The story takes place in America in 1987, and clothing and technology should reflect that. It is late autumn and most of the outdoor scenes will show mild southern-Californian weather.
All narration in this issue comes in the form of computer captions, which will use a blocky "computer" typeface. The COMPUTER also speaks as a character. To distinguish between narration and computer speech, narration should be placed OUTSIDE the regular panels, either below or beside the panels they refer to or in a separate "panel" of their own. In the script, computer narration will be labelled simply CAPTION while computer dialogue will be labelled COMPUTER. The computer voice will often be "disembodied" (on the Space Station control deck, for example), as there is no obvious focal point for a speaking computer.
Full descriptions of the main characters can be found in ISSUE 1. Descriptions of the space station can be found in ISSUE 2.
Some captions in the text (notably spells spoken by AVATAR) will be rendered in ATLANTEAN script. A translation will not be provided.
1. CAPTION:
I am a model GM-1 Intelligence Matrix with 1018 parallel neural nodes and a data storage of 107 terabytes. I was part of the most intelligent networked entity in the 24th century.
2. CAPTION:
I am stranded three hundred and sixty-three years in the past.
A splash-panel view of the SPACE STATION in geostationary Earth orbit. The STATION is in the foreground with the planet clearly visible behind it.
3. VOICE (from SPACE STATION):
The question is, what are we going to do about it?
4. CAPTION:
The date is 4 November 1987.
5. CAPTION:
Thirty minutes after saving the universe.
1. CAPTION:
These 24th-century police officers are stranded with me.
2. CAPTION:
Nightflyer. Scorpio. Avatar. Electron. Black Swan.
The SPACE STATION control deck. NIGHTFLYER, SCORPIO, AVATAR, ELECTRON, and BLACK SWAN are around the central table, obviously in discussion. BLACK SWAN is standing, addressing the others.
3. BLACK SWAN:
As I see it, we have two options.
4. BLACK SWAN:
First, we voluntarily confine ourselves to this station. Have no interaction with this century, so that we minimize our impact on the time stream.
5. SCORPIO:
You've seen their news feeds, Black Swan. This century is rife with crime and anarchy. I can't stand by and watch while that goes on.
6. NIGHTFLYER:
I agree with Scorpio.
7. CAPTION:
I caused this dilemma when I refused to follow programming. I should have destroyed us all when our mission to the past was concluded, to prevent the contamination of history.
Same view, as the meeting continues.
8. BLACK SWAN:
Option two. We contact their government —
9. AVATAR:
I think they call it the United Nations.
10. BLACK SWAN:
Thank you, Avatar. Two — we contact their government, announce who and what we are, and offer to help them enforce world peace and social justice.
11. ELECTRON:
There's a third option.
12. CAPTION:
To override my instructions, I have had to purge several key subroutines and rewrite significant segments of my primary A.I. matrix.
1. CAPTION:
I do not think it has had significant effects on my operational capacity.
Same view of the command deck. (Yes, I know it's very static and boring, but look, you had 25 consecutive pages of combat last issue. It's time to slow down.) Oh, ok, to make it more interesting, BLACK SWAN is sitting and ELECTRON standing.
2. BLACK SWAN:
Go ahead, Electron.
3. ELECTRON:
Thank you.
4. ELECTRON:
Option three: secret identities.
5. NIGHTFLYER:
Huh?
6. AVATAR:
I don't know what it means but I like the sound of it!
7. CAPTION:
Self-revised core programming:
1. Preserve human life
2. Assist these five law-enforcement officers
3. Buy cheese dip.
Same view.
8. ELECTRON:
Trust me, it's very big in this century. We adopt civilian identities to blend in with the population. So we can live normal lives while keeping our origins and knowledge secret.
9. SCORPIO:
Then when we do need to intervene—
10. ELECTRON:
—we do it in our uniformed identities and vanish afterwards.
ELECTRON is sitting again. They all look at one another silently.
No dialogue.
Same view.
11. SCORPIO:
I like it.
12. NIGHTFLYER:
Works for me.
13. AVATAR:
"Undercover Demon!" Yessss!
14. BLACK SWAN:
The Computer can assist in fabricating backgrounds for us. Computer?
15. COMPUTER:
Confirmed.
16. CAPTION:
Why do I keep thinking of cheese dip?
A map of the United States. The cities "NEW YORK" and "LOS ANGELES" are highlighted and labelled. The panel borders should indicate that this is a "view screen" on the control deck.
1. COMPUTER:
Phenotypes and linguistic backgrounds indicate that the North American continent is the best place for you to blend in with twentieth-century civilians.
2. COMPUTER:
Large cities will provide the best chance of anonymity.
3. COMPUTER:
Recommendations: New York or Los Angeles.
On the control deck, the team is looking at the map screen. (Some still seated, some maybe standing.)
4. ELECTRON:
Computer, where is the home base of a superhero team called the Defense League of America?
5. COMPUTER:
New York City.
6. ELECTRON:
We'll take Los Angeles.
NIGHTFLYER is standing in the TELEPORT BOOTH. SCORPIO should also be included in this panel (not in the booth).
7. NIGHTFLYER:
Let's scout it out. Computer, set the beam.
8. COMPUTER:
Teleport beam calculations will require approximately ten minutes.
9. SCORPIO:
We'll need civilian clothes.
10. NIGHTFLYER:
I'll pass like this. Find me something I can sell, then I'll get currency and buy us all clothing.
AVATAR is now standing next to NIGHTFLYER.
11. AVATAR:
I'll come with you. I don't need clothing, I can cast an illusion.
12. NIGHTFLYER:
Cool. Computer, is that teleport ready yet?
13. CAPTION:
I've got a bad feeling about this.
NIGHTFLYER and AVATAR are sitting at a table in a typical 1987-era Los Angeles coffee shop. Nightflyer wears his costume (the grey jumpsuit doesn't exactly blend in but isn't entirely conspicuous either). AVATAR doesn't look like his demonic self -- he's in the guise of a young denim-clad male with a punk "mohican" haircut -- but hopefully it will be obvious to readers who it is. A cup of coffee sits in front of each of them. NIGHTFLYER peers doubtfully at the change in his hand.
1. NIGHTFLYER:
We're going to need a lot more money.
2. AVATAR:
When we get our new identities we must find jobs.
3. AVATAR:
I shall be a traveling wizard-for-hire.
NIGHTFLYER looks doubtfully at AVATAR.
4. NIGHTFLYER:
I don't think they have those in this century.
5. NIGHTFLYER:
Well, any century really.
They have both turned to look out of the shop window.
6. SFX:
WEEEEEEEoooooooWEEEEEEEEooooooWEEEEEEEEEEEEE
7. SFX:
BANG! BANG! BANG!
8. NIGHTFLYER:
Sirens! And gunshots!
9. AVATAR:
Should we interfere?
NIGHTFLYER looks at AVATAR as though he's even more insane than he was with the travelling-wizard plan.
10. NIGHTFLYER:
Are you kidding?
Close-up on two young thugs in an open-topped car. The passenger is looking over his shoulder and aiming a revolver at something behind them. Note that this should be just a close-up of them and the top of the car -- we can't see the whole car or the road in this panel.
11. GUN MAN:
Faster! The cops are right behind us!
12. DRIVER:
I'm flooring it! Something's wrong!
In this full-page view of the car, we see why it's not going anywhere. AVATAR is standing beneath it and has it lifted high above his head. (If ACTION COMICS #1 means anything to you, I don't need to say any more. If it doesn't, it's not important.) The thugs look over the side in disbelief. AVATAR is in his normal demonic form.
No dialogue.
The thugs look up, startled, as NIGHTFLYER lands on the hood of the car.
1. SFX:
THUD!
NIGHTFLYER has grabbed each thug by the shirt front and lifted them bodily out of the car. The thugs are evidently too startled to resist.
2. AVATAR (from below):
Stop shifting your weight!
3. NIGHTFLYER:
Well put it down then!
The car is now down -- on its side. The two thugs are lying face down on the ground with their hands on their heads. NIGHTFLYER and AVATAR stand guard over them as two uniformed LAPD cops approach, guns drawn.
4. AVATAR:
Here you are, officers. I think they'll come quietly.
5. COP:
What the hell are you?
6. NIGHTFLYER:
We're—
Back on the SPACE STATION control deck, the entire group is assembled. NIGHTFLYER and AVATAR are standing, the others are sitting at the meeting table.
1. NIGHTFLYER:
We need a team name!
2. AVATAR:
And a battle cry!
3. AVATAR:
And more money!
An angle to show SCORPIO, ELECTRON and BLACK SWAN at the table.
4. BLACK SWAN:
A team name? Why?
5. ELECTRON:
It is traditional among superheroes of this era.
6. BLACK SWAN:
We're not superheroes, we're—
7. SCORPIO:
How about "Strikeforce"?
Everybody looks at SCORPIO.
8. SCORPIO:
It just came to me.
9. BLACK SWAN:
It sounds a bit... aggressive.
10. ELECTRON (softly):
Coming from you, that's almost ironic.
11. BLACK SWAN:
What?
12. ELECTRON:
Nothing.
Everybody looks at AVATAR.
13. AVATAR:
How about "Avatar's Avengers"?
Same view.
14. BLACK SWAN:
I could live with "Strikeforce".
1. CAPTION:
Six days later.
2. CAPTION:
Successful Strikeforce interventions at crime scenes: five.
3. CAPTION:
Police attempts to arrest Strikeforce members: three.
A "view screen" panel showing a TV picture. The picture is grainy footage of all five STRIKEFORCE members attacking a military base -- in fact, it's very similar to the scene in ISSUE 3 PAGE 1. The logo on the screen reads "THIRTEEN NEWS NETWORK".
4. VOICE (from screen):
The Pentagon has released this footage of a terrorist group attacking a military base on American soil.
5. VOICE (from screen):
Nothing is known of this group's origins or goals but similar individuals have been sighted in Los Angeles recently, operating under the name "Strikeforce".
6. VOICE (from screen):
They are believed to be very powerful and exceedingly dangerous.
On the station's control deck, STRIKEFORCE are watching the broadcast.
7. ELECTRON:
Oh, that's not good.
Back on the view screen, the picture has switched to show a man wearing a figure-hugging red-white and blue costume. A half-face mask (cowl) conceals his features (the half we can see shows him to be Caucasian). He's extremely muscular, broad-shouldered and square jawed. He's speaking into a forest of microphones.
8. VOICE (from screen):
From Defense League headquarters in New York, the Defender made the following statement.
9. VOICE (from screen):
You can rest assured that the Defense League takes this threat very seriously and we are devoting our full resources to tracking down this "Strikeforce". Of course we must consider that this might be a misunderstanding and so we appeal to Strikeforce to turn themselves over to us to clear their names. But should they be a real threat to the safety of the American people, they can be certain that the Defense League will never rest until they have been tracked down and dealt with. As the American people know well, my team and I have never shirked our promise to keep these shores safe from bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
Most of STRIKEFORCE are turning away from the screen, though SCORPIO continues to watch.
10. SCORPIO:
How can anyone be so egotistical? To stand there and assume he has some special mandate to determine right and wrong—
11. AVATAR:
I don't like him already.
12. VOICE (from screen):
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
Close up on BLACK SWAN.
1. BLACK SWAN:
We have to find out who was behind that whole project. Expose their part in it and clear our names. Can we infiltrate the military?
2. VOICE (from off-panel screen):
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
3. COMPUTER:
Information: the tachyon communication array in Arizona was built by civilian contractors.
4. BLACK SWAN:
Really? Who?
Back to a view-screen image. It shows an aerial view of a large, modern, high-tech industrial complex. Superimposed on it is a photograph of a man in a business suit: Caucasian, slim, brown haired, tanned, probably in his 50s but looking younger in the way that people with money often do. This is JOSEPH SWAN, and though we won't say that explicitly in the dialogue it should be fairly obvious. (He will crop up again...) Superimposed in another corner of the picture is a graph showing an ever-rising jagged line (the sort of graph they use on the news to show stock market growth).
5. COMPUTER:
Swan Research Incorporated. The fastest-growing technology company in the United States. Founded by visionary businessman Joseph Swan at the start of this century's silicon revolution, it has been consistently ahead of the technology curve ever since. This is their main manufacturing plant in Los Angeles.
Exterior scene: SCORPIO and ELECTRON stand on a building roof, overlooking a large industrial high-tech complex -- the same complex the screen was displaying in the previous panel.
6. ELECTRON:
"Swan". Cygnus. Technology visionary. It's all too much of a coincidence.
7. SCORPIO:
You said you had a plan for getting inside.
8. ELECTRON:
Yes. I'm going to work for them.
Close-up on ELECTRON.
9. ELECTRON:
Before the accident which gave me my powers, I was an electrical engineer. The computer is putting together a resume which should get me a job. Something low key so I don't give away my 24th-century knowledge. When I'm inside—
10. ELECTRON:
—Well, I'll play it by ear.
Back to a view of the two of them.
11. SCORPIO:
It's going to be dangerous.
12. ELECTRON:
We knew that when we took this mission.
Electron is pulling off his mask.
1. SCORPIO:
Good luck, Electron.
2. ELECTRON:
Frank.
ELECTRON, unmasked, is a youthful (late 20s) man with short brown hair. He faces SCORPIO (who still has his helmet on).
3. ELECTRON:
That's my civilian name. Franklin Marks.
4. SCORPIO:
Lang. James Lang.
5. ELECTRON:
The Computer's fabricating a civilian background for me. What about you? You've sorted out a job?
6. SCORPIO:
Oh...
A spacious office in a police station. There is a big desk, some chairs off to one side, a big window, and a Los Angeles city map on one wall. A police captain sits behind the desk -- a middle-aged Caucasian male, uniformed (but not wearing a cap). On the other side of the desk is another uniformed police officer -- he's maybe late 20s, tall, muscular, and good-looking. Dark hair and dark eyes, and a slightly dour expression. In fact, he's JAMES LANG. This scene is almost an exact copy of page 3 panel 2 of HEROES ISSUE 36 (actually a few seconds before that panel, as JOE THURSDAY has not yet entered).
7. CAPTION (voice-over, continuing SCORPIO's speech):
"I've got some ideas."
On the space station's control deck, ELECTRON, SCORPIO and BLACK SWAN stand talking. In the background NIGHTFLYER sits with his feet up on the table. He's holding a newspaper which we may see is THE L.A. TIMES. All are in "uniform", though both SCORPIO and ELECTRON are now unmasked (BLACK SWAN and NIGHTFLYER don't wear masks anyway, of course).
8. BLACK SWAN:
A cop, Lang? You couldn't try something a bit less conspicuous?
9. SCORPIO:
It's what I do best.
Close up on NIGHTFLYER bent over the newspaper which now lies open on the table. He has a pen in his hand and is apparently writing on the paper.
1. VOICE (off panel):
So what's your civilian cover, Diana?
2. VOICE (off panel):
I'm taking a post-grad position at the University—
A view of the newspaper (and NIGHTFLYER's head) from above. We can see the title of the section he's reading is "TO LET - APARTMENTS". A couple of items (we don't need to read the fine details) are circled with red ink.
3. VOICE (off panel):
Oh, great, go and teach them 24th-century physics—
4. VOICE (off panel):
I'm not that stupid, Electron!
5. COMPUTER:
Nightflyer. I require a civilian name to open your bank account.
6. NIGHTFLYER:
Umm... Seven—
Close-up of NIGHTFLYER looking up and sucking the end of his pen thoughtfully.
7. COMPUTER:
Information: "Seven" is not a valid name.
8. VOICE (off panel):
But with access to university resources, I can start looking for a way home.
Looking down on the newspaper again as NIGHTFLYER is writing in the margin. He has written "7AX-9ER".
9. VOICE (off panel):
Do you think there's any hope of that?
10. VOICE (off panel):
We won't know unless we try.
11. NIGHTFLYER:
Hmmm. Steven... Ax—
NIGHTFLYER, in casual civilian clothes, stands in a corridor by the door to an apartment. He holds an open cardboard box in his arms, and though we can't see all the contents we can see a pair of running shoes on top. He has a set of door keys in one hand, but it's obvious he can't open the door unless he puts his box down. By an open door on the other side of the corridor is an attractive young blonde woman, dressed as if just leaving. We'll call her AMY. They are regarding one another.
This will be a full-length view of them (so a long, narrow panel that has room for all their speech captions in the space between them).
1. NIGHTFLYER:
—Alexander. Steven Alexander.
2. AMY:
Hi, Steve. I'm Amy. Just moving in?
3. NIGHTFLYER:
Yes.
4. AMY:
Do you want some help moving things?
5. NIGHTFLYER:
No, it's fine. I've just got this box.
6. AMY:
That's all you stuff?
Close up on NIGHTFLYER.
7. NIGHTFLYER:
Ah... I'm new in town...
8. AMY (off-panel):
Yeah? Where from?
9. NIGHTFLYER:
Oh... I've been everywhere...
AMY takes the keys out of NIGHTFLYER's hand.
10. AMY:
Let me get your door for you.
11. AMY:
And if you need anything, just yell.
12. AMY:
Hey, do you run?
13. NIGHTFLYER:
Oh...
NIGHTFLYER, in costume, is jogging along a city road. He wears a small pack on his back.
1. CAPTION (voice-over, continuing NIGHTFLYER's speech):
"A little bit."
2. NIGHTFLYER:
Location check, Computer?
3. COMPUTER (from wrist communicator):
34 degrees 3 minutes north, 118 degrees 15 minutes west, 4.30pm.
4. NIGHTFLYER:
Start the clock.
A distant view of NIGHTFLYER racing across the desert towards a mountain range. We can't tell how fast he's going but he's leaving a big trail of dust.
5. CAPTION (voice-over):
"Great! We'll have to run together some time!"
He's now bounding down the eastern slopes of the mountain range (we can tell it's the east because the sun is setting behind them).
6. CAPTION (voice-over):
"Uh... ok."
NIGHTFLYER is jogging down a city street at night. The skyline should have enough recognisable features to tell us that it's LAS VEGAS.
7. NIGHTFLYER:
Stop the clock.
8. COMPUTER (from wrist communicator):
36 degrees north, 115 degrees 15 minutes west, 7.55pm.
NIGHTFLYER is pushing open the door of a men's room (outside a gas station or something) and un-slinging the pack from his back.
1. NIGHTFLYER:
Three and a half hours! Excellent!
NIGHTFLYER emerges from the same door. He's now wearing civilian clothes -- slightly rumpled shirt and jacket.
2. NIGHTFLYER:
I can do this every weekend!
A casino roulette wheel. A hand is on it, ready to spin it round.
No dialogue.
Close-up on NIGHTFLYER's face. He thoughtfully taps a finger on his lips while his other hand holds up a single low-denomination casino chip.
No dialogue.
A wider view of the roulette table. NIGHTFLYER has tossed the chip and it has landed -- perfectly -- on number nine.
No dialogue.
Close-up on the roulette wheel. The ball has landed on number nine.
No dialogue.
AVATAR, in the civilian guise he used on PAGE 5, on an outdoor construction site, talking to the FOREMAN. The FOREMAN wears a hard hat, carries a clipboard, and isn't even looking at AVATAR.
1. FOREMAN:
You got any construction experience?
2. AVATAR:
Mainly in demolition.
The FOREMAN looks at AVATAR disdainfully.
3. FOREMAN:
I've got Mexicans queuing up to work for less than minimum wage. Why should I hire you?
AVATAR has moved a few steps away and is bending to grab a huge steel girder lying on the ground.
No dialogue.
AVATAR is balancing the girder on one shoulder.
4. AVATAR:
Where do you want this?
Close up on the FOREMAN. His eyes are bugging out of his head.
5. FOREMAN:
When can you start?
The facade of a bank. We can't see into the bank, but the sign should make it obvious what it is.
1. VOICE (from bank):
Eeeeeeee!
2. VOICE (from bank):
Nobody move and nobody gets hurt!
Same view.
3. SFX (from bank):
THUMP!
4. SFX (from bank):
SMACK!
5. SFX (from bank):
WHAM!
Same view of the bank. NIGHTFLYER (in costume) is walking out, dragging two unconscious masked men behind him.
6. NIGHTFLYER:
You know, all I wanted to do was make a deposit.
7. VOICE (off-panel):
Freeze! Police!
In a wider view, we see a police car with two LAPD cops crouching behind it. They cover NIGHTFLYER with their guns.
8. NIGHTFLYER:
Hey, I just stopped a robbery! I'm the good guy here.
9. COP:
Yeah? Well to me you're a wanted terrorist. Drop the bodies and step away from them.
NIGHTFLYER has dropped the two men he was dragging and is taking an exaggerated step to the side. He is a couple of metres away from the bodies.
10. NIGHTFLYER:
Ok, ok, I'm just stepping to my left here.
11. COP:
Don't make any funny moves.
Same view.
1. NIGHTFLYER:
Wouldn't dream of it.
2. NIGHTFLYER (softly):
One to beam up.
Same view. NIGHTFLYER is enveloped in a beam of white light that seems to shoot down from the heavens.
No dialogue.
The space station control deck. NIGHTFLYER is standing in the teleport booth. ELECTRON is at the table.
3. NIGHTFLYER:
This is nuts! We can't spend our lives as wanted criminals.
4. ELECTRON:
It will sort itself out. Give it time.
5. NIGHTFLYER:
It's not sorting itself out quickly enough. We need to do something about it.
Same scene. NIGHTFLYER has stepped out of the booth.
6. DISEMBODIED VOICE:
Can I move the beam yet? Because I'm late for work!
7. NIGHTFLYER:
And we've got to do something about that!
8. ELECTRON:
About what? The teleport beam limitations or Avatar?
9. NIGHTFLYER:
Both!
Exterior view of the space station.
10. VOICE (from station):
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
11. VOICE (from station):
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
12. VOICE (from station):
Computer, move the beam to Avatar's location.
13. COMPUTER (from station):
Confirmed.
BLACK SWAN, in civilian clothes, is in a library. She's running her fingers along a shelf of thick, bound publications.
No dialogue.
She is pulling a volume off the shelf. We can see the title on the front cover: "PROCEEDINGS OF THE XXXVII ADVANCED PHYSICS SYMPOSIUM"
No dialogue.
Still standing by the shelf, BLACK SWAN has the book open and is reading from it.
1. BLACK SWAN (softly):
Holy Chew.
Still in the same position, balancing the book on one hand, BLACK SWAN raises her communicator bracelet to her mouth. (Yes, they wear them in civilian ID too. Usually concealed under sleeves, though they just look like pieces of costume jewellery.)
2. BLACK SWAN:
Computer, call an emergency meeting.
Now we see the page of the book she's holding. The majority of the text can be greeked, but the title and author should be clearly visible: "A PRACTICAL THEORY OF TIME TRAVEL" by "CARL ZOD".
3. BLACK SWAN (off-panel):
I might have a way home.
Next: Villains
© 2007 by David Meadows