Untouchable

A glass falls. It starts with an instinctual clenching of the fists. A popping of the knuckles. A slight twitch in the neck and flickering of the eyes. Weird how the eyes seem to be last. I suppose eye sight can't keep up with the rest of the reflexes. The glass tumbles through the air like a balloon travelling on its final remnants of helium. If only you could just let your arm fly out and stop it. But instead you watch it dance its spiralling path to the floor and explode into a thousand glittering shards.

And this happens at least on average of one hundred times a day. Your instincts and reflexes roaring at you to leap out and save countless dinnerware, hot cups of coffee, and ice cream scoops. It's only after a few broken bones, rhumetoid arthritis contorting your body, and a thousand hours of meditation tapes that you are able to stifle those impulses with just a flexing of all your muscles in unison and a grinding of the teeth. After a year or so you forget to watch these seemingly endless moments of personal disaster.

You remain low-key and withdrawn. Living entire lifetimes in your head as life crawls by. Your subtle tremors help you keep your distance physically from the people around you. You shirk from a girl's touch. Under a bully's shove you throw yourself backwards, a mere inch from his touch. No punch has ever been thrown that you didn't know was coming.

After years of dulling your senses the snap back into hyperspeed creates an instant migraine that feels like your brains were blown out the back of your head. The fist that is six inches from your face and closing, despite the fact that you're travelling backwards as fast as you can possibly move, is incomprehensible. You didn't even see it coming. So much for being untouchable.

Bob Awesome & the Bowling League

Page 1
Panel 1. A figure in a helmet dismounts a dirt bike. He's wearing racing leathers with a yellow bolt across the back with hints of yellow about the lining of the jacket and pants. He's got a similar bowling bag hooked to the back of the bike. It's raining outside the Crossroads Bowling Alley where the remaining lit up neon letters flicker. There's a VW bug and busted up van in the parking lot nearby. In the far right background behind the building we see a small and barely noticeable (from this distance) flash of energy.

SFX: Heavy rain

Panel 2. Side shot of Max's fingerless leather gloves gripping the handle of his blue and yellow highlighted bowling bag. He's kicking open the door and walking in. In his other hand he lowers the yellow helmet to his other side, behind his legs. Waist shot showing his "balls" yellow and blue.

SFX: ding

Panel 3. Side wide shot of sunglasses wearing, young spiky haired, cocky douchebag with a sparse goatee. We see his patch on his chest reading MAX CRASH.

Max Crash: I need some cash and I hear there's a game to be found round these parts. Y'all know nothing about that?

Page 2
Panel 1. Wide shot of the empty bowling alley. Nick works the shoes and register, looking off whistling as he sprays shoes. Theresa shrugs behind the small diner counter. Empty space between them where the bar is located. It's a black windowed void with a blue neon sign flashing VICTORY beer. There's fake wood paneling on the walls. There should feel like there's something missing.

A quiet pause on this scene. We should get details in enough to keep the eye here for a three second pause. Draw the eye to Nick with the red shoes encircling him, blue neon dead center of the black windows, and Theresa stands between a rotating hotdog cooker and a pretzel warmer, a soda machine with a purple ROYAL COLA logo behind her.

Panel 2. Half length. Max Crash walks by Nick's desk where he pulls out a pair of shoes and examines them. Max has his eyebrows raised at the thin, tall, utterly lanky Nick O'Time.

Nick: We charge three bucks per game. A dollar plus for shoes.

Panel 3. Theresa leans on the counter, which would be seductive if she weren't doing it in all her tomboy innocence. Max angles his sunglasses down and looks over Theresa.

Theresa: Want a hotdog or pretzel before you pick a lane?

Panel 4. Head shot of Nick and Theresa in reversed layout with Max in the center. Theresa peers around the corner on the left, Nick extends his long neck to spy from the right. Faint glow of the obsidian glass and VICTORY neon sign reflected on his sunglasses.

Max: I think I'll have a drink.

Page 3
Panel 1. The dark of the Futile Bugle Bar & Lounge is like the void of space. A few round tables and small chairs are lit up by pyramid lights off to the left. A row of booths is on the right along the wall. The red leather and paint on the tables is all there is to be seen. In the background is Max Crash standing in the doorway, propping open the door with the yellow helmet in his hand.

Panel 2. Max saunters up to the bar, resting both helmet and bowling ball bag on the bar ledge. Side shot, we see the bar extending off to the right. There should be an empty spot design-wise where a Demonic figure could be but rather it's seemingly empty.

Max: Yo, un cerveza por favor.

Panel 3. Max turns his back to the bar as he takes off his sunglasses. His eyes, now finally revealed up close should make him seem human, vulnerable. Rather than the other pages making him look strong, all the remaining pages will make him look worse and worse. A hint of a fiery form over his shoulder.

Max: Hey barkeep, where're all the hustlers and marks?

Page 4
Panel 1. The Devil is working bar. Maybe just a hint of devilishness to him, looking more human the more we stare directly at him, but shifting forms when no one is looking.

The Devil: Out looking for a game then, son? A wager, a deal, a risky proposition for the glory of gain? This is what you seek?

Panel 2. Max gestures wildy to the right, on the left the Devil is a chtuloid gelatinous mass, tentacles and horror. Max is looking far off where his gesture points the way.

Max Crash: My name is Max Crash, adventurer unparalleled. I've swam the length of the Atlantic Ocean...

Panel 3. Max swings his open hand right, the devil sliding into a slithering serpent shape with small feathery and scaly wings.

Max Crash: and then just completed a marathon cross country dirt bike race...

Panel 4. Close up on Max staring down at the Devil. Pounding both fists on the bar making the helmet and bowling ball bag rumble in the shockwave.

Max: While I was on the East Coast I figured i'd grab my bowling ball and try out the Legend...Bob Awesome...challenge him to ten frames, ten pins, ten thousand dollars at stake.

The Devil: I see. How...ambitious.

Page 5
Panel 1. The Devil points towards the Emergency Exit with his long black fingernailed finger. Half forming a demonic horned figure behind Max as he urges hims forward.

The Devil: Head out back, he should be out there right now taking care of something.

Panel 2. Max walks off, framed by the Emergency Exit door. A NO EXIT sign is overhead.

The Devil: You must be so proud of your skills to come here seeking Bob.

Panel 3. The Devil looks tiny and trapped within a cage but really it's just the layout if the bar. The poles holding up the glass racks alongside the rows of glass bottles make up the bar. All crystal white shine among the glass and mirror with the blob of red floating in the center, barely a man.

The Devil: A warning. Losing to Bob may cost you more than you realize.

Page 6
Panel 1. Max stumbles a bit as he finds his footing on the unexpected steps out back. There's a high bright amber light above him lighting up the garbage bins, a flipped shopping cart, some concrete blocks for sitting on it would appear, and a circular patch of dirt.

Max: Whathefu-

Panel 2. Max stands at the edge of the circle of amber light, across from the emergency exit of the bowling alley. A dark void of a field lies behind him. It is a blackness that swallows up light. A flash of blue energy, small but powerful sparks in the dark behind Max.

Max: Stupid hickseed bowling champ needs to be shown what real bowling is all about.

Panel 3. Shot from within the field. Max is seen dissected by the reeds of overgrown grass blowing wildly in the wind. He furrows his brow as he peers into the darkness.

Max: Yo, Bob? If you're done peeing maybe we can get a game of knock em rock em in?

Page 7
Panel 1. A foul, disgusting beast, with long arms flailing about tears out of the dark of the field. It's mouth is full of disgusting teeth, saliva muck dripping from it's teeth, the arc of it's wild swinging arms just slicing Max's leathers as he throws himself backwards. Max is screaming manic. Much like a little girl.

Beast: Gnnnnnaaaarrrrrlllll

Max: shreeeeeiiiiiiikkkkkkkk

Panel 2. The beast explodes from the inside out as an intensely glowing blue ball explodes from within, spinning wildly with raw crackling energy.

SFX: kra-kooosplooosh

Panel 3. We get a better view of the energy ball as it levitates before Max's eyes, lighting up his entire face. He is dumbstruck, in awe of its power. It's rotating and slowing down.

Max: wha-wha-da-holy-bejeezus...

Page 8
Panel 1. Bob Awesome walks from the woods. His whole body crackles with blue energy as the glowing ball floats back to his open palm beside him. He looks like a regular joe, a bowling shirt on, baggy jeans on, hair that looked like it was combed nice before a monster roughed him up. He eyes Max Crash suspiciously.

Bob: I thought I told everyone to stay inside. Who're you? Did you come out of the portal too?

Panel 2. Max Crash, all bugged out, sitting in a cloud of dust, tripped over the concrete blocks, right under the spotlight. The glowing ball is all he can stare at. It's in the imediate foreground, a part of the bottom right of the panel.

Max: I'm Max Crash, adventure extraordinaire...and...uhh...

Max: And I challenge you for that bowling ball of yours.

Panel 3. Bob raises up the glowing ball, which hovers just above his hand, as if he were looking down the lane at a pyramid of pins.

Bob: haha. Okay kid. When I win though...

Bob: You'll be stuck here forever.

Mercury University Notes

Bart Allen. College. Older with a younger mind. He's a brooding teenager in a 20 something body. The only thing slow is his mental development but this is to keep him more innocent.

Flash ring palmcorders. Legion Flash rings are one step above. Bart must prove himself to the Legion. Only once he makes it to that level will he be able to take over the mantle of the Flash.

Xs, Jenni Ognats, Bart's cousin is higher ranked despite being younger.

Turtle. Son of famous Flash. Slow with superspeed perception. Holding himself back. Disappointing his father.

Explore Tornado Twins heroic history.

Professor Zoom. Reverse Flash.
Eobard Thawne. Hunter Zolomon.

Cobalt Blue. Walter West.

Savitar.
Headmaster.
Younger Max Mercury.

Paradox protection. Doesn't allow for contact with others that you have yet to meet or to say anything that would alter timestream.

John Fox. Wannabe Flash.

Illustration.
Bart Allen standing center as he will appear in series. A hint of Flash red and yellow, but mostly a cool blue. Long brown hair and brooding look. He's without his powers and carries a heavy burden having died and returned.

To the left is Impulse racing into Kid Flash into a collapsing Flash costume ala Barry Allen in Crisis. This dissolves behind the figure of bart. To the right is an energy form of pure Yellow with a hint of red (ala Professor Zoom) blurring into John Fox chasing after Inertia.

Top left is Wally West and Family. Linda and the Kids looking bewildered as everything speeds by them in a blur. Wally's wearing a suit and the Flash symbol his behind them.

Top right is Jenni Ognats aka Xs, in casual hip future wear and Turtle, a more round and shy guy in a bolt baseball cap down low. The Legion logo is behind them.

Bottom left is Savitar, a younger Max Mercury, Jesse Quick, a faculty shot. Mercury University logo behind them.

Bottom right is Barry, in Flash costume with mask pulled back, his arm around Iris, looking over at the Tornado Twins as they speed around and around the panel making it look like they're lifting the half length shot of Barry & Iris off the page with a whirlwind.

Work on faculty development. Maybe put the rogues in there somewhere. Maybe rogues, teachers disguised. Someone setting Bart up.

Max seems to be a bad guy but he's preparing the best of all Flashes. Betrayed Bart becomes a Zoom. Undoes a lot of good in 30th century. Runs the world counterclockwise, unraveling reality.

Jay wakes up Max. Max's vision from desert. Indian folklore from when he got powers. Enlightenment comes to the Flash family.

Jay knew it intuitively. Barry created a credible science of it. Wally could see the mechanics of it. Bart must collect all three to unite the Flash dynasty.

Pitch Notes

Marvel.

Strange Tales - Reilly. Damnation/Salvation.
Tales to Astonish - Baroody. Hulk/Ant-Man.
Tales of Suspense - Khoi. Cap/Iron Man. SHIELD/Stark.
Journey Into Mystery - Thor. Mythology. Hercules. Ares.

Weekly book. 8 pages. Free. Ten pages total. One ad and credits. First week free. Fourth week collected. $5.

One a week free. Can get free preview and buy last month's collected. More incentive for people to give away. Hit magazine stands again. NYC as feature will help spread the word.

Shang-Chi - Asian Mythology
Ka-Zar - High Evolutionary
Speedball - Anti-Anti Hero comics
Slapstick - Spoof of Marvel Icons

DC.
Flash - Phil. Science. Quantum mechanics.
Superman - Burnham. Sociology. Personality templates.

Mercury University - Doug. School. Heroic Journey.
Kid Eternity -

ZudaComics.
Titanium.

Personal Project.
Superhero Dating.

Script Riffing.
Warren Ellis.
Alan Moore.
Garth Ennis.
Brian Bendis.

Strange Tales Notes

Dean Walker.
Clea walkby.
Imposing distortion of reality building. Sanctum Sanctorum from the ground up.
Runs errands for Wong. Sweet but busy Night Nurse.
Hidden disciple spying from background.
Eventually gets a meeting with Dr. Strange in his office. A swirling cosmos of ordinary reality. A design sense of his symbol from the shadow of the window, while his form, while sitting with one leg crossed over the other, reserved and looking a bit worn and overworked. His figure resembling the serpent style of his chest logo.

Dr. Strange sends Dean to Fantastic Four, Stark Intl., Avengers Mansion, Nelson & Murdock, and Daily Bugle. Just before heading to Bleeker St. Demon attacks erupting from Washington Square Park, the construction awaking the beast buried there by Dormamu. Dr. Strange bound the beast to the park.

Research neighborhoods.
Bleeker St. Washington Square Park.

Take reference photos.
Wall Street. Chrysler Building. Washington Square. Bleeker St. 177A. Flat Iron Building. Hell's Kitchen aka Clinton. Upper East Side. Magic Shop. 9th & 1st. Tompkins Square Park.

Battle for St. Marks. Clea aids in battle. Pushed back from Washington Square to Tompkins Square Park. Clea's shop is the 9th St & 1st Ave Magic Shop. Battle ends at the Cube.

Straight to Brooklyn. PowerMan & Iron Fist. Physical training. Dean suspects something is up. Moon Knight instead. Dan Ketch, Ghost Rider to Hell. Cemetary.

8pg segments. Give free and cheap three weeks, conclude in cheap $5 collection. Make a five dollar comic monthly worth it. Show them NYC. Use it as a character. Show the highest of NYC and the lowest within the Marvel Universe bubble. Riding the arc of the entire multiverse.

Hell is the final destination of Dean Walker. Whoever rises from its depth will be a new man. He reaches out, keeping on through the pain, gripping the other side into the power cosmic. Silver Surfer brings him up, through Central Park, along the fountain, into the air, through the atmosphere, to space, slo-mo space warp across the stars to the moon. The Watcher.

The artifacts help assemble themselves to allow Dean Walker to transcend into Eternity. Flip to Infinity, Cosmic aid, voyage home. Nova. Dread Dimension. Dormamu.

Mephisto. Dormamu. Son of Satan.

Dr. Strange meeting. Dismisses Dean as they discuss the ownership of merging Hell/Dread Dimension.

Nightmare. Next arc. Disciple. Baron Mordo. Green. Man-Thing. Vulture. Spider-Man. Job. Living life. Daredevil. Power Man & Iron Fist.

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HarveyPekar

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Shang-Chi: Action Seen Won

Page 1
Two panels.
Panel 1. Tight shot. Shang-Chi, beaten and bloody, but aglow in mystical power, a flowing tai-chi, yin-yang sweeping desgin to the image. His eyes are shot forward, focused to such a point as if stabbing his victim from afar, looking microscopically at the chi point that would take down his enemy. Rubble and debris surround him. The ground shakes about him. About to launch himself, his muscles tense, seconds from exploding.

Panel 2. Wideshot of a small Shang-Chi on the left, sideshot, as Fin Fang Foom, larger than the panel can contain. Shang-Chi has just launched himself forward, the extended outcropping of rock beneath him has crumbled.

Page 2
Three panels.
Panel 1. Above Shang-Chi, we see his back, vest with yin-yang flapping in the wind, as he drops towards Fin Fang Foom who's face takes the entire background and then some.

Panel 2. Shang-Chi close up as he lands in a run between Fin Fang Foom's giant eyes, almost growing larger in scope as we get closer in. He's screaming as his fist is brought almost too far back.

Panel 3. Shang-Chi throws his fist downwards towards us. Fin Fang Foom, who seems to have dropped in scale, arcs his head backwards in the background.

Page 3.
Three panels.
Panel 1. Shang-Chi's fist explodes with power and throws his body upwards as the strike hits the very mystical chakra point that destroys Fin Fang Foom, who erupts with raw power at the impact.

Panel 2. Shang-Chi's body whips through the air, feet first, twirlling in an upwards arc towards us, Fin Fang Foom implodes beneath him.

Panel 3. Shang-Chi straightens himself out as he begins to plummet through the air, clouds, whirling mists of ancient China, seem to carry him adrift as he descends. His arms are thrown wide, his hands open, letting the breeze course through his fingers. He has a calmness on his face, a drowzy look in his eyes.

Page 4.
Panel 1. Over the shoulder of a high caped figure. He has his hands raised, blocking the sun's glare as Shang-Chi, far above him in the sky, soars towards us. There is a sinister glint of rings on the hand.

Panel 2. Wideshot, side shot, the Mandarin throws his hand wide, casting five separate mystical energies in a diagonal strike towards the upper left of the panel. The force blows his cape open, he is braced, one leg back, preparing for the attack.

Panel 3. Shang-Chi twists and turns calmly, sliding between the blasts, he begins to flip fowards. Making himself into a weapon, hurling through the air.

Page 5.
Panel 1. The Mandarin points his other fist right at us, a blast of five other types of energy shoot forth, seeming to engulf us completely.

Panel 2. Shang-Chi drops below the blast as his foot touches down on the stone, about to flip forward to continue his forward momentum.

Panel 3. The Mandarin combines all ten energies together, his fingers spread wide like a fan, the rings all sparkling with intense fury. Shang-Chi rolls right outside the radius of the blast as he continues towards him.

Page 6.
Panel 1. Shang-Chi throws a double punch, smashing the Mandarin's fists, the gems all crackling in a build up of raw white hot power. The Mandarin stares in disbelief.

Panel 2. Shang-Chi draws back his fists, bloody from the shattered rings. He looks withdrawn. Tired.

Panel 3. The Mandarin gets sucked into a vortex of elemental energies, a swirling reverse black hole, a divine void.

Page 7.
Panel 1. Shang-Chi calmly draws back his open palms in a tai-chi move that gently collects the whirling energy.

Panel 2. Shang-Chi has one palm open at about his neck and one below about his belly button. The swirling mass is contained. A hint of the Mandarin's screaming face.

Panel 3. Shang-Chi bows his head as he turns halfway from us, the intensity of the swirl increasing as his hands come together.

Page 8.
Splash page.
Shang-Chi throws open his arms in a three quarter shot, releasing the energies, showing a benevolent dragon spirit composed of the ten energies.