Choose Another Building!

ISSUE #1 SPLASH

As per its name, this "Splash" page is a full-page panel

It is Night in Los Angeles, in Westwood, where highrises are just down the street from neon-signed theaters of yesteryear like the majestic El Capitan or 1931's illustrious Fox Theatre.

That fabulous foursome, The Light Brigade -- Brightstar, The Idea Man, Dr. Technology, and Maximum Man (the latter is black, all others are white guys) -- run towards the reader, charging into battle.

CAPTION #1(across top of panel, in script): If you could see into a future where you knew heroes would die, and wives and children would be left behind, would you still fight on? CAPTION #2: ...So would they. CAPTION #3: Four heroic men...fighting the good fight...

NOTE TO ARTIST: Maximum Man is leading, flying, having punched two futuristic fighter jets out of the way... Doc Tech, wearing his armored suit of futuristic gizmos, follows close, shooting "containment bubbles" over oncoming mines (some of which are exploding within these "bursts")... Brightstar lights their path with his eyes, in his hands is a battle-armored robot, melting at his solar touch (the heat can be seen emanating from his hands)... The Idea Man brings up the rear, shrapnel and such bounce off his invisible aura, he's talking into a small hand-held radio...

IDEA MAN: Whoever's behind this, they're throwing at us everything they've got.

MAXIMUM MAN: Let 'em!

DR. TECHNOLOGY: We've got it covered!

BRIGHTSTAR: Whoever it is...

BRIGHTSTAR 2: ...they're toast!

CAPTION 2: as a band of heroes called...

LOGO: The Light Brigade!

	PAGE 2 PANEL ONE: Large panel, there's a flash of light, seemingly raining upon all of LA, as the heroes fight on. PANEL TWO: MAXIMUM MAN: What in the world was that?

 

NOTE TO ARTIST: MM is a powerful hero, bulky, strong. He is the team leader and should look the part.

DOC TECH: I got no readings on it, Maximum Man.

NOTE TO ARTIST: somewhere in between Marvel's Iron Man and a WW2 tank, is Dr. Technology. He has an innumerable amount of weapons and gadgets at his disposal...he's a cool, laidback kind of hero and the armor should reflect this style.

PANEL THREE:

BRIGHTSTAR: On what? I didn't see anything.

NOTE TO ARTIST: Brightstar is a corporate hero; he is typical in terms of his outfit, with a stylized star & "B" on his chest.

IDEA MAN: It must've been some kind of natural energy, Brightstar!!...Something your solar eyes have trouble filtering in!

MAXIMUM MAN (OVER RADIO): Idea Man! Suggestions.

IDEA MAN: I say we split up, MM -- formation C.

	PAGE 3 PANEL ONE: Close on Maximum Man, speaking into radio... MAXIMUM MAN: You heard him.

PANEL TWO:

Idea Man heads out with Brightstar, Maximum Man with Dr. Technology...

CAPTION: The fantastic heroes split up...hoping this will uncover the nefarious villain behind the attacks and mass destruction which have taken LA by storm -- yet again.

PANEL THREE: In flight, MM & Doc Tech fly side by side... MAXIMUM MAN: How's Shareen?  DOC TECH: She's waiting for me to quit. PANEL FOUR: Several ballistic missiles head towards them. MAXIMUM MAN: Not today, friend! Heads up!!

PAGE 4

PANEL ONE:

MM has caught two missiles and has kicked one into another while the Doc seems to have gathered the others in a magnetized field of some kind...

TWO:

CAPTION: While Maximum Man gathers the larger pieces of falling debris to save unsuspecting passersby admid the high-in-the-sky chaos, Dr. Technology, hero of a thousand and one gizmos, the King of Contraptions...

CAPTION 2: Has magnetized the missiles together and redirected them out into the stratosphere.

THREE:

DOC TECH: I can't get a reading on where those came from.

MAX: So far, it seems everything's untraceable -- any thoughts?

DOC TECH 2: You bet! I'll simply scan the areas which are blocked to me...and get a look at what I can’t see!

PAGE 5

PANEL ONE:
Brightstar, carrying Idea Man flies through the air.

BRIGHTSTAR: I don't like this.

IDEA MAN: If I assume you are speaking of our situation and not the subject of carrying me, would I be correct?

BRIGHTSTAR 2: Yeah...

PANEL TWO:

 BRIGHTSTAR: ...This whole set-up is odd.

THREE:
Close on Idea Man.

IDEA MAN: Hmm. It does seem somewhat--

BRIGHTSTAR (off panel): INCOMING!!

FOUR:
Larger panel...Three robots, like those seen on the first page, rocket towards them...

BRIGHTSTAR: Idea Man, I have to let you go!

IDEA MAN: No, I've a better idea--

FIVE:
Small, tight shot of...

IDEA MAN: --THROW ME AT THEM!!

PAGE 6

PANEL ONE:

CAPTION: Brightstar and Idea Man, two of the three founding members of The Light Brigade, know each other better than they do family members...

[In the shot, Idea Man has been hurled towards the flying robots.]

TWO (or TWO & THREE):
Idea Man hooks his arm around one robot and flips himself onto its back.

IDEA MAN: Now we're cooking with gas!

CAPTION: And when the Idea Man asks to be hurled towards three armor-laden, rocket-powered robots...

THREE:
Brightstar blasts irradiated heat at the other two robots.

FOUR:
They continue towards him, unscathed.

CAPTION: ...You better believe he's got something in mind!

FIVE:
Brightstar punches a robot, which slows it down...

BRIGHTSTAR: I hope you've got something up your spandex sleeve, I.M.!

PAGE 7

PANEL ONE:
One robot has B-lined towards Idea Man, still sitting upon a wildly flying robot...

IDEA MAN: I'm working on it, my friend!

PANEL TWO:
The robot (which B-lined) has reached Idea Man, pulling at his shoulders, attempting to yank him off of the other robot...IM has reached above to this second robot and taken hold with his hands

CAPTION: Having gotten firm hold of the 'bot from above, the Idea Man concentrates...

THREE/FOUR:
CAPTION: ...And uses his invisible Repulsor Aura, first lightly, merely forcing any object near his person slowly away...

Panel split in two, should first show the metal beneath Idea Man's legs being crushed by the "aura," then the metal to which his hands are grasped denting inwards because of the aura...

PANEL FIVE:
CAPTION: Then, the hero who can think of it all, turns it on full blast, destroying the menacing machine beneath him...

PANEL SIX:

CAPTION: ...and shooting the other mechanical menace towards the hot-headed hero, Brightstar...

IDEA MAN (in background or off-panel): Aim a concentrated beam at the opening in the hull!

BRIGHTSTAR: Will do!

Brightstar is standing, battle-ready, hands clasped; the robot coming towards him...

PAGE 8

PANEL ONE:

CAPTION: As Brighstar is locked in deadly battle with robotic terrors, Idea Man plunges ever faster to the ground, hundreds of feet below...

Idea Man is falling to the ground...Brightstar is shooting a beam of heat into a tear/dent on the armor...

PANEL TWO:
The 2nd robot explodes as another comes at Brightstar with everything its got...

THREE:
The robot fires darts of liquid nitrogen and missiles with bright lights on them and various other things at Brightstar...

CAPTION: A mere robot, following nothing but its program, yet it seems bent on disorienting the hero.

CAPTION 2: Flashes of light burst from the heads of the missiles! Liquid nitrogen darts prick into his skin, giving the shining hero bursts of chills -- but he fights on, without a moment's pause!!

FOUR:
Idea Man hits the ground...leaving a massive imprint in the street or sidewalk

FIVE:
IDEA MAN: Good thing my aura protects me.

IDEA MAN 2: I hope Brightstar's got that last robot under control...

SIX:
From the shadows, a man emerges with a gun aimed at Idea Man...

Idea Man is seen turning off his aura power (just add "pop" lines around him and/or squiggles to show the aura no longer exists).

IDEA MAN (thought balloon): I'd better radio the others...

SEVEN:

IDEA MAN (thought balloon): ...see where--

The thought balloon is cut off by...

SFX: BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!!

IDEA MAN (thought balloon): Oh God! What w-- I've be-- I've been...I'm shot...

PAGE 9

SPLASH:

Idea Man is on the ground, bloody (no gore, please). Eyes open.

IDEA MAN (thought balloon): Oh God I'm dying (shot!), I'm going t-- I'm dying. Katie. Never told her (shot from behind!) the truth...Sorry. I...I never (Katie) thought I'd die like, like th--*

The man who shot Idea Man has stepped out of the shadow; an apparent costumed villain, masked, with a flowing cape, the look of villainy upon him.

SFX (around villain): HA! HA! HEH! HEH! HEH!

HERO KILLER (small): Had no idea this would happen, did you?

Then, at bottom of page, show...

TITLE: "Four Dead Heroes"

Credits:
Writer: Keith Planit; Artist ; Letterer ; Colorist
**Special thanks to Arthur Dolan for technical assistance on police matters