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FAILED-PROJECT FRIDAY: EMPOWERED AND THE MASK CITY MELTDOWN (pt.7): Issue #1 roughs & script, pp. 13-18!
🕑 Added 2022-05-13 14:00:10 +0000 UTCUPDATE: Running late on posting today due to problems with Valiant but Dying Old Windows 8 PC. Don't die just yet, old boy!
Time to continue serializing my roughs and script for an abortive two-part Guest Artist miniseries titled Empowered and the Mask City Meltdown, which I initially wrote with one particular artist in mind back in 2017 or so; alas, that first artist didn't end up working on it, so I pitched it to the excellent artist Rob "Robaato" Porter, who had earlier colored a bunch of Emp covers for me.
After Rob had to turn it down, I abandoned the project entirely, though I did briefly consider drawing it myself as part of Empowered vol. 12, a plan which was soon abandoned in turn as I had no interest whatsoever in drawing all the many, many urban environments this story would've required.
And now, without further ado, our next installment of roughs and script from Empowered and the Mask City Meltdown issue #1. UPDATE: For the record, my script formatting is being torched by the Patreon text set-up's lack of tabs or indents, hence the dialogue bits being a tad challenging to follow. Sorry 'bout that, folks
PAGE 13
PANEL 1
Reverse angle from p.12's panel 3. Now the camera is back on the other side of the OVERLOOK railing, now showing THUGBOY, the CAGED DEMONWOLF, and NINJETTE from the back. THUGBOY and NINJETTE are both turning to glance down at the DEMONWOLF's railing-draped, glowing-lighted prison. We might see the BARRETT .50 RIFLE next to THUGBOY at left; we would definitely see the scabbarded KATANA on NINJETTE's back, along with the NINJETTE type printed across the seat of her shorts. (Note that this type changed from "ALL CAPS" font to a "Mixed Case" font with Empowered vol.7, as seen in pp.2-3(title spread),51,63,173,183, but feel free to use whichever version is easier for you.)
Beyond these three characters, we see the chaotic urban panorama of lumbering and stationary buildings amid churning dust clouds in the distance, with the ginormous OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ looming (partially visible?) above the rest of the jumbled skyline.
CAGED DEMONWOLF (BOLD, JAGGED BALLOON OUTLINE)
Unbunch your respective underpants, oh quaveringly cringing curs!
(continued)
Fear not for the fetchingly foolhardy Alpha Wench!
SFX (SMALL, BY CITY IN DISTANCE)
KTHOOM
PANEL 2
FG left: The glowing lights of the CAGED DEMONWOLF's imprisoning gear (which is still draped over the railing) shudder and judder a bit with the DEMONWOLF's stentorian speechifying. BG right: Thugboy glances over at him with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk, the BINOCULARS still in his hands.
CAGED DEMONWOLF (BOLD, JAGGED BALLOON OUTLINE)
The all-knowing Caged Demonwolf declares unto you anxious apelings that no other cape-clad cupcake is better suited to battle this unearthly urban uprising!
THUGBOY (SMALL)
"Cape-clad cupcake"...?
PANEL 3
Smallish panoramic panel. Up-angled shot with the CAGED DEMONWOLF's lights in the extreme FG at panel center. BG left: Ninjette looks over at him with a hopeful expression, beer bottle raised. BG right: THUGBOY has raised the BINOCULARS to his eyes again as he monitors the way-off-panel EMP from afar.
NINJETTE
Oh, yeah?
(continued)
(H-b) >Urpp<
CAGED DEMONWOLF (BOLD, JAGGED BALLOON OUTLINE)
...Assuming, that is, that the nimble nubile can avoid being mashed into a sparkle-suited smear in the process.
THUGBOY
Well...
PANEL 4
Big panoramic panel, from the POV of THUGBOY's BINOCULARS, as framed by the familiar double-lobed "binocular POV" black template. We see a chaotic urban panorama of the rampaging CITY in the distance, with the hulking mass of the OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ looming over the smaller structures comprising the skyline.
In the (relative) FG, the small form of SUPERSUITED EMPOWERED is visible as she leaps (via superstrength) from one building to another. (She might be silhouetted, save for the SUIT's wee triangles at forehead and chest along with her mask's eyes.) Approaching EMP from above on a glowing arc of jet exhaust is the large form of the robotic character MECHANISMO; skip ahead to script p.16 for more details on this mecha's description.
THUGBOY (NO TAIL)
...so far, so good, looks like.
CAGED DEMONWOLF (NO TAIL; BOLD, JAGGED BALLOON OUTLINE)
Bahh!
(continued)
Has the plump-bottomed princess of persistence not endured many such tribulatory trials?
(continued)
Indeed so, jackanapes!
PAGE 14
PANEL 1
Another STORYBOOK page of illustrative, borderless vignettes. Here, a metaphorical image showing a full-figure shot of an ashamed-looking SUPERSUITED EMP, whose costume is shredded down to a handful of tatters. Her body language conveying humiliation and embarrassment, she stands (or kneels) awkwardly while gagged and bound with duct tape. Around her, we see a montage of the heads and shoulders of silhouetted and/or edgelit superheroes (and/or civilians), all of whom are laughing (and possibly pointing) with contempt at EMP. You might check the crowd scenes from the covers of Empowered Deluxe vols.1-3 for possible characters to use, here.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Elissa's hopeful dreams of empowerment devolved into a neverending nightmare of tears, failure, and crushing shame.
PANEL 2
"Panels" 2 and 3 are part of the same image, but I'll describe 'em separately here. We see an image of SUPERSUITED EMP with her SUIT in tatters (or "tatter-SUITED EMP"), standing in front of a window with a nighttime CITY panorama visible through it, a sloshing glass of red wine in one hand as she gestures wildly at the city view. Her mask is rolled up into its "headband" mode, revealing her flushed, angry, drunken face, tears streaking her cheeks as she yells at the window. Note also that she's edgelit by the nighttime panorama outside.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Drunk on baffled frustrationand discount merlot, she raged at the city.
(continued)
Why was she cursed with bondage like no superheroine before?
(continued)
How could the job she'd desperately wanted all her life possibly suck this much?
PANEL 3
Closer-up image of crying, flushed, angry EMP, red wine splashing from her glass as she cries out in anguish.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Why did the city seem to hate her so much?
PANEL 4
Another metaphorical shot, this time with a head-and-shoulders shot of a crying, visibly upset (and naked, not that we see anything) EMP in the FG, turning around with a confused expression as she looks back to see a HUGE version of the SUPERSUIT's empty mask and headpiece looming in the BG, flapping a bit like a giant flag in the wind. This could look like vol.1, p.241; v.4, p.134; v.6, p.116; v.7, pp.96-97,105.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
In time, though, Elissa came to believe that her inscrutable supersuit was trying to tell her something.
NARRATOR (SMALL) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
(Elissa was, after all, big on what she called "scruting the inscrutable.")
EMPOWERED (SMALL)
?
PANEL 5
Image of EMP holding up a very badly shredded version of her SUPERSUIT, looking at it with obvious distress. She might be naked as she does so, but the SUIT's flapping shreds and tatters would helpfully obscure any naughty bits in that case. (Or she could just be wearing sleepwear.) Importantly, this is a scene taking place at night, with a window in the BG showing a night sky or city view.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
For, after every single time the seemingly flimsy hypermembrane wound up torn and shredded and powerless...
PANEL 6
An image very similar to the previous page, only now a visibly, joyfully relieved EMP is holding up a fully intact version of the SUPERSUIT, its undamaged-looking sleeves and leggings a-flapping. Importantly, this second iteration of the same shot takes place in the morning, with a window in the BG showing the sun shining bright over a city view. (In other words, 8 or more hours have passed.)
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
...sooner or later, the suit would reweave itself fully intact once more.
(continued)
The city's perplexing, infuriating gift to her, she saw, would never stop giving.
PAGE 15
PANEL 1
Another STORYBOOK page of illustrative, borderless vignettes. This one's a bit tricky, as this top tier of the page is much closer to being three conventional panels than three vignettes as such. "Panels" 1-3 are vertically oriented images, showing a three-part progression of the CITY skyline as it progresses from ruin to regrowth to "good as new." Here, we see an image of the CITY as devastated ruins, with collapsed buildings and jumbled debris everywhere.
CAPTION (AT TOP)
Day 1: Apocalyptic catastrophe!
NARRATOR (AT BOTTOM) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
And didn't the supersuit's endless regeneration perfectly reflect that of the eerily self-restoring city itself?
PANEL 2
The next "panel" in the three-part progression. Here, we see the CITY abruptly (and magically!) rebuilding itself, with the skeletal frameworks of reconstructing office buildings and skyscrapers rising up and facades reassembling themselves floor by floor, perhaps with construction cranes lurking here and there for verisimilitude.
At the bottom of this "panel," and partially overlapping the neighboring two images, is a head-and-shoulders insert image of SUPERSUITED EMP, looking awed as she takes in the metaphorical display of the CITY's regrowth.
CAPTION (AT TOP)
Day 4: Uncanny regrowth!
PANEL 3
Final image in the progression, showing the now fully rebuilt CITY skyline sparkling brightly under a bright blue sky. Note that the resulting architecture might be a bit of a grab-bag of varying styles, indicating that the CITY never grows back quite the same way twice.
CAPTION (AT TOP)
Day 7: New and improved!
NARRATOR (AT BOTTOM) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Was the city not Earth's foremost sandbox for superheroes because its destroyed buildings and ruined infrastructure always magically regrew themselves after each cape-driven cataclysm?
PANEL 4
Image of tatter-SUITED EMP perched on the edge of a rooftop, hair blowing about and one hand raised (with shreds of SUIT blowing loosely from her wrist) as she looks out at the CITY beyond with a determined expression. Note that her mask is rolled up to "headband" mode, so we can see her profiled face fairly clearly. Beyond her, more images of the BG buildings in the midst of self-repair; some of them are still visibly damaged, while others have their reconstruction well underway. "Golden hour" coloring for this inspiring scene; could be either morning and late afternoon, though.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
So, Elissa thought, if her supersuit could endlessly reconstitute itself from mere tatters...
(continued)
...and the city's skyline could doggedly rebuild itself from flattened rubble...
PANEL 5
Close-up of EMP's SUPERSUITED fist clenching in a gesture of dramatic determination, while loose tatters of shredded suit blow about her wrist. In the BG, more of the "rebuilding CITY"
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
...then she, too, could stubbornly piece together her shattered pride after each apocalyptic personal disaster.
(continued)
Over and over again, if need be, just like her suit and her city.
PANEL 6
We close out the STORYBOOK page with a close-up of EMP from "panel" 4, chin raised proudly as she stares off towards the sunrise (or sunset), "golden-hour" lighting brightly limning her profile. Even as she smiles with determination, a few streaks of tears are visible on her face; she might be starting to wipe them away.
NARRATOR (SMALL) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Elissa would dry her tears, blow her nose, and stumble ever forward.
(continued)
(And then blow her nose again, because Elissa's nose always ran like a faucet after a good cry.)
PAGE 16
PANEL 1
Following up on the real-world action scene's last panel (from p.13), here we see a big, panoramic shot. At left, SUPERSUITED EMPOWERED is leaping across to a rooftop (or, if you prefer, running atop it), hair speaking in the wind as she yells over to the big, robotic (humanoid) flyer MECHANISMO, who's jetting along beside her at right.
While MECHANISMO was initially introduced in vol.1, pp.176-77, his design was refined a fair bit in the Ryan Kinnaird Guest Artist one-shot Empowered: Hell Bent or Heaven Sent, when Ryan rendered him as a 3D object. In fact, I drew a B&W version for the story based on Ryan's 3D rendering. (The one-shot's collected as the third story in the TPB Empowered Unchained, but the book's lack of page numbers makes it a difficult reference source. I can send you jpegs, if necessary.)
Here, per a certain Hell Bent page, we see MECHANISMO blasting along with multiple jets a-thrusting, with the primary ones being a backpack jet and/or Iron Man-like bootjets; also, as in the Ryan Kinnaird panel I'll send, smaller, stabilizing thrusters are jetting off secondary exhausts on his limbs.
Meanwhile, we see the weirdly apocalyptic CITY in the BG, dust clouds rising up around a series of lurching BUILDINGS in the distance as they rampage past still-stationary structures.
EMPOWERED
--Not detecting any supervill signal traffic, Mechanismo?
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)
Negatory, Emp.
(continued)
Can't pick up any hint of bad guys remote-controlling this craziness.
SFX (BY MECHANISMO JETS)
SHREEEE
SFX
RMBB
PANEL 2
Closer-up shot of EMP (FG left) and MECHANISMO (BG right), as the former yells over to the latter. Billowing dust clouds and lurching BUILDINGS framed against the sky as a BG.
EMPOWERED
Any word from the other Superhomeys?
SFX
WHKOOM
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)
Ah, negatory on that, too.
SFX (SMALLER)
RMBB RMBB
PANEL 3
Three vertical panels in succession show various SUPERHOMEYS buried under (or amidst) great piles of BUILDING debris. Here, a shot of the blobby GLORPP/PROTEAN sandwiched in a debris pile, his fluid body mass oozing out between jumbled I-beams, shattered chunks of concrete, bent lengths of rebar, shattered drywall pieces and so on. Reference: Empowered vol. 1 cover illo, interior pp.50-53,176,179.
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON; NO TAIL; OVERLAPS PANELS 3 AND 4)
All across the downtown hazard zone--
PANEL 4
Another "buried SUPERHOMEY" shot. This time, we see the so-called "KIRBY HELMET CHICK" sprawled limply unconscious while sandwiched in a debris pile, her elongated headpiece striking a comical note. Reference: vol.1, pp.176-79,191; vol.6, pp.68,149,155,159.
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON; NO TAIL; OVERLAPS PANELS 4 AND 5)
--Every other Superhomey onsite is currently down and out of contact--
KIRBY HELMET CHICK (SMALL; WAVY BALLOON)
(H-b) >Guhh<
PANEL 5
One last "buried Superhomey" shot. This time, we see the chrome "mecha-snake" MECHZACOATL, its dented coils and battered snakehead sandwiched in a debris pile. Reference: vol.1 cover illo, interior pp.176,187-88; vol.4, p.167.
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON; OVERLAPS PANELS 5 AND 6; TAIL GOES TO MECHANISMO IN PANEL 6)
--And probably buried under kilotons of animated debris.
PANEL 6
Close-up shot of MECHANISMO's faceplate as he roars along in flight.
PANEL 7
Small panel or insert shot of EMP looking disconcerted, hair blowing wildly around her masked face.
EMPOWERED
Um, this is seriously out of character for this city, okay?
PAGE 17
PANEL 1
Another STORYBOOK page of illustrative, borderless vignettes. Here, a scene based on the first meeting of EMP and future boyfriend THUGBOY, as seen in Empoweredvol.1, pp.66-67, then revised in flashback in vol.6, pp.147-49. Up-angled shot with EMP tied to a chair at left, SUPERSUIT torn badly, g*g knotted in her mouth as she turns to look up at the looming, leather-jacketed form of THUGBOY, who's leaning over her and smiling while looking down at her over the tops of his mirrored sunglasses.
UPDATE: Note that I'm censoring the word "g*g" (with A being the missing letter) because Patreon's flagging it for potential p**nographic content; not needing to draw extra looks from Trust & Safety, I'll add this to the pile of censored terms.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Then, one semi-enchanted evening, Elissa felt the tide began to turn for her.
PANEL 2
Here, as part of the initial image's panorama, a closer-up, head-and-shoulders shot of leather-jacketed THUGBOY, smiling and looking down at the off-panel EMP over the top of his mirrored sunglasses. Importantly, one of his big, black-leather-gloved hands (from the vol.1 scene) is visible in the shot, gesturing in emphasis as he speaks. This could be akin to the "It's Like This" title-page shot from vol.1's p.63, maybe even with the rope in his hands; however, he wouldn't be wearing a "THUGBOY" T-shirt, but the camouflage-patterned T-shirt seen in the vol.1 story pages 66-68. We might see some kind of "special FX" around him, for a touch of that manga-style "emotional BG."
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Another superpower failure landed her in the hands-- the big, strong, alarmingly masculine hands-- of the charming thug who would be her future boyfriend.
PANEL 3
Romantic image of tatter-suited EMP and leather-jacketed THUGBOY in a steamy clinch, embracing and kissing passionately; THUGBOY might be grabbing her prominent behind, as is often mentioned in their love/sex scenes. (Not essential, though.) Importantly, we can see loose lengths of rope dangling off EMP, as if she's just been untied; we might also see a loosened length of white cloth around her neck, indicating a g*g taken off her mouth.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Elissa hadn't imagined a long-term relationship's meet-cute involving her being tied to a chair, but what the heck.
NARRATOR (SMALL)
(Besides, good girl or not, Elissa just might have been nursing a kink or two.)
PANEL 4
Another lovey-dovey image of EMP and THUGBOY together. Might try something a bit different, as in the kitchen scene in vol.1, pp.74-75, or the nighttime park stroll on vol.1's p.87, panel 1.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
A former Witless Minion with a tantalizingly shady bad-boy past, her new lover seemed just flawed enough to be believable.
NARRATOR (SMALL)
(Well, almost.)
PANEL 5
Close-up shot of a sweaty EMP and THUGBOY, non-graphically but clearly indicating that they're (ahem) making love in her dimly lit bedroom. EMP has her mask rolled up in its face-exposing "headband" form, as seen in sex scenes such as vol.1, pp.87,145,229-30,232.
NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
Their chemistry was, ahem, especially combustible in the bedroom, if you follow me.
NARRATOR (SMALL) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)
(Not having once gotten properly laid since arriving in the city, Elissa definitely made up for lost time.)
PAGE 18
PANEL 1
Back to the real-world action with a big, tilted vertical panel. In the FG, SUPERSUITED EMPOWERED is alighting on the glass-paneled face of an office building, spider-clinging to the windows with SUIT-clad feet or hand. Hair blowing wildly, she's turning back to yell (in profile) up at the airborne MECHANISMO beyond her, who's following along with various jets and thrusters blazing. A narrow view of the surreal CITY panorama looms in the BG, with a few animated BUILDINGS shifting and moving amidst the other, still-stationary structures.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
And what about the poor civilians?
(cont)
Please tell me the losses aren't as bad as I'm thinking--!
SFX (SMALL; BY EMP LANDING ON GLASS)
THAPP
SFX
RMBB RMBB
PANEL 2
Up-angled close-up on the faceplate of MECHANISMO in mid-flight. Shifting, lurching buildings loom in the distant BG, amidst swirling dust clouds, framed against a skyscape shot. (Or you can just slap in some speediness as an easier BG.)
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)
Uh, this is kinda funky, but--
(cont)
--My sensors haven't detected any civilian casualties so far.
(cont)
No deaths, and hardly any serious injuries, either.
PANEL 3
A view from inside the office building that EMP is running and/or scrambling along. In the FG are several OFFICE WORKERS, one or two standing with coffee mugs raised, another seated at an office desk; all of them are turning to look at the superheroes passing by outside the office windows. Through those windows, we see EMP outside, spider-clinging with hand(s) or feet to the glass as she races along; a disbelieving expression on her masked face, she's yelling over to MECHANISMO, who's flying alongside beyond her, various jets and thrusters blazing. Further beyond, the CITY's buildings ripple and heave in the distance as a BG.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON; TAIL "BURSTS" AS IT TOUCHES THE WINDOW GLASS)
Um, what?
(cont)
How is that even remotely possible--?
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON; TAIL "BURSTS" AS IT TOUCHES THE WINDOW GLASS)
Uh, beats me, Emp.
PANEL 4
Down-angled shot. FG right: Hair blowing wildly about her masked face, EMP is yelling to the off-panel(-left) MECHANISMO with a disbelieving expression on her face. In the BG below, we see a swath of the roiling CITY, with the previously glimpsed TWIN-ANTENNA BUILDING rising up into the middleground. Importantly, we see the twin antenna stanchions atop the Sears-(nowadays, Willis-)Tower-like BUILDING rising up, with bright red aircraft warning lights prominent atop their gridwork-and-pipe lengths.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
I know this amazing cityis famous for its anomalously low casualty rates, but this is beyond belief--!
SFX (BY TWIN-ANTENNA BUIDING)
SKREEEK
PANEL 5
Vertical panel. At top, the airborne MECHANISMO looks down (possibly via a comical, two-part "double take") as we see the indistinct but threatening blurs of the TWIN-ANTENNA BUILDING's antenna stanchion flashing upward at him. We might see a color streak (or two?) off the red aircraft warning lights atop the antenna's grillwork structure.
MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)
Hey, this whole town is unbelievable--
(cont)
Huh?
SFX
SKREEEE
END PART 3
Anyhoo, there's your second installment of Mask City Meltdown, folks! Stand by for more pages next Friday, okay?
NEXT TIME ON THIS HERE PATREON: Not sure at the moment, but prrrrrrobably another Distressed Damsels installment of Lily imperiled at the office for the $5+ tiers.
Comments
MisfitRogue
Kinda wild "kirby helmet" doesn't have a name to this day
Burninator
Wait, Patreon Trust and Safety's banning the word gag now? Are we sure they didn't hire Emp or something? Guess we'll find out if they start mandating Yaoi Tuesdays.
PixelThis
Loving the story
Dave Van Domelen
Yeah, the Dork Tower Patreon has run afoul of the G-word already, because the bot mods don't distinguish context at all, and he was talking about jokes.
