PAGE ONE
PANEL ONE:
EXTERIOR. View from inside SHIELD helicopter hovering over the Kent Farm. Colonel Nick Fury, partially eclipsed in shadow, is pointing downwards towards the small rural home below.
1 CAPTION: 3 YEARS AGO
2 CAPTION: SMALLVILLE, KANSAS
3 FURY: There it is!
4 FURY: Bring her in!
PANEL TWO:
EXT. The helicopter lands and Fury steps out, accompanied by two heavily armed guards brandishing high-tech rifles. Fury is simply dressed, with a long gray trenchcoat and a black shirt/black pants combo. A gun is casually holstered around his shoulder. He’s beckoning to his companions to hurry.
5 FURY: Come on, hurry it up!
PANEL THREE:
EXT. Large shot of Fury and the two agents stepping towards the reader. Fury is a 40-ish bald black man, with an eyepatch covering his left eye. He wears his facial hair in a neat goatee, but the man’s face is clearly battle-hardened.
6 FURY: -- We’ve got an ALIEN to meet!
PAGE TWO
PANEL ONE:
EXT. Close-up of Fury’s hand knocking on the door. Plaque proudly displays “The Kents.”
SFX: THUNK! THUNK!
PANEL TWO:
EXT. A couple opens the door, both in their 40’s, dressed in farmer’s work clothes. They are the Kents. Jonathan is wary of the visitors.
1 JONATHAN: Yes, hello?
2 JONATHAN: Who ARE you people?
PANEL THREE:
INT. Shot from inside the house, looking out the door. Fury and his men eclipse the entrance, with the sun’s ray coming in from their backside. Jonathan and Martha Kent block their way protectively. Nearly off-screen, we see an obscured figure of a boy moving towards the door.
3 FURY: Jonathan and Martha Kent?
4 FURY: I’m Colonel Nicholas Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
5 FURY: We’re here to talk to you about your son, Clark …
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Jonathan Kent becomes indignant. Martha holds him back.
6 JONATHAN: Look, I don’t know who or WHAT S.H.I.E.L.D. is, but if you’ve come here --
7 FURY: -- Well you shouldn’t. S.H.I.E.L.D. was just created as a special branch of the Department of Extranormal Affairs. We’re not public yet.
8 MARTHA: Jonathan, please.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. A fifteen-year-old Clark Kent chimes in from inside the house. Fury leans his head to look at the boy, as his parents turn around in surprise at the sound of his voice. Clark is standing in a slightly baggy white t-shirt and blue jeans, dark blue hair tousled boyishly, babyface determined.
9 CLARK: It’s ok, Pa, let them in …
10 JONATHAN: Clark?
11 FURY: Oh, is this the boy?
12 FURY: It’s all right, son, we’re just here to talk …
13 CLARK: I know …
PAGE THREE
PANEL ONE:
INT. Fury, quizzical.
1 FURY: How do you know that?
PANEL TWO:
INT. Close-up on Clark, looking defiantly at Fury.
2 CLARK: I read your MINDS …
PANEL THREE:
INT. Fury, genuinely surprised and taken aback.
3 FURY: … you can DO that?
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Clark, looking downward and to the side, a smirk on his face.
4 CLARK: Heh, no.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Fury and the Kent men are seated around the kitchen area. The initial hostilities have died down, as Martha serves Fury a cup of coffee. The armed SHIELD agents hover in the background, looking out the living room and kitchen windows. The sun is noticeably setting in the background.
5 FURY: Look, Mr. and Mrs. Kent. We KNOW about your son. He's not from AROUND here--
6 JONATHAN: --what’s THAT supposed to mean?
PANEL SIX:
INT. On Jonathan, holding Martha as they recall the trauma of the experience.
7 FURY: Fifteen years ago, newlyweds Martha Clark and Jonathan Kent visited a Kansas City fertility clinic FOUR TIMES to perform in vitro fertilization.
8 FURY: Each implantation was UNSUCCESSFUL.
PAGE FOUR
PANEL ONE:
INT. Fury finishes taking a sip.
1 FURY: We KNOW Clark's not really your boy. We know he's not even HUMAN ...
2 JONATHAN: You know how LUDICROUS that sounds, Colonel?
3 FURY: Please, Mr. Kent, you can drop the act. We can see the
SPACESHIP from our SATELLITES.
PANEL TWO:
INT. Fury points at Clark as Martha sits, distraught.
4 MARTHA: So what happens NOW?
5 FURY: As it stands, the boy’s an ALIEN. He has no RIGHTS.
6 FURY: We could haul him in TOMORROW if we wanted to but that would mean outing him. And that's not something we're prepared to DO.
7 FURY: Your average American thinks he's alone in the universe, but he's WRONG. As we SPEAK, there are SEVEN known extraterrestrial species residing on Earth.
8 FURY: You're number EIGHT.
PANEL THREE:
INT. Fury leans forward into the conversation, talking to
Clark directly, trying to convince them he’s there for their own good.
9 FURY: Since to everyone out there you SEEM to be a regular boy, you're legally UNTOUCHABLE.
10 FURY: As long as you don't present a THREAT, we leave you here to live a NORMAL life ... well, as normal a life as you can live, anyway.
11 MARTHA: You’re talking about taking away our SON!
12 FURY: Understand, there IS no other way this can go down.
13 FURY: The law COULDN’T protect him if anyone ever found out about him. And believe me, there are WORSE places Clark can end up than with me.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Worm’s-eye of Fury rising, getting ready to leave. The kitchen light silhouettes parts of his features. His hand is outstretched, as if beckoning for Clark to come with him now.
14 FURY: Look, I believe your intentions are good, kid. This SUPERBOY thing, people love it. You INSPIRE them. So we're gonna let you keep doing it.
15
FURY: But EIGHTEEN ... eighteen,
you belong to S.H.I.E.L.D.
16 FURY: Now whether it’s as a PRISONER or SOMETHING ELSE is up to you …
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Clark looks upwards at Fury, with a sparkle in his eye.
He is starting to get what this all will mean. Fury is off-panel, continuing
his sentence from the previous panel.
17 FURY: But to be HONEST kid, we could use a SUPERMAN on our side.
PANEL SIX:
INT. Fury, smiling, as though he were sharing a secret no one else know.
18 FURY: Now take me to this SPACESHIP of yours …
PAGE FIVE
PANEL ONE:
INT. Rick Tyler looks up from his menu quizzically at an off-panel companion. He’s 30-ish, blonde, and attractive, but in a way that’s vaguely too old for his age.
1 CAPTION: 6 MONTHS AGO
2 CAPTION: LIBERTY ISLAND, DELAWARE
3 CAPTION: BAY OF METROPOLIS
4 RICK: So is there ANYTHING on this menu that’s reasonably priced?
PANEL TWO:
INT. Panoramic shot of a posh Liberty Island restaurant, the type that charges you more for just being there. The Metropolis skyline dominates the background, as one side of the restaurant is just windows. The sun is just beginning to set; an early after-work dinner. Nick Fury sits across from Rick, gesturing casually as a waitress crosses the room.
5 FURY: People pay a PREMIUM to live on LIBERTY ISLAND, Rick. You KNOW that.
6 RICK: Still, it’s a bit RIDICULOUS. Food is FOOD. You can get the calories you need from ANYTHING.
7 RICK: But clearly you didn’t invite me here to hear me complain about overpriced FRENCH FOOD. What is it, Nick?
PANEL THREE:
INT. Fury hunches over, as if he’s talking about national secrets (which he is).
8 FURY: It’s MIRACLO.
9 FURY: Progress is too SLOW. People upstairs want more RESULTS.
10 FURY: They want to reallocate our resources … into something with more potential for SUCCESS.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Rick, taken aback and flabbergasted.
11 RICK: You’ve got to be KIDDING, Nick.
12 RICK: My lab’s made HUGE steps with the drug. No more ADDICTIVE properties, no more physiological SIDE EFFECTS …
13 RICK: We even got the safe dosage time down to once every SIX HOURS.
14 RICK: What more are you EXPECTING?
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Fury, stern-faced and pointing.
15 FURY: You KNOW what we’re expecting, Rick.
16 FURY: We need PERMANENT super-soldiers. Not HOUR-LONG ones.
17 FURY: And we BOTH know the advances you’re talking about were made nearly a YEAR-AND-A-HALF ago.
18 FURY: That’s just not FAST enough.
PANEL SIX:
INT. Rick looking confused as Fury tosses a manila envelope across the table.
19 RICK: What’s this RUSH all of the sudden? What don’t I KNOW?
20 FURY: THAT.
PAGE SIX
PANEL ONE:
INT. Fury sits cross-legged sipping tea, as Rick mulls over the documents.
1 FURY: The SUPREME SANCTION.
2 FURY: It’s going to hit the floor of CONGRESS in a few WEEKS. We expect it to pass without any PROBLEMS.
PANEL TWO:
INT. Rick flips through the pages frantically.
3 RICK: Jesus Christ, NICK. JESUS … It’s finally HAPPENING.
4 RICK: A government-sponsored superhuman STRIKE FORCE …
PANEL THREE:
INT. Rick leans forward angrily as Fury gestures towards him across the table sympathetically.
5 RICK: And you’re telling me I’m not gonna be a PART of it?
6 FURY: I’m SORRY, Rick. You know I’m your FRIEND, you know I FOUGHT for you. But this is coming from UPSTAIRS. They want to bring in someone NEW.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Fury implores him to understand his position.
7 FURY: We’re going public in LESS THAN SIX MONTHS.
8 FURY: That’s how much time you have left to get Miraclo to work on a more PERMANENT basis.
9 FURY: If you CAN’T, the U.S. GOVERNMENT is prepared to BUY OUT your patent for a very generous sum. You CANNOT refuse …
10 FURY: … I’m really SORRY. C’mon, let’s get outta here, I’ll buy you a DRINK.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Rick doesn’t catch Fury’s gaze. He looks hurt but is also deep in thought. He is trying to figure out what his next move is.
NO DIALOGUE
PAGE SEVEN
PANEL ONE:
INT. Large establishing shot of SHIELD detention center. The prison is cold and modern, and a lone fluorescent light illuminates the cell of Clinton Barton. The walls of his cell are bulletproof glass, and the tight functional cell hosts an uncomfortable-looking metal bed and table. Clint paces the room, hands and feet chained, in Prisoner Orange, holding a book. His blonde hair is close-cropped, almost shaven, and spectacles sit incongruously on his face. Agent Jessica Drew, long black hair down, wearing a gray business suit and skirt, is walking down the dimly lit hallway accompanied by two guards.
1 CAPTION: 6 MONTHS AGO
2 CAPTION: S.H.I.E.L.D. DETENTION CENTER, LIBERTY ISLAND
3 JESSICA: All right, MR. BARTON, you ready to start talking?
4 CLINT: Good morning to you TOO, Agent DREW.
5 JESSICA: Cut the crap, CLINT. I’m not your FRIEND …
6 JESSICA: You need to start telling us more about your PREVIOUS EMPLOYER if you want any chance of cutting a DEAL.
PANEL TWO:
INT. Close-up on Clint’s face, as he continues reading his book. He doesn’t even look up.
7 CLINT: Do I need to remind you that I gave myself up WILLINGLY?
8 CLINT: And that, without my help, millions of Americans would be DEAD or DYING as we speak?
PANEL THREE:
INT. Jessica, finger pointing and irate.
9 JESSICA: I don’t BUY it, you blue-blooded PRICK.
10 JESSICA: The CLINT BARTON I know is an international TERRORIST and kills people for MONEY.
11 JESSICA: You expect me to BELIEVE you woke up one day and grew a CONSCIENCE?
PAGE EIGHT
PANEL ONE:
INT. Clint looks up finally, glasses sliding down his nose, his face visibly hardened.
1 CLINT: Those so-called PEOPLE you’re talking about were CRIMINALS. WARLORDS. DICTATORS.
2 CLINT: They got better than they DESERVED.
PANEL TWO:
INT. Back to Jessica, stern but listening, arms perhaps folded.
3 JESSICA: So what made it different THIS time?
PANEL THREE:
INT. Hawkeye rubs his eyes in frustration, glasses in one hand.
4 CLINT: I’ve gone over this BEFORE. You can just RE-READ my deposition.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Close-up on Jessica’s face, unrelenting.
5 JESSICA: ENTERTAIN me.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Clint looks straight ahead, a sincere look on his face, head cocked slightly to the side.
6 CLINT: The targets were CIVILIANS this last time. STRICTLY civilians.
7 CLINT: The initial casualty projections were in the LOW MILLIONS for a city like New York. Los Angeles. Chicago.
8 CLINT: That’s not something I could have on my CONSCIENCE.
PANEL SIX:
INT. Jessica, arms still folded, in-charge and standing tall.
9 JESSICA: Let’s say for one IOTA of a second I believe you.
10 JESSICA: That doesn’t explain why you haven’t helped us bring HIM in. Or the REST of his organization.
PAGE NINE
PANEL ONE:
INT. Clint, glasses replaced, closes the book and stands smiling, eyebrows up and head still cocked playfully.
1 CLINT: A DEAL.
2 CLINT: A PARDON on past transgressions and a FREE PASS to start over ANYWHERE in the world.
3 CLINT: Before I get one SIGNED and SEALED by the PRESIDENT, you don’t get HIM.
PANEL TWO:
INT. Jess’s chin goes up as she snidely remarks.
4 JESSICA: Your crimes TRANSCEND national boundaries.
5 JESSICA: It’s going to be difficult negotiating a COMPLETE PARDON for one of the world’s MOST WANTED terrorists.
PANEL THREE:
INT. Clint leans back on the hard slab of a wall, arms folded across his chest and smirking mischievously.
6 CLINT: AND Best Marksman, don’t forget.
7 CLINT: Besides, if any country in the world can get this deal made, it’s the great POLICEMEN of the WORLD, the United States.
8 CLINT: Get your S.H.I.E.L.D. bureaucrats to work, Agent Drew.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. An intern tries to get Jessica’s attention as she begins to lose her composure and yell at Clint.
9 JESSICA: … You’re lucky we still need you in ONE PIECE, Barton, or I’d come into that cell and BEAT the information out of you myself.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Clint looks off to the side in an aloof manner.
10 CLINT: Don’t be a TEASE, Agent Drew.
PANEL SIX:
INT. Jessica’s face, angry and disgusted.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL SEVEN:
INT. The intern whispers into Jessica’s ear as she leans in.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL EIGHT:
INT. We see Jessica walking back out, as Hawkeye lies on the bed, hands behind his head, looking up.
11 JESSICA: I have something WORTH MY TIME to attend to.
12 JESSICA: You better get your head together, Barton, and TAKE what you can GET before it’s TOO LATE.
PAGE TEN
PANEL ONE:
Exterior. Large aerial shot establishing Liberty Island, which sits in Delaware Bay, just off the coast of Metropolis. The island is boomerang-shaped and large enough to house all the divisions of SHIELD (intelligence, research, and military), operatives, support staff, and their families. As a result, SHIELD Central Command sits in the center part of the island where the boomerang pivots, and various residential/commercial areas lie on the outside. A black helicopter is just entering the frame.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL TWO:
EXT. Up-shot of the same black helicopter descending on a helicopter pad atop SHIELD Central. Security detail encircles the area like hawks. Notable personnel waiting to receive the passenger include Nick Fury, in trademark black trenchcoat, Jessica Drew, and Sue Dibny, Director of Public Relations for SHIELD.
NO DIALOGUE
PAGE ELEVEN
PANEL ONE:
EXT. Long shot of Sue Dibny, Nick Fury, and Jessica Drew, from left to right. Both Sue and Nick are looking upwards as the blades of the helicopter kick the wind up. Jessica is looking up also but also leaning in to speak to Fury.
1 JESSICA: I REALLY don’t know why you sent me in there to interrogate him, Nick.
2 FURY: Well, clearly it’s because he’s ATTRACTED to you.
3 JESSICA: … You really SUCK sometimes.
4 FURY: “You really suck sometimes, SIR …”
PANEL TWO:
EXT. The angle is from behind our three SHIELD reps as the copter gets close to touching ground.
5 JESSICA: So who is this kid that we had to fly him out on our dime?
6 SUE: He’s the last piece of the puzzle, Agent Drew.
7 SUE: Faster than a speeding BULLET TRAIN …
PANEL THREE:
EXT. An armed guard exits the chopper as an obscured figure begins to emerge from the helicopter behind him.
8 CAPTION: More powerful than a B-52 --
PANEL FOUR:
EXT. Clark stands tall, a single duffel bag slug over his shoulder. He’s wearing the same white t-shirt and blue jeans we saw before as a boy, but now they fit tighter on him. No longer boyishly cute, but full-blown handsome, the helicopter’s blades kick up a wind that rustles through his dark blue hair. He narrows his eyes in the classic Superman squint as the sun casts mysterious shadows across his face.
9 CAPTION: The MAN OF TOMORROW --
10 CAPTION: -- SUPERMAN!
11 CAPTION: -- He’s going to make us MILLIONS.
PAGE TWELVE
PANEL ONE:
EXT. Straight side-shot of Nick shaking Clark’s hand, who is now visibly taller than Fury.
1 CLARK: You really didn’t have to send the chopper, Colonel. I could’ve FLOWN out myself.
2 FURY: Better we do things official, kid. Starting today you’re a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents don’t fly COMMERCIAL.
3 CLARK: Who said anything about a PLANE?
PANEL TWO:
EXT. Fury introduces Jess and Sue. Clark is shaking Sue’s hand, who is a petite woman with short dark brown hair. She’s overwhelmed with excitement.
4 FURY: Touché.
5 FURY: Clark Kent, I’d like you to meet SUSAN DIBNY, S.H.I.E.L.D.’s director of public relations. She’s going to be your DIRECT handler.
6 SUE: Oh it’s so nice to finally meet you, Clark. I’ve got so many PLANS for you, really it’s just--
7 FURY: Come now, don’t overwhelm the boy YET.
8 FURY: And to her left is Agent JESSICA DREW, our director of field ops. You’ll be getting to know each other WELL, she’ll be in charge of your training.
PANEL THREE:
EXT. Clark smiles and extends a hand.
9 CLARK: Nice to meet you, Agent Drew …
PANEL FOUR:
EXT. Jess stares, transfixed.
10 CAPTION: … Agent Drew?
PANEL FIVE:
EXT. Jess sheepishly takes the hand as Fury and Sue look on.
11 FURY: JESSICA!
12 JESSICA: Sorry …
13 JESSICA: Mind was ELSEWHERE … it’s nice to meet you.
14 FURY: All right, kids, let’s give him the grand tour …
PAGE THIRTEEN
PANEL ONE:
INT. Long vertical panel of the four of them in a clear glass elevator. We can see on each level agents, operatives, and analysts working.
1 FURY: Is that ALL you have on you?
2 CLARK: I’m a straightforward guy. I tend to pack LIGHT.
3 FURY: Well, anything else you’ll need you can find on the ISLAND. Why doesn’t Sue tell you more about our little modern marvel here?
4 SUE: Sure! Construction of Liberty Island began THREE YEARS AGO in much the same process as they’re using in DUBAI to build the PALM ISLANDS.
PANEL TWO:
EXT. Shot of large ships shooting sand dug up from the
bottom of the ocean into a murky part of the ocean. They’re creating a new
barrier.
5 CAPTION: Simply put, sand from the bottom of the Atlantic was piled up on top of each other to make the island.
6 CAPTION: Of course there are some BIG differences between here and the U.A.E., so we had to make some structural changes to shore up the infrastructure.
PANEL THREE:
EXT. Medium-sized shot depicting the diversity of life on
the island. Women walking dogs in the park with large futuristic buildings
looming in the background and a military training ground on the side.
7 CAPTION: The island’s technically a part of Metropolis, but it’s a fully-functioning city. We have hospitals, shopping centers, and residential areas for everyone who works for S.H.I.E.L.D.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Back in the elevator, the four are standing side-by-side with ambient light from the office illuminating their faces.
8 FURY: I’ll let Agent Drew tell you more about S.H.I.E.L.D. itself.
9 JESSICA: Yes, sir. S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for Super-Human Intelligence Evaluation, Logistics, and Defense.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Closer on Jessica, who tends to talk with her hands
when she explains.
10 JESSICA: We are the PREMIER agency in charge of United States policy concerning POST-HUMANS. We answer directly to the Secretary of DEO, Department of Extranormal Operations.
PANEL SIX:
EXT. Like the Panel Three shot, but showing even more of the
high-tech militaristic side.
11 JESSICA: Because of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s unique jurisdiction, we collapse INTELLIGENCE, RESEARCH, and MILITARY OPERATIONS into one agency.
PANEL SEVEN:
INT. Showing the intelligence room. An Asian-American man is
directing the activity on the floor, which is littered with computers and
computer programmers.
12 JESSICA: Anything that FBI, CIA, NSA flags as metahuman, superhuman, or mutant-related gets kicked up to US.
PANEL EIGHT:
INT. Back to the elevator. Clark is skeptical while Fury is optimistic.
13 CLARK: So where exactly do I FIT in all of this?
14 FURY: We’ve got the call from upstairs, Clark. Piece of legislation called the SUPREME SANCTION. S.H.I.E.L.D. has permission to create its own superhuman task force.
15 FURY: Post-human PROBLEMS require post-human SOLUTIONS, Clark. That’s why we need YOU. We need our SUPERMAN.
16 CLARK: That’s a lot to ask of me, COLONEL. I just graduated from high school a WEEK ago. Now you want me to be a superhero FULL-TIME?
17 FURY: You’ve already got the EXPERIENCE, son. We’ve just gotta refine what’s already THERE.
PANEL NINE:
INT. Sue and Jess depart the elevator. Jessica is already
walking away while Sue tries to keep talking.
18 SUE: All right, this is where Jessica and I take our leave. Colonel Fury has something very SPECIAL to show you …
PAGE FOURTEEN
PANEL ONE:
INT. SHIELD’s linguist, a skinny balding man with curly-hair and glasses, is talking excitedly as Clark and Fury enter the room.
1 LINGUIST: I have to tell you, it’s been REALLY exciting to have my job these past couple of years.
2 LINGUIST: We’ve been working on deciphering the recording we recovered from your SPACESHIP.
PANEL TWO:
INT. He gestures to video depicting the classic
rocket-escape and exploding Krypton scene.
3 LINGUIST: Now we haven’t completely translated the file, but as far as we can tell your home planet was named KRYPTON …
4 LINGUIST: The planet’s core was seemingly composed of super-dense NEUTRON STAR material, which might account for a lot of your EXTRANORMAL abilities.
5 LINGUIST: But anyway, this same material seems to have made the planet inherently UNSTABLE. Before it was too late, your parents put you in a rocket pointed AWAY before the planet EXPLODED –
PANEL THREE:
INT. On Clark, who is incredulous.
6 CLARK: EXPLODED? What are you saying? The rest of these … these KRYPTONIANS died on the planet? I’m the last of my KIND?
PANEL FOUR:
INT. The linguist fixes his glasses, with a somewhat
apologetic look on his face.
7 LINGUIST: To be honest with you, we just don’t KNOW. The recording doesn’t explain why no one else made it off-planet.
8 LINGUIST: We did make out one other thing though … your NAME.
9 LINGUIST: It’s KAL-EL, son of JOR and LARA.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Clark sits with a far-off contemplative look as the
linguist continues to talk.
10 LINGUIST: I know this might be a lot to take in at once. We’ll keep working on the sections of the recording we don’t understand yet.
11 LINGUIST: But you’re always welcome to come down here, Clark. This all belongs to YOU now. It’s your LEGACY.
PAGE FIFTEEN
PANEL ONE:
INT. Vertical panel in a large lab at a SHIELD facility. A slim, sharp-looking Indian woman sits in a white labcoat staring into a microscope intently. Her name is Kavita Rao, and she’s just taken Rick Tyler’s job. Movers bustle about behind her, putting the lab together, as Rick stands in the doorway in his own white labcoat, leaning against the side of the door, arms folded.
1 CAPTION: 6 MONTHS AGO
2 CAPTION: S.H.I.E.L.D. LABORATORIES, CENTRAL FACILITY
3 RICK: So you’re the one they sent to REPLACE me? They sure don’t waste any time.
PANEL TWO:
INT. Kavita wheels around in her chair to confront her predecessor.
4 KAVITA: I’m the new principal researcher for S.H.I.E.L.D., yes, GENETICS division. Dr. KAVITA RAO.
5 KAVITA: You’re DR. TYLER, I’m guessing?
PANEL THREE:
INT. Closer on Rick, still in the same position. His expression is snide.
6 RICK: GOOD GUESS.
7 RICK: They’re taking away my JOB and my PROJECT so you can come in. You better be WORTH it.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Kavita, hands folded in her lap, serious.
8 KAVITA: I’m familiar with your work, Dr. Tyler, and to be frank, you’ve gone as far as you can with conventional CHEMISTRY. The future is GENETICS.
9 KAVITA: The direct genetic modification of agents to suit our national security needs will create PERMANENT, STABLE superhumans.
10 KAVITA: Glorified ANABOLIC STEROIDS have no place in the future of this agency.
PAGE SIXTEEN
PANEL ONE:
INT. Rick, getting angrier.
1 RICK: At least my process isn’t RIFE with moral and ethical dilemmas, Dr. Rao.
2 RICK: HOMEGROWN MUTANTS sounds good on paper, but there WILL be a backlash. Assuming you can get the procedure to turn out anything except a genetic MONSTROSITY.
PANEL TWO:
INT. On Kavita, who is shrugging off Rick’s concern.
3 KAVITA: We’re only using VETERAN agents, Dr. Tyler, and only on a VOLUNTEER basis. And the process has already passed government regulations.
4 KAVITA: Your concerns are duly noted, but IRRELEVANT to this project.
PANEL THREE:
INT. Rick, turning to walk away.
5 RICK: I hope you’re RIGHT, Doctor. I’ve been with this agency since it was just a TWINKLE in Colonel Fury’s ONE EYE.
6 RICK: Miraclo is providing at least TWO superhumans to the SUPREME SANCTION task force.
7 RICK: I won’t see you RUIN what I helped BUILD.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Kavita, back at her microscope as Rick turns around.
8 KAVITA: Is that ALL, Dr. Tyler?
9 RICK: No. Who’s your first subject?
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Kavita flips through some pages on her desk.
10 KAVITA: Her name is … let’s see … Agent Drew.
11 KAVITA: AGENT JESSICA DREW.
PANEL SIX:
INT. Rick, wide-eyed in shock and terror.
12 RICK: My God … JESSICA.
PAGE SEVENTEEN
PANEL ONE:
INT. Large long shot of a high-tech and sterile medical facility. Clark is sitting shirtless while a doctor prepares to insert a needle into his arm. The doctor’s face is obscured by machinery. Echoes a commonly seen panel in early Superman stories where the doctor breaks a needle on his arm.
1 CAPTION: NOW
2 CAPTION: S.H.I.E.L.D. MEDICAL FACILITY
3 CLARK: So what’s up, Doc?
PANEL TWO:
INT. Close-up of the needle penetrating Clark’s skin.
4 DOCTOR: (off-panel) You’re lucky these ADAMANTIUM-TIPPED NEEDLES can penetrate your skin, Clark. Otherwise we couldn’t even CHECK your blood.
PANEL THREE:
INT. The doctor holds the needle up close to his eye, looking through the very dark murky blood. We see now that the doctor is Rick Tyler, who is unshaven and looking decidedly haggard from last we saw six months ago.
5 RICK: What a MIRACLE of evolution you are, Clark.
6 RICK: You know when we analyzed your DNA, we discovered its structure is QUADRUPLE-HELIXED?
7 RICK: You’re easily the most COMPLEX living organism on this planet right now.
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Clark squints, not knowing how to take the “compliment.”
8 CLARK: Please, Dr. Tyler. It’s not that big a deal.
9 CLARK: How are you doing here? I know you were working for RESEARCH DIVISION up until I arrived on the island.
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Rick smiles, but somewhat weakly, as he reminisces about his old work.
10 RICK: It’s definitely not CUTTING EDGE work, Clark.
11 RICK: But it’s FULFILLING. Less politics, less bureaucracy. I protect the lives of agents in the FIELD.
PAGE EIGHTEEN
PANEL ONE:
INT. Back to Clark, whose distaste for his current state is just simmering on the surface. Rick is turning around to analyze the blood.
1 CLARK: That’s what I SHOULD be doing.
2 CLARK: But instead I’m cooped up on the ISLAND, either doing training exercises or being poked and prodded by DOCTORS.
3 CLARK: No offense, Doc.
PANEL TWO:
INT. Running the test, Rick listens sympathetically as Clark continues.
4 CLARK: But I could be doing a LOT more good out THERE …
5 CLARK: You know I can’t even go over the bridge to METROPOLIS without security detail?
6 RICK: I can’t pretend to know how it feels like to be YOU. But I can understand the feeling of not being used to your greatest POTENTIAL.
PANEL THREE:
INT. Rick implores Clark to be patient.
7 RICK: But trust Colonel Fury, Clark. He’s a smart man. When he thinks you’re ready, you can be sure you’re actually READY.
8 RICK: Ok, we’re done here, your blood test results will get back –
PANEL FOUR:
INT. Both Rick and Clark are startled as the facility is bathed in red emergency lights.
SFX: BEET! BEET! BEET! BEET! BEET! BEET! BEET!
9 CLARK: What IS that?
10 RICK: Island’s on ALERT. Something must be happening on the MAINLAND –
PANEL FIVE:
INT. Rick reaches a hand out to stop Clark, but it’s already too late. The lab windows explode as the sonic boom Clark unleashes as he accelerates tears through the room.
SFX: BOOOOOOOM!!!
11 RICK: -- Clark, DON’T!!
PAGE NINETEEN
PANEL ONE:
EXT. Clark is running at super-speed over the water, kicking up a huge backsplash behind him. The Metropolis skyline is ahead of him. Clark’s caption boxes are colored a cerulean blue, to distinguish his thoughts.
1 CAPTION: SUPER-HEARING clues me in to the situation.
2 CAPTION: Catastrophic sensor failure to the MAGNETIC BRAKES on the Liberty Island Express to Metropolis.
3 CAPTION: The thing CAN’T STOP. When it comes out of the tunnel on the other side, it’s going to hit a DEAD END …
4 CAPTION: … It’s a job for SUPERMAN, if I’ve ever seen one.
PANEL TWO:
EXT. Head-on shot as Clark vaults over the train as it comes out of the tunnel. Careful here; he’s not quite flying.
5 CAPTION: I have to time the jump to land JUST ahead of the train as it emerges.
6 CAPTION: Here’s where SIX MONTHS of training and physics calculations on the fly PAY OFF.
PANEL THREE:
EXT. Clark lands on the track, feet and legs dug into the ground. Concrete and dirt explode from the ground where he hits. His feet are facing forward as he turns around to meet the oncoming train.
7 CAPTION: S.H.I.E.L.D. figures a lot of my STRENGTH and SPEED are the natural results of coming from a SUPER-DENSE planet.
PANEL FOUR:
EXT. Extreme close-up of Clark’s face, hands outstretched, ready to receive the train. His teeth are gritted, eyes narrowed into slits, dirt, grime, and sweat on his brow. This is a down and dirty Superman; there’s nothing pretty to what he does.
8 CAPTION: Of course, there isn’t a CHANCE IN HELL I can stop this thing with my BARE HANDS.
9 CAPTION: I don’t have the MASS, number one. And the train’s just as likely to BREAK APART in my hands if I could.
PAGE TWENTY
PANEL ONE:
EXT. Huge panel, showing Clark straining against the train, as the rails get torn up behind him. He’s halfway sunk into the ground now. Clark is leaving an indentation of himself in the train, as the steel bends around his form. The conductor looks on in astonishment.
1 CAPTION: For occasions like this, I have to push DEEP DOWN.
2 CAPTION: I have to tap an energy source no one on EARTH quite understands.
3 CAPTION: Kryptonians seem to be partly PHOTOSYNTHETIC organisms. We store and harness light energy like LIVING SOLAR BATTERIES.
4 CAPTION: It manifests as a BIO-ELECTRIC FIELD that envelops my body.
PANEL TWO:
EXT. Long shot of the train brakes, with Clark partially on the far side of the panel.
5 CAPTION: It PROTECTS me from HARM usually.
6 CAPTION: But I can EXTEND it. MANIPULATE it.
7 CAPTION: It’s holding the TRAIN together right now …
PANEL THREE:
EXT. Electricity starts to crackle as the brakes engage.
8 CAPTION: And God WILLING, I’m going to use it to turn these DAMN BRAKES back on!
PANEL FOUR:
EXT. Close-up on Clark’s face, as he throws his head back. The extremely torturous experience elicits a silent scream from his lips.
NO DIALOGUE
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
PANEL ONE:
EXT. Another huge panel, echoing Panel One from the previous page. The train has come to a stop dangerously close to the end of the line. Clark’s shoulders are barely above ground. Commuters begin to crowd around the scene.
NO DIALOGUE
PANEL TWO:
EXT. Long shot of Clark still in the same position, braced against the train. His eyes are closed, and his head is sunk below his arms. He hasn’t moved. He’s exhausted.
1 CAPTION: I did it.
2 CAPTION: See, Fury. I AM ready.
3 CAPTION: I was BORN ready.
PANEL THREE:
EXT. Sometime later, Clark is returning to SHIELD Central. The sun is setting and he’s still shirtless and dirty as all hell.
4 CLARK: I know what you’re going to SAY. But I did the RIGHT thing …
PANEL FOUR:
EXT. The sun is setting as we find out who Clark is talking to. It’s Fury and Sue, both looking a little miffed.
5 CLARK: (off-panel) I SAVED those people. This is what you brought me here to do!
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
PANEL ONE:
EXT. Splash page. Fury smiles broadly as Sue holds up the new Superman costume in her hands happily. It’s the dawning of a new age.
1 FURY: We KNOW, son.
2 FURY: You did GOOD today.
3 SUE: But NEXT time, go out in THIS …
END