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EMPOWERED AND THE GIANT-SIZE ISSUES #2 thumbnails & script, pt.6: THE END!
🕑 Added 2020-07-07 13:01:01 +0000 UTC(You can check out the previous part of this serialization here, assuming I remember to go back and insert the correct link.)
Wellp, we're continuing—nay, concluding—serialization of my page roughs and scripts for Empowered and the Giant-Size Issues, a never-published, two-issue miniseries intended to be drawn by a Special Guest Artist.
As mentioned previously, I wrote the two-parter back in 2015 with the excellent artist Rob "Robaato" Porter in mind to draw the story; later on, I ran the proposal by the likewise excellent artist David Lafuente. Alas, the project proved unworkable for reasons addressed in detail earlier.
As you'll see, much of the material to follow was repurposed from the defunct, Twitter-format prose experiment I Am Empowered, and like that project, Giant-Size Issues leans heavily on a relentlessly self-doubting, low-self-esteem vision of Early Emp.
So, this project will almost certainly never exist as a real comic; this is the only form in which it's ever likely to be seen. Let's continue, shall we? Time to alternate my thumbnailed page roughs with script excerpts for each page!
EMPOWERED AND THE GIANT-SIZE ISSUES #2 script, continued:
PAGE 26
PANEL 1
Tight close-up on EMP, head bowed forward, hair streaming around her masked, frowning, downcast face, looking upset.
EMPOWERED
....
PANEL 2
Same angle as panel 1, only now EMP is raising her head and exhaling (with cartoonish puff of air from her nose for emphasis?), a look of sudden determination on her masked face. Anther difference: Her supersuit is now glittering brightly with imminent power usage.
EMPOWERED
(h-b) >HMFF<
PANEL 3
Panels 3 and 4 are big action panels, with a nice, large shot of SUPERSUITED EMP in the FG at the center of the page, overlapping both panels. Here, we see giant THUGBOY's face reeling back comically, his sunglasses perhaps coming off as a shouting EMP "VORPP-slaps" him, a brilliant flare of energy blasting from her open hand. Her SUPERSUIT is glittering extra-brightly as her powers are pushed to their utmost.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
Shut the f**k up, you idiot cartoons!
(cont)
I know Thugboy doesn't think about me like that!
SFX
VORPP
PANEL 4
Here, the overlapping figure of FG EMP has turned to yell at and VORPP-slap the comically reeling face (and GREYHOUND neck and body) of NINJETTE, a brilliant flare of energy blasting from her open hand. EMP's SUPERSUIT is glittering extra-brightly as her powers are pushed to their utmost.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
And Ninjette would never say anything like that, either!
(cont)
You creatures are ridiculous!
SFX
VORPP
PANEL 5
Panoramic panel. Close-up on a shouting EMP turning to face the camera, blinding flares of energy blasting across the panel as she VORPPs unseen targets.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
You're nothing but dumbed-down projections of all my own stupid insecurities!
(cont)
You're just my personal garbage, blown up a hundredfold!
SFX
VORPP VORPP
PAGE 27
PANEL 1
Three big, panoramic action panels make up this page. Here, big flares of energy bloom at BG left, as the wee figure of EMP, standing atop the belly of her gigantic, floating TIED-UP EMP counterpart, unleashes a two-handed, ultra-powerful VORPP blast. The rest of the panel is taken up by the huge, airborne figure of IDEALIZED SUPERHERO EMP flying backward, cape trailing behind her, after her masked face is comically VORPP-slapped by BG EMP. Speed lines ahoy!
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
You and your skinny ass and your bulls**t cosplay can go f**k off, idealized superhero me!
(cont)
You're just a romanticized fantasy!
(cont)
I'm the real thing, warts and all!
SFX
VORPP
PANEL 2
Another panoramic action panel. BG left: AGE 9 EMP cringing from her perch on (or "hang" off of) a branch of the BACKYARD TREE as VORPP blasts impact the tree all around her; note that no VORPPS actually strike AGE 9 EMP directly, as EMP wouldn't directly hit a child, even if it's technically herself. FG right: A shouting EMP unleashes multiple VORPPs at her, a big, flaring nimbus of energy blooming from her hand. EMP's SUPERSUIT is glittering extra-brightly as her powers are pushed to their utmost.
SFX
VORPP
AGE 9 EMP
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Eek
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
And you can pipe the f**k down, too, nine-year-old me!
(cont)
Just be happy that your Daddy is still alive, 'cause mine sure isn't!
PANEL 3
Final panoramic action panel. FG left: EMP, hair wildly streaming back, seen from the back. An even bigger and more spectacular flare of energy erupts in front of her as she unleashes an entire series of VORPP blasts; EMP's SUPERSUIT is glittering extra-brightly as her powers are pushed to their utmost.
The entire BG is taken up by a selection of faces from the FACEBALL entity; we see multiple "impact-flash" points hitting the various faces as EMP's rapid-fire fusillade sprays over the FACEBALL's avatars and icons, comically "VORPP-slapping many of them at a time.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
And as for you, online chorus of braying jackasses--
(cont)
--The blithering, simpering lot of you, from Reddit neckbeards to nitpicky progressives--
(cont)
--Y'all can f**k right off, too--!
SFX
VORPP
FACEBALL 1
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) #Hateful
FACEBALL 2
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) #Triggering
FACEBALL 2
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) #Ouch
PAGE 28
PANEL 1
Here, a final "action montage" image of EMP triumphant. Big, full-figure (or nearly so) shot of SUPERSUITED EMP grinning and yelling triumphantly as she flings her arms outward and VORPP-blasts in two different directions, hair streaming wildly around her exultant face. EMP's SUPERSUIT is glittering extra-brightly as her powers are pushed to their utmost. Note that she's still standing atop the pudgy flesh of TIED-UP EMP's bare belly (with her SUPERSUITED feet sinking in a fair bit, if we can see 'em); depending on how you wanna handle it, either we'd A) see just part of TIED-UP EMP's belly or B), see the rest of her upper torso and head looming in the immediate BG, though this would require some tricky foreshortening on your part.
Farther into the BG, whatever KAIJU you care to include are reeling back as VORPP impact flashes hit him (and, for the most part, VORPP-slap their faces comically). If any more BG is required, we'd see cloudscape and blue sky beyond the KAIJU.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
Maybe I'll never be 100% comfortable with the way I look--
(cont)
--And, boo hoo, I'll never have the body I wanted to have--
(cont)
--So I'll never be beautiful and graceful and skinny like my Mom--
(cont)
--But so f**king what?
SFX
VORPP
PANEL 2
Not technically a different panel, but another key element of the overall montage. VERY BIG close-up at lower right of a triumphantly yelling EMP, hair flying about her face as she unleashes more VORPPs (though all we'd likely see of those would be stray rays, sparks and gushes of brightly glowing VORPP energy); one of her hands is drawn back to gesture towards herself, possibly with a thumb indicating herself.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
'Cause, hey, I am a real superheroine--
(cont)
--And this body is what a real f**king superheroine looks like--!
SFX
VORPP
PAGE 29
PANEL 1
Four panoramic panels in this page, the first three of which make up a gradual zoom-in. Here, EMP at panel center, seen from about the waist up as, laughing, she whirls about happily like a DIsney Princess—while, simultaneously, spraying VORPP blasts all around her with big, blinding flares of energy. In the BG, an assortment of VORPP-slapped KAIJU reel and fly back against a BG of billowing white cloudscape and blue sky.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
So you're just gonna have to deal with it, all you dumbass voices in my head!
SFX
VORPP
ALIEN THERAPIST (AT RIGHT)
("ALIEN" balloon; no tail; white lettering inside black balloon) Elissa.
PANEL 2
Next panoramic panel, with a shot zooming in from the previous panel. EMP is still whirling about while VORPPing, but her head is cocked to one side and her laughter has stopped abruptly as she reacts to, apparently, hearing something.
EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)
'Cause this is what I am, and I'm not gonna--
(cont)
Hahh?
SFX
VORPP
ALIEN THERAPIST (AT RIGHT)
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Elissa.
PANEL 3
Panoramic panel, zooming in even closer for an up-angled close-up on EMP, whose head is turning back and forth as she reacts with confusion to a voice (from an unseen source) addressing her.
EMPOWERED
Um... Excuse me...?
ALIEN THERAPIST (AT RIGHT)
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Taht's all the tmie we hvae for tadoy's siseosn, Elissa.
PANEL 4
Final panoramic panel. Same camera angle and close-up size as panel 3, but now we see a confused-looking EMP's head set against a panel chock full of H.R. Giger-esque biomechanical imagery. A series of tentacular projections are reaching out from a crown-like, biomechanical-looking structure arching over her, each touching her head with a bright-glowing circle of light at its tip.
EMPOWERED (AT LEFT)
Where... Where am I...?
(cont)
What's happening...?
ALIEN THERAPIST (AT RIGHT)
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) You wlil encepriexe a snsee of tmepraol dilcasotin as you drepat my tehpary sapce, Elissa.
PAGE 30
PANEL 1
Big panel, once again chock full of H.R. Giger-esque "biomechanical" imagery, as with the previous page's last panel; as the dialogue will make clear, EMP is inside an ALIEN spaceship (or, really, inside an ALIEN, period). We see SUPERSUITED EMP lying down on a slanted platform composed of bulging, swelling, creepy-looking biomechanical riffs. As before, a series of tentacular projections are reaching out from a crown-like structure arching over her, each touching her head with a bright-glowing circle of light at its tip. She's looking around the rest of the pane with a started expression on her masked face.
She's inside a vast, curved chamber with walls, ceiling and floors rippling with further biomechanial imagery. At right, we see a hulking ALIEN lifeform, seemingly grown out the floor or walls of the space. This critter consists of a big, Giger-esque "carapace" headcase featuring a central, glowing orb with smaller "eyes" arranged around it, all of them peering at EMP. Meanwhile, a series of biomechanical-looking tentacles emerge from under the carapace, waving, undulating and rubbing over each other.
EMPOWERED
Oh, right.
(cont)
Xenotherapy.
(cont)
I remember, now.
ALIEN
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) My alopgoeis if you fnuod tihs secrinao ecesxselivy cmobtavie, in a lairtel snsee...
PANEL 2
A startled-looking EMP in profile at FG left, staring over at the carapace of the ALIEN at BG right; the latter's central, glowing orb and secondary eyes are facing EMP.
ALIEN
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) ...but I hvae fnuod that you seupr-peowerd hamuns esxpers yelouvrses bset thorguh the psirm of catrotphiasc vilocene.
EMPOWERED
Well, jeez...!
PANEL 3
Tight close-up on EMP, frowning under her mask as she addresses the off-panel ALIEN.
EMPOWERED
That's kind of messed-up and alarming, isn't it...?
ALIEN (OFF-PANEL)
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) No, not at all, Elissa.
PANEL 4
Closer-up shot of the ALIEN's central, glowing orb, with the secondary (and also glowing) orbs arrayed around it.
ALIEN
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) In fcat, I'm iemesprsd by how mcuh porgesrs yvu'oe aradley mdae wtih yuor deep-steaed bdoy-igmae iesuss.
PAGE 31
PANEL 1
Panoramic panel. Tight close-up on the ALIEN's central, glowing orb, with the secondary (and also glowing) orbs arrayed around it.
ALIEN
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) Without voaitnlig any, ah, dtoocr-pineatt piervilegs...
(cont)
...I can ausrse you taht yvu'oe ahiveced mroe thepeuraitc berakthrhougs tahn msot of yuor smeeilngy bteetr-atejdusd seupr-peres.
PANEL 2
Big panel. Up-angled shot of SUPERSUITED EMP standing on an urban rooftop, hair blowing wildly around her face. She's waving goodbye to a departing, airborne ALIEN SPACESHIP, which presumably housed the space we saw on the previous page. The SPACESHIP is a hulking, biomechanical-looking monstrosity, drifting off into the blue sky and white clouds of the BG. We might see a bit of the city below, or at least a few of the neighboring buildings and rooftops.
ALIEN
("ALIEN" balloon; white lettering inside black balloon) See you nxet week, Elissa.
EMPOWERED
Um, sure, XenoDoctor.
(cont)
(Small) So... My therapist is an alien bioship.
(cont)
(Small) Of course.
PANEL 3
Closer-up (and still up-angled) shot of EMP, hair still blowing wildly around her face. She's pursing her lips with an expression of mild concern.
EMPOWERED
Wonder if I should be worried that I kinda enjoyed beating myself up, though...!
(cont)
Like, a lot...!
PANEL 4
Final close-up of EMP, shrugging dismissively as her hair still blows wildly around her face.
EMPOWERED
Ehh, whatevs.
CAPTION
The End.
And that's it for the ill-fated two-part miniseries Empowered and the Giant-Size Issues, folks! A few words in closing, assuming I remember to go back and edit this post before it goes up on the ol' Patreon:
UPDATE: Nope, I didn't remember to do so! All I can add right now is that I won't be revisiting this form of post for quite a while, as this script & roughs dealie was easily the least favorite(d) of all the recurring types of posts. Oh, well.
In fact, I'll likely do a poll or open post within the next week or two to see what kind of Patreon posts you folks would like to see—a query which will be complicated a tad by the looming restart of Empowered vol. 12 and my related need to earn some g-d money this year. Both tasks are gonna leave me wit even less available worktime for weekdaily Patreon posts, to put it mildly; more on this matter later, needless to say.
TOMORROW ON THIS HERE PATREON: Could be another installment of Vintage Con Sketches, but I am by no means certain about that. Heck, I might revisit another recurring feature.
Comments
KranberriJam
Took me a long time to read all these (damn RL) but I LOVED IT. Really hate that it'll never be seen as a real comic.
Strypgia
Don't know why this got less likes. A glimpse at Emp things that won't be 'real' issues is a real benefit of being a Patron I'm liking. And I can't wait for Emp 12, and will be ready to throw money at you for it as soon as it is possible.
Dean Reilly
Thanks for sharing this. That deliberately misspelled xenotherapist dialogue, though....
Aidenke
This is a really fun framing device to settle the last two issues of adventure. It's really a shame that there just wasn't the right pieces together to make this happen back when it would've fit in with the series. Both artists in question would've made an incredible series, and it's awesome to see what could've been here in this form!
T.Geist
time to get cracking boys...break out dem pages lol jk(defintely like that page 28 panel roughs) *dream envisions from mind of AW drawn by fans comic heh*
PixelThis
Love how this wraps up. I couldn't imagine how the Super-Homies would have ever let Emp live down a city-wide rampage caused by her insecurities.
