Saturday, September 24, 2011

Spider-Island – Sinister Syndicate – MK Stangeland Jr.


(6 Panels)
PANEL 1: The setting is inside the base lounge of the newest incarnation of the SINISTER SYNDICATE. It’s a pretty run-down place, as they’ve only recently come together and haven’t had much opportunity to get a better location. There’s a TV in the room currently, and in spite of not having great reception, may be turned to some obscure channel.
Seen present are MYSTERIO (DANIEL BERKHART), who’s seated at a table with his helmet off and working on a number of trinkets; SPEED DEMON, who’s lounging about on an old couch; STILT-MAN (MICHAEL WATTS), who’s sitting on another couch watching the TV; SQUID (DON CALLAHAN), who’s in a chair reading a newspaper; POLESTAR (PATRICK TRETTEL), who’s sitting next to STILT-MAN; and SCREAM (DONNA DIEGO), who is seen hanging upside down from the ceiling and appears to be deep in thought.
While the others are lounging around, BEETLE (CHOI HANEUL – this is the BEETLE that previously showed up in CAPTAIN AMERICA #607 and 608 but who we didn’t learn anything about beyond her existence, so beyond her armor she’s essentially a new character. Assume she was one of the RAFT criminals who escaped during FEAR ITSELF) enters the room, and carries her helmet under her arm.
BEETLE: Boss, you remember that suggestion I made about branching out and moving to a new market?
STILT-MAN: You mean the one we all rejected?
MYSTERIO: (Off-handedly) I thought the idea had merit.
SPEED DEMON: Nobody cares!
PANEL 2: Panel is close-up on SCREAM and BEETLE. SCREAM lowers down from the ceiling so that she’s at eye level with BEETLE, but still remains in more or less the same position.
SCREAM: What about it? I thought I told you to drop the idea.
BEETLE: Change the channel and perhaps you’ll all change your minds.
PANEL 3: PANEL has focus on POLESTAR and STILT-MAN. POLESTAR pulls the TV remote out of STILT-MAN’s hands with his magnetic gauntlet and changes the channel. STILT-MAN attempts a futile effort to stop POLESTAR.
POLESTAR: Might as well. This show’s lousy anyway.
SFX: *click*click*click*click*
STILT-MAN: Hey! I was watching that!
PANEL 4: Everyone gathers around the TV as they hear the words coming out of it.
TV (1): …confirmed reports that the number of civilians with powers mimicking that of Spider-Man continues to increase. And with it, so has the chaos as these civilians have taken to the streets and begun making full use of their powers.
TV (2): While there is yet no word on what is the cause of this phenomenon, authorities are requesting that…
SPEED DEMON: $#*^! You gotta be kidding me!
PANEL 5: Everyone turns to look at SCREAM.
TV: (In the background) mumblemumblesomethingsomethingblahblahblah
(END PAGE)
(And then the following panel would have them deciding to leave NEW YORK and take their operation to a new city that DOESN’T have a Wall-Crawler running around. Or, for that matter, about a million other superheroes and supervillains in it already.)

2 comments:

  1. I love the Sinister Syndicate and I love the cast you've pulled together here, MK - though some of them are serious losers! (Polestar? Scream? I'm having nightmares just remembering their original appearances.) I did wonder why Daniel Berkhart was back playing Mysterio though.

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  2. How many times have villains broken out of The Raft in recent years?

    As for your script MK, It's a cool little piece. I like the idea of B-Grade villains leaving New York at the outbreak of Spider-Island. Already admitting defeat before they even begin.

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