Villains

Daylight. A distant view of a tall, modern apartment building. We can quite clearly see the roof of the building.

No dialogue.

Same view. A beam of white light shoots down from the heavens, shining onto the roof.

No dialogue.

The light has gone. In its place stand the five members of STRIKEFORCE in a tight group: SCORPIO, ELECTRON, AVATAR, NIGHTFLYER, BLACK SWAN. They are in costume. The COMPUTER REMOTE SENSING UNIT is also present (probably very tiny in this distant view, but needs to be seen as it is going to speak).

REMOTE:

Information. Subject is on the top floor of this structure.

On another high rooftop, a figure is observing this scene through binoculars and speaking into a small radio.

This man is wearing form-fitting dark-blue coveralls, not exactly military but obviously some kind of uniform. The uniform has an emblem on the left breast (which we probably can't see in this view but I'm mentioning now for future reference) -- a stylised cube with spots on each face (yes, like a die). Beneath the emblem is a name tag (also invisible in this panel) that says "DON". Oh darn, I've given away the surprise. Never mind. Yes, this is Don from the HEROES comic book, but 25 years younger: less grey and fewer lines, but still obviously Don. Over his uniform, he wears a leather flying jacket. He wears a pistol holstered at his waist (possibly not clearly visible in this panel). It's bulkier than a normal pistol and has unconventional styling. It's actually a high-tech plasma weapon.

DON:

The tip-off was right. Move in but keep out of sight until my signal.

DON:

I don't have a positive I.D. but I think it's—

Full-page splash panel of the building interior. A corridor. A woman stands in an appartment doorway and is looking out in some shock at the five people (and hovering Remote) outside her door. The woman is in her late twenties. She is attractive, slim and medium height with shoulder-length brown hair. She is dressed casually and wears glasses. She is CARLA ZOD.

BLACK SWAN:

We're looking for Professor Carl Zod.

SCORPIO:

Please don't be alarmed. We just need to talk to him.

Now we see inside the large, luxurious apartment. The room is very spacious and the decor suggests that Zod is wealthy. From this POV we see Carla still at the door. We can also see a man sitting and reading. This is CARL ZOD. (I'll call him ZOD and her CARLA in the script. That seems the best way to avoid confusion.) He's at least thirty years older than she is, frail-looking and with unkempt white hair. He also wears glasses. Note that there is no resemblance to the CARL ZOD we met in ISSUE 1.

ZOD:

Who is it, Carla?

CARLA:

I really... don't know.

Back to a view of Carla confronting Strikeforce in the doorway. Nightflyer wears his best winning smile. Unfortunately, so does Avatar (showing his teeth).

NIGHTFLYER:

We're Strikeforce. Perhaps you've heard of us?

CARLA:

Aren't you terrorists?

AVATAR:

Reports of our terrorism have been greatly exaggerated!

ZOD (off panel):

Don't stand with the door open! Bring them in!

Carla stands to one side and Scorpio enters. Carla glares at him.

CARLA:

If you're here to harm my father—

SCORPIO:

I assure you we have no such intentions.

Close-up of Zod staring out-of-panel (directly at us, from this POV).

ZOD:

Oh my goodness.

Identical view. Zod is carefully polishing his glasses.

No dialogue.

Identical view. Zod is now wearing his glasses again.

ZOD:

Oh my goodness.

Strikeforce are in the room, talking to Zod. Carla is perched on the arm of her father's chair, still glaring in a confrontational manner. Scorpio, Black Swan, and Electron sit on a couch. Untouched cups of coffee stand on a table between them. Avatar sits cross-legged, but floating in mid air, incongruously sipping coffee. Nightflyer stands behind the couch. The Computer Remote hovers in the air above the table.

BLACK SWAN:

And that's the entire story. We're trapped here in your century with no way home.

Close-up on Zod leaning forward in a state of great excitement.

ZOD:

This is so exciting! You do know what this means? Carla, it vindicates all of my theories!

Black Swan holds out a small data cartridge to Zod, who looks at it blankly. Carla is reaching for it.

BLACK SWAN:

This is all the data we have on the time-travel process. It's not much, but—

ZOD:

But what is this? This is not something my computer will read!

Close-up on Carla holding the cartridge and examining it closely (she has pushed her glasses up onto her head).

CARLA:

Fascinating. What technology are you using?

The Remote projects a hologram of scrolling numbers and schematics in the air in front of the Zods. (Nothing meaningful to readers -- just incomprehensible math-type-symbols). Zod looks befuddled but Carla studies it intently (her glasses back on her nose).

REMOTE:

Data is stored in an optical matrix and processing is performed by—

CARLA:

—Massively parallel quantum events... yes, I see...

Electron and Scorpio exchange looks.

No dialogue.

Black Swan is ignoring this digression and still addressing Zod.

BLACK SWAN:

Professor Zod, can you help us? We think you're the only man who can.

ZOD:

No, no, it is quite impossible. My theory shows that time travel is only possible as a one-way event.

Close-up on Nightflyer, who is looking at the ceiling with a puzzled expression.

ZOD (off-panel):

There are chronal energy levels, you see, and—

Same view. Nightflyer looks quizzically to his left.

ZOD (off-panel):

You are at a lower level and—

Same view. Nightflyer looks quizzically to his right.

ZOD (off-panel):

The inertia of that level is too great to—

NIGHTFLYER:

Guys...

Same view. Nightflyer looks quizzically to his left.

CARLA (off-panel):

But Dad, you overlooked the secondary solution to—

NIGHTFLYER:

Guys!

Nightflyer has leaped across the room, clear over the couch that his team-mates are sitting on, and crashed into the chair that the Zods were sitting on, knocking it and them over backwards. The rest of Strikeforce haven't moved, obviously taken by complete surprise.

NIGHTFLYER (shouting):

DOWN!

The entire outside wall of the apartment explodes inwards in a shower of glass and concrete. Nightflyer and the Zods are sheltered by the heavy armchair; the rest of Strikeforce defend themselves as best they can as they are buffeted by the blast.

SFX:

KA-BOOOM!!!!

Three figures swoop in through the demolished wall: NEUTRON flying and carrying THE DRAGON and GREYWOLF (one by each hand). As they fly in they will all make unnecessary speeches in order to reveal their names to the reader. The Dragon is on the right of the group (as we look at them from inside the room) which makes him closest to the only person currently in a position to oppose them: Scorpio, who seems to have recovered his wits slightly quicker than the rest of his team. Greywolf is on the left, which puts him nearest to the Zods. Avatar is ahead of Neutron and slowly getting to his feet. Electron and Black Swan are still on the ground. Nightflyer is out of sight, behind the Zod's armchair.

Neutron is, literally, a giant. He is over eight feet tall (his head will brush the ceiling when he stands) and well muscled. His head is shaved. Apart from his freakish size, he looks like a normal Caucasian male in his 20s or 30s. He wears a grey bodysuit with a stylized "atom" symbol on his chest.

The Dragon is a Chinese male, approximately 30, with short black hair. He wears a loose "gi" (Karate uniform) with an embroidered Chinese dragon climbing over the left arm and breast. Round his waist is a curious belt that seems to be formed of square metal blocks linked together. The belt is definitely at odds with his clothing, being incongruously modern.

Greywolf wears a full suit of sealed body armour. The suit is metallic grey and the helmet is shaped in a manner that vaguely resembles a wolf's head.

GREYWOLF:

See, Neutron, I told you Zod would be guarded.

NEUTRON:

I was expecting DICE agents, Greywolf, not supers!

NEUTRON:

To your left, Dragon.

DRAGON:

I'm on him, Neutron.

Neutron has dropped the Dragon in front of Scorpio and Greywolf on the other side and is flying towards Avatar, who is only half-way to his feet.

AVATAR:

Wha—?

Fists outstretched, Neutron has hit Avatar like a battering ram and driven him back into the far wall of the apartment. The wall cracks from the impact. (This is the dominant panel on the page, to illustrate the magnitude of Neutron's power, while the two panels below are smaller "teasers" of the fights coming on the next two pages.)

SFX:

THOOM!

The Dragon is leaping feet-first at Scorpio.

No dialogue.

Greywolf strides towards where Nightflyer is somersaulting over the chair to meet him.

No dialogue.

The Dragon lands his flying kick on Scorpio's chest, staggering him.

No dialogue.

Scorpio blocks the Dragon's punch.

No dialogue.

The Dragon has Scorpio's arm in a joint lock and smashes Scorpio in the throat with an elbow.

No dialogue.

Scorpio and the Dragon are on the ground, grappling. It's not obvious who has the upper hand.

No dialogue.

Nightflyer's somersault ends with a two-footed kick to Greywolf. The villain seems barely staggered.

No dialogue.

Three long metal "claws" spring from the back of Greywolf's gauntlet and he punches at Nightflyer's head.

No dialogue.

Nightflyer avoids that punch but his dodge has left him open to a body blow from Greywolf's other fist -- and this, too, has extended claws. The claws go deep.

No dialogue.

Despite the wounds (which bleed copiously), Nightflyer has thrown Greywolf to the ground with a judo move.

No dialogue.

Black Swan is climbing to her feet. She is looking out of the huge hole that used to be where the wall was.

BLACK SWAN:

Oh, chew.

Now we can see what Black Swan has seen -- a new assailant is incoming. This is COSMOS. He is huge, not tall like Neutron but wide and massive, and equally muscled. His skin is an inhuman grey color and he wears only trunks. His left arm appears to be artifical -- it is stiff and angular and has no hand at the end. He is flying through the hole that Neutron made -- but his attitude isn't one of controlled flight, it's more like a leap (from which he will land on his feet).

Black Swan has both arms raised towards Cosmos as he hurtles in, and she is blasting him with beams of black energy -- which appear to splash harmlessly against his solid chest.

BLACK SWAN:

Get the civilians out of here.

Electron is on his knees where the Zods are lying behind the overturned furniture. He holds out a hand to each.

ELECTRON:

Take my hands.

And Cosmos lands. Hard! Such is his mass and the power in his long-distance leap that he's going right through the apartment floor -- and taking the entire apartment down with him. Heroes and villains alike fall out of control (the only ones who don't are Black Swan and Neutron, both currently flying). We should see that Electron has Carla by the hand and is flailing towards -- but missing -- her father.

COSMOS:

COSMOS SMASH!

An instant before Carl Zod would crash to the floor, Neutron's giant hand grabs his wrist.

ZOD:

Oww!

Neutron has Zod cradled in his arms and is streaking out of the building. Black Swan and Avatar are flying in close pursuit.

No dialogue.

Avatar, faster than Black Swan, reaches a hand and is within inches of grabbing Neutron's ankle and halting his flight...

No dialogue.

...When a new assailant appears out of nowhere. This appears to be a teenage girl, with long, straight hair, wearing a short minidress and a flowing cape around her shoulders. But she (and her clothing) should be coloured -- or rather, not coloured -- pure white, so she appears ghost-like. She is hovering to one side of Avatar, and making a curious hand gesture in his direction. From her fingertips, a stream of pure white energy blasts Avatar, knocking him to one side and foiling his chance of stopping Neutron. For script purposes, we shall call this girl ASTRA (though her name won't be revealed in dialogue).

ASTRA:

The focus now switches to Black Swan's pursuit. As she streaks after the departing Neutron, another villain swoops into the background of the panel. This is a man sitting astride some kind of flying, jet-powered, wheel-less, big, square motorcycle sort of thing. (So, not much like a mororcycle at all, except that it has a similar saddle and handlebars.) This is a SKY CYCLE and the rider is SKYRIDER. A beam of red plasma energy from a cannon mounted on the front of the Sky Cycle strikes Black Swan.

BLACK SWAN:

Aaaaaa!

Black Swan has spun to face the incoming Skyrider and fires back with black energy from her palms. The energy blocks and deflects the next plasma blast from the Sky Cycle.

SFX (intersecting blasts):

ZZZZKKKKTTTTTTT

Completely overcoming the Sky Cycle's blast, the black beam goes on to strike the vehicle and blow it to shreds, flinging Skyrider clear.

SFX:

CRRRRUNCH

Black Swan is scanning the sky. Neutron is a small figure streaking away into the distance. In the backgound, Skyrider is falling, evidently not being the safety-conscious type who wears a parachute. From the building behind Black Swan, Scorpio shouts to her.

BLACK SWAN:

Chew. I'll never catch him.

SKYRIDER:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

SCORPIO (off-panel):

Black Swan!

Black Swan turns to see Scorpio balanced in the gaping hole in the side of the ruined building, pointing down towards the falling Skyrider.

SCORPIO:

Man down!

BLACK SWAN:

He's—

SCORPIO:

Going to die!

Black Swan vanishes from her current location, teleporting in a swirl of black energy.

SFX:

POP

She reappears (in another swirl of energy, to reflect the teleportation effect) directly below Skyrider, her arms held out to catch his fall.

BLACK SWAN:

This team needs to have a talk about priorities.

Scorpio (notice how he's taken charge?) now turns his attention to where Avatar floats in mid air. This panel is from Scorpio's POV, and we can't see any sign of the girl who was attacking Avatar -- though Avatar is projecting a shield of swirling mystical energy in front of him and concentrating intently.

SCORPIO:

Avatar! We need you in here.

AVATAR:

Let me deal with her first, Scorp!

From Avatar's POV, we see the ghostly Astra blasting mystical energy, which our friendly neighbourhood demon is blocking with his shield. There is no way Scorpio could not see her, except... he doesn't seem to.

SCORPIO:

Deal with... who?

AVATAR:

Huh?

Inside the wrecked building (and it really is wrecked, like a bomb site), Nightflyer is left fighting Cosmos, Dragon, and Greywolf alone. In a big action scene, he is vaulting feet first over Cosmos's head (one hand planted literally on the villain's head) to deliver a two-footed kick to the Dragon. Note that Nightflyer's costume is still soaked in blood from Greywolf's earlier attack, but it doesn't seem to have slowed him down.

NIGHTFLYER:

Less talk more fighting, Scorpio?

SFX (kick):

THUD

Cosmos is looking upwards with a befuddled expression on his face. Basically, Cosmos seems a bit dumb. Dragon is already flipping to his feet after the kick, and Nightflyer is forced to dodge Greywolf's swinging claws.

COSMOS:

Huh? Jumping man?

SCORPIO (off-panel):

Where's Electron?

NIGHTFLYER:

Fine, talk. I'll fight them all.

Where IS Electron? He and Carla Zod are alone in another apartment. He still has her by the hand and is listening at the door.

CARLA:

What was that?

ELECTRON:

Teleportation. I convert matter to electrical impulses and—

Carla looks sceptical. Electron has let go of her hand and is opening the door.

CARLA:

Impossible. The number of particle interactions...

ELECTRON:

Whatever. I need to go back for your father but I can't teleport blind into combat. You wait here and figure out particle interactions. I'll—

Electron steps out into a corridor and straight into Don and a posse of DICE agents, all covering him with their blasters.

ELECTRON:

—walk out into a whole heap of trouble...

DON:

Federal agents! You're under arrest!