Issue 13's comic never got made. I did plan out the following script for its "wrapper" story, but I couldn't make the time to beta test and get the necessary details for the actual information on the issue, and no volunteers were forthcoming.
the C1, C2, C3 parts in the following "script" were supposed to be other players participating in a "casting call." and then credited in the comic- a chance to hilight community members more. Lines preceded by a : were narrator boxes. S: is for Shandora.
This is actually my second pass. My first pass was going to focus again on the University
Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
(Black screen with pinpoint of light)
:What happens to your characters when you log off?
:Most people will tell you that they simply disappear from the game world, waiting in the ether until the next time you log on.
(the light expands, Pocket D dance hall EXTREMELY CROWDED)
:Others* say that nothing really disappears.
:That they simply depart somewhere else, a world of their own.
:A place where they're free to pursue their own interests.
:(note)* Others = mostly people that watched TRON too many times as a kid.
(Characters around one of the bars)
:Maybe they're unaware of their dual life
C1: ... and when I woke up, my head was ringing... and here's the weird part: I was at the debt cap.
(Character on the phone, surrounded by partiers)
:but what if they KNOW?
C2: What? Now? He should be at work!
C2: Sorry, ladies, but I have to run. My player's apparently playing hooky today.
(another conversation going on)
C3: I don't mind being ordered around all the time. It's just creeps me out that some guy I barely know is staring at my butt for hours on end.
C4: (Rian Frostdrake’s character in most outrageous costume): I hear ya, sista.
(Shandora at Icon)
: Some might fight against their lot in life.
Sh: Come on, Serge. Please change it back! He's forgetful. He'll never even remember this costume. Heck, he barely plays me at all! PLEASE!
(several heroes surrounding a computer)
: And some might even try to impact events in OUR world… in the hopes of making their own world better.
C5: We're in. Welcome to the Paragon Studios network, boys.
C6: Is that Castle's todo list?
C7: Add "buff super reflexes"
C8: Dominators! Don't forget Dominators!
C7: Hurry up, get to Sexy Jay's.
C9: Who's task list should we add "jiggle physics" to?
C10: All of them. You don't take chances with the important stuff.
(bottom of the imagetext, big impact font)
ALERT: EMERGENCY TELEPORTATION SYSTEM ACTIVATED
(screens of crowd shots as the text continues)
COUNTDOWN IN 5, 4, 3, 2,...
(Pocket D, with all characters being teleported....)
(... into one of the Midnight Squad Libraries.)
:NOTE: add general comments of confusion jokes. Insert some throwaway one-liners in any of the crowd scenes...
(-Careful with the clipping, bud.)
Who initiated the teleport? That's for emergency use o...
Sh: That'd be me.
(shot of shandora, standing on a sofa)
Sh: Heroes, Villains, we have a PROBLEM.
(gestures to the reading coffeetable, with a large titled text "ISSUE 13 DESIGN DOCUMENT." Some kind of blue paper lies under it)
S: I came in here to find THIS left out on the table.
C1: You teleported us over a low-grade security break?
C2: (Villain): Yeah. Just read it, exploit that knowledge in the markets, and shred the evidence. Problem solved.
C2: Oh, make a copy for me too. Almost forgot that part.
S: This is worse.
(Shot of her holding up the document, big bold letters say #1) DAY JOBS)
S: They're putting us to work!
add chaos jabber. within it, include
#"This has got to be a nemesis plot"
#(shot, from the back of the document "not a nemesis plot")
#Pretty sure it isn't.
Scenes with characters and thought bubbles picturing their worst fears: -
- A Classic-looking masked villain, but with what looks like an apron on working the hot dog stand.
- A robot sitting at a customer service desk, a long line of people in front of him, thinking (I need that cyborg pack's self destruct power.... NOW).
- (Something appropriately demeaning and costume-releated for Shandora.)
- hero entering Icon to see another in Really LOUD costume (rian? again?), Welcome to Icon, I'll be your designer..."
- villain laying on a medical gurney, with a weird catgirly (Russian_Blue) character. "Ok, so apparently I'm your doctor... today, so let's... ooo... that's a new shiny. Let's see what it does. " and fading off "do you know which is the anesthesi... ah, nevermind, you're a tough guy..."
- (work on more, take 3-4 of the best.)
-C10 in Faultline hottub with 2 bikini chicks, relaxing. he's smiling. Next frame, he's dressed to kill leaning against the Golden Roller, the bikini chicks posing nearby. As others are looking up at his bubbles he points up and explains "Game developer."
(Someone whispers into his ear.)
C10: No...
C10: No way...
(revamp of sitting in a cubicle with a chain on his ankle)
C3: (villain) #$@%, you could have waited until I had demorecord set up. The moment they lose hope are the moments I live for!
C10: Despair emote.
C11: Don't Say it... Don't say it.
C12: Doom?
(Everyone drops to their knees) DOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!
C3: (villain) #$@%, you guys did it again!
(Door opens, shot of feet coming in. New character walks past characters, picks up the dropped document, starts reading. Everyone else locked in the despair look, ignoring him)
Hmm... new job-related costumes, double xp, extra mission rewards, accolades with recharges, badges. Interesting. Mind if I take this? (Walks off with the doc).
Pause.
(Shots of a bunch of heads turning, watching him leave)
(Stampede after him)
-----------------------------------------------
The actual content topics would go here:
Intro (see above)
Day Jobs
Day Job Costumes
New PowerSets
Pain Domination
Shields
Shield Options
Epic Power Changes
PvP Changes
Multi-Builds
Leveling Pacts
Merit System
Base Changes
New Content
---------------------------------------------
(The wrapup:)
(the characters are leaving the library. A few stragglers remain)
C1: Ok, so the issue's called "power and responsibility." We get some cool powers, and in exchange we get some responsibilities. I can live with that.
C2:Yeah, but now that we're pitching in, isn't it about time our players lent a hand?
C3: Put our PLAYERS to work? Dude, my player earned every debt badge for me by level 11. That shouldn’t even be mathematically possible! Do you really want to trust someone like that with ANYTHING?!?!
(walking away)
C1: Yeah Put THEM to work? The devs would have to be nuts.
(Shot of them walking to the doors, the coffee table that started it all is in the foreground. Now clearly visible on the table where the I13 doc was, the blue paper now fully visible- a blueprint-design with Issue 14 (architect entertainment) clearly visible.
------------------------------------------
Final Note:
This wasn't my FIRST version of the intro: I was originally going to make the characters desparate for day jobs due to University tuition dues:
Page 1:
N: Paragon City and Aeon Universities.
N: Heroes and villains have used these halls of education to unlock the secret of inventions since Issue 9.
N: In Issue 12, a secret society on campus made ancient history a current event.
N: Hundreds of thousands of heroes and villains have walked through these doors.
N: Now, as Issue 13 nears.... the inevitable has occurred: (multiple balloon trails pointing into the building) Whaddaya mean tuition's due?
Page 2-ish through 4-ish
(Scene: Midnighter lounge area. Heroes and villains milling about, looking at papers they've received.)
1: I thought PCU waived hero tuition because of our community service.
2: ...maybe you need to do more than farm behemoths...
3: How'd Aeon U even find me? I used fake ID's!
4: Next time use something more creative than pig latin mister Ores-tay Ime-pray.
5: I blame the zones. Villains have fewer zones to hide in.
6: You want to hide? Do the Positron task force. Nobody thinks to look there. (Note: pick another painful TF, I already picked on posi's)
6: What is this "clubs and activities" fee... and why is it only payable in Roman denarii?
(ascendant in the corner, on the phone): Stan, whaddaya mean you "invested it all?" In WHAT?... COSTUME RECIPES? Are you serious? What the..."
5: How am I supposed to pay for this? Can you sell plasma through the auction house?
7: (new character walking in the room) Weird. Millions of "human blood samples" were just dumped onto the black market. Mutant blood samples too.
6: How many blood samples can one human give?
4: Villains have it easier. they don't use their OWN blood...
:Character sees a document discarded on the table entitled "Issue 13 Design Document" The bottom fold says "Feature 1: "Day Jobs"
Look of gloom over all the characters.
Page 3-ish through 5-ish Scenes with characters and thought bubbles picturing their worst fears: -
- A Classic-looking villain, but with an apron working the hot dog stand.
- A robot sitting at a customer service desk, a long line of people in front of him, thinking (I need that cyborg pack's self destruct power NOW) just about now.
- shandora as a meter maid (really short skirt) or showgirl in the golden giza
- hero imagining he walks in to Icon to see another hero in Really LOUD costume (rian?) is his new Icon fashion designer.
- hero A laying on a medical gurney, with scarry villain B standing sinisterly as his doctor.
- (work on more, take 3-4 of the best.) (** funny thought... but doesn't fit - character in Faultline hottub with 2 bikini chicks, relaxing. (the other characters look over at the bubble, confused? "game developer." he explains. **) (the look of all characters in a kind of stunned silence.)
3: Don't say it....
5: (meekly) Doom?
All: Grief DOOM!
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