Time Is

A narrow alley. High, smooth walls. A back door into a building. Four furtive individuals. They are CROOKS! They are dressed in dark, one-piece tunics and carry holstered pistols. One kneels near the door and has a "gizmo" trailing wires into a panel on the wall.

1. FIRST CROOK:

C'mon hurry it up.

2. CROOK WITH GIZMO:

These things are delicate. I don't want to trigger the—

3. NIGHTFLYER (off panel):

—Alarm?

Same location. All four CROOKS turn to see NIGHTFLYER standing there in the alley. Wiry, athletic, short wavy brown hair. Dressed in a close-fitting dark grey jumpsuit and apparently unarmed -- though a number of belt pouches hint at a supply of useful equipment (a utility belt). On his left wrist is a discrete metal bracelet (not necessarily obvious in this view, but will be emphasised shortly).

4. FIRST CROOK:

A supercop!

5. SECOND CROOK:

We're chewed!

6. THIRD CROOK:

Blast 'im!

Each of four CROOKS has drawn some kind of ray gun and all are blasting beams of energy at NIGHTFLYER. He is leaping towards them and somehow avoiding every beam.

No dialogue.

NIGHTFLYER is among the CROOKS and attacking. He's kicking two of them simultaneously, while still dodging all four ray beams. There should be the impression of great speed and agility.

No dialogue.

More of the same as NIGHTFLYER knocks out the last two CROOKS.

No dialogue.

NIGHTFLYER, surrounded by unconscious CROOKS, speaks into the silver bracelet on his wrist (it's a communicator -- all the heroes will have one, and they get used quite a lot).

1. NIGHTFLYER:

Prisoner transport requested at these co-ordinates.

2. COMPUTER (from communicator):

Confirmed. Report for next assignment: University campus, Connor building.

The roof of a high building. A man (SENATOR) in the 24th century equivalent of a business suit, carrying a slim attaché case. He's running away from our POV, towards the edge of the building, and looking backwards, in fear, towards us.

1. SCORPIO (off panel):

There's nowhere to run, Senator.

The man stops on the edge of the building. Right on the edge. And confronts SCORPIO, who we now see. He's muscular, broad-shouldered. He wears a form-fitting green and black uniform. This includes knee-length boots, gloves (gauntlets), and a half-face helmet (something like a motorcycle crash helmet) showing his mouth and chin. Readers of the HEROES comic might recognise it as the costume worn by JAMES and (previously) by MAJOR DEMOCRACY, although that version didn't have the solid helmet that this does. He also wears a holstered pistol at his hip (some kind of futuristic blaster weapon, but we don't see it clearly while it's holstered).

2. SENATOR:

You'll never take me in, detective.

3. SCORPIO:

Step away from the edge.

SCORPIO speaking into his communicator bracelet.

4. SENATOR (off panel):

This will ruin my career. I have nothing left to live for.

5. SCORPIO (softly):

I need a teleport pick up. Six meters north of this position.

SCORPIO confronting the SENATOR (who glances nervously down over the edge).

1. COMPUTER (from communicator):

Confirmed. Calculating.

2. SCORPIO:

Don't be a fool, man. I'm the only one with the evidence. We could come to an... arrangement.

3. SENATOR:

Yes, yes. I could really help you. I have a lot of influence on the council—

The SENATOR is bathed in a beam of white light which shoots down from the heavens. His outline is all hazy and wobbly.

No dialogue.

Both beam and SENATOR have gone. SCORPIO stands alone on the rooftop.

4. SCORPIO:

Not any more you don't.

5. COMPUTER (from communicator):

Confirming suspect is in custody. Report for next assignment: University campus, Connor building.

Open sky above the city. Three CROOKS in a flying car (like a 1950s convertible but with fins instead of wheels).

1. FIRST CROOK:

Faster! The cops are right on our tail.

2. SECOND CROOK:

You wanna drive?

A flying figure swoops down and flies level with the vehicle. Waves cheerily at them. This is AVATAR. Slim, sleekly muscled but obviously not human. Although he is apparently naked, he's sexless (we will refer to him as male for convenience). His skin is black -- not human black but the matt black of a lump of basalt. He has the head of a jackal and his eyes are glowing red slits. Around his neck, on a silver chain, is a silver amulet in the shape of a five-pointed star set inside a circle.

3. AVATAR:

Can I drive?

4. FIRST CROOK:

Blast 'im!

AVATAR swoops round to the front of the vehicle and punches through the hood (with obviously superhuman strength, as it appears to be metal). Smoke begins to pour out. The three CROOKS are firing ray beams where he WAS.

5. THIRD CROOK:

He's too fast!

6. SECOND CROOK:

Look out!

7. AVATAR:

It's always blast him with you humans. Never anything original.

The car goes into a spin (still smoking). AVATAR is making some complicated ("mystical") gesture with one hand. Streams of white light pour from his fingertips and swirl around the CROOKS.

1. CROOKS (in unison):

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

2. AVATAR:

AVATAR swoops under the car and catches it. The men are now wrapped in white bands -- thoroughly restrained.

3. AVATAR:

You can relax. I won't drop you.

AVATAR flying along, carrying the car.

4. COMPUTER (from communicator):

Instruction: complete current assignment and report to University campus, Connor building.

Somewhere in the city, a CROOK is climbing the support pillar of some kind of monorail system. There are no hand-holds -- he seems to be sticking to the metal. The CROOK is vaguely reptilian in appearance, with scaly green skin.

1. ELECTRON (off panel, from below):

Police! Stop right there!

The CROOK looks down at his challenger.

2. CROOK:

Chew you, cop.

3. CROOK:

Why don't you come up and make me?

4. ELECTRON (off panel, from below):

Don't need to come up—

And now we see ELECTRON, looking up at the CROOK. ELECTRON wears a form-fitting blue costume with silver lightning-bolt motifs and a full face mask. He's pointing at the CROOK and a LIGHTNING BOLT zaps out of his fingertips

5. ELECTRON:

—Let me remind you why.

The bolt strikes the CROOK and obviously hurts him. His hair probably stands on end.

1. SFX:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP

2. CROOK:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

The CROOK falls to the ground next to ELECTRON.

3. SFX:

THUD!

4. ELECTRON:

That should have jolted his memory.

Close on ELECTRON, raising his communicator to his mouth. (We can't see his mouth, because of his mask, but you get the idea.)

5. ELECTRON:

Suspect has been stopped near the—

6. COMPUTER (from communicator):

Sensors have confirmed location. Hold position for teleport to University campus, Connor building.

A small, sealed room. Featureless walls, floor, and ceiling. In the centre of the room hovers BLACK SWAN. She wears a skin-tight white suit with grey trim, grey boots and gloves, and a floor-length grey cloak. (Well, it would be floor length if she was standing on the floor, but she's floating.) No mask, dark skin, close-cropped black hair. Also in the room are four small, floating, metal globes -- a little bigger than tennis balls, with a couple of apertures for sensors or weapons.

1. BLACK SWAN:

Computer — Go.

All four globes begin zipping around and firing beams of white energy at her. She: (1) blocks one beam with the palm of her hand, causing it to ricochet off to strike another globe; (2) absorbs two more beams with her other palm; (3) dodges (flying, graceful, cloak billowing) the fourth beam.

2. SFX:

zip

3. SFX:

zip

4. SFX:

zzzzip

5. SFX:

ziiiip

One sphere (the one she deflected the beam into, though it may not be obvious) drops inert to the floor. The rest continue whizzing and zipping (missing her with their beams). She nails two with beams of black light from her palms. Note that her energy beams don't have a sound effect.

6. SFX:

zip zip

7. SFX:

z-i-p

8. SFX:

zzz-zip

Two more spheres bounce to the floor, joining their companion. BLACK SWAN now faces off against the last one. Both fire. She misses (black beam). It hits (white beam).

1. SFX:

zzzzzzzzip

2. BLACK SWAN:

Ow!

Now she fires at the last one -- but she's mad. This doesn't drop harmlessly to the floor. It explodes in spectacular fashion.

3. SFX:

KA-BOOM!

4. SWAN (yelling):

Chew!

She lands gracefully.

5. COMPUTER (disembodied voice):

Headquarters requires you to report to University campus for mission assignment.

6. BLACK SWAN:

Chew that. Relay the exercise results to my workstation.

A full-page splash panel. Against a backdrop of futuristic buildings, four brilliant white beams lance down from the sky. Each beam is teleporting in one of our heroes: NIGHTFLYER, SCORPIO, AVATAR, and ELECTRON. We see them at the bottom of the beams, facing out-of-panel towards us.

1. COMPUTER (disembodied voice):

Information: teleportation complete.

This two-page panoramic view is our chance to see the city in all its glory. Gleaming spires, flying cars, bright, shiny. All jolly nice and utopian. Pedestrians are wandering about in a variety of futuristic clothing.

The foreground of the picture is a wide open plaza. We should see signs saying "UNIVERSITY OF NORTH AMERICA" and, beneath a big hour-glass sculpture, "INSTITUTE OF TEMPORAL STUDIES".

Walking together across the plaza, past the sculpture, are ELECTRON, SCORPIO, NIGHTFLYER, and AVATAR.

No dialogue.

Looking over the group's shoulders as they walk towards a building. Building has a sign: "CONNOR BUILDING" (which we might or might not see it in this panel). Steps lead up to the (closed) door. Flanking the door, two identically-dressed armed guards.

1. NIGHTFLYER:

Something's wrong here. Those two guards—

2. SCORPIO:

You've also noticed that their uniforms don't fit, their firearms are non-reg, and the one on the left needs a hair cut?

Looking at our heroes from the front. NIGHTFLYER and SCORPIO, looking sideways at each other, walk together in front of the other two.

3. NIGHTFLYER:

Oh. No, I just get a feeling about these things.

4. SCORPIO:

Play it cool until we get next to them. We don't want civilians caught in a gunfight.

They are now at the top of the stairs, NIGHTFLYER and SCORPIO still a couple of steps ahead of the other two. SCORPIO speaks to one of the guards.

5. SCORPIO:

Officer Scorpio, Special Police. Can I see some ID?

The guards look at SCORPIO.

No dialogue.

The guards look at each other.

No dialogue.

The guards go for their guns!

No dialogue.

Before the guns clear their holsters, SCORPIO punches one guard and NIGHTFLYER does something similar but more flamboyant (a kick to the head, or something) to the other one.

No dialogue.

Everyone regards the unconscious guards.

1. AVATAR:

What's happening?

2. SCORPIO:

We don't know yet. Everybody be ready to—

3. NIGHTFLYER (yelling):

Duck!

The door BURSTS open, smashed to pieces, and BLOCKHEAD stands there. He's HUGE, at least a head taller than everybody else and packed with muscle. He's so tough, he uses a metal chain to hold his trousers up! His chest is bare. And his bald head is weirdly deformed: it is un-naturally flat and slopes forwards, leaving him with no real forehead, as if somebody dropped an anvil on him.

Incidentally, none of our heroes are caught by the pieces of smashed door, thanks to NIGHTFLYER's warning. We can probably see them ducking and dodging wreckage.

1. SFX:

SMASH!!!!

BLOCKHEAD steps forward and solidly punches AVATAR -- who just happens to be the nearest target.

4. SFX:

Smack!

5. BLOCKHEAD:

'Ey, Killervolt, der's chewin' cops 'ere.

AVATAR has sailed back several yards and is just now crashing to the ground -- yep, a powerful punch. Another man is flying out of the doorway, over BLOCKHEAD's head. This man wears an all-over sealed suit of bronze-coloured metallic armour.

7. AVATAR:

Owwww!

8. KILLERVOLT:

You keep them busy, Blockhead, I'll get the goods to safety.

A view inside the building, as NIGHTFLYER and SCORPIO enter. Through the open doorway, we can see BLOCKHEAD and AVATAR trading blows. SCORPIO is gesturing to NIGHTFLYER: "you go that way, I'll go this way". NIGHTFLYER makes a circle of his thumb and forefinger: "ok".

No dialogue.

Outside. Angle on KILLERVOLT and ELECTRON. KILLERVOLT in mid-flight, obviously intent on escaping. ELECTRON looking after him, but we can't see what he's doing. Well, for visual effect, maybe there should be some kind of halo effect extending from ELECTRON to encompass KILLERVOLT.

1. KILLERVOLT:

Wha—? Stopped?

KILLERVOLT turns to face ELECTRON and blasts arcs of electrical energy from his gauntlets. ELECTRON is struck, but unaffected. In the background, we see AVATAR punch BLOCKHEAD (with little effect).

2. KILLERVOLT:

Telekinesis, cop? Well TK this!

3. SFX:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP

4. ELECTRON:

Voltage, Killervolt? Sorry — the only thing that shocks me is strong language.

Angle on AVATAR and BLOCKHEAD. AVATAR is punching BLOCKHEAD, who has lowered his head so that AVATAR hits the solid plate on top. In the background, we see ELECTRON zap KILLERVOLT (with little effect).

5. SFX (from AVATAR's punch):

KLANG!

6. AVATAR:

Ow!

7. BLOCKHEAD:

Hur, hur!

Inside the building, NIGHTFLYER has turned a corner and two beams of green energy hit him square in the chest (we can't see their origin). He staggers a little.

1. VIPER (off panel):

Surprise!

NIGHTFLYER confronts VIPER. VIPER is in a green costume and has some kind of compact weaponry mounted on the back of his wrists -- readers should deduce that they are weapons, as the apertures are glowing green and he's aiming them at NIGHTFLYER.

2. NIGHTFLYER:

I'm never surprised. I just needed to get closer to you.

3. VIPER:

You—you're still standing?

4. NIGHTFLYER:

I'm tougher than I look.

Elsewhere in the building. SCORPIO, moving down a corridor, hears a noise behind him.

9. SFX:

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

10. SCORPIO (thought):

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm?

SCORPIO dodges, just in time, as there's a cool energy-beam-type special effect and a section of wall (where his head was) disintegrates.

11. SFX:

mmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Back with NIGHTFLYER and VIPER. VIPER is firing beams in all directions. NIGHTFLYER cartwheels through the air, avoiding all of them, and lands a flying kick on VIPER's chest.

1. VIPER:

Uhhhhnnn

SCORPIO turns to confront a man dressed in a rather elegant blue and white costume (a ruffled dress shirt open to the waist, tight trousers), sporting a head of blonde curly hair and a conspicuous mustache. He looks like a character from a bad 70s' disco parody. This is DISCORD. SCORPIO has drawn his pistol and fired a bolt of energy. This stops in mid air, a few inches away from DISCORD. There should be some flashy energy effect to show it has hit some invisible barrier (which hums).

2. SFX (blaster):

Shhhzappp

3. SFX (force field):

mmmMMMMmmmm

4. DISCORD:

Ha!

DISCORD and SCORPIO. Mexican stand-off.

8. SFX:

mmmmmmm

9. DISCORD:

You'll need more than that to get through my harmonic field!

Close up on SCORPIO's eyes. Narrowed in thought. Looking down.

No dialogue.

SCORPIO blasts the floor beneath DISCORD's feet.

1. SFX:

Shhhzappp

DISCORD falls through the hole in the floor!

2. DISCORD:

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

3. SCORPIO:

Ok.

Cut back to NIGHTFLYER, who is holding an unconscious VIPER by the scruff of his neck. NIGHTFLYER speaks into his communicator.

4. NIGHTFLYER:

It's the Viper. He's taken care of.

5. VOICE FROM COMMUNICATOR:

Discord too. Funny—

Back to SCORPIO, in close-up speaking into his own wrist communicator.

6. SCORPIO:

—In a university building, what could there possibly be to interest four super villains?

7. VOICE FROM COMMUNICATOR:

Let's find out.

Back outside, ELECTRON and KILLERVOLT uselessly exchange electric blasts. In the background, AVATAR and BLOCKHEAD stand toe-to-toe, trading punches.

1. SFX:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP

2. SFX:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP

3. KILLERVOLT:

Stalemate. Let's see who runs out of juice first.

4. ELECTRON (thought):

Avatar—

Reverse angle on the scene, so that AVATAR and BLOCKHEAD are now in the foreground.

5. ELECTRON (thought):

Switch targets.

6. AVATAR (thought):

Ok!

AVATAR streaks towards the hovering KILLERVOLT as ELECTRON blasts BLOCKHEAD with electricity.

7. SFX:

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZAP

BLOCKHEAD collapses to the ground. Meanwhile, AVATAR smashes into KILLERVOLT.

8. SFX:

KRANG!

9. KILLERVOLT:

Uhhhn!

The two crooks are unconscious on to the floor. AVATAR and ELECTRON are walking towards the smashed building doors. ELECTRON talks into his wrist communicator.

1. ELECTRON:

Prisoner transport and clean-up crew, Connor building.

As they reach the top of the stairs they are met by SCORPIO and NIGHTFLYER, flanking a third man. This man is CHIEF KADNEZ. Tall, lean, greying hair, perhaps Hispanic origin, dressed in an immaculate form-fitting grey suit with a stylised Earth-and-Moon emblem on the chest. Electron salutes.

2. ELECTRON:

Chief!

3. KADNEZ:

At ease, officer.

KADNEZ leads the four of them back into the building.

6. KADNEZ:

Good work, officers. Those men had stolen data vital to the security of Earth.

They walk down a corridor together.

7. SCORPIO:

With respect, sir, what kind of vital information is found in a university history department?

8. KADNEZ:

Oh, this is far more than a history department.

9. KADNEZ:

While we're waiting for the final member of the team to arrive, I'll introduce you to the man who will explain—

KADNEZ leads them into a room where we see another man: elderly, white-haired, average height and build, dressed in a rumpled suit. This is PROFESSOR CARL ZOD

10. ZOD:

—That the world is ending.

11. ZOD:

Unless you can stop it.

Our four heroes, plus BLACK SWAN, sit in a small meeting room, facing CARL ZOD. CHIEF KADNEZ sits off to one side. ZOD stands in front of a big wall screen that currently shows an hour-glass logo (reminiscent of the sculpture in the plaza).

1. ZOD:

The images I am about to show you have been gathered with my Time Viewer — a device which allows me to record events which occurred in the past.

2. KADNEZ:

You realize, officers, that this is strictly classified information.

3. ZOD:

Behold!

This thin panel runs the whole width of the page and is actually a strip of several images, a bit like a strip of film. The images are, from left to right:
a) A brontosaurus munching some trees.
b) An Egyptian pyramid being constructed.
c) A Roman Legion marching.
d) Napoleonic-era soldiers.

No dialogue.

As above, another strip of images:
a) The Wright Brother's first flight.
b) Soldiers in a muddy trench.
c) Adolph Hitler saluting marching soldiers.
d) An atomic bomb explosion.

No dialogue.

Same again...
a) Neil Armstrong doing "a giant leap".
b) Disco!
c) A black panel.
d) The Berlin Wall coming down.

6. VOICE (off-panel):

Wait!

Everybody has turned to look at NIGHTFLYER, who is standing and gesturing at the screen (which, in the background, seems to show a large space station being constructed).

1. NIGHTFLYER:

Back up! What was that?

The screen is now completely black again. ZOD points at it emphatically.

2. ZOD:

That officers, is—was 1987.

Back to a front view of out five heroes as they try to puzzle this out.

3. ELECTRON:

Boring year, then?

4. BLACK SWAN:

Data glitch?

5. SCORPIO:

We wouldn't be here if it was just a data glitch.

SCORPIO turns to his CHIEF.

6. SCORPIO:

Am I right?

7. KADNEZ:

On the button, officer.

ZOD and KADNEZ face the five heroes.

1. ZOD:

There is a hole in time. And it is getting bigger.

2. ZOD:

Somebody has to go back in time to its moment of origin and stop it from forming. If it is not stopped, it will continue to expand until it engulfs our own century.

3. ZOD:

The end of all existence.

4. KADNEZ:

This is a volunteers-only mission, officers.

NIGHTFLYER, SCORPIO, AVATAR, ELECTRON, and BLACK SWAN look at each other.

No dialogue.

The officers look back at their Chief.

5. SCORPIO:

When do we leave?