Hero Monster Issue #1

SCRIPT

“Punching The Clock”

Creator/Writer: Eugene Argent

PAGE ONE

Panel 1: Mid-day. A half-page shot of Mexico City.

Panel 2: A half-page panel. A close-up on Mitch Cannon, the leader of a superhero team. Mitch is looking up at us. His face has the expression of a man who is confronting his enemy. It’s a sort of contained, focused aggression. (Note: Mitch is floating ten thousand feet above the ground. If you like, you can give some indication that he is in the sky.)

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Hello. I’m Mitch Cannon. I’m an Army man.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): And this is where the shit gets hairy.

PAGE TWO

Panel 1: A full-paged panel, with a smaller inset panel. It’s mid-day. Three superheroes: Mitch Cannon, Paul Abrams, and Robert Gates are floating high in the sky (ten thousand feet above ground). They are surrounded by a layer of altocumulus clouds. There are four, seventy-foot wide flying saucers confronting the heroes. Three of the saucers are closing in, while the fourth (the HC) is in the distant background.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): My team and I got a call today. At approximately thirteen thirty-one hours, the Mexican Air Force intercepted three bogeys, ten thousand feet above Mexico City. My teammates and I were ordered to verify the sighting, and take out the targets.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): And we were fully prepared to do so–until a fourth bogey appeared out of nowhere.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): I use that phrase, out of nowhere, not as some figure of speech meant to imply a rapid arrival. No. I use it as verifiable fact.

Panel 2: A close-up on Mitch’s face. He is shouting.

Mitch Cannon: That ship came out of nowhere.

Mitch Cannon: HC!!! We’ve got an HC!!!

PAGE THREE

Panel 1: Mitch Cannon and his team are still floating ten thousand feet above Mexico City. Three flying saucers are approaching the team. A fourth saucer (the HC) is in the distance. Mitch is shouting; pointing at the fourth saucer.

Mitch Cannon: Paul! Rob!

Robert Gates: On it!

Caption (Mitch Cannon): My team immediately focuses on the fourth saucer. They know what I know. The fourth saucer is an HC; a Historical Counterpart to one of the others.

Panel 2: The fourth saucer (the HC) is in the foreground. The other three saucers are midway between the HC and the superheroes (Mitch Cannon, Robert Gates, and Paul Abrams). Robert Gates and Paul Abrams are flying very quickly toward the HC. Mitch Cannon is confronting the other saucers.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): It’s a time-traveler, here on a reconnaissance mission: to learn the outcome of this battle and bring tactical information back to the past.

Panel 3: Robert Gates and Paul Abrams are rapidly approaching the fourth saucer (HC). They are coming in for a first strike.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): That’s a bogey for you. It’ll sit back, watch itself die, then go back and fight again–this time with a hundred reinforcements. An act of self-preservation.

Panel 4: At the last moment, one of the other saucers (Saucer #1) swoops in between the HC and the two approaching heroes. It is protecting the HC. Gates and Abrams have to stop short.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): It’s ironic, then, to see the three contemporary saucers acting as the defenders.

SFX: SWOOOSSSHH!!

Robert Gates: Whoa! Are these guys tryin’ to grow some balls?!

Paul Abrams: They’re not stupid, Rob. They know the stakes.

Panel 5: Robert Gates smashes his fists in to the hull of Saucer #1. Metal tears inward. Sparks fly. (Note: The heroes’ powers are gravity-based. Every punch has several tons of gravity behind it. Therefore, you may want to show some sort of effect with each punch.)

Robert Gates: Good. Now we’ll raise ‘em!

SFX: BRUUNNNKK!! BIZZZ!

PAGE FOUR

Panel 1: Saucer #1 retaliates, firing a focused gravity beam at Gates. Gates’ body hurdles backward from the beam’s impact.

SFX: zzzZZOOOOooo!!! WHAMM!

Robert Gates: OOOF!

Paul Abrams: Robert!

Caption (Mitch Cannon): One of the saucers fires a highly focused gravity beam at Gates.

Panel 2: Paul Abrams looks angry. He punches the hull of Saucer #1, creating another hole.

Paul Abrams: Bastard!

SFX: PRUUNKK!

Caption (Mitch Cannon): These beings are masters of gravity manipulation.

Panel 3: A close-up on Paul Abrams’ hands. From the edge of the hole, he grabs the hull’s silvery paneling. His fingers are digging  in to the metal.

SFX: KER-UNK. KRUNK.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Gravity moves them across the stars, powers their weapons, and makes history in to their plaything.

Panel 4: Meanwhile, Robert Gates has stopped tumbling backwards. He is floating in the air, rubbing his bruised head.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Back in the early days, we wondered, “How can we fight this enemy?”

Robert Gates: Oh. I’m so gonna murder these fuckers.

Panel 5: Paul Abrams rips off a large section of Saucer #1′s silvery paneling.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): “Who’s going to even the odds?”

SFX: BRUUUUUNNNNNNNNKKKK!!!

Panel 6: With both of his hands, Paul Abrams is ripping away at the exposed circuitry of Saucer #1. He is tossing large chunks of alien technology in every direction; literally digging his way toward the cockpit.

SFX: RRRRIPP!! POP! POP!! BZZZ!! KRUNKK!! POP!! RRRIPPP!!! BZZZ!!

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Well, after decades of  human ingenuity and blood-sacrifice, we finally got our answers.

PAGE FIVE

Panel 1: Robert Gates is pissed off. His angry eyes are focused on their target: Saucer #1 (which is off-panel). Somewhere behind and below Robert, we see Mitch Cannon fighting Saucer #2.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): It was us.

Robert Gates: Outta the way Paul! He’s mine!

Mitch Cannon: No, Robert!

Panel 2: A closer shot of Mitch Cannon. He is currently fighting Saucer #2. At this moment, he’s blocking one of the saucer’s focused gravity beams. He’s blocking the beam with an invisible gravity shield, emanating from his body. Mitch has his arms raised in front of himself, crossing them.(Note: We can tell there’s a gravity shield in front of Mitch because the saucer’s focused gravity beam is sliding along the shield’s curved surface.)

SFX: zzzJOOOOOJJJzzooZZOOOOOOJJJJoooo!!!

Caption (Mitch Cannon): We were the weapons we were looking for. Masters of gravity in our own right.

Mitch Cannon: Paul’s got that one! Get to the HC!

Panel 3: Robert Gates is flying toward the HC.

Robert Gates: Got him in my crosshairs.

Panel 4: Robert glances down as Saucer #3 approaches him from below.

Robert Gates: Damn it.

Panel 5: Saucer #3 fires a focused gravity beam at Robert.(Saucer #3 is protecting the HC.) Robert is blocking the beam with an invisible gravity shield. (Note: He should have his arms crossed, like Mitch did in Panel 2). As he fights the saucer, Robert is talking to Mitch Cannon through his ear communicator.

SFX: zzzJOOOOOJJJzzooZZOOOOOOJJJJoooo!!!

Robert Gates: That’s a negative on the HC, Mitch! Gotta deal with this one first!

Mitch Cannon: Make it quick! We can’t let it initiate a sequence!

PAGE SIX

Panel 1: Meanwhile, Paul Abrams is atop Saucer #1. With his right hand, he’s ripping large chunks of technology out of the ship. With his left, he’s generating an invisible gravity shield, blocking the saucer’s gravity beam.

SFX: KKRRRRIPPP!!!  KKRRRRIPP!!

SFX: zzzJOOOOOJJJzzooZZOOOOOOJJJJoooo!!!

Panel 2: Paul pulls out a large, odd-looking part from the guts of Saucer #1. This sets off a fire within the saucer. Large plumes of black and red smoke stream from the damaged alien ship.

SFX: KRNNCH!!

SFX: FWOOOSHH!

Panel 3: In the foreground, we see Mitch Cannon fighting Saucer #2. In the background, we see Paul Abrams atop Saucer #1, which is descending for a crash landing. Saucer #1 is on fire from within. Large plumes of black and red smoke are streaming from its guts.

Panel 4: Looking down on Mexico City. Hundreds of citizens are on the street, most of them looking upward.

Panel 5: On the ground in Mexico City. Hundreds of citizens are looking up at the rapidly descending Saucer #1. The saucer is coming down through the clouds, a stream of black and red smoke trailing behind it.

Panel 6: Paul Abrams is still digging in to the side of Saucer #1; making his way to the cockpit.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Over the years, we’ve gotten pretty good at this.

SFX: KKRRRRIPPP!!!  KKRRRRIPP!!

Panel 7: Inside Saucer #1′s cockpit. Shot from a low angle. In the foreground, we see the foot of a standing alien. In the background, we see Paul Abrams entering the room through a large hole. Paul has literally dug his way in to the cockpit. (Paul should be largely back lit, with sunlight behind him.)

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Gotten good at exterminating these creatures; keeping the people safe.

PAGE SEVEN

Panel 1: Robert Gates is still fighting Saucer #3. He looks over his shoulder and sees Saucer #1. Saucer #1 is falling; about to crash in to Mexico City. Large plumes of smoke trail the saucer as it streaks across the sky.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Today, we weren’t so good. In fact, we fucked up–royally.

Robert Gates: Paul’s goin’ down!

Panel 2: Looking down on Mexico City. The shadow of Saucer #1 has dimmed a large area of the city. The people on the ground are panicking, shouting and running in all directions.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): The HC threw us off our game.

Random Citizen A: ¡Dios mío, un ovni!

Random Citizen B: Salgamos de aquí!

Panel 3: Saucer #1 crashes right through a monument / building. Large chunks of the structure are thrown in to the air. Dozens of people are instantly killed.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Should have lured the bogeys away from the city first.

SFX: THOOOM!!

Random Citizen: Ahhhhh!!!

Random Citizen: Nooo!!

Panel 4: Saucer #1 smashes in to the ground, destroying property and killing hundreds.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Now it’s too late.

SFX: BUH-KHOOOMM!!

Panel 5: Meanwhile, up in the sky, Mitch Cannon is holding his ear. He is talking to Robert Gates via his communicator. Mitch has a sad / worried look on his face.

Mitch Cannon: Robert, we’ve got to move this–get away from the city.

Robert Gates: Agreed. Should we take out the Grav Manipulators?

Mitch Cannon: Take out two. Then push the ship to open desert.

PAGE EIGHT

Panel 1: Robert Gates is below Saucer #3. He is holding his ear; talking to Mitch Cannon via his communicator. The ship’s three Gravity Manipulators are clearly visible on its underbelly.

Robert Gates: On it. What about the HC?

Mitch Cannon: We’ve got civilian casualties. It’ll have to wait.

Panel  2: A shot of Mexico City. Saucer #1 has crash landed in a highly populated area. It has destroyed buildings and killed hundreds of people. The saucer is now sitting amidst the rubble. Clouds of dust and smoke are rising from the wreckage. There are thousands of injured and dazed people in the area. Paramedic and rescue services are already on the scene.

Panel 3: A closer shot of Saucer #1′s wreckage. We can see the silhouette of a lone figure through the dust and smoke. (It’s Paul Abrams.)

Amazingly, the figure is walking out of the saucer wreckage.

Panel 4: A close-up on the lone figure (from the previous panel). The dust and smoke have parted just enough to reveal the figure’s identity. It is Paul Abrams. Paul looks exhausted. He is bleeding and his clothes are torn. But he’s alive and on his feet.

Panel 5: A close-up on Paul. He’s looking up at the continuing battle in the sky.

PAGE NINE

Panel 1: Robert Gates is looking at us. He’s gnashing his teeth, and pulling back his fist. He’s about to punch us.

Robert Gates (thinking): Now, to increase the spatial distortion around my forearm and–

Panel 2: Robert Gates punches in to one of the three Gravity Manipulators on Saucer #3. His fist is embedded in to the Gravity Manipulator. Electric sparks fly from the point of impact.

Robert Gates: –BOO-YAH!! One demolished Gravity Manipulator!

SFX: POW!! SFZZZZZZ!!

Panel 3: A far shot. Having lost the Grav Manipulator, Saucer #3 is beginning to wobble.

SFX: WOOOOVOO. WOOOVOO.

Panel 4: Shot from behind Robert Gates. Saucer #3 has retreated from Robert. It is now far off in the distance.

Robert Gates: Oh no you don’t.

Panel 5: Robert has caught up to Saucer #3. He is beneath the saucer, rapidly approaching one of the Gravity Manipulators. (He’s going to punch it.)

Robert Gates: You can’t get away from me!

Panel 6: Robert punches a second Gravity Manipulator, destroying it. Electric sparks fly from the point of impact.

SFX: POW!! SFZZZZZZ!!

PAGE TEN

Panel 1: A far shot. Saucer #3 is now seriously damaged, having lost two Gravity Manipulators. The saucer is wobbling; losing control. (Note: The saucer still has lift, because of the remaining Grav Manipulator, but its propulsion is essentially disabled.) Robert Gates has emerged (flown) from beneath the saucer. He is now next to the saucer.

Panel 2: A close-up on Robert. He is grabbing the edge of the saucer, digging his fingers in to the metal.

Panel 3: Extreme close-up on Rob’s fingers as they dig in to the saucer’s hull.

Panel 4: Robert grits his teeth as he strains to push the massive saucer.

Panel 5: A far shot. Robert is pushing Saucer #3 away from the city (toward the desert).

PAGE ELEVEN

Panel 1: Mitch Cannon is beneath Saucer #2.

Panel 2: Shot from behind (beneath) Mitch Cannon. He is looking up at one of the saucer’s Gravity Manipulators.

Panel 3: Mitch Cannon is still under the saucer (Saucer #2), hauling his fist back to punch out the Gravity Manipulator.

Panel 4: The HC saucer is approaching Mitch from a distance. The HC is defending Saucer #2. It fires a gravity beam at Mitch, striking him on the shoulder.

SFX: SKANCHH!

Panel 5: Mitch turns toward the HC and blocks a second beam with his gravity shield. (He now has his back to Saucer #2.)

SFX: zzooZZOOOOOOJJJJoooo!!!

Panel 6: Mitch is turned toward the HC. Saucer #2 sees an opportunity and fires a gravity beam at Mitch’s back, striking him at point blank range.

SFX: KROOM!

Mitch Cannon: Arr!

PAGE TWELVE

Panel 1: Mitch is falling. He’s had the wind knocked out of him.

Panel 2: Mitch is still falling.

Panel 3: Mitch is holding his head. He’s still falling.

Panel 4: Mitch has regained his composure. He’s stopped falling, and he looks pissed.

Panel 5: Mitch jets up toward the two saucers (#2 and the HC). The saucers are firing multiple gravity beams at him. He is dodging and weaving between the beams. (He’s still trying to get to their Gravity Manipulators.)

SFX: ZJOOM!! ZJOOM!! ZJOOM!!

PAGE THIRTEEN

Panel 1: Mitch Cannon is blocking one of the gravity beams (with his gravity shield), when he looks over his shoulder. In the distance, Mitch sees Robert pushing Saucer #3 away from the city.

Mitch Cannon: Good work, Rob. Paul, how are we on civilian rescue?

Panel 2: Down in the city. Paul Abrams is leading a rescue effort at the (Saucer #1) crash site. He’s talking to Mitch via communicator. There are EMS workers, firefighters, police officers and volunteers on the scene. They are pulling bodies from the rubble, looking for survivors.

Paul Abrams: We could be better. Could use some help.

Mitch Cannon: That’s a negative. Repeat, negative. I’m having more trouble with this one than I expected.

Mitch Cannon: Not to mention the God damned HC that wants to fight all of a sudden–

Panel 3: Mitch Cannon has backed away from the two saucers (#2 and the HC). He’s getting a new look at them; realizing that they are, in fact, the same ship from different time periods.

Paul Abrams: Mitch?

Mitch Cannon: Nothing. Just realized something.

Panel 4: A close-up on Robert Gates. Robert is straining as he pushes hard on Saucer #3.

Robert Gates: GNNNNUGH!

Panel 5: A far shot. Robert pushes Saucer #3 down on to a vast area of open desert. A shock-wave of sand and dust shoots dozens of feet in to the air. Panicked desert animals run away in every direction. There are small explosions bursting through several points in the saucer’s hull.

SFX: BUH-KHOOOMM!!

Panel 6: A close-up on Robert Gates. He’s still straining as he continues to drive the saucer down in to the sand. There are several large explosions ripping through the saucer’s hull.

SFX: BRRRRRROOOOOMM!!

PAGE FOURTEEN

Panel 1: Robert is standing on the ground now, lowering the edge of the saucer with his hands.

Panel 2: Robert drops the edge of the saucer (Saucer #3) on to the sand. There is a loud thud as it hits the ground. Sand and dust fly up in to the air.

SFX: THUD.

Panel 3: Robert Gates is on top of the wreckage now, looking smug. There are plumes of smoke rising from the wreckage.

Robert Gates: Piece of fucking cake.

Panel 4: Mitch Cannon is hauling back his fist to punch out one of the HC’s Gravity Manipulators. Mitch looks furious.

PAGE FIFTEEN

Panel 1: Mitch punches in to the Grav Manipulator. Sparks fly, etc.

SFX: POW!! SFZZZZZZ!!

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Not like a bogey to defend another so fiercly.

Panel 2: A shot of a Grav Manipulator on Saucer #2. It caves in on its own, as if it had been punched. Sparks fly, etc.

SFX: POW!! SFZZZZZZ!!

Panel 3: Mitch punches another Grav Manipulator on the HC.

SFX: POW!! SFZZZZZZ!!

Caption (Mitch Cannon): Then again …

Panel 4: Another Grav Manipulator on Saucer #2 caves in on its own, as if it were punched.

SFX: POW!! SFZZZZZZ!!

Panel 5: A shot of Saucer #2. It is approaching Mitch and the HC.

PAGE SIXTEEN

Panel 1: Mitch has his arms above his head. He digs his fingers in to the saucer’s (HC’s) underbelly.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): It’s not like an HC to protect its own Contemporary Counterpart.

Panel 2: Mitch is still underneath the HC, with his hands dug in to the saucer’s underbelly. He looks down and sees Saucer #2 below him.

Mitch Cannon: That’s right. Try shooting at me now.

Panel 3: A shot of the HC flying out to the desert. (Mitch is dragging it there.)

Panel 4: A shot of the HC crashing in to the desert. Sand and dust fly all over the place. The hull of the saucer is exploding.

SFX: KA-THOOM!!

PAGE SEVENTEEN

Panel 1: A shot of Saucer #2 floating over Mexico City.

Panel 2: Angle on same (same as previous panel), except now, Saucer #2 has vanished from existence.

Panel 3: Robert Gates and Paul Abrams have joined Mitch Cannon by the HC’s wreckage.

Robert Gates: Woo-hoo! That’s how it’s done, Mitch! Nice and clean.

Panel 4: This panel is a shot of a tv news broadcast. The image is of the monument/building on PAGE SEVEN, Panel 3, except there is no saucer and absolutely no damage. The news logo, FNN, is on the screen.

Reporter: –reported three alien saucers over Mexico City.  The enhanced operatives intervened quickly—

Panel 5: The tv news broadcast. The image is of the the area shown on PAGE EIGHT, Panel 2, except there is no crashed saucer, and absolutely no damage or casualties. Mexico City is completely normal. The news logo, FNN, is on the screen.

Reporter: —and escorted the craft to an undisclosed location. Fortunately, there are no reported injuries or property damage.

Caption (Mitch Cannon): No, Rob. It’s not clean at all.

PAGE EIGHTEEN

Panel 1: Full paged panel. A shot of Mitch Cannon, Paul Abrams, and Robert Gates in the desert.

Mitch Cannon: Something’s changed.

Mitch Cannon: I just pray it was for the better.

END