Pet Avengers – I’m a Bad Man - Ben Rosenthal

1. Redwing is in midflight. However an arrow has pierced one of its wings. It cries it pain as it begins to fall.

2. A raging river. In the middle of the river is a burlap sack, tied up. It is in the process of sinking below the surface. From the hole in the sack we can see the paw of Hairball, reaching out for help.

3. Thog is hanging by the neck near a small lake. One hand clutches at the strand around his neck, while his other reaches in vain for his hammer, lying on the ground bellow his dangling feet.

4. Lockheed is on all fours, head held low. On the wall behind the dragon we can see the shadow of a man with a sword raised above his head. He is about to bring it down on Lockheed’s neck.

5. Lockjaw stands centre panel, looking scared. He is being tracked. Behind him leaping from the shadows is Kraven the Hunter, knife in hand.

Poor Pet Avengers - they more than anyone has suffered from my bad moos while writing this. I'll make it up to them, one day.

Pet Avengers - A Friend in Need - Grant McLaughlin

I'll stop giving you these classic 3 by 3 grid pages one of these days, but today is not that day.

Ms. Lion and Hairball are together on Christmas Eve. Ms. Lion has asked Hairball what he hopes to get from Santa, to which Hairball has responded that Santa doesn't exist, much to Ms. Lion's dismay.

1 – Hairball casually licks a paw as he just as casually dismisses Ms. Lion's innocent beliefs.

HAIRBALL: Think about it. How could one fat man possibly give presents to every single person in the world in one night? Not even Lockjaw could do that – and he can teleport!

2 – Ms. Lion is totally crushed. Hairball continues to lick his paw, not looking at his companion.

MS. LION (quietly) (1): I hadn't thought about it that way.

MS. LION (quieter still) (2): I-I guess you're probably right.

HAIRBALL: Probably.

3 – Ms. Lion flops onto the ground, despondent. Imagine the saddest dog you've ever seen, and you're getting close to what Ms. Lion should look like right about here. Hairball starts licking his other paw.

MS. LION: *sniff*

4 – Ms. Lion starts wailing. Exaggerated tears stream from his doggy eyes. Hairball continues licking his other paw, but his eye are now open wide is surprise.

MS. LION: AUGH-HUNH-HUNH-HUNH!

5 – Hairball is taken aback and visibly feels bad about this turn of events. He frantically tires to think of something to assuage Ms. Lion's incredibly grief.

HAIRBALL: ...

6 – Hairball, still concerned, has an idea.

HAIRBALL: I, uh, I hope that Santa brings me some tuna?

7 – Hairball is in the same position, waiting to see what comes of his gambit. Ms. Lion is still lying on the ground, but his entire demeanour has changed completely. He perks up his head and ears, looks at Hairball, and wears a huge doggy grin. Above his head are some Christmas-themed sound effects.

SFX: JOY!

8 - Ms. Lion happily skips around a surprised and sheepish Hairball.

MS. LION: Oh, I'm sure he will, Hairball! How could he not when you're such a good friend! The best friend a dog could ever hope to have! The bestest of best friends!

9 – Ms. Lion continues to skip around, nattering on about how great Hairball is. Hairball looks thoughtfully at his doggy partner.

HAIRBALL (quietly): Merry Christmas, Ms. Lion.

Why the Pet Avengers?

Because the Avengers were busy.

I kid, I kid.

I'm picking the Pet Avengers because comics are supposed to be fun, and that's exactly what the Pet Avengers are.

In theory, the Pet Avengers are completely ridiculous. And frankly, in practice, they're still pretty ridiculous. But that's a big part of their charm.

Where else will you find a teleporting dog, a Mjolnir-wielding frog, a fire-breathing dragon, a heroic falcon, a sabre-tooth tiger, a telekinetic fielded cat, and a second, non-teleporting, regular dog? And all on the same team to boot?

I'm going to go with “nowhere else”.

I first came into contact with the Pet Avengers while reading Alex Zalben's fantastic Thor and the Warriors Four. While these amazing animals were confined to a cameo role, I immediately fell in love with. To be honest, I rushed to my local comic book store to find what else this team of super pet has been in. There wasn't a ton at the time (although there have been a few series since then), but it was all a joy to read.

These aren't necessarily the most intellectually challenging books you'll ever encounter, but darn if they don't make for some darn good reading nonetheless.  Each character has their own distinct personality, and like any team book worth its salt, their sum is very much greater than their individual parts.

Seriously, if you haven't encountered these craft critters before, you have been missing out.

So in the interest of adding a bit more Pet Avenger goodness to the world, let's do our part and whip up a few more fun stories for these endearing animals to star in.

And let's not forget:

Beginnings - A Comics Anthology - Support Us

I'm part of a Drink 'n' Draw group in our nation's fair capital and we've decided to pool our talent and produce a comics anthology. We also put out the call across Australia (easily done with some tin cans and taut string) and took in some other huddled and poor masses of creators. The result, in 2012, will be:

Beginnings - A Comics Anthology

This 100 page paperback book, with full colour gloss pages, is going to be one hell of a product. It will look amazing, it's going to feel great, and the content within is going to be glorious. It's all going to happen but first we need to get some funds and we're looking global for investers. We've launched a crowd source fundraising campaign on IndieGoGo and all we need is $2000. It's not much and by the time you're reading this we'll nearly be halfway there. We want to make sure we get past the post and take this book to some cons and show our stories around the world.

If you are a fan of thoughtballoons then you owe it to yourself to pre-order this book - a number of tenures will have their work showcased within. I have a 10 page short called 'The Big Day' that I'm sure you will love.

$20 is all it takes to get a copy of the book. More money will see you get some of these perks:

• original art and prints
• sketches in your pre-ordered book
• these awesome badges - you gotta get the badges
• a script critique from Kurtis Wiebe (Image Comics scribe for Green Wake)
• a script critique from Justin Jordan (Image Comics scribe for The Strange Talent of Luther Strode)
• a 45 minute Skype chat with Kelly Sue DeConnick (Marvel Comics scribe for Osborn and Sif)
• an art portfolio critique from Steven Sanders (Marvel Comics artist for S.W.O.R.D. and Generation Hope)

There are also a few other amazing perks we'll be unlocking as these ones sell out. We are determined to reach our goal and also give the investers as much as possible for their buck.

Personally, I figure if you visit this site then you write comics, right? If you want to improve writing comics why not chat to some of the guys who do it best (and if you've read either Luther Strode or Green Wake you'll know these guys are top of the game and sure to break some end of year lists)? Not only will you improve your writing but you'll have made a connection in the business, someone you can network with later. That's easily worth the money. Scoop on in before someone else does...

If you do contribute any money to our anthology, be it $1 or $100, I thank you immensely. It's always so greatly appreciated when independent comics are supported.

Hit the link and help us out - if you like this site then you'll love this book!

BEGINNINGS - A COMICS ANTHOLOGY

Thank you.

Barry Allen – The Flash: Earth One – MK Stangeland Jr.

BARRY ALLEN and IRIS WEST-ALLEN are in a police laboratory that looks like its seen better days.

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: BARRY ALLEN walks across the laboratory floor as he heads for a computerized machine. IRIS WEST-ALLEN is right behind him.

BARRY ALLEN: Wally may have completed the experiment that turned him into The Flash, but it was my research he used as a foundation.

Panel 2: BARRY ALLEN leans up to the machine and retrieves a mysterious looking vial.

BARRY ALLEN: I wanted to make sure his powers weren’t going to do more harm to him than good, and in the process, I was able to created this formula.

Panel 3: BARRY ALLEN holds up a vial filled with a reddish liquid.

BARRY ALLEN: This “Speed Force” should allow me to copy Wally’s powers in their entirety, at least temporarily. Hopefully, long enough to turn things around.

Panel 4: BARRY ALLEN and IRIS WEST-ALLEN head towards another set of machines.

IRIS WEST-ALLEN: But that Zoom person already beat Wally. Not to mention doing who knows what to that old friend of his. And Wally actually knew how to use his powers. How do you expect to beat him?

Panel 5: BARRY ALLEN hooks up the red vial to one of the machines.

BARRY ALLEN: I don’t have to beat him, not on my own. That’s why my first goal is to save Wally

(END PAGE)

This is part of my own idea on what The Flash might look like if I were given the job of writing the Earth One graphic novels for the character (in line with the already written Superman: Earth One and the upcoming Batman: Earth One).

In it, Wally West actually becomes The Flash first, with uncle Barry Allen having served as a powerless metor-type character and Wally’s own personal Commissioner Gordon with more emphasis being put on Barry’s brain as a police scientist than his power of RUNSFAST. The scene above is something that would take place in a potential follow-up book where the above is a result of him having studied Wally’s own powers to see how they work and things getting particularly bad.

The Flash - Time Catches Up - Grant McLaughlin

I don't think anyone should be surprised when I say that I imagine this page being drawn by Francis Manapul.  At this point, I don't want anyone else to draw the Flash ever again. His work is too beautiful and too perfect.  In my mind, his style is exactly how the Scarlet Speedster should look. But enough about my crush on Manapul. Here's a script for your reading pleasure.

Three rows of panels. Row 1 has three panels of equal size. Row 2 has two panels. Panle four is the size of two panels. Panel five is the size of a single panel. The third row is a single panel.

1 – A close-up of a handwritten “To Do” list. It's really full – excessively full. The reader can't even see all the items on the list it's so long. It's titled “TO DO – TODAY!!!” and “today” is underlined three times. Items on the list include Silence the Shade, Repel the Rogues, Put a stop to Grodd, Date with Iris, Close five cases, Get dry-cleaning, Finish that book, and so forth. The first item is crossed off. If desired, you could have some of the Flash's gloved fingers on-panel, holding the list.

CAPTION (BARRY): “Not enough hours in the day.”

BARRY (off-panel): Okay, Barry. You can do this.

CAPTION (BARRY): It's a truism we all face, but as the Fastest Man Alive, I discovered that I have a bit more wiggle room than most.

2 – The Flash running towards the lefthand side of the panel (to denote he's going backwards in time). Have a whackload of speed-lines here, some lightning bolts emanating from his person, and some “shadow” Flashes to show how quickly the Flash is going.

CAPTION (BARRY): It's pretty crazy when you realize for the first time that you can literally run back in time.

3 – The same close-up of the “To Do” list. The first two items are crossed off.

CAPTION (BARRY): That's something that comes in handy pretty often.

BARRY (off-panel): *sigh* This is going to take a while.

4 – Another panel of the Flash running back in time. Same idea as panel two, but this time, there are lots and lots of Flashes. Like, way too many. They are all generally going towards the lefthand side of the page, but their routes, positions, and closesness to the “camera” on the page are all different. There's enough of them that it's getting pretty chaotic. Additionally, show the Flash running harder and harder, exhausting himself with the effort.

CAPTION (BARRY): And while I realized that I was depending on it more and more.

5 – Switch angles to show Barry (still in Flash costume) standing in a nondescript room, next to one of the walls. Visibly drained, he's looking down at his “To Do” list, which is now clearly all crossed off.

CAPTION (BARRY): I had no idea to what extent I relied on it to fit everything in.

BARRY: There. All done.

(off-panel): Barry...

6 – Switch angle. We see that the room is full of dozens of Flashes, all of them holding their own “To Do” lists.

BARRYS: I think we have a problem

The Flash – A Matter Of Timing – Ryan K Lindsay

PAGE 3 - 6 PANELS

This is an Elseworlds tale. It’s a Noir city, perhaps even connected to Batman: Nine Lives. Design the characters, and places, as you see fit.

1. Barry Allen sits in a club booth – this is the Club Dark Side as presented in a noir world. Go crazy with the tropes. Next to Barry is Iris West. There is a big rock on her finger and the only thing shining more is her smile.

Iris: …
Barry: You going to spend all night staring at your reflection in it?
Iris: You bet’cha.
Caption: Allen was seen in the Club Dark Side from 7pm to 11pm.

2. A suave and besuited Darkseid walks up towards Barry and iris’ table, he is wearing white shoes.

Caption: The proprietor of the club approached Barry and his new fiancé at approximately 10:35pm.

3. Barry looks down as a single bullet lands in his lap. It hasn’t been fired, it’s just been tossed there.

Caption: No one could report exactly what occurred.

4. Barry looks up and Darkseid stands with his arms folded.

Darkseid: Be careful, Allen, the next one’s coming much quicker.
Caption: But it was clear words were exchanged.

5. Barry sits still, playing with the bullet in his left hand. Darkseid walks away. Iris looks angry because she knows Darkseid has ruined her night.

Caption: Allen’s mood soured, appreciably. They left soon after.

6. Crime scene out the back, tape up, cops taking photos. Darkseid is dead on the ground, a sheet covers most of his body, just not his white shoes.

Caption: The proprietor was found dead out the back at fifteen minutes to midnight. He was last seen at 11:40pm, well after Allen was gone.
Caption: Multiple witnesses verify Allen was buying, and eating, ice cream with his lady from 11:25pm to midnight at Jack’s Ice Cream Parlour.
Caption: He had a rum and raisin. It didn’t lift his spirits.

The Flash - Violence - Matt Duarte

The Flash in “Violence” by Matt Duarte

Panel 1

Description: A close up of The Flash's classic yellow boots, they are hitting the floor, pushing forward, as he is running.

CAPTION: Rubber hits the floor as the process starts. The ground breaks asunder in response to the incredible force of his muscles.

Panel 2

Description: The Flash is running. We can see his back as he makes his way through Central City.

CAPTION: He slices his way through the air, leaving an empty space in his wake. As particles rush violently to fill in the emptiness, a sonic boom announces his departure.

Panel 3

Description: The Flash is chasing a criminal in a futuristic looking motorbike, still through Central City. He is shouting at him.

CAPTION: His name is Barry Allen. He is the Flash. The fastest man alive.

CAPTION: With every one of his mercurial whims, he creates a plethora of catastrophes on the molecular and atomic level.

THE FLASH: Really, you are trying to outrun me? Not the brightest plan you've come up with, buddy.

Panel 4

Description: Once again the motorbike as the Flash is chasing it, this time though, we can see a tunnel of energy surrounding them both.

CAPTION: He has separated us from our friends. Wrecked our families. Shaken the very foundation of our lifestyles. He has destroyed countless of sub-atomic worlds. Something must be done.

CRIMINAL: I'm not outrunning you, I'm leading you to where they want you.

THE FLASH: Wha---?

Panel 5

Description: The criminal in the bike and Flash are now standing in front of a group of older looking men. One of them clearly has a higher status, standing taller than the rest, as he is the leader of them. This is one of the many subatomic worlds that exist all around us. It has some clearly advanced technology, which can be seen around the room. The men are a council of elders, who don't look particularly happy.

LEADER: Welcome, Flash, our violent and unpredictable God. We assure you, our vengeance shall NOT be swift.

Next: The Atomic Rogues!

The Flash - Second Glance - Sime McDonald

BARRY ALLEN

THE FLASH

IN

SECOND GLANCE

PAGE 18

PANEL ONE

Night. The Flash is standing in the mouth of an alley; a crime scene with yellow tape feebly attempting to block public access, the chalk outline of a body still marked on the concrete. There are a couple of uniformed cops manning the scene, eying Flash suspiciously, hands lingering close to their holstered weapons. Flash's inactivity should be emphasized. We're so used to seeing him portrayed with constantly speed-lines and blurs. Here, his arms are folded and his brow is furrowed in thought. 

FLASH CAPTION

I missed something.

PANEL TWO

Flashback; consider alternate color palette or shift in artistic style. Flash is standing with Batman in the Batcave, by the Batcomputer (is that what they still call it?!). Flash's expression is pained. Batman, as always, is perfectly stoic, listening, the gruff shoulder on which Flash currently needs to lean.

FLASH [1]

One man's dead and the killer's still out there.

FLASH [2]

It's been twenty-four hours.
I need to be faster.

PANEL THREE

Flashback, continued. On Batman. His mouth is a thin line.

BATMAN [1]
No.

BATMAN [2]

You need to slow down, Barry.

PANEL FOUR

Back to the present. Angle this panel from over the top of Flash's shoulder as he examines the scene, still motionless. The crime scene, for the moment, appears void of clues. Nothing stands out. Not yet. Just the grim outline of a corpse, the splatter of dried blood on brick.

BATMAN CAPTION [1]

Sweat the details.

BATMAN CAPTION [2]

Work the clues.

The Flash - Title To Be Revealed - Rol Hirst

The scenario: Barry Allen is searching for something… or someone. Speeding across the DC Universe, stopping off at various notable hero hang-outs. Each individual panel is separate by a lightning bolt to denote Barry’s lightning fast journey.

This page should be drawn by George Perez, or at a pinch Phil Jiminez. You’ll soon understand why…

Panel One.

Barry Allen (in Flash costume) speeds away from Titans Tower, across the surface of San Francisco Bay. His face is set in an expression of grim determination.

CAP (Barry): The Titans know nothing.

Panel Two.

A dark, seedy bar. Barry is leaving, fast, scowling. Behind him, John Constantine, Deadman and Shade are drinking at a table while Madame Xanadu deals tarot. Constantine is giving Barry the finger while the others ignore him.

CAP (Barry): The magicians refuse to help.

Panel Three.

Barry speeds away from The Hall of Justice. Behind him, Booster Gold and Guy Gardner are involved in an argument that’s about to develop into a fistfight. Fire and Ice are trying to separate them.

CAP (Barry): And the JLI are incompetent buffoons.

Panel Four.

This panel is divided by further lightning bolts into three sections. In one, we see Batman frowning at a huge computer screen in the Batcave. In another, Clark Kent is standing on the rooftop of the Daily Planet, looking awkward, adjusting his glasses, unable to help. In the third, the energy from Hal Jordan’s ring has formed into a large green question mark.

CAP (Barry): Not that any of my own colleagues have been able to provide an answer to my question either…

Panel Five.

The remainder of the page is a Perez/Crisis style group shot/montage showing Barry speeding between various other characters from the DCU, including Wonder Woman, Aquaman, J’onn J’onzz and Stormwatch, the Doom Patrol, Legion Lost, and the Suicide Squad. The panel features various freeze-frame images of Barry as he moves between the various characters. The final such image has one line of dialogue: also the title of this strip…

Barry: Where’s Wally!?

The Flash - Date Night - Ben Rosenthal

1. A shot of Iris West, looking shocked. She is looking directly at the reader. The background is dark, but we can make out some slight images of tables, with people sitting at these tables.

IRIS

Barry?

2. Barry Allen is shown in his civilian clothes. Around him are piles and piles of food. His arms move at a blur as he begins to devour everything on the menu.

BARRY

I’ll go for a run later.

So basically, Barry has to eat a lot a food because he burns so much energy with all his running. Get it? Hey? I'll be over here.

The Flash in "Bottleneck" by Danial Carroll

PANEL ONE, WIDE
Wide angle of Barry's bedroom. In one strobed blur, Barry has thrown the bedsheets off, turned off the alarm clock, run in to and out of the adjacent bathroom (going from unshaven to shaven in the process), and run in to and out of the wardrobe (changing from boxer shorts to work clothes). The final "strobe" is him tightening his tie.

CAPTION: A system is only as fast as its slowest component.

SFX/SHEETS: WHOOSH

SFX/ALARM: MEEP MEEP ME--

SFX/BATHROOM: VZZZZZ


PANEL TWO, WIDE
From in front, we see Barry sitting in his car on a highway. There is a long line of cars behind him, showing that this really is some heavy traffic. His car is filled with boxes of paperwork--this being the reason he couldn't just run to work. He is propping his head up with his arm and rolling his eyes.

CAPTION: When fast meets slow, it is called a "bottleneck".

BARRY: ->sigh<-


PANEL THREE
Barry is stooped over a kettle in the office tearoom, waiting for it to boil.

CAPTION: As The Flash, I rarely run into such problems.

BARRY/WHISPER: Just boil already.


PANEL FOUR
As of Barry's POV, we see a computer screen with a quarter-filled load bar and a big label reading, "Loading. Please wait..." From each side of the panel we see Barry's hands clutching at the air.

CAPTION: But as Barry Allen...


PANEL FIVE, WIDE
Close-up of Barry's eyes, sullen, overlaid with a sequence of clock hands ticking second-by-second towards 5pm.

SFX/CLOCK: TICK TICK TICK TICK TICK

CAPTION: ... The Bottleneck is my Arch-Nemesis.

Why The Flash?

If you ask a non-comic-reader who their favourite DC character is, they will undoubtedly say either Batman or Superman. This is fair enough, as both these characters have had more films, TV shows, cartoons, and video games than any other. Myself, on the other hand--having never read a DC comic until the recent New 52 campaign--had always considered The Flash to be my favourite. Why this is, I've never been entirely sure. My best guess is the short-lived live-action TV series that ran when I was at the impressionable age of 11. No matter the source, my liking for the character has carried through to adulthood and has been more than justified by Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato's current series.

Doctor Who - Testing a Theory - Grant McLaughlin

Another 3 by 3 grid from me this week.

1 - The TARDIS is next to be a big superhighway.  Cars are whizzing by.  The Doctor, Amy, and Rory stand on the side of the road, watching.  The Doctor stands in front of the other two, looking intently at the highway.  Amy and Rory also seem kind of intent.

2 - The TARDIS is now in a small French alleyway, the kind with barely enough space for one car, let alone two.  The Doctor has his screwdriver out, seemingly taking readings.  Amy and Rory stand behind him once again, with Rory scratching his head in confusion.  French people pass by, looking curiously at the scene before them.

3 - The TARDIS is now in a busy street in downtown Tokyo.  It's nighttime and the nightlife is buzzing.  Neon signs shine brightly, cars move along quickly, and people seem to be everywhere.  However, the Doctor ignores them, taking a keen eye for the street, standing a little askew as if trying to get a better angle on it.  Amy and Rory continue stand behind him; Rory looks to Amy for a hint of what's going on, but she just shrugs her shoulders.

4 - The TARDIS is now in the middle of a rural English road.  There's no cars in sight, but there are a bunch of curious sheep standing in a nearby pasture.  Once again, the Doctor is looking with incredible interest at the road - he's on his hands and knees, with his head to ground, seemingly listening for something.  Amy and Rory stand slightly apart again, looking pretty confused.

5 - The TARDIS is now in Rio de Janeiro, along Copacabana Beach.  Local Brazilians walk along the beach in swimsuits of various varieties, but unsurprisingly, the Doctor has eyes only for the nearby road, taking notes this time around.  Rory is sitting on the sand, looking at some of the beach-goers, while Amy lets out a big ol' yawn.

6 - The TARDIS is now in the forzen tundra.  It's pretty miserable.  There's a strong wind that's whipping snow to and fro.  There is also a frozen road nearby that is commanding the Doctor's entire attention.  Amy and Rory are freezing, rubbing their arms frantically to stay warm.  The Doctor seems unaffected by the cold weather.

7 - Move a little closer to the Doctor and Amy and Rory.  The Doctor's hand is rubbing his chin pensively.  His two companions continue to freeze.

DOCTOR WHO: Fascinating.

8 - The Doctor has turned around and is walking towards Amy and Rory and, ultimately, the TARDIS that is behind them.  The Doctor can be in the process of straightening his jacket.  Amy and Rory are on the verge of turning blue they're so cold.

DOCTOR WHO: It seems that all roads do lead you home.

RORY: Uh, d-don't you mean "all roads lead to Rome"?

DOCTOR WHO: Why, of course not.

9 - The Doctor has walked past his two companions, a knowing hand in the air with one finger pointing skywards to emphasize his point.  Amy and Rory look at each other, cold and confused.

DOCTOR WHO: ...everybody knows that saying's rubbish.

Doctor Who – The Future Is Later – MK Stangeland Jr.

Through an unfortunate series of freak accidents, the TARDIS has managed to merge with DOC BROWN’s Locomotive Time Machine. DOC BROWN and DR. WHO both realize that this is a really, really bad thing.

(4 Panels)

Panel 1: DOC BROWN and DR. WHO are standing in a room that could presumably be part of the TARDIS. DOC BROWN looks like he’s about ready to pull the hair out on one side of his head as he reacts in shock to what he and DR. WHO have just realized. CARLA BROWN, JULES BROWN, VERNE BROWN, and EINSTEIN are in the room as well.

Around them are a number of digital whiteboards with a large assortment of mathematical equations and SCIENCE! written on them. In the center of it all is a hologram displaying the result of the TARDIS and the Locomotive Time Machine merging – in short, it looks kind of like what you might get if the two individual machines had a baby.

DOC BROWN: Great Scott!

DR. WHO: The weight of what this implies is astronomical!

DOC BROWN: This is worse than I feared!

CLARA: What is it?

Panel 2: DOC BROWN and DR. WHO look at each other as they try to explain the situation.

DR. WHO: Originally, we thought that the TARDIS would be able to handle having the Flux Capacitor incorporated into its other systems.

DOC BROWN: But it turns out they’re far less compatible than we hoped.

DR. WHO: It seems that the two systems are now working against each other.

DOC BROWN: Even as we speak, their separate efforts are likely beginning to warp the fabric of the space-time continuum!

Panel 3: JULES BROWN asks a question while VERNE BROWN holds onto EINSTEIN.

JULES BROWN: That’s bad, right?

DOC BROWN: Bad? Son, it’s worse than bad!

DR. WHO: If we don’t solve this problem, and quickly…

Panel 4: Panel focuses on DR. WHO and DOC BROWN.

DOC BROWN & DR. WHO: This could destroy the very fabric of reality itself!

END PAGE

Doctor Who - Eroica - Matt Duarte

Doctor Who in "Eroica" by Matt Duarte

Hello everybody! Breaking my radio silence to post a Doctor Who script. Truth be told, I have never watched the show, and I have only read one comic in which he starred, but I got an idea into my head for a script that needed to get out and this is the result. Hopefully I'll do him some justice.

Panel 1

Description: A large manor seen from outside. Gardens decorate the outsides. People are walking in and out of the manor, but we can see a man in particular walking towards the main entrance, with a big scarf trailing behind him. His outfit is particularly anachronistic as it doesn't look anything like what the rest of the people are wearing.

CAPTION: Bonn, Germany. 1770.

Panel 2

Description: A young woman is holding a young baby, almost newborn, in her arms. She looks worried and is perhaps cuddling the child with more than love, a certain fear that if she lets go, something terrible will happen. Her name is Maria.

MARIA: Thank you for coming on such short notice, Doctor.

MARIA: The matrons are quite worried...

Panel 3

Description: We can see the hands of a man, wearing a business suit, grabbing the baby away from her. She is reluctantly letting go of him but without moving her eyes away from him.

DOCTOR: Yes, the complications you mentioned from your previous pregnancy.

DOCTOR: Understandable, no?

Panel 4

Description: First point of view angle, as we can see the baby laying down on a bed. Once again, we can see the arms of a man, but this time they are holding an electric device, long and that opens near the top. The sonic screwdriver is beeping and glowing.

MARIAS: What... what's that?

DOCTOR: This? Oh, nothing, just a new device to run medical exams. You'll see every doctor carry one of them soon enough.

Panel 5

Description: First point of view again, this time the doctor is now passing on the baby back to the mother. The baby is holding a finger to his left ear, as if picking something.

DOCTOR: The good news is that he has an almost clean bill of health. He seems to be suffering from a mild ear infection, but nothing too serious. I will give you the appropriate medicine to give lil'...

DOCTOR: You haven't settled on a name for him yet, have you?

Panel 6

Description: The mother is holding the baby once again, close to her chest and neck in a loving embrace. Besides her is The Doctor putting his arm on her shoulder, in a reassuring way.

MARIA: I think I will name him Ludwig, after his grandfather.

THE DOCTOR: That's a charming name Ms. Beethoven.

The End.

Doctor Who - Daleks Are Cool - Rol Hirst

Panel One.

A UK city street: not London, because far too much attention is given to London. Manchester, Leeds, or Newcastle. It’s a scene of carnage and chaos anyway. In the foreground, the Doctor crouches in front of a burning car. Laser beams are firing over the top of the car from some unseen assailant. The Doctor is explaining the situation to a pretty young woman in army fatigues. We’ll call her Gabrielle. She may become the Doctor’s new assistant… if she survives that long.

The Doctor: So, to recap: they’re my oldest, deadliest enemy.

The Doctor: The most truly malevolent force in the universe.

The Doctor: They exist only to destroy. To kill every single life-form they encounter. To—

Panel Two.

Close up on a Dalek, firing straight at us. The top of the panel cuts off the top of the Dalek’s head – we can see only the bottom half of it’s “sink plunger” eye as it stares our way.

Dalek: EX-TER-MIN-ATE!

Panel Three.

Back to the Doctor, still crouched behind the burning car. He’s pointing his thumb back over his shoulder in the direction of the attacking Dalek (off-panel). He gives a comical shrug.

The Doctor: (Sigh.) What he said.

Panel Four.

The Doctor continues to explain...

The Doctor: The thing is, I’ve encountered many, many Daleks over the years. And I’ve had to deal with them – in ways I’d rather not go into right now.

The Doctor: But this Dalek… for all its homicidal malice and outright stroppiness… it’s different.

Panel Five.

The car they’re hiding behind explodes under Dalek fire and the Doctor and his would be assistant are forced to run for their lives. Now we can see the full Dalek… and we can see why the Doctor has taken a liking to it. On top of its dome, the Dalek is wearing a certain Turkish hat...

Dalek: EX-TER-MIN-ATE!

The Doctor: It's wearing a fez!

The Doctor: And fezzes are cool!

(For the non-Whovians among you, this might help.)

Doctor Who - The First Annual WhoCon: 2011

The Premise: A good ol' 21st century beatdown of an annoying fandom, PAD style.

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

#.1
Crowds passing by miscellaneous shopping booths at a crowded convention. It's really unimportant how much of this is conveyed to the reader, just that there's enough room for the tardis to crop up in the next panel.

Caption: London, 2011.

Caption: The first annual Doctor Who convention.


#.2
Same shot as before, now with the TARDIS VWORP-ing into view (perhaps semi-visible, mid-transportation?). Any on panel shoppers and con-goers are running out of the way in a panic.

SFX: VWORP VWORP VWORP VWORP


#.3
The TARDIS is now solid, and the 'Matt Smith' Doctor is poking his head out the door, along with Rory, River Song and that one ginger girl everyone seems to care about.

Doctor: Oho! And where have we come to this time?

Rory: Dunno. Some sorta... Big party?


#.4
Who fans (whovians?) swarm the TARDIS, waving fan paraphernalia and autograph books at the group, who are now outside the doors and incredibly alarmed.

Random Fan: OH EM GEE! IT'S HIM!

Random Fan 2: MISTER DOCTOR! WHY DO YOU KEEP GETTING YOUNGER!

Random Fan 3: YOU SHOULDN'T BE FRIENDS WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WITH GUNS!

Random Fan 4: Actually, he's always been around gun wielders, and in fact used some hi-

Random Fan 5: SHUT UP! SIGN MY MOOBS, DOCTOR!


#.5
Cross-section view between the hordes outside and the Who cast, trying to push the doors shut against the masses, faces sweating in fear.

Doctor: Oh sod! It's the fans! PUSH THEM BACK! WE MUSTN'T LET THEM INSIDE!

Random Fan: WHY DOES THE INSIDE OF THE TARDIS LOOK WRONG?!


#.6
The TARDIS vworps its way out of the convention, much to the dismay of the hordes of fans.

SFX: VWORP VWORP VWORP

Random Fan: I LOVE YOU COME BACK I WON'T STAB YOU WHILE CRYING I SWEAR!


#.7
The Who cast are sitting around the interior of the TARDIS, looking sad.

Rory: What the bloomin' heck was that?

Doctor: Sorry. In my confusion I took us to the one horror in my life I can never escape. At least not without dying.


#.8
Close-up on the doctor, looking stern.

Doctor: My fanbase.

Doctor Who - No Joke - Ryan K Lindsay

PAGE 22 - 1 PANEL

1. The Doctor stands on a street corner, we are looking up at him from below. His scarf blows in the cold NY breeze and he looks off across into the city. Above him, we see the street signs of 1st Ave and E 9th St. He looks heroic, ready for action.

Caption: ...Where is the good doctor?

Doctor Who – World War Who - Ben Rosenthal

The Doctor is up against his most fearsome and powerful enemy yet. He has tried to defeat him once. He lost. Badly. He now stands before this enemy, confident as he reveals his new plan to conquer the Big Bad.

1. The eleventh Doctor (as portrayed by Matt Smith) is standing in a spotlight facing the reader. We can see his full body in the panel, pitch blackness outside of what the spotlight has highlighted. He is alone. Looking up at the reader, the Doctor is addressing his rather large nemesis who we cannot see.

THE DOCTOR

Here’s the thing about time travel.

2. A pair of shoes can now be seen at the edges of the spotlight, situated just behind the Doctor.

THE DOCTOR

When you get down to it, time is essentially linear.

3. The spotlight has moved up to revel who is standing behind the Doctor – they are the last two incarnations of the Doctor (Christopher Eccleston to his right, David Tennant to his left). Both are holding their sonic screwdrivers out, poised and ready to use them. More pairs of feet can be seen again at the edge of this expanded spotlight shining on the Doctors.

THE DOCTOR

So it wasn’t a matter of where I was going to get help last time you kicked my behind.

4. The spotlight has not shed light on the whole panel. The remaining eight previous incarnations of the Doctor are standing behind the three latest incarnations. They are all ready for action. The eleventh Doctor, still at the front of the pack wears a smirk.

THE DOCTOR

It was when I was going.

This piece really relies on you guys knowing that the Doctor ‘regenerates’ when he dies – that is, he gets a new body, new personality but retains all of his memories. As a few of the previous actors have passed on, I thought that a comic was the only place where we would get to see such a gathering of all of the Doctor’s incarnations. Hey, it’s time travel – anything is possible.

Why Doctor Who?

We’ve known each other for a while now. You’ve read my words, I’ve read yours. You’ve given me 3 stars, I’ve cried myself to sleep. We’re buds, right? I can tell you anything.

Here’s a secret that may get me kicked out of the Comic Society forever – I have only just begun to watch Doctor Who in the last six months.

It’s not that I was actively trying to NOT watch it, I just never got around to it. I was interested in the good Doctor for years, but not enough to seek it out. Then along came Christopher Eccleston, and I took notice. He regenerated into the charismatic David Tennant, and I watched a few episodes sporadically.

Then came a chap called Matthew Smith, whose brilliance in playing the Doctor got me well and truly hooked. I decided to give the show a go – just as the Neil Gaiman written episode debuted. It was fate.

Then I saw Karen Gillan.

*insert sound of jaw dropping here*

Needless to say, I have watched every episode since, and have begun purchasing the Eccleston season. I will watch them all, but for now I will do my very best to pay tribute to this sci-fi icon in the only way I know how – writing a 3 star script for all of you to devour with your eyes.

Commissioner Gordon – The Real Problem – MK Stangeland Jr.

(6 Panels)

Panel 1: COMMISSIONER GORDON and BATMAN (BRUCE WAYNE) stand next to an active Bat-signal. COMMISSIONER GORDON hands three to five file folders to BATMAN. We have an opportunity to see what’s written on some of the tabs, which have the names of some of Batman’s enemies on them, such as ‘JOKER’ and ‘SCARECROW’.

GORDON: I went through the Department’s records. Put these files together myself. I have more if necessary.

BATMAN: What are they?

GORDON: Something that we somehow overlooked.

Panel 2: BATMAN has the first file open, though the angle of the panel only allows the reader to see the backs of the pile of folders that BATMAN is holding.

GORDON: It’s a rough assessment of how many times some of Arkham’s worst have escaped custody and the amount of damage they’ve caused each time they’ve done it.

Panel 3: GORDON hangs his head in shame as he thinks about how long the matter has managed to escape him.

GORDON (1): I had someone ask me a question the other day.

GORDON (2): “What about next time?”

GORDON (3): It made me realize that for all the good you’ve done over the years, Arkham has been the one major problem you’ve never solved.

Panel 4: GORDON looks back up at BATMAN. BATMAN’s closed the folder as he looks at GORDON in order to give the Commissioner his full attention, though his face betrays nothing about what’s going on inside his head.

GORDON (1): The law allows them the protection of the insanity plea.

GORDON (2): Our own moral codes keep us from seeing to it that they meet with any unfortunate accidents.

Panel 5: Close up on BATMAN’s face.

BATMAN: What are you asking for?

Panel 6: Panel focuses on GORDON.

GORDON: I want you to ask Mr. Wayne if, before he starts funding even more Batman, perhaps could think about funding a replacement for Arkham.

(END PAGE)

Commissioner Jim Gordon - Home Sweet Home - Grant McLaughlin

A classic 3 by 3 grid.

1 – Night time / very early morning. A kitchen. The light is off, but you can still get a pretty good idea of what's there. From left to right you can see part of a fridge, a doorway into the kitchen, a phone on the wall after the doorway, a kitchen table with some chairs, and a window that looks onto a driveway. This shot is going to be fixed throughout all of the panels, with the actors in the setting being the only movement.

The movement for the first panel is that a car is driving into the driveway. Its headlights are on and are quite bright in the gloom (perhaps sending some light and shadow into the kitchen).

2 – The car is now parked, with part of it still visible through the window. James Gordon is through the front door and coming into the kitchen. His posture is tired. Maybe he's slouching a little. One hand is flicking on the kitchen light while the other is leaving his jacket on a chair back.

3 – James is sitting at the table, pouring himself a drink. Maybe some scotch or whatever hard alcohol you think he'd prefer.

4 – His drink poured, James takes a moment to pause, reflect, and try to decompress.

5 – Before he can make any progress on those fronts, the phone rings. James turns his head towards the interruption.

6 – James has the phone to his ear, listening to the person on the other end. Neutral expression.

7 – The phone hung up, James rubs his eyes in a futile attempt to wake up.

8 – James is back on his feet, reaching for his jacket, and heading out the door.

9 – The kitchen is once again empty. The light is out. The drink sits on the table, untouched. James' car is out of the driveway and pulling away.

Commissioner Jim Gordon – Hard Night – Ryan K Lindsay

PAGE 19 - 4 PANELS

1. Jim Gordon sits in a chair, his back to us. He’s on the roof of the GCPD but we only see a piece of this.

Caption-Gordon: My muscles ache.
Caption-Gordon: My brain is fried.
Caption-Gordon: My gun only has two bullets left in it.

2. We’ve moved back a bit to see more of the rooftop, Gordon hasn’t moved.

Caption-Gordon: I haven’t slept since Wednesday.
Caption-Gordon: The scotch is kicking in.
Caption-Gordon: Guess I have to get up.

3. We’re far enough back now to see the Bat Signal next to Gordon, though it’s not on.

Caption-Gordon: That damn daughter of mine won’t pick herself up from the prom.

4. Gordon is up and walking toward us, away from the Bat Signal which is now on.

Caption-Gordon: And I certainly don’t trust that Grayson character to drop her home on time.

Commissioner Jim Gordon - Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before - Rol Hirst

Panel One.

The Joker sits in a dimly lit cell in Arkham Asylum. Think Hannibal Lecter’s cell in Silence Of The Lambs, with a safety glass wall at one side. We’re looking at him from behind his chair so we can see beyond him to the people outside. Batman. Nightwing. Harvey Bullock. Renee Montoya.

Harvey Bullock: What have you done, freak? What have you done to Jim Gordon?

Joker: Gordon…

Panel Two.

Switch the angle so we’re seeing this scene from the perspective of the observers now. The Joker sits in shadows, his face obscured by his hand. Only the top of his distinctive green hair and purple pinstripe suit is visible in this shot.

Joker: Gordon…

Joker: Tee hee hee…

Panel Three.

Reaction shot from the gathered heroes. Batman is grim and tight-jawed. Nightwing is glancing nervously at his mentor. Bullock looks like he’s chewing on a nettle. Montoya is trying not to cry.

Joker (O/P): Gordon?

Panel Four.

The Joker lifts his head and stares straight at us, that familiar evil grin scarring his face. Except this isn’t the face of the Joker. It’s the face of Commissioner James Gordon, distorted and Joker-ised. His mouth torn wide and scarlet, skin burned white, receding hairline dyed green. He’s wearing his glasses, but obviously the lenses are cracked.

Gordon/Joker: GORDON’S ALIVE!!!

Commissioner Jim Gordon - Ends and Means - Ben Rosenthal

1. Commissioner Jim Gordon stands on a roof top, wind blowing his trench coat as he looks out over Gotham.

CAPTION (GORDON)

I believe in justice. As the top cop in the city, I need to.

2. A close up of Commissioner Gordon’s face, his eyes tight as he thinks.

CAPTION (GORDON)

I need to believe that my boys are the best. That they can handle whatever this insane city can throw at them.

In reality, I know that isn't the case.

3. Commissioner Gordon has turned to face two police officers, giving them an order.

CAPTION (GORDON)

They need help. I got them that help.

GORDON

Ok, fire it up.

4. Same as Panel 1, but the Bat-Signal is reflecting off the clouds. Commissioner Gordon’s head hangs slightly.

CAPTION (GORDON)

And I hate myself for it.

Commissioner Jim Gordon - Forsaken - Sime McDonald

PANEL ONE
Entirely black.

THUG

[off panel / no word balloon tail]

Relax, Gordon.

Close your eyes.

You're tired.

CAPTION

The smell of creeping rot in the walls mingles with cordite from his weapon.

Blood pumps out from his wound like oil from a ruptured pipe.

PANEL TWO

In the darkness we can make out the silhouette of Jim Gordon, propped up in a corner beside a window that provides no illuminiation, natural or artificial. His revolver is in one hand; his other is clasping his gut as blood pools from a deep gash. I'm in two minds about representing the darkness in this panel; perhaps graytone the entire panel? Or provide Gordon's outline in white?

CAPTION [1]

This is not how James Gordon wants to die.

Alone in the darkness.

THUG

[off panel / no word balloon tail]

This'll all be over soon, Gordon.

Let it happen.

Let the darkness take you.

CAPTION [2]

There is still so much to accomplish.

So much that must be done.

PANEL THREE

Lighting flares and the room is momentarily lit. Gordon's attacker is right in front of him; rake-thin, gangly, long serrated knife in his hands. Gordon has his revolver raised.

SFX

BOOM!

CAPTION

Gotham needs him.

PANEL FOUR

Another black panel, save for the SFX.

SFX

Click.

CAPTION

The dead man's click tells him the city has forsaken him.

THUG

Hahahah!



 PANEL FIVE

Similar panel as #2. The silhouette's of Gordon and the thug are visible. But now the thug is closer, leaning over Gordon, knife inches from his throat.

CAPTION [1]

Their relationship was always a one-way street.

Gordon sacrificed all for Gotham.

Gotham gleefully took it from him.

CAPTION [2]

What did Gordon expect in return?

PANEL SIX

Another explosion of light as lightning flashes - - - revealing THE BATMAN, clutching the thug in a choke-hold, the knife falling from his grasp.

SFX

BOOM!

CAPTION [1]

Gotham may have forsaken James Gordon.

THUG

Gack!

CAPTION [2]

Its Dark Knight hasn't.



Why James Gordon?

"Gotham City.

Maybe it's all I deserve, now.

Maybe it's just my time in Hell."

- Liutenant James Gordon, Batman: Year One

In a surreal world of crazy clown psychopaths, scar-faced murderers and costumed vigilantes, James Gordon represents our only glimpse of realism in Gotham City. He is a humble man, dedicated to combatting evil and corruption however he can, as best he can. His desire to save Gotham from its inherent darkness is unrelenting. He is a man we can root for, who sets the kinds of standards we hope our law enforcers can reach. James Gordon is a man with flaws, like us, who strives to do right and doesn't always succeed. Who fails and falls and gets back up again. Whose determination is something we can aspire to.

Also? He's just a damn cool character who has thankfully been revitalised, initially under the stewardship of Scott Snyder in his Detective Comics run, and now continued in the DCnU. Gordon has been the focal point of some brilliant comics in the past and will surely inspire the Thought-Balloons crew to some of their best.

As always we welcome you to join in below.

Too Much Sex & Violence #1 from Rol Hirst

Hi there thoughtballoons fans!

You come here week in and out and you read our scripts, you vote on their quality, and you leave comments in regards to your own thoughts and sometimes own scripts. We give you so much free content each week and never ask a thing of you -- until now.

Our very own intrepid tenure, Rol Hirst, has released a new comic. It's called TOO MUCH SEX & VIOLENCE and it's pretty damn good. What's it about...well, it's a series of short tales that outline the depravity and strangeness inherent in a small seaside English town. It is certainly depraved, you'll all agree on that after reading it.

So, now you want to buy this fantastic comic. It's easy. Go to this link:

Buy Rol Hirst's TOO MUCH SEX & VIOLENCE, please

Then just follow the prompts, sit back, and let Rol's dirty mind float across the world and straight into your hands. If you've enjoyed his scripts here then you'll dig the book, no doubt.

We also, sincerely, thank you for this support. It means a lot to us, and him, for you to put your money into independent comics.

Eric O'Grady - No Respect - Grant McLaughlin

Rows 1 and 2 are both a quarter of the page and are both made up of two panels.  Row 3 is a single panel that takes up the bottom half of the page.

1 – Interior shot of Avengers' Mansion. Eric O'Grady and Wolverine are walking down a hallway. Eric is in full Ant-Man armour. Wolverine is dressed in regular civilian clothing. He's even holding a can of beer. Eric is pretty darn excited; Wolverine looks like it would be hard for him to give less of a damn.

ERIC (1): I came over as soon as I got the call. I'm glad that you guys have finally realized how much I deserve to be on this team.

ERIC (2): To be honest, I'm surprised it took you as long as it did to figure out how badly you really need me.

2 – Eric babbles on. Wolverine continues to pay no attention.

ERIC: So who is it this time? Hyrda? Doctor Doom? Galactus? I'm ready for anything.

3 – Eric finally stops talking, looking expectantly to Wolverine for a response. Wolverine offers nothing, taking a drink of his beer instead. No dialogue.

4 – Move the camera in a little closer on Eric. Wearing a less certain expression, he starts to look and point behind him toward where they've come from.

ERIC: (quieter): Isn't the war room that way...

(off-panel): Thank god you're here. You're the only one who can help us now.

5 – Eric and Wolverine have found their way to the living room. It's a pretty sweet one, to be certain.  Eric looks pretty begrudging.  Ms. Marvel, the Thing, Spider-Man, and some of the other New Avengers are already there. Some are sitting, some are standing, and some are wall crawling, but they are all kind of around the main couch, which curiously has no one sitting on it.

ERIC: Can't you just move the cushions?

SPIDER-MAN: We could, but the remote got wedged pretty far down...

CAROL: Do you think you can hurry? The game's on in two minutes.

The Irredeemable Ant-Man – The Hangover; OR Ant-Man and Taskmaster’s Not-So Excellent Adventure (Featuring She-Hulk) – MK Stangeland Jr.

(Page 2 - 4 Panels)

(All panels should stretch all the way across the page horizontally.)

Panel 1: Close up on ERIC O’GRADY as he lays in a bed out of costume. He’s just waking up and not quite sure where he is.

O’GRADY: Snntzrt-huh?

Panel 2: O’GRADY sits up and looks at the room around him, revealing that he’s in some kind of hotel room. One hand is on his forehead in a typical headache reaction. From what we can see, it’s pretty clear that he’s not wearing much behind his boxer shorts.

O’GRADY: I must have had one hell of a night…

Panel 3: O’GRADY sits up with his legs over the side of the bed as we get a better look at the room. The scene should make it clear that SOMETHING happened before O’GRADY went to sleep the previous night, but it’s really not clear what. There should be a very strong ‘it’s not what it looks like’ vibe to it.

The shades of the window are down, but on the floor around it is broken glass and other debris to indicate that something was shot or thrown through it and nobodies cleaned up yet. A few empty liquor bottles can be seen laying in a couple random spots. O’GRADY’s Ant-Man suit should be located somewhere in the room.

On the TV stand dresser is an open bag, though it’s not open enough for anyone to see what’s in it. A chair sits next to where the bag is, and laying on top of it and laying about on the floor right around it is a small assortment of SHE-HULK’s clothing, including both one of her leotards and small selection of ‘civilian’ clothing, though noticeably absent are any pairs of her footwear.

In a different corner of the room is the table and at least one intact chair, though the other chair might be elsewhere in the room and possibly broken apart as well. TASKMASTER’s cloak should be hanging from the intact chair, and the majority of his utility belts and most of his gear should be sitting on the table.

O’GRADY: Be a lot more fun if I could remember any of it…

Panel 4: Reveal panel of where SHE-HULK and TASKMASTER are. The panel makes it clear that A) They’re tiny, B) they’re outside somewhere (though where is unclear) and C) They’re fighting a lot of ants. Since SHE-HULK and TASKMASTER are tiny, the ants are a lot bigger than them, making them a major problem.

This is a single panel, though the focus of one half should be on SHE-HULK and her half of the fight while the other half should be focused on TASKMASTER and his half of the fight. Both look really angry but determined, and there should be a number of ants in the background behind them if they can be fit in order to make clear that this is NOT a quick or easy fight for either of them.

SHE-HULK is wearing a pair of battle-damaged jeans and a metal backpack in addition to her normal purple and white outfit. Behind her, an ant has gotten its mandibles around SHE-HULK and is trying to bite down (across?), though SHE-HULK is prepared for this. She’s standing on one leg, with one hand holding onto one of the mandibles and her other foot perched against the other mandible – for the moment, she’s keeping the mouth open, but very momentarily she’s about the push outward and split the ants head in two when she does.

With her other, open hand, SHE-HULK is holding one ant by its mandible and swinging it like a club in front of her. If there’s a way to make the ant have a look of terror in its eyes, it should have it. The result of SHE-HULK swinging her ant club in front of her is that two or three other ants have been knocked around silly and perhaps even thrown into the distance.

TASKMASTER is missing his cloak and most of his gear, though he still has his sword, shield, and a simple pair of belts that would help him carry them around. He’s standing on the back of an ant and has just made a clean cut through its neck. He’s using his shield to hold back an attack from another ant that’s trying to climb up on its now-dead ally and get TASKMASTER from the side.

SFX: (From SHE-HULK’s ant club and what it’s hitting.) WONK!

SFX: (From TASKMASTER decapitating the ant.) Sh-LURK!

SHE-HULK: I swear, when I get my hands on O’Grady, I will KILL HIM!

TASKMASTER: Not if I kill him first, Greencheeks!

(END PAGE)

(Trust me, I DO have a basic story idea to go with this page which I will be more than happy to share if anyone is interested.)

(Also, a thanks to Grant for the time switch!)

Eric O’Grady in "And The Winner Is..." by Danial Carroll

PANEL ONE, WIDE
Wide view of a fancy function room filled with many round tables. At each table is a team/group of Marvel's heroes, all in costume. Popular teams such as Avengers and X-Men should be in the foreground, and lesser-knowns at the back. Somewhere in the middle are the Secret Avengers. There is Sharon Carter, Eric O'Grady, Black Widow, War Machine, Moon Knight, Valkyrie, and Beast, whose exclusion from the X-Men tables will make sense due to Schism.

CAPTION: The 50th Annual Superhero Awards


PANEL TWO
Captain America is standing on stage behind a podium. He is opening an envelope.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: And the winner of Most Heroic Size-Manipulator goes to...


PANEL THREE
Close up of Cap, smiling.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Stature!


PANEL FOUR
In the background we can see Cap shaking Stature's hand as she approaches the podium. In the foreground is the Secret Avengers' table. The crowd in between are cheering and clapping. Eric is looking to the stage with has his arms up in disapproval. The rest of the table are looking at him--Sharon is scowling.

SFX: CLAP CLAP CLAP CHEER CLAP WHOOOOO CLAP CLAP CHEER

ERIC O'GRADY: Are you serious?
ERIC O'GRADY: Boooooooo.

SHARON CARTER: Eric!


PANEL FIVE
Close on just the group now. Eric has turned to face them.

ERIC O'GRADY: Seriously! What's she got that I don't?

BEAST: Tact.

VALKYRIE: Altruism.

WAR MACHINE: Morals.

BLACK WIDOW: A sense of decency--


PANEL SIX, WIDE
Extreme close up of Eric's eyes, looking extremely surly.

ERIC O'GRADY/COLD: You can stop any time.

Eric O'Grady – The Right Thing for The Wrong Reason - Sime McDonald

Preliminaries:

Eric O’Grady has always struggled with the evil in his heart clashing with his desire to do good; to be a better person and a hero worthy of the Ant-Man name. But that innate malevolence has recently. It is no longer a tangible element of his psyche, merely an incorporeal characteristic. A member of the covert Secret Avengers, and finally garnering the respect of its brethren, for the first time Eric O’Grady feels like he is not only living up to the Ant-Man legacy but creating one of his own.

The Right Thing for the Wrong Reason is a two-issue tale and the following page occurs in Part One, page 21. Captain America [Steve Rogers] has been acting aloof during an operation in Latveria to commandeer Nerkkod’s hammer (from Fear Itself) from Doctor Doom. Strangely distant and non-responsive, like his mind is elsewhere, Cap is piloting the plane back to HQ. O’Grady is beside him. Both are dressed in their uniforms / armour.

PANEL ONE

Dynamic shot of the Secret Avengers plane shooming through the sky at an impossible speed just 80 feet above the ocean.

CAPTION [1]

 I learned a long time ago that Captain America doesn’t make jokes. But when he told me:

CAPTAIN AMERICA

[from plane cockpit]

 You’re going to jump out of the plane now, Eric.

CAPTION [2]

 I responded as I thought was appropriate.

PANEL TWO

Inside the cockpit, on O’Grady, who has broken out into a fit of laugher.

ERIC O’GRADY

Hahaha!

PANEL THREE

Captain America locks eyes with O’Grady. There is no humour in his eyes.

CAPTAIN AMERICA

At 80 feet you’re not going to have time to make any corrective measures.

You have one shot at deploying properly.

Get it wrong, you’re dead.

PANEL FOUR

O’Grady’s face has paled to milk.

ERIC O’GRADY

Cap, why –

PANEL FIVE

Captain America gaze intensifies, as only Captain America’s gaze can.

CAPTAIN AMERICA [1]

Sometimes for the greater good you’ve got to do the wrong thing.

CAPTAIN AMERICA [2]

And I trust you to do the right thing, Eric.

PANEL SIX

O’Grady’s lips have become a hard line. He understands.

CAPTION

I knew what Cap was asking me to do.

He wanted me to come after him.

And, cheating slightly now:

The final page of the issue would be a full-page spread of O’Grady floating in the ocean, parachute floating in the water, looking up at Cap’s plane gaining altitude. O’Grady has keyed his intercom, linked to Secret Avengers HQ.

ERIC O’GRADY

 Avengers Assemble.