve lost your way, and if you are seeing those creepy little things you might well have lost your mind.

5. Scott has rounded a corner and there’s a pedestal with a down light above it. On the pedestal is a creepy red mask, its face is plain, it looks like a red gimp mask.

Caption: You see the Terror Mask and you know you have only one choice.

6. Scott is looking down to see a metal pole suddenly in his hand, I’d imagine this as a low angle shot.

Caption: Scott Pilgrim, welcome to the Splatterhouse.
Caption: We’ve got fun and games.
Caption: You’ve got a bitchin’ metal pole.

Scott Pilgrim - Vs The World Warrior - Ben Rosenthal

This page has 6 panels. Make them fit however you wish.


The following takes place at some point.


1. Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers are walking hand in hand. From Scott’s pocket is a tiny ‘breep’ sound effect, as he has received a message on his phone.

RAMONA
When did you get a cell?

2. Close up of the mobile screen. It reads:

Mr Pilgrim, It has come to my attention that you are dating my girlfriend Ramona Flowers. Prepare to fight.


3. Scott is looking at Ramona, his mobile still in his hand.

SCOTT
I thought you only had seven evil ex-boyfriends.

RAMONA
I did....

RAMONA
Oh, wait, there was this one guy who was obsessed with me. He was convinced that we were dating when we never were.

SCOTT
What was his name?

4. The same panel, however Scott and Ramona are looking straight ahead, eyes wide. There is a “THWOMP” sound effect over their heads, as something has just landed right in front of them.

ROMONA
Ken.

5. This panel shows what the two are looking at. It is Ken Masters from Street Fighter 2. He is dressed in his red Gi. He is tightening his black belt, ready to face Scott in combat.


6. Same panel of Scott and Ramona, with Scott’s hand waving nervously. Scott looks both star struck and frightened (very wide eyes).

SCOTT
How do, Ken.

Scott Pilgrim - Vs. The Evil Monthly Subscription Service - Matt Duarte

Scott Pilgrim in “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The Evil Monthly Subscription Service” by Matt Duarte

This scene takes place shortly after the end of the sixth Scott Pilgrim book (don’t worry, no big spoilers). It is set up in seven panels. First three go on the first row, the two after that in a second row, and the last two on a third row.

Panel 1

Description: Scott and Ramona are sitting in a table in their living room. Ramona looks slightly worried while Scott looks confident as he makes a hand gesture pointing at himself.

RAMONA: Scott, there’s been a slight complication. You are going to have to fight my eight evil ex.

SCOTT: No worries, Rammy. After Gideon, this will be a piece of cake!

Panel 2

Description: A reaction shot of Scott as he learns the shocking news, his eyes are wide open.

RAMONA (Off-panel): Um... right. Did I mention he is a Level 80 Warlock?

Panel 3

Description: Ramona’s hand is pointing at a computer in a desk in the living room.

Ramona ...in World of Warcraft.

Panel 4

Description: Still in the living room. Scott looks confused, and Ramona looks embarrassed, her cheeks red.

SCOTT: Wait a minute, how do you know this guy again?

RAMONA: I met him in one of my guild’s raid.

SCOTT: You played WOW?

Panel 5

Description: Still in the living room. Scott now looks meditative, as if thinking to himself, while Ramona is clearly frustrated.

RAMONA: Look, I had just broken up with Gideon and I was bored so I started playing, and I dated him through there.

SCOTT: I didn’t know you could do that...

RAMONA: Are you going to fight him or not?

SCOTT: Sure, sure.

Panel 6

Description: Scott is now dynamically punching the computer, breaking it, and making dozens of gold rings pop out (like in Sonic games)

Panel 7

Description: Scott is walking away, dusting his hands off, looking very pleased.

SCOTT: Easiest battle so far!

The End

Why Scott Pilgrim?

Because, in simple words, this is Scott Pilgrim's finest hour. Not only did the sixth installment of the series come out in the past month, to critical acclaim and great sales, but there's also the movie adaptation that is being released this very week upon unsuspecting masses, and an old school video game tie-in. Whichever one is your preferred media, Scott Pilgrim has got you covered.

I also chose him because so far we have had all characters from Marvel and DC, and I liked that this would present a challenge to my fellow ThoughtBallooners. Not everyone has read all of the books, and that's fine, because no one has read every Superman or Iron Man appearance either. The character also lends itself to comedy, something that is harder to write in a single one page script.

But most of all, I want to see who is the first one that does "Scott Pilgrim: Noir". Stay tuned this week for more of Scott Pilgrim vs. Thought Balloons!

Scott Pilgrim is a character created and owned by Brian Lee O'Malley. Please don't sue us, Mr. O'Malley!

The Question - A Bizarre Statement - Matt Duarte

The Question in “A Bizarre Statement” by Matt Duarte

This page is to be set in four panels. Three long vertical ones in the first half of the page, and the bottom one a big one that takes up the other half of the page.

Panel 1

Description: We are seeing this from inside Renee Montoya’s apartment, she is climbing through the window, only to find a guest in there. We can only see a blue outfit with a red cape, as Superman stands in front of her.

QUESTION (Caption): It’s not the first time I’ve met him, but he always freaks me out. All that power. I can’t help but think the worst from people sometimes.

QUESTION (Caption): Though I did take a bit of pride when he said he had trouble tracking me down.

Panel 2

Description: From the same angle as before, Superman is now standing next to her by the window, he is pointing to the right as they both look out.

QUESTION (Caption): Turns out he just came to warn me about a copycat of some sorts, from what I understand.

QUESTION (Caption): He said I better see it for myself, three blocks down the road, the alley on the right.

Panel 3

Description: Seen from inside the alley, with two imposing walls on the side. The Question is entering an alley, with a small blue blip flying overhead.

QUESTION (Caption): I would never say it to his face, but I hate being involved with them. I feel so out of my element.

Panel 4

Description: The Question walks into the end of the alleyway, while Superman lands next to her. Up on the wall, there is a big graffiti that looks like this one from the cover of 52 (reference here). The only difference is that the text underneath reads “EXCLAMATE THE STATEMENT”

QUESTION (Caption): I mean, how the $#%& am I supposed to know what “Bizarro World” is?

Next: Mondo Bizarro!

The Question - A Question Of Doubt - Ryan K Lindsay

1. A young girl, maybe about 14 but mature for her age, stands at the mouth of an alley. She has her hands in the pockets of her almost baggy pants. Her hooded sweatshirt is open, her hair is back in a pony tail. She is the tomboy who wants to be pretty, or the pretty girl who wants to be a tomboy. Her name is Liz.

Caption: No one understands the guys they see in spandex doing what they can only dream about.

2. The girl is walking down the alley with her head down.

Caption: They’re pegged as role models but most guys know they can’t do that sort of thing. Unless you’re born with a jaw you could set your watch to it’s a bit much to ask.

3. The girl is looking across to her right, we are watching her from behind still.

Caption: So I just assumed I wouldn’t really mean anything to anyone either.
Caption: Who would want to follow the path I’ve travelled?

4. The girl is crouched down and looking into a pile of trash and bins and junk.

Caption: But I’ve been blind, everyone is someone’s role model; it’s silly to think otherwise.

5. We are looking over Liz’s shoulder at Renee Montoya’s face, bruised, battered, and only partially covered by the mask of the Question.

Caption: Just me being here will inspire this girl to become something she had never dreamed of.
Caption: Because of me she’ll be dead in the next 36 hours. And I’ll have only one clue to find her killer.

The Question - Kids Play - Simon McDonald

1. We're in one of the lavish Wayne Enterprises boardrooms. Bound in chain, back-to-back is Renee Montoya - outfitted in her Question attire - and Damian Wayne, clad in civillian gear.

THE QUESTION

Don't be scared, kid.

We're going to be okay.

I can get us out of this.

DAMIAN WAYNE

I'm not scared.

2. The Question struggles against their binds. Behind her, Damian sits patiently.

THE QUESTION

I've ... nfff ... been in worse jams than this.

I've ... rrrgh ... faced off against Batman's entire rogue's gallery.

Arrrrrh....

I just need ... thirty ... seconds ...

DAMIAN WAYNE

Mm-hmm.

3. On Damian; rolling his eyes as, behind him, The Question continues to struggle.

THE QUESTION

Just ... a little ... more time ...

C'mon you son of a bitch...

C'mon...!

DAMIAN WAYNE

Sigh.

If I may?

4. On The Question; even masked, we can tell she's shocked to hear a metallic click.

SFX

CLICK!

5. The Question and Damian are standing now, free of the chain. Damian is shrugging out of his jacket; ready to kick some ass.

DAMIAN WAYNE

And so the rescuee becomes the rescuer.

The ineptitude of this city's crime-fighting community doesn't surprise me at all.

Have you met Red Robin?

6. Damian's assessing Renee, not entirely impressed.

DAMIAN WAYNE

I suppose you'll make do as my subordinate for this evening.

No doubt you'll come in handy, should I require a distraction.

Come on. They'll be in the vault by now.

7. The Question watches Damian dash ahead.

THE QUESTION

Kids.

END

Renee Montoya - Noir As Heck - Max Barnard

The Premise:.... I like noir stuff. I like Renee Montoya. Noir has clichés. Renee Montoya is a lesbian... That is all.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page One - 7 Panels

1-- Renee (in a tank top, trilby, cargo shorts and sizeable boots) is sitting at a desk in a very cliché P.I.'s office, with her booted feet up on the desk. I'm talking the works, old style wood panelling in a sparse, cheap, small room, with basic lamps in some corners, and blinds on the windows. If you need any reference check just about any classic hard-boiled detective film made more than... let's say... 30 years ago. I'm not kidding, it's always the same. Heck, I think the detective's office in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" had that typical look. Anyway, the desk (and subsequently Renee) is facing the door, which is slightly ajar as a long leg draped in the lower parts of a glittering red dress is making its way through the gap. If the connected foot fits into the shot we should see some ruby-red stilettos with a very long (but not ridiculous) pointed heel.

NARRATION/RENEE MONTOYA - I knew as soon as she entered my office that she was nothing but trouble. The kind of trouble that can never lead to anything good...


2-- The woman (who for the sake of scripting will be referred to as "Lady In Red"), a redhead with skin as white as ivory and made excessively tall and leggy by the aforementioned heels, has entered the office, leaning in a sultry pose against the doorframe, with one arm raised to her head, holding a wide-brimmed floppy red hat, with a large ribbon trailing off of it down her body. As for said body, it is covered by the previously alluded to long ruby-red sparkling dress, with a chest cut from the shoulders straight down to the navel. At that point there is another extravagant ribbon, that trails down to her heels. Her eyes are obscured by oval sunglasses with -what else- deep red lenses. Her lips are a bright red pout, alluring yet revealing nothing of her emotions. In the hand not leant against her head is a small (RED) handbag/purse dealio. A hell of a design job, but drop-dead gorgeous and *ahem* Noir As Heck.

NARRATION/RENEE MONTOYA - Not that trouble has ever stopped women like these being worth every second in front of your eyes.


3-- We're now looking at Renee's face, trilby raised, surprised and ever-so slightly slack-jawed expression on her face.

NARRATION/RENEE MONTOYA - I mean DAYUM!


4-- Renee is now leaning back in her chair again, trilby covering her eyes as she tries to maintain a blank expression. This, however, doesn't distract from the facts that her cheeks are now quite red.

SPEECH BUBBLE/RENEE MONTOYA - Dayum...


5-- We're now viewing Renee at her desk from the doorway, with the legs and arse of the Lady In Red in view as she struts sexily towards the desk.

SPEECH BUBBLE/LADY IN RED - Oh Ms. Detective, I've come to you with quite the dilemma, a real pulava, a what-to-do and a great big mess I need you for.


6-- Viewing the scene now from just over Renee's shoulder, the Lady In Red is now leaning over the desk towards Renee, back curved so that her rear is raised above the curve itself, thrusting her cleavage at Renee's face with no real subtlety, yet still maintaining a pose by pushing her breasts together with her arms, which themselves are pushed against the desk.

SPEECH BUBBLE/RENEE MONTOYA - Whuff. A problem, you're saying? Well I'm the right person for the job, toots. And it's Renee, by the way.


7-- A close-up of the Lady In Red's face, wherein she is perching her sunglasses on the edge of her nose, looking up through her carefully shaped eyebrows at Renee with -again, what else- red irises. She is now slyly grinning.

SPEECH BUBBLE/LADY IN RED - Oh wonderful, I'd hoped ever so much that you'd be just the person I was looking for. Let me tell you about what's causing such a stir in me, making me all a-twitter, all flustered and bothered...

NARRATION/RENEE MONTOYA - Some Dames are worth all the trouble in the world and this one... Well, she could cause three world's worth of trouble and I'd still be putty in her hands.



[author's note: this is my FAVOURITE script I've ever written, and probably the most specific I've ever been with a script. Partly because I was going for a strong theme for "Lady In Red"'s style (hint: it's red!) (also points for anyone who can tell who she's an analogue for), and even more so because I'm bloody mad for clothing on ladies. It can be magical stuff. This first page is a Wednesday Comics/Elseworlds combo in my mind, something that would bridge out to Renee dealing with L.I.R.'s problems and encountering other characters in this strange universe who are themselves analogues of other DC characters. I WILL return to this in the future (i hope!) simply because I've wowed myself on this one. Which for any long-term readers/close online friends will know is pretty impossible.]

The Question - Face Off - Rol Hirst

Panel One.

Close on a corpse lying in a grimy back alley somewhere in Gotham City. The corpse has no face. All its facial features are gone, leaving smooth skin. Like the mask The Question herself wears, the face has just the shape of a nose, mouth and eyes, but no actual features.

Off-panel, Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya (as The Question) discuss the gruesome discovery.

BULLOCK: So you can see why I called you back from Hub… thought maybe this was one of yours.

Panel Two.

Pull out to reveal the full scene. The Question and Bullock standing over the body. Crime scene tape and CSI officers fill out the alley.

THE QUESTION: You know me better than that, Harvey.

BULLOCK: Hey, you supertypes, you’re always coming up with nutty new powers and $%*@ - whaddo I know?

Panel Three.

Close on The Question.

THE QUESTION: What do you know?

BULLOCK: (off-panel) Press has already dubbed him ‘The Identity Thief’. See, he doesn’t just take their faces and fingerprints...

Panel Four.

Close on Harvey, scratching his head.

BULLOCK: ...but it’s impossible for us to identify them from their DNA too.

BULLOCK: Official cause of death is suffocation, but there’s obviously way more to it than that.

Panel Five.

Renee crouches to examine the body. One faceless figure examining another.

THE QUESTION: What about the Bat?

BULLOCK: I guess he’s all over it – but I still thought maybe you’d be interested – in case this guy’s infringing your copyright or something.

Panel Six.

Change of scene. A Gotham City hotel room. Not too plush, but hardly a fleapit. Just the basics – a bed, a TV, a dressing table, a wardrobe - all Renee can afford. The Question enters through a window from the fire escape, reaching down to activate the device on her belt buckle which seals and unseals the mask to her face. A cloud of gas / smoke surrounds her.

CAPTION (RENEE): Not sure I’ve ever seen Harvey Bullock so freaked. He was hiding it… but this case is really getting to him.

Panel Seven.

The Question sits at the dressing table mirror, surrounded by the smoke from the belt device. She begins to peel away her mask.

CAPTION: To have your whole identity stripped away like that… that’s enough to frighten even someone who takes her face off every single…

Panel Eight.

As the mask comes away, Renee discovers with horror that underneath… her face is still completely blank. She stares at her faceless reflection as behind her a shadowy figure steps in from the fire escape.

CAPTION: …night!?

The Question - ? - Ben Rosenthal

This page is once again a 3 lined grid. The first panel is a landscape shot, and as such takes up the length of the page. The second line on the grid has panels 2 and 3, both of which are of the same size. Panels 4 and 5 are on the last line of the grid, and are again of the same size.

The following takes place at the end of the battle between Wonder Woman’s team of super heroes (of which Batgirl and The Question are a part of), and aliens whom attacked Washington DC.


1. The front lawn of the White House, although there is very little green left. Where there was once a large expansive lawn now lays a scene from a war. Machinery, both alien and local, is strewn from one end of the gates surrounding the White House to the other. There are still many small fires burning.
In the middle, baring the marks of a hard fought victory are Wonder Woman, Batgirl and The Question (Renee Montoya). All have their respective costumes torn and singed in places.

WONDER WOMAN
We have won.

2. Closer in on the group of three. Wonder Woman is standing tall, with Batgirl crouched beside her, exhausted. The Question is on the other side of Wonder Woman, slightly slumped shouldered but still standing.

WONDER WOMAN
The battle fierce, and the cost great, but we won. We proved ourselves as champions.

3. The same panel as before, however now Wonder Woman has turned to The Question to address her. She has placed one hand on The Question’s shoulder.

WONDER WOMAN
For one so new to this world of ours, you have shown supreme courage. Attending to hurt civilians with no question for your own safety was admirable.

WONDER WOMAN
I for one, would have you as my partner any day, place or time.

4. Same scene, with Wonder Woman’s hand still on The Question’s shoulder. Although we cannot see her face, Renee’s body language tells us that she is uncomfortable.


5. Same panel as above.

THE QUESTION
I.....I’m seeing someone.....

The Question - About Face - James McNeill

It's been business as usual in Gotham. One night, Renee encounters someone she's been hoping not to see for a while.


1. Renee stands with her back to us, looking down a dark alleyway. The only light comes from a dim streetlight, off-panel, to her left.

MYSTERIOUS SPEAKER: Renee Montoya.

2. Same angle, lower down; Renee reaches for her gun. In the background to the right of the panel, the speaker leans against the brick wall at the end of the alleyway. We can't see anything of him but a silhouette, only dimly lit on one side by the streetlight -- not enough to identify him.

MYSTERIOUS SPEAKER: You had a face last time.

3. Renee draws her gun and aims it at the mysterious speaker. We now see her face, which is completely blank, hat drawn low over where her eyes would be.

RENEE: How do you know who I am?

4. The mysterious speaker's lit side. He's wearing a nice suit and tie from what we can see.

MYSTERIOUS SPEAKER: You'll need to hide more than your face to hide from me.

5. Large panel. Part of the mysterious speaker's face can be seen, dimly lit from the streetlight side. His face is handsome enough, and he's smiling. The real clue to his identity is his two-tone tie, and the faintest suggestion of a wide eye and no lips on the shadowy side of his face.

TWO-FACE: I know about changing faces.


(Subsequently Two-Face reveals he's been having her followed. He makes her an offer she'd normally refuse, but would give her a singular chance to infiltrate his crime ring. But will she end up in over her head?)

--

And as a sort of bonus... Whenever I write script, I first sketch out what the page will look like, as it's much easier to visually describe what I see than what I'm thinking. Usually I do this on scratch paper, but this time I did it digitally, and thought I'd upload it to show you lot a bit of my process. Click the preview for a larger image, if you're interested.

Why The Question?

Choice by James McNeill

We at Thoughtballoons tend to have a great love for the street heroes, the rough and gritty. The Question has definitely got that aspect covered, trawling the streets of Gotham City with no powers but the ability to conceal her face. And yes, I said "her" -- I'm talking about Renee Montoya, the second Question, originally of the Gotham City Police Department.

See, Renee's not just badass, she's good at her job. She worked with the GCPD for a long time, showing up in various Bat-comics long before she ever got her own comic. She was the only one who ever managed to get through to Two-Face (by means of Harvey Dent). She served a long time before the fateful day her partner in the force was killed, and then managed to rise from her despair (with a little help from Vic Sage, the original Question) to play an integral part in the events of 52, eventually taking up the mantle after Vic's death. She's got History with a capital H with Kate Kane, also known as Batwoman; though they're no longer involved, the sexual tension between them is all kinds of crazy. Renee's had as much of a struggle fighting her inner demons as the outer ones, but that's what makes her such an interesting character.

I know I've had a blast writing her, and I just hope the rest of you have as well.


 

Gamora - Guest Posts

Gamora was a fun character to have this week, though I felt she was a little harder to write than usual, and that was reflected in the amount of pay-at-home scripts we got in, just the one. As usual, it's by the inexhaustable and indefatiguable Danial Carroll. Hit the jump to see his script, 'The Meeting'. It's a funny little ditty that packs a decent ending.

Make sure to check back later on when the new week's character is launched, I think you'll like her.

Gamora - Never Send a Man... - Brandon Whaley

This page would be seven panels. The way I see it would be three columns. The first two columns would consist of three panels each, with the final panel stretching the length of the page. Of course, this is all open to artist interpretation.

Panel 1:

We see the Incredible Hercules engaged in mighty battle against Thanos in downtown New York City. Herc has Thanos in the grip of a bear hug.

Caption: He is the deadliest enemy the galaxy has ever known.

Panel 2:

We see Herc being shrugged aside by Thanos just as Captain America steps in, shield at the ready.

Panel 3:

Captain America is being thrown back by a powerful blast from Thanos. As he falls to the ground, we see the Hulk jump on-panel, the ground being shattered as he lands.

Caption: The mightiest of warriors have once again assembled to stand in the path of Thanos, the Mad Titan.

Panel 4:

Thanos has the Hulk in a choke hold. The Silver Surfer flies in on his board, fists crackling with cosmic energy, a scowl on his face.

Panel 5:

Thanos throws the Hulk at the Surfer, knocking him from his board just as he releases his blast. We see the blast nail Drax the Destroyer, who has attempted to sneak up on the Titan in the meantime.

Caption: Thanos returns time after time to accomplish his mad agenda. Each defeat is merely a delay to him.

Panel 6:

We see Thanos standing triumphant, the bodies of the most powerful men in the Marvel universe scattered at his feet. The aforementioned opponents, along with others such as Thor, Beta Ray Bill, Quasar, Spider-Man, Cyclops, Professor Xavier, and any others the artist wishes to include. All men.

Caption: The moral of the story? Never send a man...

Panel 7:

We see Gamora in full battle garb (well, what passes for full battle garb for her at least), her sword at the ready and a dangerous glint in her eye.

Gamora: “...to do the job of the galaxy's most dangerous woman.”

Gamora - Him & His Big Mouth - Simon McDonald

1. The Avengers Mansion is in ruins; the bodies of various Avengers are strewn about, unconscious, half-buried in rubble. Two women remain standing. Black Widow, with two pistols aimed squarely at her foe; Gamora, sword in her band. Both appear bruised and battered, but determined to take each other out.

CAPTION

[BLACK WIDOW]

I'm going to kill him for this.

2. Flashback Sequence Begins. Inside the Avengers mansion. The Avengers are sitting around a table. Spider-Man is seated between Black Widow and Gamora; her sword is sheathed behind her back. 

SPIDER-MAN

I'm just sayin' !

I think one of you - and I'm lookin' at you, Gammy, 'cause you're new here...

... I think one of you need a new slogan.

3. On Black Widow; bored. Sick to death of Spidey's incessant chatter.

SPIDER-MAN

[off panel]

'Cause right now, we've got the world's most dangerous woman sitting on my left...

4. On Gamora, eyes bulging at this revelation.

SPIDER-MAN

[off panel]

And on my right, we've got the universe's most dangerous woman!

5. On Spidey, gesticulating. He's now got a notepad in his hand.

SPIDER-MAN

So basically we've got two of the same thing on the team!

Two Most Dangerous Women!

So I've come up with a list of new slogans.

Next time we're taking on Doctor Doom, why don't you give one of these a whirl? I've got - -

6. Gamora is standing, angry, sword unsheathed, aimed squarely at Black Widow. Spidey's stunned, in the midst of falling off his chair.

GAMORA (1)

You're this world's most dangerous woman?

You?

SPIDER-MAN

Whoa, whoa, whoa - -

GAMORA (2)

We shall see!

7. Flashback Sequence Ends. Black Widow is firing her pistols at Gamora, who deflects the bullets easily with her sword.

 CAPTION

[BLACK WIDOW]

Him and his big mouth.

 END.