Power Play #1 Script

SCENE 1 - YOUTUBE LINKS

P1
Ice Queen (in skimpy fight gear) is sliding along a twisting sheet of ice towards us as she takes out a Flame Powered dude with one of her iced over fists. Other contestants are struggling to keep up with her in the background.

N(VoiceOver): OH, AND ICE QUEEN LAYS FLAMER OUT COLD!

N(VoiceOver): THAT'S ONE FROSTY BABE AND THE FUTURE QUEENS CHAMPION FOR SURE!

P2
Pull back and we see the action is happening on a computer screen. GOWANUS PETE is shadowy as he leaps up out of the water and spinning out his tentacles in a swirling attack formation, taking out all those around him.

STU(off-panel): OH SNAP! TENTACLE BITCHSLAP!

CHUCK(off-panel): DAMN! THAT'S JUST NASTY!

***

SCENE 2 - THE GANG

P1
From behind the monitor we see MAC WASHINGTON'S dorm room. CHUCK, wanna be rapper, & STU, typical long haired hippie, are sitting in front of the computer making "OH DAMN" faces, covering their mouths, almost looking away, but they can't.

N: STU & CHUCK introductions

STU SAMPSON
MAJOR: PHYSICS
LIKES: THE FLASH

CHUCK TYLER HAMILTON
MAJOR: MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
LIKES: JET LI

STU: THAT GUY'S GONNA HAVE DENTIST BILLS.

CHUCK: AND THE CHICK WAS PRETTY HOT BEFORE SHE HIT THE CONCRETE.

P2
BETH sits at the kitchen table off to the right studying, surrounded by books on all sides as she hunches over reading, almost looking over the books at the screen. A cross-eyed Boston Terrier sits underneath the table looking off into the distance.

N: BETH introduction.

ELIZABETH GOLDMAN
MAJOR: BIOLOGY
LIKES: WORLD OF WARCRAFT
BETH: YEAH, CAN WE GIVE THE COMMENTARY A REST? SOME OF US HAVE FINALS.

HANK
CHINATOWN TURTLE
LIKES BETH

HANK: !


P3
STU & CHUCK grab their beers and cheers as they start walking over towards MAC.

STU: YOU KNOW I HATE KRIS AND EVERYTHING HE STANDS FOR, BUT THOSE YOUTUBE LINKS HE SENT OVER...

CHUCK: BAD. ASS.


P4
Close up MAC sitting in front of a stack of papers on the coffee table all spread out. Applications, flyers for job fairs, internship packets. There's empty beer bottles lining one side of the table with one or two on the corner holding some papers down, and maybe a bag of Doritos on the other side. Our first (unheroic) shot of our hero. Dressed like a bum and beer belly popping out.

N: MAC introduction.

MAC WASHINGTON
MAJOR: UNDECLARED
LIKES: STUFF

MAC: GUYS, IF WE REALLY PLAN ON MOVING OUT OF THE DORMS I GOTTA GET A JOB.

MAC: I HATE FILLING OUT THIS CRAP. NO ONE'S GONNA HIRE ME.

MAC: I HATE MY LIFE.


P5
MAC puts his head down on the coffee table as CHUCK and STU put on their hoodies/jackets. Even BETH just off in the background is grabbing her jacket from the coat rack beside the front door with a small section of books under her arm. MAC in foreground, close up (silhouette?) of just his head on the table. (Long panel where CHUCK and STU are one the left half and BETH & MAC are on the right half. Maybe HANK can be trying to get out the door between BETH in the background and MAC in extreme foreground.)

CHUCK: JUST WORRY ABOUT IT TOMORROW MAN.

STU: YEAH, DUDE, LET'S HIT THE BAR. REMEMBER BEER=PIZZA. FREEEE PIZZAAAA...

BETH: AT LEAST BRING SOME OF IT WITH YOU TO WORK ON.

MAC: ...groan...

MAC: okay.


***

SCENE 3 - THE ORIGIN

P1
Out on 14th Street by Irving Place, the four of them file out of the NYU dorms, STU and CHUCK are talking to each other re-enacting the scenes from YouTube, BETH follows behind, a book propped open in her hands, head down reading. They head to the left. MAC is thumbing over his shoulder as he walks backwards towards the right. (I'm thinking another long panel, straight on, with STU & CHUCK walking towards us play fighting, then scroll to BETH shrugging her shoulders and reading, while MAC is thumbing over his shoulder away from us as he takes a step backwards.)

MAC: I'LL MEET YOU THERE. GONNA GO GRAB THIS WEEK'S COMICS...

BETH: MAC, YOU REALLY NEED TO WORK ON YOUR PRIORITIES.


P2
MAC'S walking out of FORBIDDEN PLANET with a black bag with comics inside. He's got a goofy smile on his face as he peers inside it. MAC is big in the panel as compared to previous shot, the FORBIDDEN PLANET sign looms above and behind him. Slightly inverted angle so we're looking up at him, as from a midget's perspective, readying the extreme worm's eye view coming up.)

MAC: ...picking up the new Incredible Hercules is def a priority...


P3
MAC from the side as he walks down 14th Street past construction where VIRGIN & CIRCUIT CITY used to be. There's a blue wall of cheap wood, netting, wires, etc. all along the area just above his head and cables run across the sidewalk towards us with cheap plastic covering over them, maybe a generator in the foreground. Just a hint of the giant wand that is up on the wall. Someone with a clipboard tries to stop him but he just wanders past as he flips through his bag. Go from an overall shot of the scene to a zoom in on full lengths of STUDENT and MAC.

STUDENT: DO YOU HAVE TIME TO TALK ABOUT HELPING THE CHILDREN...?

MAC: CAN'T EVEN HELP MYSELF, SORRY.


P4
Worm's eye view of MAC as he looks up from his bag. The giant wand looms overhead with bits of dangling wires and scaffolding between it and MAC. Lightning crackles up high in the sky. MAC has his hand out like he's trying to feel raindrops.

MAC: OH MAN, JEEZ. DON'T RAIN, DON'T RAIN.


P5
Far shot a good chunk of the block, including the of the giant wand centered and the giant clock to the left of it, as the wand is struck by lightning. (Maybe a panel without the lightning and then a flip to the same shot with lightning and SFX.)

SFX: KRR-KRAAAKKKK!


P6
The electrical pulse fires down the wand into the wires and down to the cables. Maybe a shot of the layout of the wires, and then flip to the next panel, same shot with the pulse of electricity shooting down towards us.


P7
The wires, covered by the plastic ramp, all of it is fried, just as MAC stands on it. Sparks fly as MAC'S body spasms, his eyes wide, hair flying back, bag of flaming comics thrown. Start at MAC'S shoes as they tear open as the electrical fury rides up his feet, pan up to his lower half as his pants start to fry and smoke, then his top half where he's lit up like a cartoon x-ray shot, blackened hair, smoking from his head. Other people should be looking on from the sidewalk all stare in shock behind him(if there's room). [What I'm thinking here is one vertical splash page panel where we get a wide shot of his sneakers, tighter shot midway, then pretty close up on his head. So not sure if the proportions will look right with each swipe, but if we can zoom in on one panel with each swipe that could be a really cool effect.]

SFX: SCHRAZZZAAAAAKKKKK!


P8
MAC collapses forwards, smoking and charred, goofy look on his face, eyes rolled back. Pan over to show the STUDENT runs up from behind him arm stretched out but cautious.

STUDENT: HOLY CRAP!


P9
The student, just barely in frame, stands over MAC'S smoking body as he reaches down cautiously. MAC'S face down on the sidewalk, has small fires burning his t-shirt, and we can't see his face just yet.

STUDENT: DUDE, ARE YOU OKAY...?


P10
HEADSHOT of the student's freaked out face as he recoils and begins to turn to run away.

MAC(off-panel, weakly): uhhhh...whu...

STUDENT: AAAHHHH! WHAT THE FU-


P11
From behind MAC as he sits up. We can make out the STUDENT running off in the distance. Maybe a hint that something is wrong with MAC'S skin. Left side the student running away, right side over MAC'S shoulder close up.

MAC: LIGHTNING?! REALLY?!

MAC: WHY DOES THIS STUFF ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?


P12
Close up as MAC grabs his charred bag of comics, and we can see his hand and arm look a bit weird. Concrete texture on his arm, we still don't see too much of him otherwise. Focus on the burnt books that are spilling out.

MAC: AWWW MAN. NO, NO, NO!


P13
MAC'S walking off in the background as in the foreground we see the melted plastic, the burned out cables, the fried wiring, the exploded wood, etc. Maybe his smoking sneakers are stuck to the plastic. Something to hint things are off and be a bit goofy. (I was thinking of the Peter Parker walking away from the Spidey costume in the trash shot. Maybe use the same shot as P11, where MAC is walking off on the left, and close up of melted kicks on the right when you scroll over. Or I guess we can even flip the shot and start with MAC on the right walking away then pan over the sneakers on the left.)

MAC: I CAN'T BELIEVE MY COMICS GOT SCORCHED.

MAC: NOTHING GOES RIGHT FOR ME EVER.


P13
From just above and behind MAC'S shocked hair as he runs his hand through it with a hint of concrete skin, people give him weird looks as they pass him on either side. We're looking down 14th Street outside the dorms where the people line up for the bus.

MAC: THE GUYS ARE NEVER GOING TO BELIEVE THIS ONE...

MAC: ALTHOUGH THAT TIME WITH THE RADIOACTIVE SLUDGE WAS WAY WORSE.


P14
Side shot of the bouncer as MAC walks past him, head just out of frame, the bouncer with a slackjawed look on his face. Maybe he's giving his ID or just walks past as he knows the door guy well.

MAC: THANKS RICO.


P15
MAC'S friends all have their backs towards us as they drink, and eat pizza at the bar. Even BETH has a glass in one hand, book in the other. STU'S laughing his ass off, and CHUCK'S making a funny face. They're all surrounding KRIS who is facing towards us as he tells a story. Pull back a bit so they seem just a bit away.

KRIS: SO, I JUST SAID TO HIM, 'I DON'T EVEN LIKE YOUR GIRLFRIEND AS A PERSON...'

MAC(off panel towards us): HEY GUYS, YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED...


P16
The crew turns towards MAC in surprise. BETH actually looks up from her LIVER DISEASES book, we can even see STU'S eyes from beneath his hair, and CHUCK lowers his sunglasses. KRIS stands there in the center smiling. (Full shot of the scene, then with each swipe we zoom in from BETH to STU to CHUCK.)

BETH: MAC...ARE YOU OKAY?

STU: DUDE.

CHUCK: ...UHH...

P17
We get our first shot of MAC in all his glory. Concrete skin, tattered shirt and pants, and no shoes. He's holding his blackened bag of comics and looks kind of good having just been struck by lightning but he definitely looks ridiculous. (We can do the slow zoom upwards with each swipe, just like we did when gets struck by lightning.)

MAC: YEAH, FRIGGIN' LIGHTNING MAN...JUST OVER BY UNION SQUARE.

MAC: AND MY POOR COMICS...

MAC: WHAT? DO I HAVE SOMETHING ON MY FACE?


P18
Zoom in on KRIS' face here from P16 (or fresh close up shot), he's smiling a sinister smile.

KRIS: FINALLY.

KRIS CATTIVO
MORALLY DUBIOUS
LIKES: MONEY.



SCENE 4 - THE MAN WITH A PLAN

P1
KRIS walks up to MAC cautiously with a pint glass in his hand. MAC is about to look at his hands. KRIS has his eyebrows raised innocently as he steps forward, the pint extended towards MAC.

KRIS: MAC...HERE I WANT YOU TO CHUG THIS...

MAC: MMKAY.

P2
MAC chugs the beer as KRIS reaches back for two shots.

KRIS: AND TAKE THESE TWO...

P3
KRIS puts his hand on MAC'S arm just below his rough shoulder protruding from his torn t-shirt. He's about to turn MAC towards the big mirror behind the bar.

KRIS: NOW, DON'T FREAK OUT, BUT...

P4
MAC slackjawed and bugeyed as he looks into the BEER=PIZZA mirror with the trivia teams, and there he sees his concrete face.

KRIS: LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT SUPERPOWERS SLICK.

MAC: NO. FRAKKIN'. WAY.

P5
MAC stumbles backwards knocking some beers over, spilling them on himself. A faint tingle is happening where it touches his skin.

MAC: I LOOK LIKE A GODDAMN SIDEWALK!

KRIS: NOW, MAYBE THIS IS A GOOD THING...

P6
The beer seeps across the floor and up against his foot, where it starts to change.

MAC: I LOOK LIKE A HUNDRED MILES OF BAD ROAD...

KRIS: LITERALLY. HOWEVER...

P7
MAC starts to get all wobbly legged as his lower half starts turning into beer.

MAC: WHATTHEFU-?

P8
MAC fully turns into beer as he stands there sloshing about, trying to hold his form. It looks like he's really drunk and stumbling around to steady himself. As he does, his body fluid swishes about and spills over the sides of him.

MAC: DON'T...FEEL...SO GOOD...

P9
KRIS reaches out to grab MAC before he falls over, and in touching him he starts to turn back to flesh. The beer swishes itself away as he reverts back to pre-lightning MAC. Beer spills all over KRIS' shirt.

KRIS: MAC!

P10
MAC looks up at KRIS as MAC can barely stand. He's got a goofy smile on his face.

KRIS: THE BRIGHT SIDE OF THIS MAC, IS THAT WE CAN STAND TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY.

MAC: I LUUVVV YOUUU MANNNN.

P11
KRIS places MAC'S head on the bar and his other friends all come up from over on the other side of him. MAC faces us and BETH, CHUCK, & STU'S heads are all popped up over his hunched form. MAC looks smiley and like he's about to take a nap. STU is eating a small slice of pizza. (We can actually do this as a zoom in on MAC, then pan up left to BETH, then to CHUCK, then to STU.)

BETH: HE DOES NOT LOOK WELL AT ALL.

CHUCK: THE MAN JUST TURNED INTO BEER. HOW COULD HE NOT BE ALL GOOD?

STU: CAN WE TURN HIM INTO PIZZA?

P12
Same panel as P11 except BETH'S giving him a dirty look, while CHUCK shrugs his shoulders as if contemplating it. STU smiles a cheesy smile. (We can use the same panel layout as 11 but the time we scan from right to left back from STU to CHUCK to BETH.)

STU: YOU KNOW HE WOULD WANT US TO.

CHUCK: HE PROBABLY WOULD ACTUALLY.

BETH: SERIOUSLY?

P13
KRIS walks up and puts his arms around the gang. A big group hug with a devious smile on his face, and BETH, CHUCK & STU all weirded out by this touchy feely moment.

KRIS: GUYS AND GIRL, I'M GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY...

KRIS: TO HELP GET YOU GUYS OUT OF THAT DORM AND INTO A PROPER APARTMENT.

KRIS: AND SO MAC CAN AFFORD TO HAVE THIS SHIRT DRY CLEANED.

P14
MAC drooling on the bar as his face starts to turn into the wood from the surface of it. The gang are just off panel lifting him from the bar as the wood seeps from his face back to the bar with his drool.

Kris: C'MON BIG GUY.

P15
Stu carrying an arm, Chuck tucked under his armpit, Nicki squished under his other armpit as Kris barely holds his arm. The seem to be struggling with his weight.

KRIS: GET HIM TO THE COUCH.

P16
The gang all heave him onto the couch where he plops down with a whoosh of air as Chuck, Stu & Nicki all let out a heavy sigh. Kris stand in the background undoing the snap on his gold wristwatch.

KRIS: OKAY KIDS, STAND BACK.

P17
Kris leans into the panel, over his shoulder we see Kris' watch as he leans over a head back drunk sleep about to take over him. Nicki looks on in a morbid curiousity, while Stu chomps pizza and Chuck looks down over his sunglasses.

KRIS: PREPARE TO BE RICH.

P18
Kris' hand slaps the gold watch into Mac's hand.

P19
Same as P18 but the gold spreads over his hand.

P20
Pull back and his body has all turned to glistening gold, bright in the dark bar under the bright lights. Kris off-panel, the gang all shocked. Mac is yawning, or smacking his lips.

KRIS: JACKPOT!

P21
Kris leans Mac forward popping off his cap and exposing his near mullet. All gold fibers.

P22
Reaction shot from the back of Mac's head upwards, as the gang all leaning in, the light above casting down, making the gold glisten in their faces. They look like they found a treasure chest of gold dubloons.

P23
Kris pulls out wire cutters, needlenose pliers, or somesuch terrible tool. The gang look at him questioningly.

CHUCK: WHY DO YOU HAVE WIRE CUTTERS?

KRIS: THEY'RE ALL YOU EVER NEED.

P24
Kris leans in to operate. (These panels I think should just be talking heads we can overlap to give a little motion to it).

P25
Same heads as P23 & 24, but Kris has leaned in close to the foreground, where we see bits of gold hair, maybe a drunken bubble from Mac off panel.

MAC: MMM...AHHH...HAIRCUT?

KRIS: JUST A TRIM FROM THIS MIGHTY MULLET OF YOURS.

P26
Kris yanks up a chunk of gold hairs in the pliers. Everyone looks a little shocked

P27
Same panel layout. Then Kris smiles. Nicki looks on disapprovingly, Stu is just wide eyed, Chuck looks doubtful.

P28
Then the gang all hold their hands out for tufts of hair.

P29
Kris walks off with a bigger chunk in hand while taking out his cellphone.

P30
Pull back and we see the full scene where Stu, Chuck and Nicki are all sitting looking at the gold strands. Mac is still pitched forward, a patch of hair gone.

The gang debates.

P31
Close up on Kris talking into the phone while looking at the tuft of hair. Over his shoulder the gang is lit up in the back corner. The rest of the bar is unconcerned.

P32
Same panel as P31, but Mac is trying to stand up. The gang helps him back down.

KRIS: YEAH IT'S ME. I CAN PAY UP SO CALL OFF YOUR GUY.

P33
Kris glances back towards the gang which are handling a stumbly Mac. Same panel as 32 otherwise.

KRIS: NAH, I CAN DROP IT OFF ON MONDAY. NO NEED TO HAVE STEFANO COME BY.

MAC: MMM'OKAY...FER...SERIOUSLY...

P34
Looking forward at us smiling, Kris. Mac hits the floor.

KRIS: I GOT ENOUGH TO COVER MY LOSSES AND THEN SOME.

MAC: OOOF.

***(alternate ending below)***

P35
The gang all walking home with a more awake Mac who's waving to girls, and talking nonsense.

MAC: GOLD'N PRETTY GOLDUHHHH...

P36
Stu looks down at his hand as he empties it out and Mac's non-gold hair blows away in the wind.

STU: AWWW MAN. GYP.

P37
Chuck and Nicki also let the hair blow away.

P38
Kris looks panicked.

P39
Looking at Mac as he pees into a garbage can outside the Duane Read on 14th & 3rd. He's human flesh and blood again. He looks over confused and scratching the back of his head.

P40
Kris turns back towards us. Mac finishes up in the background. Kris seems concerned, his mind racing over his dilemma.

STU: DUDE, MAC'S IN BAD SHAPE.

NICKI: IF HE'S PUKING TONIGHT, IT'S YOUR TURN.

CHUCK: DAMN, IT IS. CURSE YOU MACINTYRE WASHINGTON!

P41
Mac gets slapped by a Chinese lady with a cart full of bottles, or maybe just the pole with bags on both sides. Kris looks right towards the foreground. Maybe a hint of a flyer flapping on a lightpole.

Stu, Chuck, & Nicki laugh at Mac.

KRIS: HMMM...

P42
A flyer taped to a pole with the name "GOWANUS GAMES" a hipster illustration of two powered opponents flying through the air battling in a very childlike style.

KRIS: MAC, YOU READY TO RUMBLE?



Alternate Dorm Ending

P35
The door to the dorm flies open, and all four of them squeeze through the door. They carry Mac who's stomping forward.

P36
Kris casually walks in all proud of himself.

P37
Mac hits the couch and sleeps.

P38
Stu realizes it's hair.

P39
Chuck & Nicki too. Chuck wipes it off grossed out.

NICKI: NICE, JUST RIGHT ON THE CARPET.

P40
Kris freaks out.

P41
Paces the room, gang in the background, tucking Mac in.

P42
Stu and Chuck walk over as Kris walks towards us and spies the glow of the monitor.

KRIS: (Either he sent it to them, or we change it where he gets the idea from it as he watches it).

P43
Kris sits down and watches. He smiles slyly.

P44
Same shot, Kris typing, the gang look over his shoulder. Maybe Stu & Nicki and Chuck and Mac in the background, Chuck rubbing his back and talking him down.

P45
Close up of the screen as Kris types in MACINTYRE WASHINGTON and his info into a POWERPLAY REGISTRATION form online.