This issue opens several days after the previous. It is now mid-December in New York and the weather is COLD -- clothing and outdoor scenes should reflect this.
Narration in this issue is in the form of FRED's WEB LOG ("BLOG"). This should be indicated by a common but distinctive computer font. These captions will be marked in the script as "FRED's BLOG".
A busy street in New York. It's late afternoon in December and the light is already beginning to fail. Pedestrians hurry along the sidewalk and cars clog the road. Central to the scene are JAMES, FRED, and WANE, walking side-by-side. All are dressed for the cold -- jackets zipped up and hands in pockets.
1. CAPTION:
2. FRED:
3. WANE:
4. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Same scene (a few steps later, so different passers-by, but essentially no change).
5. CAPTION:
6. SFX:
7. VOICE #1 (off-panel):
8. VOICE #2 (off-panel):
Same scene. JAMES is striding ahead of the other two.
9. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
10. JAMES:
FRED and WANE look at each other and roll their eyes.
11. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Full-page splash showing what's happening. An ambulance is parked by the kerb. The rear doors are open and two paramedics wheel a man towards it on a stretcher. The man is in very bad shape -- his blue overalls are soaked in blood, as if from multiple wounds. The cloth is torn as if the injuries were from something like a knife rather than a gun.
A police car is also on the scene and uniformed officers are trying to hold back a crowd of onlookers. Somehow, JAMES, FRED and WANE have got to the front of the crowd and are next to the ambulance -- the stretcher will pass right by them.
No dialogue.
JAMES attracts the attention of the one the uniformed cops.
1. JAMES:
2. OFFICER:
FRED and WANE look as the injured man is wheeled past them. He's a mess. His eyes are closed but he's presumably unconscious not dead (they would cover his face if he was dead).
No dialogue.
Still next to FRED and WANE, the man's eyes are open and he is waving his arms around.
3. MAN:
4. MEDIC #1:
5. MEDIC #2:
One of the man's flailing hands grabs FRED's wrist.
6. MAN:
7. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Close-up of FRED's face. His eyes, open wide in alarm, reflect the face of the injured man.
8. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
This page is a jumble of images. Panels sit at crooked angles and overlap each other. The art should be stark black-and-white, except for the last panel which is coloured in a red wash. There is no dialogue on this page.
The man and a companion, both dressed in overalls, are in a city street, setting a small guard rail around a manhole cover. The both have hard-hats and tool harnesses.
They are descending through the open manhole.
The two of them walk side-by-side along a maintenance tunnel. They light their way with flashlights, following pipes.
They are now in an older tunnel. The walls are cracked and weathered. Water drips and puddles on the floor. The injured man is now in the lead and his companion walks behind him.
Close-up on the lead man, jumping with surprise as his companion grabs his shoulder from behind. Note that we can't see the second man in this close-up -- just his hand.
The man looks back at the hand grabbing him -- and in a wider view we can see that it's just a hand! It ends in a jagged, bloody stump and the body it was once attacked to is nowhere to be seen.
Close up on the man's face, stretch into an expression of terror.
And now we see what he's screaming at -- or part of it anyway. the panel is filled with a wide, gaping mouth, lines with rows of big, sharp, pointed teeth. It's coming out of panel towards our POV... and everything is red...
An exterior view of the New York HAILEY HOTEL (typical modern, high-rise hotel; we've seen them before). The sky is dark and many of the windows are showing lights -- it's evening. The speech caption comes from a random window on a random floor (it doesn't really matter which).
1. SARA:
Now the interior of PAUL's hotel room. It's large and luxurious, as we expect from a HAILEY. PAUL and SARA sit in leather armchairs, facing one another. She has her legs folded up under herself, her shoes on the floor by the chair. A floor lamp illuminates them, leaving most of the room dark.
2. SARA:
3. PAUL:
4. SARA:
Close-up on PAUL for his dialogue.
5. PAUL:
6. SARA (off-panel):
Close up on SARA, and she doesn't look unhappy or angry, just matter-of-fact as she says:
7. SARA:
A wide view shows the two of them again. PAUL looks astonished. SARA is standing and putting her feet in her shoes.
8. PAUL:
9. SARA:
Just PAUL, as his head is turned to follow her across the room (she's going out the door).
10. PAUL:
11. SFX (off-panel):
12. PAUL:
A hotel bedroom at night. It's FRED's room in the New York HAILEY HOTEL. FRED lies sleeping.
1. DISEMBODIED THOUGHT:
FRED is sitting upright in bed, holding his head in his hands.
2. FRED:
FRED is by the window, with the curtains open, watching the Sun begin to climb above the Manhattan skyline. (He's probably naked but because he's just in silhouette the scene will still be tasteful.)
3. FRED:
Another hotel bedroom, not a HAILEY but of similar high class. A blonde woman is sleeping in the bed (we don't see her face clearly as it's obscured by her hair).
4. DISEMBODIED THOUGHT:
The woman is sitting up in bed, holding her head in her hands. Readers should now recognise her -- it's FAITH, last seen in ISSUE 30. She is wearing night clothes (which are probably quite revealing but still within the bounds of the Comics Code, please).
5. FAITH:
FAITH is by the window, with the curtains open, watching the Sun begin to climb above the Manhattan skyline. It's a slightly different view from the one FRED saw, but yes they are both in Manhattan and not too far apart.
6. FAITH:
FRED wanders into the dining room of the HAILEY hotel. He's dressed in jeans and t-shirt and it doesn't look like he's bothered to shave this morning. He's alone. The dining room is spacious but almost deserted.
No dialogue.
FRED sits alone at a table laid for breakfast. A cup of coffee is in front of him and he looks at it blankly.
1. VOICE (off-panel):
FRED looks up as PAUL CHANT (last seen in ISSUE 28, and readers might not remember that far back so FRED will give a convenient summary) sits down at his table. CHANT is as unkempt as usual, untidy hair, dark stubble, and a crumpled suit. He has a slim folder tucked under one arm.
2. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
3. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
4. FRED:
5. CHANT:
6. FRED:
CHANT is looking away from FRED and waving to attract a waiter's attention.
7. CHANT:
8. FRED:
9. CHANT:
CHANT leans over the table towards FRED.
10. CHANT:
11. FRED:
12. CHANT:
Close-up on FRED's face.
13. CHANT (off-panel):
Another night, another view of FRED sitting up in bed holding his head in his hands.
1. CAPTION (voice-over):
2. CAPTION (voice-over):
Still in bed, FRED looks at a folder on the bedside table -- the same folder CHANT was carrying. We can see written on the cover "NEW YORK — SEWERS".
3. CAPTION (voice-over):
A small gymnasium. JAMES is lying on a flat bench, pressing an impressive amount of weight. FRED stands looking down at him -- not in gym clothes, looking as if he's just walked in. The folder is tucked underneath his arm.
4. CAPTION (voice-over):
5. FRED:
JAMES is sitting on the bench and looking up at FRED.
6. JAMES:
The whole group (FRED, JAMES, SARA, WANE, PAUL) are sitting around a low table in their hotel suite. Spread out on the table are several newspaper clippings and photographs. We don't need to see exact details, but basically it is a record of other "monster" attacks.
1. FRED:
2. FRED:
3. PAUL:
FRED is holding up a newspaper clipping so that the rest of the group (and the reader) can see the headline "ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWERS?"
4. FRED:
JAMES is looking at a photograph (the reader only sees the back of it).
5. JAMES:
6. FRED (off-panel):
7. JAMES:
Wider view to show the whole group.
8. PAUL:
9. JAMES:
10. WANE:
11. JAMES:
WANE slaps his forehead in disbelief.
12. SARA:
13. JAMES:
14. FRED:
An outdoor scene. Daylight. Our heroes are clustered around a sewer access hatch in a narrow alley. WANE and PAUL are keeping a nervous watch while JAMES, watched by FRED and SARA, lifts the hatch. JAMES is in full costume, masked and carrying his SHIELD. The others are dressed in warm outdoor clothing. They all carry flashlights.
1. CAPTION (voice-over, continuing FRED's speech):
2. JAMES:
3. FRED:
JAMES is descending into the hole.
4. FRED:
5. JAMES:
SARA descends into the hole.
6. SARA:
WANE descends into the hole.
7. WANE:
PAUL descends into the hole.
8. PAUL:
FRED descends into the hole.
9. VOICE (from below):
10. FRED:
11. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
They make their way in single file along a (relatively) dry passage. The only light is from their flashlights. Marching order is: FRED in front, JAMES, SARA, PAUL, WANE. They are walking left-to-right on the panel so that their captions flow correctly.
1. WANE:
2. PAUL:
3. SARA:
4. JAMES:
The group continues walking. This is essentially the same POV as the previous panel, indicating that some time is passing in silence. (As they progress through the panels on this page the tunnel background should get progressively older, more weathered, more wet, and more slimy.)
No dialogue.
Basically the same view, a little later.
5. WANE:
6. PAUL:
7. SARA:
8. JAMES (softly):
Another silent walking panel.
No dialogue.
Same view again... the repetition is deliberate to show the reader a sense of monotonous time passing.
9. WANE:
10. PAUL:
11. SARA:
12. JAMES:
13. FRED:
Close up of FRED holding up his hand for silence.
1. FRED:
Wide view of the group again. They are all looking around alertly.
2. PAUL:
3. FRED:
Close up of WANE stooping down and shining his flashlight at something on the floor. It's badly torn up but still recognisable as a leather boot.
4. WANE:
PAUL is leaning over WANE's shoulder to look.
5. PAUL:
Close up of SARA who has wrapped her arms around herself.
6. SARA:
Close-up on JAMES.
1. JAMES:
2. SFX:
3. JAMES:
Wider view to show FRED ahead of JAMES, shining his flashlight down the tunnel.
4. FRED:
5. JAMES:
6. FRED:
JAMES is now moving forward in the lead, with PAUL behind him. Except now PAUL has changed into JEROME, so I'll label his captions as such. (New readers will just have to be confused; I can't explain it every time.)
7. JEROME:
8. JAMES:
At the back, WANE is shuffling sideways so he can shine his light backwards and watch behind as he walks.
9. JAMES (off-panel):
10. WANE (softly):
The passage opens out into a big, square chamber, which we will use a BIG panel to represent. It's a big water cistern. There is a square pool of water, perfectly still and impenetrably black. This is surrounded on all sides by a narrow ledge. The team has emerged from a side tunnel and they are clustered in the tunnel mouth and on the ledge. The water is only a few centimetres below them. The chamber is very high -- so high that we don't ever need to show the roof. Shafts of light might filter down from above to supplement their flashlights. In the opposite wall (to their entry point) another tunnel leads out of the chamber. In the left-hand wall is another tunnel, but this one is above their heads, about two metres above the level of the ledge, and reached by a metal ladder attached to the wall. In the right-hand wall is an outlet pipe, about a metre above the ledge. This is wide enough to fit a person, at a squeeze. A small but steady flow of water comes out of it and splashes onto the ledge. (None of these extra tunnels are essential to the action, they're just to add detail to the setting.) Everything looks damp and slimy.
No dialogue.
In a small panel (only a strip at the bottom of the page) we get a close up of the still water as flashlights play over it. But wait -- it's not still! There is an unmistakable ripple spreading out from the centre.
No dialogue.
Identical to the previous panel -- a small strip at the top of the page shows a close-up of the water, leaving the bulk of the page for the next panel. Now there is a DEFINITE disturbance in the water, as the centre is bubbling up violently.
1. JAMES (off-panel):
And in the same view as PANEL ONE on the previous page we see the MONSTER erupt from the water. It's big -- twice the bulk of a big man -- and it's... well... it's an ALLIGATOR. To be specific, it's an alligator that walks like a man. It has the scaly green skin, the alligator's head (with BIG teeth) and a long tail, but it's bipedal, its hind legs developed like a human's so it can walk upright. Its front limbs are in proportion to its bulk and its digits look adapted for grabbing and holding things, as well as being tipped with sharp claws.
2. MONSTER:
The MONSTER has hurled itself at the party. Though its tail and lower body are still in the pool, enough of it is out of the water to be on eye-level with JAMES -- and its open mouth is darting forward to bite! In all the monster fight panels there should be plenty of thrashing and splashing. Everything is a confusion of water and flashlights and darkness.
1. MONSTER:
JAMES has brought his SHIELD up and the MONSTER's jaws close on the edge of the metal disk.
2. SFX:
While JAMES and the MONSTER struggle for possession of the SHIELD, JEROME has grabbed the MONSTER's torso and is vaulting onto its back.
3. MONSTER:
4. JAMES:
5. JEROME:
JEROME is on the MONSTER's back, his arms clamped around its neck.
6. JEROME:
As JEROME squeezes, the MONSTER lifts up its head -- not releasing its jaws from the SHIELD and thus lifting JAMES bodily off the ground. One hand is reaching behind it and its claws are digging deeply into JEROME's arm.
1. MONSTER:
2. JEROME:
The MONSTER has plucked JEROME from its back and hurled him across the chamber. JEROME strikes the wall head first. JAMES is dangling helplessly with his SHIELD still in the monster's bite.
3. SFX (JEROME):
JEROME drops into the water. We can also see SARA running along the ledge towards where he was thrown.
4. SARA:
In the background of the panel we can see SARA diving smoothly into the water where JEROME has not yet surfaced. But the foreground shows WANE entering the action. With JAMES still dangling, WANE delivers a spinning kick past him to the MONSTER's throat. Its claws are raking JAMES but don't seem able to pierce his costume.
5. WANE:
6. JAMES:
7. SFX (kick):
The MONSTER has ducked his head into the water, completely submerging JAMES. From the ledge, WANE drives his foot into its head.
1. SFX:
2. WANE:
3. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Close up of FRED on the walkway.
4. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
5. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
The MONSTER's head is up again, shaking JAMES like a dog shakes a toy. It is further out in the water and WANE stands helplessly out of reach.
6. WANE:
7. JAMES:
Back to a close-up on FRED.
8. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
9. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Close-up on FRED's eyes. The MONSTER shows up in them as a gaping, tooth-filled mouth rushing out to engulf us.
1. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Same view in even more extreme close-up.
2. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
The MONSTER is dropping JAMES and falling limply into the water.
No dialogue.
The MONSTER is face-down and motionless on the surface. JAMES clings to the ledge with one hand while holding his SHIELD up towards WANE.
3. JAMES:
SARA bursts to the surface, supporting a limp JEROME.
4. SARA:
JAMES is now on the ledge and pulling JEROME up out of SARA's arms.
No dialogue.
WANE is kneeling next to JEROME, examining him. JAMES is climbing into the water next to SARA. His SHIELD is lying on the ledge.
1. JAMES:
2. SARA:
3. JAMES:
4. SARA:
JAMES and SARA are in the middle of the water, cautiously approaching the MONSTER.
5. WANE (off-panel):
6. WANE (off-panel):
7. WANE (off-panel):
8. SARA (softly):
SARA, WANE, JEROME and JAMES are now hauling the limp MONSTER out of the water. Behind them FRED slouches against the wall.
9. SARA:
10. FRED:
11. WANE:
Close up of FRED, looking at his phone with some irritation.
12. FRED:
13. FRED:
A scene switch to above ground where a minor media circus is surrounding a sewer access cover. A group of municipal workers are straining to get the MONSTER up from below. Paramedics and white-coated scientists stand ready to examine it.
No dialogue.
PAUL CHANT is being interviewed by a female TV reporter. She's all young and perky and he's in his disreputable raincoat and clearly thinking that alligators should eat all young, perky reporters.
1. REPORTER:
2. CHANT:
3. REPORTER:
4. CHANT:
Close up on CHANT's irritated face.
5. REPORTER (off-panel):
6. CHANT:
7. REPORTER (off-panel):
8. CHANT:
The perky young reporter turns a perky grin to the camera (we can still see CHANT in the background).
9. REPORTER:
10. FRED (disembodied thought):
11. CHANT (thought):
CHANT is now standing next to where the unconscious MONSTER is being loaded aboard an ambulance.
12. FRED (disembodied thought):
13. CHANT (thought):
14. FRED (disembodied thought):
A view of the big cistern chamber. Quiet and deserted.
1. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Now our POV is looking down one of the side tunnels off the cistern chamber (we will ignore the darkness and show the scene in full detail). There seems to be a pile of debris down there.
2. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Now we see the debris in close up. It's made up of the kinds of rubbish you might find washed into the sewers -- carry-out food packaging, bits of broken wood, household debris, etc. There are also torn scraps of clothing. And a glint of something small and metallic.
3. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Close up of the metallic object. Military dog tags on a broken metal chain.
4. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Close up of the dog tags, close enough to read the lettering:
PVT D. GARCIA
U.S.M.C.
and a serial number.
5. CAPTION (FRED's BLOG):
Next: The End of the Road
© 2007 by David Meadows