Panel One.
Lois sits at her desk in the Daily Planet, late at night. She’s typing up a story on her computer. Her heart is breaking.
TEXT: This is the last Superman story I will ever write. Just typing those words causes me more pain than you could ever imagine…
Panel Two.
On a rooftop high above the city, Superman clutches his chest in agony and falls to his knees.
TEXT: …but not as much pain as I know it will cause Metropolis’s greatest hero.
Panel Three.
Close on Superman’s chest.
TEXT: There are teeny, tiny machines – nanobots, they call them – swimming around inside my bloodstream. The technology is beyond me – I've asked our science editor to provide a sidebar. All I understand is that I’ve been infected, and so has the Man of Steel.
Panel Four.
The same image, but this time in X-Ray so that we can see through Superman’s costume and into his body. We can see the heart beating in his chest. It is being attacked by a swarm of tiny machines, glowing green. Kryptonite powered nanobots.
TEXT: We have been told that any attempts to remove them will likely kill us. However, they will remain benign and cause us no further harm so long as I don’t ever type a certain combination of letters again.
Panel Five.
Out of X-ray. Now Superman has collapsed completely on the rooftop. He’s curled up in agony.
TEXT: Those letters are S-U-P-E-R-M-A-N…
TEXT: And that is the last time I will ever write them.
Panel Six.
Back to Lois, lit by the light from her computer screen, a look of steely determination has replaced the sadness.
TEXT: From now on, for the good of the entire world, I will dedicate my life instead to concentrating on an entirely different combination of letters.
Panel Seven.
Close on Lois’s computer screen. It reads…
L-E-X L-U-T-H-O-R.
TEXT: Be warned: what I write will not be pretty.
Wow, that is surprisingly powerful. I can't imagine that with all the heroes in the world, it would be a permanent condition, but I can definitely see the potential of such a setup for as long as it would be in place. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteNow that's an awesome set-up--I really want to see what happens next. Good job! :D
ReplyDeleteDamn, interesting concept but just killer ending. The way Lois' voice comes through is perfect. Rol, my good man, you've delivered once more.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, first I thought the nanobots were sexually transmitted. Does that make me a bad person?
They still could have been, Ryan. It would be easier to infect Lois than it would Supes :)
ReplyDeleteCheers guys, I struggled over this one so I'm glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteRyan... Lois and Clark have SEX?!?
Danial - the way I envisaged it, they were each invaded by slightly different nanobots - one used to activate the other... so no STDs involved this time, sorry.
@Rol: I believe the acronym would be STNs :P
ReplyDeleteMy bad. ;)
ReplyDeleteWow Rol, you just hit another one out of the park and through some douchebag's ferrari windscreen. Very well written and very powerful.
ReplyDelete