(5 Panels)
Panel 1: NICK FURY, AGENT JUNIPER, and AGENT MANELL lead GABRIEL JONES down an alleyway.
GABRIEL JONES: I didn’t get your name.
NICK FURY (1): Nick Fury.
NICK FURY (2): I command SHIELD.
Panel 2: The four come to a dead end. A number of posters line the brick walls.
One is a variation on the classic UNCLE SAM ‘I want you to join the US army’, but with Uncle Sam replaced by a noir version of CAPTAIN AMERICA. NICK FURY is closest to this poster, and looks as though he’s about to interact with it.
GABRIEL JONES: Nick Fury? I thought you were just a rumor.
Panel 3: NICK FURY lifts the CAPTAIN AMERICA poster up and has his other hand up against one of the bricks. At present, it looks like just more brick wall.
NICK FURY: I am.
Panel 4: NICK FURY pushes a selection of separate bricks into the wall.
GABRIEL JONES: But you’re standing right…
NICK FURY: Nick Fury does not actually exist. Neither does SHIELD.
Panel 5: A portion of the brick wall opens up to reveal a doorway. JUNIPER is passing through, while FURY and MANELL wait for GABRIEL JONES to follow JUNIPER in.
NICK FURY: And as of today, Mr. Gabriel Jones does not officially exist, either.
(END PAGE)
(Since it probably helps fit the theme better if I provide a tad more information, part of the idea I’m running with on the Noir version of Nick Fury/SHIELD is that in addition to SHIELD being a secret, covert organization, rather than Nick Fury having LMDs or the infinity formula, Nick Fury isn’t just a single man, but instead an identity. When one Nick Fury bites it, another agent of SHIELD takes his place and assumes the identity of Nick Fury in his place.
How Gabriel Jones plays into this is that I imagine that, by the end of the tale, the Nick Fury we are introduced at the start of the story would not be fortunate enough to survive to the end. The story would then end with Gabriel Jones becoming the new Nick Fury, essentially becoming the Noir version of Ultimate Nick Fury.)
Great concept, MK, and good use of the Marvel Noir strategy.
ReplyDeleteThe noir premise is very fitting for Nick Fury, and your page captures the dark mysterious tone that the character has always had. Very nice page.
ReplyDeleteNeat idea and an interesting use of the 'Noir' imprint. You also nicely build the requisite atmosphere for the style too using the panel descriptions.
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome use of the Marvel Noir imprint. Frankly, I'm sad that we won't actually get this story, because I'd eat it up.
ReplyDeleteMy only change would be to switch "does not actually exist" to "doesn't exist" and throw in the contraction on the next one, too. But that may be more of a matter of personal taste on my part.
"Frankly, I'm sad that we won't actually get this story, because I'd eat it up."
DeleteYou never know. True, odds are the story will never fully come to be, but there's always a chance I might get a shot at writing it for Marvel someday if I manage to get some success somewhere.
On which note, I've got a Thor Noir idea as well I'd love to write for Marvel even more than this one, which I'll probably use as the basis for my script if we ever do a Marvel Noir week.
Personally, think the Noir stories are a great idea for Marvel, especially when they take the route of going largely with de-powered versions of their characters, and I'd love to see more of them.
Loved this MK, and even more I loved your idea at the end. I would totally buy that book with that premise.
ReplyDelete