FAILED-PROJECT FRIDAY: EMPOWERED AND THE MASK CITY MELTDOWN (pt.11): Issue #2 roughs & script, pp. 19-24: THE END! (Patreon)

Time to CONCLUDE serialization of 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 #2, cropped from the original 4-roughs-per-page format for greater clarity. 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

"Two-shot" of a horrified NINJETTE and an angry THUGBOY, the latter yelling into the SMARTPHONE he's holding.

THUGBOY (BURST BALLOON)

(Black "censored" block over indicated text) For f**k's sake, Emp--

PANEL 2

Big panel of EMPOWERED reaching out her arms and embracing the spherical URBAN TRAUMASWIRL, only to begin spasming and convulsing violently as its magic power instantly discharges, shocking her as if she's grabbed a live electrical wire. EMP's masked face jerks with a gritted-teeth expression of (literal) shock, hair streaming back wildly. Her SUPERSUIT is simultaneously glittering brilliantly while beginning to tear in multiple locations, loose shreds beginning to wisp and stream off her body.

EMPOWERED (OVERLAPS PREVIOUS PANEL)

Anyhoo.

(continued)

(Bolded lettering bursts out of balloon, growing quite large) Here we goAAAAAGK

SFX

FZZZK

PANEL 3

Camera pulls back to show us a view of THUGBOY, the draped DEMONWOLF, and NINJETTE at the OVERLOOK RAILING. The humans are staring in horror at THUGBOY's SMARTPHONE.

EMPOWERED (LARGE, AT TOP OF PANEL; ELECTRICAL BALLOON, FROM PHONE)

AAAAAA

PANEL 4

Close-up of a horrified NINJETTE screaming, tears beginning to stream down her face, as she listens to the off-panel SMARTPHONE and EMP's own screaming.

EMPOWERED (ELECTRICAL BALLOONS, CONNECTING TO PREVIOUS PANEL'S BALLOON; NO TAIL)

Guhh

(continued)

Guhh

(continued)

Guhh

NINJETTE (BURST BALLOON)

Emp--!

PANEL 5

Up-angled shot of the OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ twitching, with swirls of color and sprays of GLITTER FX whipping around its hulking mass to indicate that unearthly magic of some sort is afoot; we see beams of light streaming out of its wee windows, especially the ones in its "head."

SFX (ABOVE KAIJU)

VREEEE

NINJETTE (BURST BALLOON; SMALL; TAIL POINTS DOWN AND OFF-PANEL)

Emp--!

PANEL 6

Panoramic panel, with open space on one side for EMP's screaming, and STORYBOOK-style NARRATION on the other. To show a transition between the real-time action scene and STORYBOOK vignettes as the narrative modes overlap, this "panel" might lack borders, sporting the diffused, illustrative look of the STORYBOOK pages.

At panel center, a close-up of EMPOWERED shrieking in pain and shuddering wildly, hair flung back and tears streaming down her masked face as she convulses. As swirls of color and "magical FX" stream past her, we can see her SUPERSUIT tearing and shredding off her, even as its material sparkles brilliantly.

EMPOWERED (BURST BALLOON; LARGE)

HGAAAA

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

Only seconds into her grueling ordeal...

(continued)

...Elissa realized she had made an extraordinarily grievous mistake.

PAGE 20

PANEL 1

Here, a single dramatic full-page, full-bleed image. Following on from the images on the previous page, we see a (near) full-figure shot of EMPOWERED continuing to shudder and convulse violently, arms still embracing the spherical shape of the URBAN TRAUMASWIRL as its magic discharges spectacularly amid wild swirls of color and GLITTER FX aplenty. As before, EMP's masked face jerks with a gritted-teeth expression of (literal) shock, hair streaming back wildly, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. Her SUPERSUIT is simultaneously glittering brilliantly while tearing and shredding, loose tatters wisping and streaming off her spasming body.

The explosive magical discharge of the TRAUMASWIRL might include streams and undulating outflows of images of Akira-style urban destruction, hinting at all the decades of catastrophe being purged at once.

As for the page's surfeit of STORYBOOK-style text, it might be strung out around the left and bottom edges of the page in a rough L shape; placing all of it on one side might be too off-putting. No point in leaving areas blank and open for the text, though; just keep critical elements like EMP's figure and the curve of the TRAUMASWIRL away from the left and bottom of the page.

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

In an instant, Elissa was inundated with all the compressed torment of a million panes of glass shattering...

(continued)

...and a billion tons of concrete rupturing...

(continued)

...and a thousand miles of structural girders twisting and snapping...

(continued)

...and decades of the inhuman torture of her city regrowing and reknitting and rehealing itself a hundred times over.

(continued)

But, though shrieking mindlessly as she had not since infancy...

(continued)

...Elissa still held on, as doggedly as ever.

(continued)

After all, she had already weathered more humiliation and heartbreak and despair than most superheroes had ever known.

(continued)

This, too, she could take.

PAGE 21

PANEL 1

Splitting the difference, with this page, between a STORYBOOK set of vignettes and conventional panels with borders. Perhaps we could use conventional, ruled-off panels with the outlines removed? (All-white gutters, in other words.)

Four panoramic panels on this page. Here, a follow-up image from the previous page, with a reeling EMPOWERED being flung back as the TRAUMASWIRL's sphere explosively dissipates in a swirl of color and "magical FX". SUPERSUIT now very badly torn up with tatters swirling in the air around her, EMP's arms are flung wide as she's thrown backward. Hair streaming back from the "explosion," her masked face is fixed in a rictus of pain, tears streaming as she screams.

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

And take it Elissa did...

(continued)

...until her suffering-swamped consciousness was mercifully snuffed out.

PANEL 2

NINJETTE and THUGBOY at the OVERLOOK RAILING, faces lit up brilliantly by unseen "magical FX" from off-panel. NINJETTE is screaming with tears streaming down her face; THUGBOY is holding up his PHONE and yelling at it. We might see some CIVILIANS beyond them, also gawking at the off-pane

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

Elissa could not hear her name being futilely shouted again and again with increasing desperation by those who loved her.

PANEL 3

Panoramic shot (possibly with fish-eye-lens distortion?) of the CITY SKYLINE reverting to normal, amid wild swirls of color and sprays of GLITTER FX to indicate the magic at work. "Reverting to normal," here, means that we see a fairly conventional cityscape, with the transparent "afterimage" of the OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ fading out amidst it; we might also see another few fading afterimages of other mutated BUILDINGS, but the OFFICE BUILDING KAIJŪ is by far the most critical to see. Another possibly: The reformed buildings could be glowing from within, to indicate their magical state of transition.

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

Nor could she see her beloved city's once-ambulatory architecture abruptly and spontaneously return to normal.

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

(Or to what passes for normal in an otherworldly sandbox for superheroes.)

PANEL 4

Shot of an unconscious EMPOWERED, SUPERSUIT very badly tattered, as she passes out and falls, hair flowing around her masked face to show her downward motion; wisps of steam or mist are streaming off her as she collapses. Beyond her, we now see windows, with a view of the reformed, now normal-looking CITY visible through them.

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

Elissa couldn't even feel herself hitting freshly rewoven floor tile face-first with a sickening thud.

PAGE 22

PANEL 1

Splitting the difference, with this page, between a STORYBOOK set of vignettes and conventional panels with borders. Perhaps we could use conventional, ruled-off panels with the outlines removed? (All-white gutters, in other words.)

Here, a panoramic shot from the OVERLOOK site (with a fish-eye-lens distortion, perhaps?), showing a frantic-looking, yelling THUGBOY and NINJETTE from behind at the RAILING, the DEMONWOLF draped between them as before. More excited-looking CIVILIANS are at the RAILING on either side of them, pointing or extended cellphones out for photos as all of the characters gaze out at the CITY SKYLINE beyond. There, we see a completely conventional cityscape, no dust clouds or debris to be seen; instead, we might see some fading sprays of GLITTER FX and and/or aurora-like swirls of fading color, indicating the magically restored CITY gradually returning to normal.

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

And lo, as our storybook fable's closing pages ensue...

(continued)

..thus was the supracivic status quo once more restored.

PANEL 2

Next up, a series of images of the other SUPERHOMEYS, last seen being submerged in debris in issue #1 (and on this issue's p.7, come to think of it.)

Here, a worm's-eye view of a battered-looking CAPITAN RIVET, sprawled on the pavement where we last saw him in issue #1 (p.11), now raising himself up to a seated position and looking around him. Beyond him, a handful of CIVILIANS are milling about, likewise looking around them with expressions ranging from confused to delighted, some of them pointing hands or cellphones up at the now-intact (and unmoving!) BUILDINGS looming above them.

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

The city's forest of frangible high-rises once again awaited its ham-handed heroes expectantly.

SIGN ON BUILDING

Resiliency is our middle name.

PANEL 3

Close-up of CAPITAN RIVET looking up at the BUILDINGS looming above and beyond him; in the middle ground, a few more CIVILIANS are looking and pointing up at the BUILDINGS as well.

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

Elissa's dazed teammates awakened with groans of confusion and bafflement...

SIGN ON BUILDING

That was fun!

PANEL 4

Shot of robotic MECHANISMO stumbling around on a rooftop; in fact, the TWIN-ANTENNA-topped rooftop where he was last seen in issue #1. One hand raised to his dented and scratched head (helmet?), he's staring out at the urban skyline beyond.

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

...unaware of how they, and the city as a whole, had been saved by the least-regarded of superheroines.

SIGN ON BUILDING (SMALL)

Ready to play again?

PANEL 5

A confused-looking MAJOR HAVOC, costume a bit tattered, framed against a now-intact BUILDING in the BG.

PANEL 6

A final small panel crams in a shot of as many of the remaining SUOERHOMEYS as possible, wandering dazedly on the street and looking up at the now normal-looking CITY around them. This could include blobby GLORPP, the KIRBY HELMET CHICK (with bent Kirby-style helmet), and the giant metallic (dented) snake MECHZACOATL beyond them, as seen in the "defeated SUPERHOMEYS" panels from issue #1, p.16.

PANEL 7

Extending across the bottom of the page is a closing image of an unmoving, unconscious (or, per the narration, seemingly dead) EMPOWERED sprawled limply on the gleaming floor tiles of an office floor. (In fact, per the illustrative vignette format, you can leave the floor tiles out of the image, but I thought I'd mention the setting.) Her SUPERSUIT is badly tattered, with wisps and clouds of mist and/or steam rising off her fallen body; if we see her face, the mask is still on, by the way. (It willbe rolled up, though, when we jump ahead in time for the next page.)

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

This result, the deceased Elissa would surely have thought, was worth sacrificing her life.

PAGE 23

PANEL 1

Back to conventional panels (and borders) with this page. Tight close-up on the face of a groggy TATTER-SUITED EMP as she awakens; her mask is rolled back (or up) into its "headband" mode. As we'll see in the next panel, she's being held in the leather-jacketed arms of THUGBOY.

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

Just kidding, jackanapes.

(continued)

Of course Elissa, the Alpha Wench, did not perish.

(continued)

(Small) (This time.)

EMPOWERED (WAVY BALLOON)

(H-b) >Nnhh<...?

PANEL 2

Big panel. EMPOWERED, her SUPERSUIT shredded to tatters, has awakened to find herself cradled (in a so-called "bridal carry" pose) in the burly, leather-jacketed arms of THUGBOY, who's smiling down at her fondly over the tops of his sunglasses. Smiling groggily, she's looking around shakily to see NINJETTE standing close by, who has the belt-like apparatus of the CAGED DEMONWOLF's glowing-lighted, alien prison slung over one shoulder, a BEER BOTTLE in one hand as she reaches over to touch EMP with the other. They're all in a high-rise office setting, standing by a row of tall windows overlooking the CITY beyond. The timeframe might be night, now, if you like, as a fair bit of time has passed.

THUGBOY

Wake up, beautiful dumbass.

EMPOWERED (WAVY BALLOON)

Oh, hey.

(continued)

Is everybody okay...?

NINJETTE

You saved us all again, goofball.

(continued)

As usual.

CAGED DEMONWOLF (JAGGED BURST BALLOON)

Hrmmm.

PANEL 3

Warm 'n' cuddly shot of the heads of a smiling THUGBOY, EMP and NINJETTE leaning close to each other.

EMPOWERED (WAVY BALLOON)

Ooh, yay...!

(continued)

'Nother day, 'nother spectacular victory, right...?

CAGED DEMONWOLF (OFF-PANEL; JAGGED BURST BALLOON)

Wrong, jackanapes.

PANEL 4

Group shot with all four characters visible: THUGBOY bridal-carrying EMP with NINJETTE leaning against her, all three of whom are turning to glance over at the CAGED DEMONWOLF slung over NINJETTE's shoulder.

EMPOWERED (WAVY BALLOON)

Uh oh.

CAGED DEMONWOLF (JAGGED BURST BALLOON; CONNECTS TO NEXT PANEL'S BALLOON)

True victory belongs to the Demonwolf triumphant this day!

PANEL 5

Close up on the CAGED DEMONWOLF, his alien prison rattling with the intensity of his declaration.

CAGED DEMONWOLF (JAGGED BURST BALLOON)

For agreed did you, foolish wench, to his conditions for rendering aid, without e'er inquiring what they might exactly be!

PAGE 24

PANEL 1

Top two panels on this page are conventional (bordered) panels, giving way to a set of illustrative vignettes below.

Here, a group shot of THUGBOY, an "uh-oh"-ing EMP cradled in his arms, and NINJETTE standing close by, framed against the window overlooking the cityscape beyond. All three are looking at the glowing lights of the CAGED DEMONWOLF draped over NINJETTE's shoulder; could be a silhouette shot. Need a big chunk of open space on the right for the dialogue, by the way.

EMPOWERED (WAVY BALLOON; SMALL)

Oh, poop.

CAGED DEMONWOLF (JAGGED BURST BALLOON)

So, hark, wench:

(continued)

You simmeringly sensual simians are henceforth required to engage in a torridly polyamorous three-way...

(continued)

...which this victorious voyeur gets to watch, of course.

PANEL 2

Close-up on THUGBOY (eyebrows raised, otherwise nonchalant), EMP (looking dazedly startled and taken aback), and NINJETTE (blushing, also startled).

EMPOWERED (WAVY BALLOON)

Um...what?

PANEL 3

Here, the bottom half (or 2/3) of the page is taken up by a montage of several different illustrative vignette elements in the STORYBOOK mode.

Cutting off the bottoms of conventional panels 1 and 2 is a floating image of the CAGED DEMONWOLF's band-like alien prison, which stretches across the page in an undulating manner, its many colored lights aglow.

Below the DEMONWOLF, a big panorama of the CITY SKYLINE stretches across the lower part of the page; could be depicted at night, and possibly stylized and simplified, if you like. This forms a backdrop for the remaining graphic elements, in a fashion similar to a figurative movie-poster montage.

Prominent in the montage is a close-up of EMP in her tattered SUPSERSUIT, hair streaming dramatically as she blushes furiously and appears embarrassed; her mask is rolled back into headband mode. She might be glancing sharply over at the final DEMONWOLF image at lower right. Beyond her, further into the figurative BG, are images of THUGBOY (scratching the side of his face and/or shrugging, with a "what can ya do?" smirk) and NINJETTE (blushing and looking pointedly elsewhere).

At the very bottom right of the page, extending out into the bleed area, is a tighter close-up of the DEMONWOLF's cage, with THE END lettered inside the open space of one its circular lights.

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

Bahh!

(continued)

Witless fools, who else would be your omniscient narrator, if not the All-Seeing Autarch Who Freely Trespasses O'er Walls Fourth?

(continued)

So.

(continued)

Did Elissa bow to the Overfiend's will and discharge the tension sexual 'tween she and her lover and her likely bicurious bestie?

(continued)

That, alas, is another story of the City of Masks, mortals.

(continued)

This, for now, is

(continued)

(Inside one of Demonwolf's lights; "jackanapes" is small)

The End, jackanapes.

And that's it for Empowered and the Mask City Meltdown, folks! Might this defunct project's ambiguous ending tie in to a key element of the upcoming Empowered vol. 12? Mayhap so!

As a bit of a postscript, sometime  down the road I might post several pieces of sample Empowered artwork by the artist with whom I originally wrote this miniseries in mind. (As in, the unnamed artist before I repitched this ill-fated project to Robaato.)

NEXT TIME ON THIS HERE PATREON: Not sure, as I have many, many candidates for post content, but something should be going up next Monday, folks!