FAILED-PROJECT FRIDAY: EMPOWERED AND THE MASK CITY MELTDOWN (pt.8): Issue #1 roughs & script, pp. 19-24! (Patreon)

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 19

PANEL 1

Another STORYBOOK page of illustrative, borderless vignettes. Here, we're continuing the fairy-tale depiction of the love affair between EMP and THUGBOY. Downshot of EMP lying asleep in THUGBOY's brawny arms in bed, the tangled, post-coitally askew bed sheets covering up any "naughty bits" on the naked lovers. Well, THUGBOY is fully naked, while EMP is wearing only a few scant handfuls of her SUPERSUIT, which often gets torn off when the two are having sex. (Examples: the post-coital condition of the SUIT in vol.1, pp.77-79, and in flagrante on pp.73, 86-88 & 106.) She's still wearing the SUIT's mask in its rolled-up "headband" mode, as seen throughout the series; for example, in vol.4, pp.89-91, 93, 95-6, 202-3. Eyes closed, she's smiling contentedly as she nestles her head on Thugboy's broad chest. The late-night scene's lighting is dim; as we'll see, the only illumination is from off-panel windows overlooking the nighttime city.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

And so, after months of sleepless nights full of lip-gnawing, stomach-knotting, ceiling-staring anxiety...

PANEL 2

Closer-up shot of EMP's contented, smiling, eyes-closed face as she lies in THUGBOY's muscular embrace.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

...Elissa finally began to fall asleep feeling warm and safe and content night after night.

PANEL 3

Panels 3-5 feature a view of EMP's bedroom that we almost never see in the comic; that is, the right side of the bedroom (as seen from the doorway), as opposed to the left side, with its often-drawn folding, wood-louver doors over her closet on the left-side wall. As can be only kinda-sorta glimpsed in vol. 4, p.134, panels 3-4, the right-side wall of her bedroom features a pair of sliding glass doors leading out to a railinged balcony. Vertical-slat window shades normally cover these doors, but here they've been drawn back on either side.

In these first panel of the sequence, we'll see EMP having approached those closed sliding glass doors. At FG left, we see a naked, sleeping Thugboy lying on the bed, wrapped up in the tangled sheets. The bed's headboard, a series of black-matted picture frames, a bedside table with (shutoff) lamp, and a narrow bookcase line the wall immediately beyond Thugboy. The nighttime lighting is dim, with the only illumination coming from the (closed) sliding glass doors at BG right, where we see a mostly naked EMP standing, framed against the city lights and a narrow slice of nighttime skyline visible through the doors' glass (and theoretically the outer balcony railing, but that's a non-critical detail). Edgelit by the city lights, EMP stands before the sliding doors in the extra-skimpy tatters of her SUPERSUIT (which is mostly torn off her post-coitus, as mentioned before), perhaps with one hand reaching out to the glass. In fact, she might just be wearing the rolled-up "headband" portion if the suit and little else.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

However, compulsively insecure over-sharer and T.M.I.-erthat she might have been...

(continued)

...Elissa never told her perfectly imperfect boyfriend her true beliefs about him.

PANEL 4

Profile shot of EMP looking out at the city lights through the closed sliding doors' glass pane, head tilted forward with a shy smile on her face and one tatter-suited hand raised to the glass. (Adding her reflection in the glass might complicate the shot overmuch; besides, she's dimly lit by only the city lights beyond, so her reflection might not show up that distinctly.)

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

For, you see, deep inside...

(continued)

...Elissa was convinced that her beautiful thug was yet another gift from the city, just like her supersuit.

PANEL 6

This STORYBOOK page ends with EMP leaning forward and kissing the windowpane's glass, as if she's kissing the city lights beyond. (This is another reason why leaving off her reflection in the glass might be a good idea, because otherwise we'll get the impression that she's symbolically kissing herself.)

ALTERNATE VERSION: As showing EMP kissing the window might be excessively tricky to pull off, you could instead just show her open hand pressing against the glass (and the nighttime cityscape beyond) to convey a similar sentiment. Her hand could have the tattered SUPERSUIT glove on, if you like.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

And she loved the city even more for rewarding her persistence so generously.

PAGE 20

PANEL 1

Back to real-world action. Big panel, featuring a rather tricky image. Down-angled "urban panorama" shot with an airborne EMPOWERED in upside-down mid-jump at left, reacting with shock and alarm as she looks over at the startling image taking up the rest of the panel. There, we're seeing the twin antenna stanchions from atop the Sears-Tower-like, so-called "TWIN-ANTENNA BUILDING" as they reach up and suddenly close around each other, trapping a startled MECHANISMO between them like grillwork analogues for a Venus flytrap. The metal grids and piping of the antennae stanchions are folding around the trapped mecha like living things (with a red aircraft warning light or two adding visual interest), even as MECHANISMO's limbs wave and flail frantically. Note that a strongly distorted camera view might be necessary to show the TWIN ANTENNA BUILDING below; this might need to be like the selfie shots we occasionally see of Russian daredevils cavorting atop skyscrapers and the high-level like.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

AAA

SFX (LARGE)

SKRANGG

MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)

H-Hey--!

SFX (SMALLER, BY STANCHIONS)

KRNKK KRNKK

PANEL 2

A series of tall, thin(?) vertical panels finish off the rest of the page, each time with downward motion and speed lines conveying the rapid collapse of the TWIN-ANTENNA BUILDING. Here, upside-down, airborne EMP in profile close-up at FG top, hair streaming wildly and looking (and yelling) down in alarm as she sees the antenna-stanchion-entangled MECHANISMO dropping away below her. In the BG below, we see debris and dust beginning to billow out from the foreshortened TWIN-ANTENNA BUILDING as it starts to collapse straight downward. Note that we might see "color streaks" smearing off the red aircraft warning lights on the MACHANISMO-entrapping antennae towers to help convey the downward motion.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

Oh, c'mon--!

MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)

Leggo, damn it--!

SFX

RMBB RMBB

PANEL 3

Close-up shot of the entangled MECHANISMO struggling uselessly against the antennae gridwork and pipes entrapping him as the whole mess drops straight downward, as helpfully clarified by vertical speedlines and "color streaks" off aircraft warning lights (or MECHANISMO's glowing eyes) plunging down.

SFX (LARGE)

RRMMBB

MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)

This sucks.

PANEL 4

Big, dramatic panel, perhaps up-angled for a different approach. Dominating the shot is a bold image of the TWIN ANTENNA BUILDING collapsing straight downward, explosions of dust and debris fountaining out from its sides as its imploding floors "pancake" in succession. Meanwhile, the tangled twin antenna stanchions (with the wee form of MECHANISMO entrapped within them) are collapsing down as well, with color streaks from the red aircraft warning lights further conveying the plummeting. At left, we see the likewise wee figure (silhouetted?) of EMPOWERED alighting and spider-clinging as she lands along the edge of a neighboring building, hair streaming as she looks down and yells after MECHANISMO.

A pair of cartoony headshots or small INSERT PANELS feature frantic close-up shots of EMP and MECHANISMO, respectively, possibly with pointer tails extending back to their wee figures in the larger shot. EMP is yelling in alarm with hair streaming, while MECHANISMO is flailing amid tangled metal and vertical speedlines as he plunges downward.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON; FROM SMALL FIGURE)

M-Mechanismo!

MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON)

AAAAA

SFX (EACH FX GETS INCREASINGLY LARGE)

RMBB RMBB RMBB

PAGE 21

PANEL 1

Another STORYBOOK page of illustrative, borderless vignettes. This time, a nighttime shot of a tatter-suited, happy-looking EMPOWERED running along an urban rooftop alongside a grinning NINJETTE, who's wearing her regular ninja costume (with the handle of her straight-bladed ninja sword visible over one shoulder) while trotting along with a beer bottle dangling idly from one hand. This scene could be akin to the late-night EMP & NINJETTE rooftop run seen in Empowered vol.3, pp.9-12.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

Before long, Elissa was graced with another amazing gift, as she saw it.

PANEL 2

Here, as part of the initial image's panorama, a closer-up, head-and-shoulders shot of NINJETTE, grinning with ponytail streaming and beer bottle in hand, the handle of her (straight-bladed) ninja sword extending up over one shoulder.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

This time, she was given the bestiest bestie she would ever have.

NARRATOR (SMALL) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

(Also, the ninja-iest and hard-drink-iest.)

PANEL 3

An up-angled shot of tatter-suited EMPOWERED and NINJETTE joyfully singing karaoke together, sharing a microphone (and possibly framed against a red-curtain backdrop) as seen in Empowered vol.3, pp.29-30.

NARRATOR (AT TOP) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

Elissa could hardly believe that someone so amazingly cool and confident and kickass would want to be friends with a lowly D-list superloser like herself.

PANEL 4

A shot of NINJETTE and tatter-suited EMPOWERED sitting side by side, with NINJETTE looking upset and starting to cry while EMP looks on with concern, akin to the sequence from Empowered vol.7, pp.188-92. (If, for some reason, you care to draw backgrounds from this sequence, you can see more of the vaguely high-tech setting in vol.7's pp.83,174; FG of vapor clouds over metallic flooring, with BG of looming pipes and random tech motifs.)

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

She soon saw, though, that her beloved ninja bestie was even more wounded and damaged than she was.

NARRATOR (SMALL) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

(No, really.)

PANEL 5

Closer-up shot of a teary-eyed NINJETTE and EMP, now embracing as EMP tries to comfort her sobbing friend, as in vol.7's pp. 191.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

Elissa was secretly pleased to learn that even the awesome-sauciest of badasses could still be vulnerable and needy at times.

NARRATOR (SMALL) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

(Just like herself.)

PAGE 22

PANEL 1

Big "urban disaster" panel back in the real-world setting. Here, a downshot with the camera up high, looking down to see the huge dust cloud eruption as the BUILDING from p.20 collapses down to street level in a mass of churning debris. A word-balloon-like image or small INSERT PANEL shows a wee close-up of MECHANISMO's faceplate, to help indicate that he's trapped inside the BUILDING collapse.

At right, an airborne SUPERSUITED EMPOWERED is alighting against the sharply down-angled glass face of an office building, looking down at the catastrophe below her, hair streaming wildly in the wind.

MECHANISMO (SQUARED-OFF ELECTRICAL BALLOON; SMALL; FROM BUILDING COLLAPSE)

Ngaaaa

SFX

KTHOOOM

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

This is insane--!

(cont)

I mean, extra insane--!

PANEL 2

Up-angled shot of EMP spider-clinging to the windows of the office building, hand making the "telephone" thumb-and-pinkie gesture as she yells frantically, while looking down at the off-panel disaster below her. Meanwhile, clouds of dust are billowing and streaming up the face of the building, punctuated by airborne chunks of debris pinging of the windows.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

Mechanismo?

(cont)

Can you hear me--?

SFX (BY STREAMING DUST CLOUDS)

FSSHHH

PANEL 3

Closer-up version of panel 2, as spider-clinging, alarmed-looking EMP continues to yell into the "telephone" of her thumb-and-pinkie hand gesture, wisps of dust and bits of debris streaming up past her. This time, beyond EMP and through the window glass she's clinging to, we can see OFFICE WORKERS inside the building looking out at her with expressions of curiosity and interest, though perhaps a tad muted in the face of the unfolding disaster. (Then again, they seem surprisingly used to this kind of thing.)

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

Can any Superhomey onsite hear me--?

(continued)

Any superhero, period?

(continued)

Um, hello?

PANEL 4

Another large panel closes out the page. Here, a tilted urban longshot up at rooftop level (of a medium-height building, we'll see). At FG center, we see the small figure of EMPOWERED bounding up the side of the office building, as indicated by a few "footstep" impact flashes dispersed up the face of the structure, and leaping up to its rooftop level. Another INSERT PANEL, possibly jagged or multi-faceted, features a small headset of EMP's masked face.

Note that the office building itself is shaking from the tremors wracking the city, as are the forms of two taller buildings in the middleground on either side; these, in turn, frame a BG image of the OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ rampaging off in the distance, amid clouds of mingled dust and debris and other, smaller rampaging structures.

EMPOWERED (SMALL)

Okay, this is officially not awesome.

(continued)

(H-b) >Sigh<

SFX

WHKOOM

SFX (SMALLER)

RMBB RMBB

PAGE 23

PANEL 1

Another STORYBOOK page of illustrative, borderless vignettes. Here, a big image takes up half or more of the page. This is a familiar group shot that has appeared many times throughout the series, depicting a recurring scene from the living room of EMP's apartment. In the BG, we see THUGBOY (in jeans, but shirtless, with beer bottle in hand), EMP (in tattered costume, but with mask rolled up to expose her face), and NINJETTE (with her hair down and ninja costume partially off, beer bottle also in hand) seated companionably close together on the not-very-large couch. (Note that NINJETTE's state of costume deshabille could be any stage from vol.3's pp. 182-185 gradual clothes removal. Not looking for any big cheesecakey deal, here, but just an indication of casual intimacy between her and the others.)

The three characters on the couch looking happy, arms around each other's shoulders (where applicable) and smiling with varying degrees of indulgence at the FG coffee table, where we see the glowing lights and folded armature of the CAGED DEMONWOLF's alien, power-draining, bondage-gear prison resting, a few empty beer bottles around it.

Examples of this type of shot: Empowered vol.1 p.239; vol.2, pp.106,142; vol.3, p.182; vol.6, pp.52,58; vol.7, p.42, (And more, but these are the first few I could recall.)

On either side of the panel, we see a pair of word-balloon-like insert images, with "tails" pointing to the CAGED DEMONWOLF's frame; these convey a very brief introduction to his history. At LEFT, a headshot of the DEMONWOLF's (uncaged) form, which is a fiery, horned beast with glowing eyes and Cthulhu-like facial tentacles, as seen in Empowered vol.1., pp.103-104, and vol.2, p.103. At right, a shot of SUPERSUITED EMP locking the alien power-draining gear around the UNCAGED DEMONWOLF's blazing neck, causing the fiery beast to dwindle and start to be sucked inside his future cage. This might be best expressed as a combination of panels 2 and 4 from vol.1's page 104, roughly akin to vol.2's p.105.

NARRATOR (AT LEFT) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

Less obvious a gift from the city was the eldritch alien starbeast that Elissa subsequently defeated...

NARRATOR (AT RIGHT) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

...who ended up caged on her coffee table, as an all-knowing geek chorus commenting on her warmly expanding circle of friendship and love.

NARRATOR (SMALL) (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

(If you'll pardon the cloyingly saccharine turn of phrase.)

PANEL 2

Closer-up shot of THUGBOY, EMP and NINJETTE on the couch, perhaps from more of a side angle to frame them closer together. While EMP is blushing and smiling happily, THUGBOY and NINJETTE are looking over at her affectionately.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

While Elissa knew well that hardship and adversity and distress aplenty still loomed in her uncertain future...

PANEL 3

Close-up on EMP's beaming face under her rolled-up mask, eyes closed and blushing as she smiles with obvious happiness. Might use some GLITTER FX for a manga-style "emotional BG" to further convey her happiness.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

...she nonetheless felt profoundly indebted to the mercurial, mystifying, magical city that had given her everything she loved.

PANEL 4

The STORYBOOK imagery closes out with a shot that might be considered as the equivalent of a cinematic "dissolve." That is, we a (partial) close-up of happy EMP at left, montaged over a shot of the CITY skyline that takes up the rest of the image. Note that the CITY may appear bright and sparkling and idealized, to convey the "happily ever after?" nature of the panel.

NARRATOR (MIXED-CASE LETTERING; NO OUTLINED CAPTION BOX)

Surely, Elissa thought, the city would never turn on her.

(continued)

(...Right?)

PAGE 24

PANEL 1

Back to the real-world action with a narrow (?) panoramic panel. EMPOWERED is looking up into the camera with a look of astonishment on her masked face, framed by her windblown blonde hair. Beyond her, a rooftop backdrop, with bits of debris and/or wisps of dust streaming by.

EMPOWERED (AT LEFT)

So, normal-human casualties are somehow zero point zero, yay--

SFX (AT LEFT)

RMBB

EMPOWERED (AT RIGHT)

--But every single cape in the combat theater has been flattened, other than me--?

SFX (AT RIGHT)

RMBB

PANEL 2

Big, bold, up-angled panel, dominating the page. EMPOWERED stands on a rooftop at foreground left, striking a pose of visible arm as she looks up and yells as she sees the cyclopean OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ looming in the near distance. The OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ is dramatically posed and framed against the sky and clouds as it turns to face EMP, debris and dust streaming off the architectural facades making up its body and limbs; billowing dust clouds and other animated BUILDINGS are visible around it.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

Which means these run-amuck high-rises are somehow gunning only for superheroes during this surgically targeted megascale rampage--!

SFX (SMALLER)

RMBB RMBB RMBB RMBB

SFX (LARGER)

KSHANGG KSHANGG

PANEL 3

Panoramic panel. EMPOWERED in profile in the FG at left, yelling in astonishment as she stares up at the OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ in the BG, which is reaching out towards her (and the camera) with one monstrous paw, which might be made up of smaller buildings, or at least miscellaneous architectural elements.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON)

So, what, the "city of masks" suddenly decided it now hates capes with a burning passion?

(continued)

Um, seriously--?

SFX

RRMMBB

PANEL 4

Insert panel in the lower right corner of the page, featuring a shot of the CAGED DEMONWOLF's alien prison draped over the railing, as seen in pages 12-13.

CAGED DEMONWOLF (JAGGED BURST BALLOON)

To be continued, jackanapes!

END PART 4

Anyhoo, there's your fourth installment of Mask City Meltdown thumbnails and script, folks! I'm going to give Failed-Project Friday a week or two off before resuming serialization of this sadly defunct miniseries in June, okay?

NEXT TIME ON THIS HERE PATREON: Not sure at the moment but, as I'm rolling with every-weekday posting to close out the month of May, something should be going up on Monday.