Tag: Untitled

Issues of the untitled comic

Ma*lrats: Issue 6

Posted on by malcolm

Scene 1:

Aster and Blue are in Seraph’s old base with Jenny. We see Jenny take a swab from Blue’s mouth, and put it into a machine. The screen flashes up some numbers, and Aster and Jenny look at it. “It’s not an exact match”, ,Jenny says,  “More like a relative.. a child maybe. Not a clone”

We see Jenny hand Aster one of Cherub’s old supersuits, “Customize it as you like. Its bulletproof – you can add gadgets. Just don’t want to see you hurt out there. “

Glitch is couchsurfing with Sundog, when the window lights up with a pink heart. Cupid is standing outside. Sundog goes out to talk to him. “We’re going to bust the prison open tonight, show what’s happening there. If you want to make a show of it… show up at 8:42pm. Make sure we bust open Building 4, where Archimedes do their research”.

Scene 2:

The Mallrats meet Phineas Thrupp and a camera man, on a tall rooftop a couple of streets away from the prison, looking down over the buildings. Phineas says, “Seraph has been gone too long. The city need heroes. It’s time to introduce them to their new heroes”. Aster and Glitch speak to Phineas on camera. The cameraman looks confused, and calls Phineas over. Phineas looks back at Glitch, “Did you know you look.. different on camera”. He shows Glitch, who discovers his illusions dont work on camera. Phoneas promises to hide that on the footage. Aster promises to get the TV station some footage of what’s inside that building. And stop the Rogues.

Scene 3:

A pink energy heart blows through the prison wall, and Cupid flies overhead. Red Blade, sword in hand, heads for the hole – Blue stes out and blocks him, her hand blocking his sword.

Sundog and Cupid swap energy blasts on the roof of a prison building with a 4 painted on the end. Both of them miss, and the roof of the building is ripped open, exposing rooms and corridors below.

Glitch moves over to protect Building 3, which is marked High Security Prisoners. He reaches out with his powers to calm the feelings of the prisoners – but the image shows him holding  his head surrounded by jagged text.. (ANGRY)… (trapped)… (scared)… Glitch looks in anguish.

At the wall, Bon Chance approaches Blue, who trips over some rubble and falls – and smiles at Aster. The wall under Aster’s feet crumbles, and she nearly falls.

Cupid suddenly goes for Building 3 – but we see him surrounded by confusing, disorienting images as Glitch raises a hand towards him. . Bon Change runs to help Cupid, and as she runs away, Aster throws the contents of a bottle of blue liquid over her. Bon Chance screams, “Noooo…”

Scene 4:

Inside Building 4, Sundog steps through a broken wall into a room with two tall glass tubes are inscribed “Seraph” and “Whisper”. The room is heavily covered in dust, clearly not been accessed for years.

Blue and Aster find Dr Lily in her office. Archimedes clone soldiers approach, but Dr Lily waves them away, and tells them to evacuate the other scientists.

Lily takes the whole team to see the cloning chamber where Sundog is. “This room isn’t my project”, she says, “its from before my time.” “Blue was my project, she’s Subject 5. Dr Crook worked on Subject 4, who was evacuated yesterday. Lily explains that Blue is like a child to her, and she’d never harm her. 

The soldiers come back to evacuate Dr Lily, and the Mallrats let her go.

Scene 5:

The team are back with Phineas Thrupp on the rooftop. Aster shares some footage from her suit with him.  Phinea says, “There’s enough here to shut down Archimedes for good”.

Blue is walking away, when a voice whispers in her ear. “I’m always here for you, Five”, it says. The opposite panel shows Dr. Lily talking into a radio.

Untitled: Issue 6

Posted on by malcolm

Scene 1:

A montage scene across two pages:

Sienna standing by her bedroom door, hearing her mother talking to her partner! on the phone about the pawn shop raid. “What do you mean you’re not coming? Transfer to central precinct? I didn’t even know you’d applied!”

Jesus sneaking out of his Maria and Scarlett’s apartment very early in the morning. Scarlett leaving her room just after he leaves, glances at the front door.

Alice comes into Jay’s bookshop early in the morning, while Jay is having coffee. Jay turns to her and says, “Can we talk about using mummy’s suit?”

Scene 2:

Early morning, one police car, and just three police officers down the street from the pawn shop. Joule’s mother seems to be in charge, but looking around anxiously.

The team are on the roof looking down. Red picks up her mobile phone. Joule’s mother looks at her phone, there’s a text from Red “You’ll need backup.” She picks up the radio.

The team see Zuko and Candy sneak away from the side of the pawn shop, They move across the rooftops

The team break in through the roof of the pawn shop. Red fires in a net arrow, and the team drop in after it. Leatherboy, snake guy and iron boy are there – two of them tangled in the net.  “The cops are about to raid”, Nightfox says, “Zuko set you up. Get out the side door quickly”

The police kick in the door of the pawn shop. It’s empty. As they are searching the building, Joule’s mother finds Red’s used net arrow, and tucks it away in a bag.

Scene 3:

In the Depot, underground. Alice is DJ’ing, Jay is standing next to her chatting. Behind the console, some of Whisper’s equipment is wired into the sound system. Jesus is in the crowd in his mundane garb with Maria. Red and Joule are among the crowd in their superhero costumes – not looking out of place among the superhero wannabe’s dancing on one side.

Lights and sirens come on at the entrance to the Depot, and outside we see a policeman picking up a loudhailer. Suddenly, the entire entrance is sealed off with a cracking wall of electricity.

Inside we see Joule, straining to hold a barrier across the whole entrance. Jay pulls on her Void costume, and steps forward to the barrier and talks to the cops. “Can you let the … normal people out? They’re just here to dance.” She touches her head as if concentrating, and the police officer says.. “Oh.. Yes.. That’s what my orders are”.

Joule opens a hole in the barrier, and most of the people start filing out. Jesus is among them. As they leave, Jesus says to Maria, “It’s not right what’s happening. Go call the TV stations, let’s see if we can get some cameras here. ” Maria nods, and asks Jesus to get clear so he’s safe.

Next panel – Jesus changing into his Nightfox suit in a phone box.

Police raid starts – Joule seals off the entrance to the Depot with electrical wall – sealing cops out, and everyone else in. Void persuades cops to let “normal” people evacuate – Jesus goes out with them. Persuaded Maria to call the TV stations.

Agents get out of an Archimedes van, and join the cops. They set up some sort of sonic weapon and start to attack Joule’s barrier. The barrier holds.  Void sets up a teleportation portal in the back of the Depot starts to evacuate everyone via teleporter. Behind her, Alice is putting on Whispers suit, and moves towards the cops. Void intercepts her, “Alice, I need you to evacuate these people and protect them, that’s more important. We’ll be right behind you.” Alice goes through the portal, Void goes back to stand up to the cops with the others.

Outside, Nightfox swings out of the darkness and destroys the sonic weapon with a baton. Then he’s seen being forced to the ground under a wave of police officers hitting him with batons.

The barrier goes down – Void, Joule and Red run out, and in a chaotic battle scene, they pull Nightfox free and they all escape up the ramp towards the river.

Scene 4:

Our heroes emerge through smoke to meet the press and TV cameras. Red and Nightfox speak for the team.

Red: “What you’re seeing here is illegal operations by Archimedes Industries, working with a rogue police precinct. They’ve been kidnapping mutant kids off the street, dosing them with illegal drugs, and tonight, they tried to snatch a whole club full”

Nightfox: “If you turn your cameras down there, you’ll see Archimedes agents who all look very similar, illegal weaponry… Pretty sure you’ll find this whole raid wasn’t approved.”

Journalist: “Nightfox.. Red.. Are you all a team? What’s your team name?”

Red glances at Nightfox then says, “We’re …. Citizens”

 

Scene 5:

 

Closing page: A newspaper page, partly covered by a fist that’s just slammed down on it. The headline reads “New superheroes Citizens uncover Archimedes Industries plot.” The camera pulls back to show Phineus Thrupp. “You might have the public fooled, Nightfox, but I know you’re still a menace”

He walks away, and you can just see a second newspaper story “Superheroes stop prison raid”.

 (see Mallrats #6 for that part of the story)

 

Untitled – Issue 4

Posted on by malcolm

Scene 1:

Red is standing in Void’s Sanctuary, with the red gem in her hand, and a determined look on her face. She puts the gem into the medical scanner: “It’s the only scanner in here. Maybe it’s biological”. The scanner unexpectedly prints a message on a slip of paper. “Non biological. Use scanner B4”. Void has no idea what scanner B4 is, but the sanctuary is full of things Void doesnt understand yet. The team search the lair for something, and find a thing that looks like a top loading washing machine, labelled B4. Its never done anything before, but now – there are lights on. They put the gem in the machine, and it spins up, and down again.. then produces a a printout that seems to be a molecular composition.

 

Scene 2:

Albert, the Shadow Walker, arrives at the bookshop. He’s a very mild-mannered young man with glasses. He thanks the team for letting his shadow go, and explains that if his shadow dies without returning to him, he doesn’t remember what it did.

The team ask him about the raid on Jacqueline’s apartment, why was he after the kid? Albert says he doesnt remember what happened, but that Zuko said that if a child that young was a mutant, then the parents probably were too. He was to try and provoke the mother into revealing her powers. The team debate if its true that powers inherit like that – Void says that its probably true of her and her sister. But they’d need to ask an expert.

Albert explains that he’s told Zuko the jewellers had already been robbed when he got there. His family are still threatened by Zuko – so he can’t break free. He’s meeting Zuko tomorrow, and will let the team know when and where.

Later, he calls back. Zuko doesnt want to meet at his shop, he’s had recent “mutant related security issues”, so wants to meet somewhere public. In aa quiet space right in the middle of the meat market at 8am, so he can secure it, but mutants can’t interfere out of the public eye.

Scene 3:

The team decide to go visit Dr Anthony Pauling. They still have his notebook, he’s an expert on the mutagen in some sense, and they need more info on the “space ruby”. Plus he might know more about whether powers are inherited.

While they are on the way to see the professor, the news shows a powered escape from Midtown Prison. From the damage, it looks like someone just ran through the prison wall, leaving a person shaped hole. Red and Void decide to go and investigate, while Nightfox and Joule go see the professor.

Scene 4:

Joule and Nightfox arrange to meet the professor on the roof of the biological sciences building at SCU. They return his notebook, and it turns outhe’s quite a fan of Joule, who he see’s as a real hero. He offers to do experiments on her powers.

Dr Pauling explains the notebook a bit- he was investigating environmental contamination of mutagen in the river. He’d found that the levels of mutagen present were very low, but considering how expensive and controlled the mutagen is, and how much volume is in the river, he thinks it must be a deliberate contamination rather than a leak.

He had found traces quite far up the river within city limits, but when he applied for more budget to look into this, his existing budget was cancelled, the university told him to stop his project, and those “agents” came after him.

Looking at the analysis printout on the “space ruby”, Dr Pauling hadn’t seen anything like this before – neither the analysis method, nor the substance it described. His opinion is that it is a complex crystelline compound, definitely not something like a ruby or naturally occuring gem. Some of the symbols in the analysis do not correspond to known elements, so he’s not sure what their analyser means – but the structure does relate to substances found alongside the mutagen. His guess would be that this would somehow either suppress, or amplify energies related to powers – if energised it might form a “laser” type beam. Further experiments would be needed – and he doesnt have the equipment, or budget.

Scene 5:

Looking at the hole in the wall on TV as they head towards the prison, Red and Void conclude that running through a thick, reinforced wall like that would require super strength, speed and invulnerability. Red and Void can’t think of any villain who could do that. The only mutant they can think of who could do that would be Seraph. But Seraph could have just flown over the wall.

They manage to find some signs of damage to buildings near the prison that suggest someone super-strong, running very fast, brushed against walls. They are slowly tracking the route, but the escapee is moving much faster than they are.

Overhead, a Midtown Police helicopter instructs locals to move inside their buildings and stay away from the windows. Then agents show up – men who seem to be very similar height and build, and in way of moving. They’re wearing advanced military gear. Red and Void hide in a doorway, behind a false door construct that Void creates, but the agents seem to have tracked them to the alley they are hiding in. Red pulls off an amazing bounced arrow shot to make noise that sounds like they are running across rooftops, and the agents move away.

 

Scene 6:

The team scout out the meat market before it closes. Its a stone building, open at either end, with a steel frame inside the building. The central part is open space, with stalls scattered around, and they can see one stall in the centre with clear space around it, probably the meeting space. The market opens at 6am – by 8am it’ll be busy, presumably what Zuko wants.

The team plan to get in place early, before Zuko does the same.

Untitled Issue #3

Posted on by malcolm

Issue #3 opens with a repeat of the last panel from Issue #2

 

Scene 1:

Closing panel: the shocked look on Nightfox’ face as he could have left Maria in great danger…

Nightfox runs for the teleportal without explaining – his teammates still don’t know that he is Jesus Martinez. Red picks up her phone, and texts Maria, asking if everything is OK.

The next images are seen from two perspectives – Nightfox looking in the window, and photo’s on Reds phone. <<I didn’t expect this>> is the text on Red’s phone, along with a photo of her TV balanced on top of her fridge. Nightfox, watching from the window sees the young Alexi stacking furnature as if it weight nothing.

Scene 2:

The Angelus Gallery a bit North of downtown Storm City, in an area full of smaller theatres, and bars. Two women walking with a small dog are in the background of the scene, passing a window with a red neon “brunch served all day”, and a rainbow flag in the window.

Inside the gallery, we see the sign for the exhibition, “Difference and Similarity: works by young mutant artists”. The gallery manager, Jenny Yoo is showing some well-dressed people around exhibits, while at the back of the gallery, Alice (from the Depot) is setting up DJ equipment, with help from another young woman she has … some resemblance to.

Vignettes as members of the superteam arrive, in their normal identities. Sienna arrives with her ex-girlfriend, Sarah, the two of them moving to look at the artworks. Jesus, Maria, and Scarlett arrive together – there’s some tension between Jesus and Maria, and Scarlett moves over to make smalltalk with the pair at the DJ console. Alice has headphones on, so Scarlett ends up talking to the other woman – Alice’s sister, Jay.

Camera’s in the room track Alice, Scarlett and Sienna. Jay notices the camera attention. A cut-away scene shows a shadowy figure in front of CCTV monitors, watching the three of them. The shadowy figure picks up a walkie-talkie, and we see Jenny Yoo touch an earpiece.

Jenny gathers Scarlett and Sienna into a corner to chat. The panel reveals that Jay is close enough to overhear, and radiating lines show that Jesus is using his superhearing… and paying no attention to what Maria, next to him, is saying.

Jenny explains to Scarlett and Sienna that Rakshasa has been recalled to Union City. He has a DPP permit to operate there, and … she’s concerned that he was recalled as soon as he asked the DPP if they had any new information about Seraph. Jenny points out that the team have been using one of Seraph’s old bases, and that they can’t continue to do that without Rakshasa being there. She offers to help the team out occasionally if she can.

The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Phineas Thrupp and a camera crew. Vignettes of his interviews show him taking a generally anti-vigilante perspective, although he’s positive about the art. He specifically mentions that “Nightfox is a vigilante menace, and must be stopped” when talking with Jenny. His presence seems to irritate Alice, which leaves Jay looking concerned. We see Jay touch her temple and concentrate for a moment – and suddenly Phineas Thrupp remembers he needs to be on the other side of town – and leaves, dragging a confused camera man with him.

Scene 3:

There’s good music playing, low key. A few people are dancing, but mostly looking at the art. Scarlett and Sienna are behind a larger piece of art. They hear gasps and shouts of alarm from the attendees, and look around the artwork to see that The Saint, most powerful and influential supervillain of Storm City, has arrived.

The Saint confronts Jenny Yoo. “I wanted you to know”, he states loudly, “that I have nothing to do with Seraph being missing. I am somewhat missing the challenge since she departed”.

The people near the door are seen fleeing outside, including Jesus and Maria. Jesus bundles Maria into a taxi – she seems very worried about him, but he refuses to leave just now. Maria doesn’t seem to worry about Scarlett.
Alice can be seen with her hands on the DJ console, sparks running from her fingers. The audience still remaining start to dance, and The Saint turns to face the DJ. His foot is tapping along with the music. Jenny tries to escape but The Saint grabs her arm. Scarlett, over by the punch bowl, throws a ladle at The Saint, who overreacts, and hurls a metal ball at her, barely missing. He hesitates, and Jenny steps away from him. Other objects telekinetically fly at the Saint from the table next to Scarlett. 
Joule, ushering people out the back door, grabs hold of a main power cable, and electricity runs down her arm. The lights go out. As they do, Nightfox vaults through the front door, snatches Jenny, and heads to the back of the gallery. Joule, stepping inside, throws a wall of electricity across the room. The Saint reaches out a hand to test the barrier, and as he does… a chain link fence manifests inside the electricity, conducting and focussing the power. Cursing in exasperation that he can’t get through, The Saint leaves.

Scene 4:

One panel of Jesus staring at Storm City TV and Phineas Thrupp talking. “That’s not what happened!”, he exclaims.

Scene 5:

Red, looking at a list, with several items crossed out. “I got this from Zuko’s pawnshop. He’s been getting that shadowy man to steal things for him – I can’t see a pattern, or why he’d go after Jacqueline, but… in two nights, he’ll be stealing a large ruby from a jewellers shop. We should be there to stop him.”

Scene 6:

The team walking through Jay’s occult bookstore – where Void (Jay in costume) opens a secret door at the back. “It’s a sanctuary, not a lair!”, they say, as the team look around at what looks.. rather like a supervillains lair. “I’m not a supervillain, so its not a lair!”.

The team use a teleportal (remarkably like Seraph’s teleportal) to get inside the shop. The shop is suspicious in a few ways – it has mostly cheap jewellery, but one tray of expensive antiques – and even though the shop is closed up, the jewelley is not put away at night.

Before long, a man made of shadows flows under the door, and then solidifies. The team intercept him as soon as he arrives. Capture, he seems desperate, and admits hes working for John Zuko, who has threatened his family. He claims that he will die soon, and that if he doesnt get back to his own body before that happens, he wont remember anything. The team ask him to come find them, and they will help protect his family – then let him go.

Then they decide to cut open the safe, and see what this ruby is. The ruby is about half the size of a hen’s egg, and has Russian authenticty paperwork that mentions Tunguska. Nightfox examines it, and thinks it is not a ruby – but something else. Possibly something from the Tunguska meteor strike.

Team take the ruby back to Void’s sanctuary to study it. Red christens it the “space ruby”, and is already planning how it fits into her costume.

Untitled Issue #2

Posted on by malcolm

 

With thanks to Derek for most of the work on this issue

Scene 1:

Splash page opening is Nightfox leaping into a wall of sound and flashing lights as he dives towards the DJ console, and its speaker stacks and light rigs. He plummets into a kaleidoscopic tunnel which ends up with him crashing to the floor surrounded by concerned dancers and mumbling “too bright… too loud…”.

Outside, Rakshasa and Red argue about who is going in after Joule and Nightfox. Rakshasa eventually goes in. Red has an internal debate about being recognised, then follows.

Rakshasa enters, shrugs off the hypnotic effect of the music and, ignoring the dancers, heads for the mobsters he’s after.

Red arrives and also fights off the music: she sees Joule dancing in the crowd and Nightfox down on the floor, surrounded by concerned people. Acting quickly, she shoots a Stun Arrow at the DJ: it hits, and the impact knocks the DJ back a step – but the DJ seems to absorb the electrical jolt.

Nightfox gets up, shuts his eyes, and jumps blindly towards the stage; Rakshasa has had enough of the music and cuts the power with a thrown knife. As the power fails, Joule is released from the musical effect. She makes her way towards the DJ’s stage.

Panic breaks out as the dancers are released from their spell and separate out into groups of mutants, “straights” and gang people. It looks like there could be a stampede for the exit or a nasty fight, but Red takes control of the situation. She calls on her reputation as a known crime-fighter, commanding the attention of the crowd and gets the non-mutants to leave in an orderly manner.

Rakshasa corners the two mobsters, a man and a woman. After a brisk fight, he ties them up and hangs them from the ceiling. The man is terrified by his fear aura, but the woman is more strong willed and contemptuous. He does however find out that they are working for The Outfit, specifically John Zuko, who is having them extort young mutants.

Nightfox lands on the stage, knocking the DJ (a young woman) to the ground. He turns, ready to fight, but Joule gets up on the stage and puts out a hand, helping the woman to her feet. Joule and Red talk to the woman, Alice, and find that she’s using her special power to stop fighting and make everyone happy in her nightclub. Rakshasa thinks he recognises Alice as looking rather like a former villain Seraph tangled with. He isn’t sure, though.

Red and Joule find the blue aquatic boy they went to look for and persuade him to go back home. They also talk to some of the mutants.

Heroes head off to their secret base.

 

Scene 2:

Group sitting around Seraph’s shiny white and silver base. Some reassurance and praise around the group.

Rakshasa talks about the clues he’s found about young mutant kids being used by the Mob to carry out crimes. He has a lead to a pawnshop he wants to investigate. He also identifies the DJ as being very like a former supervillain and foe of Seraph’s called Whisper. Whisper had group emotion control powers, but was normally pulling the strings of other villains.

Nightfox gets a call from Maria: there’s a big guy hammering on the door of the apartment opposite, she is frightened and wants him to come over. He tells her that he’d be right over and to call the cops. He tells the group he has a private problem to deal with, and gets teleported to a rooftop a few blocks away from Maria and Red’s apartment.

Just after he leaves, Joule and Red decide to go to Red’s place for hot chocolate, leaving Rakshasa to go through computer files. They teleport on to Red’s apt block roof.  Nightfox sees them arrive and go down into the building, changing into civilian clothes. He changes as well, and goes in through the front door as Jesus.

Rakshasa (as Deep) calls the DJ and arranges for her to perform at an event at Seraphs gallery. He then heads out into the night.

Scene 3:

Red and Joule get to Maria’s place to find a huge Eastern European Guy [HEEG] hammering on the door opposite, and calling a woman’s name (Jacqueline). Red knows that the apt is occupied by a single mother and her young son. HEEG doesn’t speak any English and is insistent and intimidating. Red gets between him and the door and tries to calm things down. Red arrives, and is able to speak to HEEG in Spanish. Maria is watching from her door and is advised to wait inside until things calm down. The HEEG is apparently very concerned about the woman inside. Jesus persuades HEEG to stop bashing at the door and that Red would check that the woman was ok. Jesus and HEEG wait in the stairwell.

Red calls the woman’s name, and on getting no reply, picks the lock and goes in. Joule waits outside.

Red finds a young boy in the front room, and passes the kid to Joule to take care of. She then goes into the bedroom to find the kid’s mother lying injured and unconscious. She is then jumped by a shadowy figure and hit hard.

Joule and Jesus both hear sounds of a fight. Jesus persuades HEEG that the cops would be there soon, and HEEG leaves.  Joule passes the kid on to Maria, and goes in after Red. Red and Joule fight an increasingly desperate Shadow Guy: Joule finally hits him with a bolt of electricity and he explodes into a cloud of shadows, which dissipate to leave no trace of Shadow Guy.

Red and Joule check out the room, and Joule finds a business card for a Pawnshop. They get Maria in to help the injured woman, and the cops finally arrive, including Joule’s mother. The injured woman is taken to hospital, and Red promises the cops that they would look after the little boy until his mother was able to return home. After a round of hot chocolate, Joule says she has to leave, and Red asks Maria to look aver the boy. Maria accepts (thinking that Jesus would be staying to help), and Red and Joule leave. Jesus then drops a bombshell by telling Maria that he has to go too! She chases him out the door in a fury.

 

Scene 4:

Rakshasa is lurking outside a dingy pawnshop, watching a mobster he recognises go in. He decides to jump them: they go rolling in to the building and he finds himself surrounded. There is a furious fight, which ends with the mobsters fleeing. He searches the building, and finds evidence that a number of children with powers are being exploited by a mid level Outfit boss, John Zuko, going against the Outfit’s policy of not using mutants. Among the kids the audience recognises Red’s neighbour’s very young child.

 

Scene 5:

Back in the base, the group compares notes.

Joule and Red describe what happened at Maria’s place, meeting HEEG and Shadow Guy. Joule also shows the business card. It turns out to be the same pawnshop that Rakshasa has just visited. He shows the group what he’s found. The group realise that the kid they’ve left with Maria (and Jesus’ extended family) is one of the super powered children – and the boy has super strength!

Closing panel: the shocked look on Nightfox’ face as he could have left Maria in great danger…

Untitled Issue #1

Posted on by malcolm

 

 

 

A nervous looking man in glasses stands in the shadow of a skyscraper, checking his phone. A black van screeches to a halt, and four men in black outfits, wearing black masks, dive out and run for the man in glasses. He sees them and runs, shouting for help.

A woman in a red costume appears on a nearby rooftop, nocks an arrow, and sends it flying. It hits one of the men in black, expanding into a net that brings him to the ground. She jumps to the next rooftop, trying to keep up as the man in glasses as he sprints in a panic away. Each of the three men in black outfits draws a baton simultaneously, their movements oddly synchronised. The man in glasses runs under an overhead train track, heading for the bright lights of a theatre in the distance.

Standing on the overhead train pillar is a woman dressed in a blue costume, watching the chase. She reaches out a hand towards the railway overhead power, and an arc of lightning flies to her hand. Then two more lightning bolts from below. An explosion, and the lights go out everywhere around. “Damn”, she says, looking down at a glowing and melted electricy transformer at ground level.

The sudden change of light surprises the woman in red, whose arrow flies a little wide, missing another of the men in black suits.

High on a nearby tower block, two men in costume look down at a whole section of city blocks go dark. They both jump from the roof, heading towards the darkness.

A black page is illustrated only with flashes of lightning, each one showing the four heroes engaging with the men in black. The man in glasses has run away, and the men in black flee once they realise they fight powered heroes. A notebook, lying on the rubble, and a gloved hand reaching down to take it.

A panel shows one of the heroes walking away… then he turns back. “Rakshasa”, he says. “You all look like you could use a little guidance.”

A four panel spread across two pages

 

Rakshasa

 

Red

 

Nightfox

 

Joule

Scarlett and Sienna are walking along the sea-wall at night, near the closed-up yacht club, discussing television. Scarlett hears a voice call out, asking for help – from the water. They both go to look, and there’s a blue, teenage girl who seems to have gills, in the water. “I sensed you were.. special and might help”, she says – and explains that her young brother, who is also blue, is missing. Scarlett and Sienna agree to look for him – and when they discover tracks that suggest he headed into town along with someone who leaves tracks inches deep in the grass – they change into their costumes… as Red and Joule.

The next panel shows them underground, outside what looks like a rave in an abandoned bus garage. “Who’s going in?”, Joule asks.

Rakshasa and Nightfox are on a rooftop looking down at a leathery skinner teenager running away from a shop. Rakshasa touches Nightfox on the shoulder, and asks “what do you see?”. Nightfox’s view of the street is drawn inverted black and white, and shows two police officers with guns drawn approaching around the corner. Nightfox says, “The cops. He’ll run into them. They’ll shoot.” The two of them drop down in front of the running boy. “Drop it”, says Rakshasa. The boy drops the bag, and they pull him into the shadows. The police run past, picking up the bag, and head towards the shop where the alarm is still going off.

“They’ll burn down my father’s house”, says the leatherskinned boy in a panic. “Who?”, asks Rakshasa. “The Outfit. No-one can stop them.”. Rakshasa says “Storm City is protected now. Tell us where to find them, and go home”

Joule is inside the rave, looking around. The old garage is full of people dancing. All sorts of people. Men in suits, people in wannabe superhero costumes. Obvious mutants in normal clothing. Homeless people… they’re dancing as well. She reaches out with her electrical senses… then pauses. “There’s another electrical power here”, she says softly on the communicator. Then reaches out to try and find the source of the power. The panel shows red waves of sound coming from the speakers, then… Joule is just dancing like the rest, her mission forgotten.

Rakshasa and Nightfox meet Red, who’s standing outside the depot. “I can’t go in, I’ll be recognised. Joule’s gone in to look for this blue boy.” Nightfox says, “We’re looking for a pair of mobsters, from the Outfit. ” “Joule’s not responding to the communicator”, Red says. Nightfox heads inside..

The waves of music wash over Nightfox, and for a moment he starts to dance, then he shakes hiself free. “No”, he says.. then into the communicator “Hang the DJ!”, and he flying leaps over a barrier towards the DJ.

 

TO BE CONTINUED