made him one a’ their YVORs.
MINK: Why vee oh WHAT?
THROWBACK: Young Villains on the Rise.
ANTHONY THOUGHT-CAPTION: I swear to god, has this whole country gone crazy while I was overseas?
DOLLY: Little boys and their toys.
THROWBACK: Hey, I ain’t playin’ — I take this stuff seriously. This is research.
ANTHONY: That ain’t research. That’s self-abuse.
PAGE 15
PANEL ONE (SMALL): The MEN are getting out of an INDUSTRIAL ELEVATOR. THROWBACK (wearing a NEW) is looking REPROACHFULLY at ANTHONY.
THROWBACK:…But you didn’t have to do me like that in front of the ladies. That was cold.
PANEL TWO (BIG): They are in the midst of a HUGE INDUSTRIAL AREA with LOTS OF BRANCHES, CORRIDORS, WEIRD EQUIPMENT, ETC. This could be
our chance to see a lot of OTHER “STUDENTS” like TOXIN, some TEACHERS, ETC.
THROWBACK (Cont.): Man, how are you supposed to find ANYTHING around here?
ANTHONY: They said the weapon shop was on level 5. We’re on level 5. Follow the blue line. I’m relying on you — I can’t even SEE color with these things on.
PAGE 16
PANEL ONE: THROWBACK is INTERESTED, in a fan-boy way.
THROWBACK: So, what’s your trip? I mean, like, your powers?
ANTHONY: I see into the infra-red and ultra-violet. And I can do some other stuff.
THROWBACK: Oh, kind of like Pipistrel, huh? That bat-chick? You a mutant, too?
PANEL TWO: THROWBACK sees TIME MASTER/MASTER TIME, who is pushing past COLDBLOODED — THROWBACK’S EYES WIDEN. He’s STOPPED LISTENING.
ANTHONY: No. I got my powers the old-fashioned way.
ANTHONY (Cont., quietly): Shot in the back by my best friend, then shoved into a vat of active nanobuilders…
TIME MASTER: No! Don’t go! They’re waiting for you — they know!
COLDBLOODED: Look out, you crazy mother…!
PANEL THREE: TIME MASTER STOPS right in front of ANTHONY, GRABS his LAPELS (or the equivalent.) ANTHONY is TAKEN ABACK.
TIME MASTER: Don’t you understand? They’re way ahead of you — HE’S way ahead of you.
ANTHONY: What the hell are you saying?
PANEL FOUR: TIME MASTER STUMBLES AWAY, leaving ANTHONY shaken.
TIME MASTER: Well…then you better take sun block. And plenty of it.
ANTHONY: What was THAT about?
THROWBACK: I don’t know, but, dude, that was Time Master! He fought everyone! He’s the guy that dropped that dinosaur into the Tonight Show! Ate like a hundred people before Regent showed up and knocked it out! A T- Rex!
SNAIL: S-s-special effects.
PANEL FIVE: THROWBACK pissed — SNAIL looking ASHAMED.
THROWBACK: No way! It was real! From, like, TIME.
SNAIL: Sorry. I can’t help it. I just…say things. They rhyme, sometimes.
COLDBLOODED: What, you trying to be a rapper?
PANEL SIX: ANTHONY has found a DOOR, MARKED “ARMORY”
SNAIL: No, it’s a s-syndrome. I’ve got a…a syndrome.
COLDBLOODED: So do I. It’s called “I’m sick of hearin’ your retarded ass.”
ANTHONY: I think I found the place.
PAGE 17
PANEL ONE: IN THE WEAPONS SHOP with FLAK, a middle-aged black man in a functional BATTLE-SUIT. He looks like he might have been a top-sergeant in the military — very short gray-flecked military cut, no facial hair. He has an unlit cigar in his mouth at almost all times. He’s addressing COLDBLOODED and THROWBACK.
FLAK: You two I got no use for.
THROWBACK: Why? What do you mean?
PANEL TWO: FLAK frowns at THROWBACK.
FLAK: ‘Cause you ain’t got no weapons, stupid.
THROWBACK: You could give us some.
PANEL THREE: FLAK STARES at THROWBACK.
PANEL FOUR: FLAK to THROWBACK.
FLAK: Boy, you have no idea of the countless ways in which I could permanently fuck you up. It’s only because you haven’t yet earned back a single penny for this facility that I’m gonna refrain from ripping off your nutsack right this moment. Go on. You boys get the hell out of here.
PANEL FIVE: FLAK TURNS to ANTHONY and SNAIL. Behind him, THROWBACK and COLDBLOODED are heading briskly for the exit.
FLAK: As for you two, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do for you…
FLAK (Cont.): Special Forces Paladin-class defensive suit. Doesn’t need much but routine maintenance. Stolen?
ANTHONY: Not exactly. Put it this way — I was wearing it when I left. You’ve seen one of these before?
PANEL SIX: FLAK turns to SNAIL.
FLAK: Seen it? Pretty much designed it. And how about YOU, son? That’s an interesting suit you got there. Looks like it’s made of old car parts. Where’d you steal it?
SNAIL: I didn’t. I…I made it.
FLAK: Oh, really? All by your little old self? Where?
SNAIL (Cont.): In shop class.
PANEL SEVEN: FLAK raises an eyebrow.
FLAK: Well, boy, if that’s true, you and I may have a few things to talk about after all…
PAGE 18
PANEL ONE: IN THE COSTUME SHOP, with SAILOR AND OCHO. MINK and DOLLY are just leaving as HEATSEEKER and SNAIL come in. THROWBACK is having a fitting while COLDBLOODED struggles with HOMOPHOBIC PANIC.
SAILOR: Now, when you meet him, ladies, you remember what I told you! I know he’s DELICIOUS — but stay away. He’s got that name for a reason!
SAILOR (Cont.): Oh, look, more BOYS! What was it the Coast Goddess use to say? “Ten men waiting for me? Send one home — I’m tired tonight.”
PANEL TWO: TALKING and WORKING around the COSTUMING TABLE while THROWBACK stands on a LOW STOOL.
SAILOR: Come on in. I’m Sailor. I used to work her, you know — you’ve heard of her, right, Coast Goddess, she had the floating palace, always threatening to shoot Polaris missiles at public buildings? Was SHE Miss Stampy-Crampy most of the time — oh my GOD. That woman just had her bitch on TWENTY-FOUR SEVEN. But the food was pretty good.
SAILOR (Cont.): My handsome Ocho was muscle for Eightball ‘til he got taken down by Twilight Man and all the Eights got laid off. We met at one of the Sultan’s cattle calls. It was the Sultan, wasn’t it? Or was it one of the Crimson Conjuror’s?
Ocho: Yeah, Sultan. What’s this coat thing?
