Panel 1/Art: Interior of the office of psychiatrist Dr. Ramsey Morse. Dr. Morse is seated behind his desk. There is a small chair for patients right in front of Morse's desk and a small patients' couch against the wall. There are bookshelves and certificates lining the walls. The office door has a frosted glass window that reads, “Dr. Ramsey Morse, Psychiatry.” Of course, since we're inside the room, these words are backwards. Dr. Henry Pym's silhouette (in civilian attire) is visible through the frosted glass window. Dr. Morse has taken notice of the silhouette.
Dr. Morse: Come in, it's open.
Panel 2/Art: Dr. Morse is standing behind his desk shaking hands with Dr. Henry Pym. Pym looks as if he's on edge.
Dr. Morse: Were you waiting long? Dr. Pym, I presume?
Henry Pym: Uh--five minutes or so. Deciding whether to knock. Dr. Morse? The psychiatrist? Meaning--you can prescribe drugs?
Dr. Morse: That's right. And please, call me Ramsey.
Henry Pym: Good.
Panel 3/Art: Dr. Morse is seated comfortably behind his desk. Pym is just staring at the small couch and chair—trying to decide which to sit in.
Dr. Morse: Please have a seat.
PAGE TWO
Panel 1/Art: Dr. Morse is sitting forward in his chair. Pym is still staring at the small couch and chair.
Dr. Morse: Uh, Dr. Pym?
Henry Pym: Just trying to decide where to sit ...
Panel 2/Art: Pym is seated in the small chair. Morse and Pym are just staring at each other because Pym is obviously uncomfortable.
Panel 3/Art: Identical to last panel.
Panel 4/Art: Pym is standing.
Panel 5/Art: Pym is seated on the small couch.
Panel 6/Art: Close up on Dr. Morse.
Dr. Morse: Is this your first time in therapy?
Henry Pym: No. I'm currently seeing two other therapists.
Dr. Morse: Three therapists? Why?
PAGE THREE
Panel 1/Art: Henry Pym discussing his therapists.
Henry Pym: Well, let's see. Dr. Schecter was provided by the U.N. for Avengers members. I tell him what he wants to hear--which isn't much. Then there's Dr. Insell--I see him just in case the media or my wife become concerned.
Dr. Morse: What do you discuss?
Henry Pym: The media. My wife. Safe things. Just in case... That's why I came here. I needed a place that nobody knew about. A place to discuss my problem.
Panel 2/Art: Henry Pym is discussing his problem with the good doctor.
Dr. Morse: Go right ahead.
Henry Pym: You see, I've always been a bit of a perfectionist--it's been an asset. Gotten me where I am today. But with each new scientific achievement came the realization that I remained unfulfilled. Regardless of accolades and awards--I never felt that sense of distinction. Of real genius.
Panel 3/Art: Close up on Pym. Several overlaid montage images of Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four. In each image, Richards is using some ultra-high tech gadget or conducting some great scientific experiment.
Henry Pym: Reed Richards. There's a genius. A man who's left his mark. I'm afraid my admiration for the man has turned to bitter envy.
Panel 4/Art: A flashback. Interior of Dr. Pym's laboratory located at Avengers Mansion. Pym is installing a modification to Iron Man's armor.
Henry Pym (Caption #1): I've begun to race against my own ambition. Before I finish one project I'm on to the next. Indecisive. Taking unnecessary risks. Like when I volunteered to modify Iron Man's armor.
Panel 5/Art: A flashback. Iron Man is on a battlefield somewhere. He's defeated—on his knees, large streams of smoke rising from his armor.
Henry Pym (Caption #2): I designed and added a new hyper-threading processor which drastically over-heated Tony's suit during a recent battle and nearly killed him. Tony never asked for the new processor in the first place.
PAGE FOUR
Panel 1/Art: Dr. Morse is leaning back in his chair, absorbing what Hank just said.
Dr. Morse: Is Mr. Stark okay?
Panel 2/Art: Captain America and Henry Peter Gyrich are in war torn Iraq. They're standing beside an old building, recently commandeered by the U.S. Military. Soldiers mill in the back/foreground performing various tasks. They, and everything else in this country look run down and broken.
Henry Pym (Caption #1): Yeah, he's fine. But there are some people that you just don't want to disappoint, you know?
Henry Gyrich: Yes, Baghdad is one of the safest cities at the moment. The Saddam loyalists have lost their foot hold. The Pentagon assures me there's nothing to worry about.
Captain America: I'm not worried about my safety, Gyrich.
Panel 3/Art: Cap and Gyrich are walking down a street, escorted by U.S. Military police. A long wall of sandbags line the side walk.
Captain America: So, how many will be there?
Henry Gyrich: Three hundred plus.
Panel 4/Art: The buildings lining the street. They are deserted—the windows are mostly open. A U.S. soldier is crouched in the near foreground. He/she is holding a rifle, looking for possible snipers. A wall of sandbags provide his cover.
Captain America: Sniper hunting?
Henry Gyrich: Yes, there was an incident just yesterday. Apparently, someone found out we were coming. They killed the guy. A kid. We're taking every precaution.
Captain America (Thinking): Precaution my ass! These men don't even have the proper body armor, for God's sake! Those sandbags won't stop a determined marksman.
Panel 5/Art: Captain America, Gyrich and the M.P.'s have arrived at the gate of a fenced U.S. military base. On the base grounds we see a large tent and a large metallic vehicle hangar.
Captain America (Thinking): And these soldiers know it. Every last one of them. I've seen it in every face since I got here. They've lost hope. Hasn't been this bad since ... Can't think like that! They need our support not our pity!
Henry Gyrich: Here we are.
PAGE FIVE
Panel 1/Art: Inside the large tent. Backstage. Cap, Gyrich and a U.S. Army General are having a discussion. Both the General and Gyrich are all smiles. Cap ain't smiling. An M.P. is pulling back a large curtain. Light is shining from the other side.
The General: Captain, my men will never forget this day. You are a living legend.
Henry Gyrich: So Cap reminds me General. Every time he wants a raise.
The M.P: General, you're on.
Panel 2/Art: Captain America and several military officers are on a small stage in front of a large cheering military crowd. The soldiers are waving their hats, etc. A large sign reads, “USO WELCOMES CAPTAIN AMERICA!” Cap is all smiles in front of this crowd.
Random voices (The cheering crowd): Wooo! Awright! Go Cap!
Captain America (Thinking): These troops are out manned, inadequately trained and poorly armed. Half of them won't see twenty-two. But the show must go on. Because sometimes it's best to not know.
Panel 3/Art: Cap is standing offstage in a large crowd of soldiers. He's shaking hands with Jerome Richards, a youthful looking private.
Captain America: What's your name Private?
Private Richards: Jerome Richards, sir. It's an honor ...
Captain America: The honor is mine alone, son.
Panel 4/Art: Over Captain America's shoulder. Private Richards has pulled Cap close to himself. He looks as if he's hiding his own fear.
Private Richards (Whispering): Um, Sir ... you've got the inside word ... have we found the W.M.D.'s yet? Are we gonna go home?
Captain America: Son ...
Private Richards (Whispering): I-I've been thinkin' ... what if there are no weapons? What if there never were? What does that mean? Should we even be here?
Panel 5/Art: Close up on Cap. He has a reassuring look on his face.
Captain America (Caption #1): Go on Steve. Feed the kid the party line. Swallow that fire in your gut.
Captain America: Private, you have my word ... your President hasn't let you down.
Panel 6/Art: Late that night. Cap is walking the base grounds to clear his head. There is a large fence along the background.
Captain America (Thinking): Got to take a walk. Clear my head. Luckily, there's not an M.P. in the world that I can't slip past. But I can't get past that kid's face. He was terrified--that's nothing new. Neither were his questions. God knows I've had them. But he made a real point. Makes me wonder ...
PAGE SIX
Panel 1/Art: Cap notices a distant hangar on a remote fenced off area of the base. Several large unmarked trucks are approaching the hangar. Cap is looking through the fence.
Captain America (Thinking): ...Whom do I serve? America --
Panel 2/Art: Cap is looking through the fence with a small pair of collapsible binoculars.
Captain America (Thinking): --Or its government?
Panel 3/Art: Cap's P.O.V. through the binoculars. He sees an unmarked truck at the hangar entrance. There are some military brass, men in suits, and Henry Peter Gyrich standing outside.
Captain America (Thinking): Remote fenced off area. Isolated grounds. Unmarked trucks entering a hangar. And Gyrich there to greet them.
Panel 4/Art: Cap is outside the gated entrance of this remote fenced off area. Two armed M.P.'s are on post.
Captain America (Thinking): Some parties are made to be crashed.
Panel 5/Art: The two M.P.'s are telling Cap that he isn't authorized to enter that closed off section.
M.P. #1: Captain America?! How did you--? Hold it right there Sir!
Captain America: Son, I have special level one clearance on all military matters in these United States.
M.P. #2: Sir, with all due respect, this is not the United States. This is Iraq. Clearance denied. Kindly return to your assigned quarters.
Panel 6/Art: The next morning, Baghdad Airport. Captain America and Gyrich are boarding a jet.
Caption #1: The next morning, Baghdad Airport.
PAGE SEVEN
Panel 1/Art: Interior of the jet. Flying back to the States. Gyrich is on his cellphone but he's cutting his conversation short. He's giving Cap a guilty look as if to say, "I'm in so much trouble." Cap, for his part, looks pretty calm.
Henry Gyrich: 54% sir. Yes. I'm aware of that. Ha! You know she does! Ha-Ha! Chicken and watermelon!
Captain America: Gyrich, what was in those trucks?
Henry Gyrich: Ha-Ha-Hurmm? Excuse me?
Captain America: The trucks. Last night? The secret hangar? What was being delivered?
Henry Gyrich: (SFX: choke!) Sir? I've gotta go. (SFX: click!) Y-You saw that huh?
Panel 2/Art: A split panel. On one side we see Gyrich--nervous and looking guilty as hell. On the other, Cap--looking like he knows he's on to something.
Henry Gyrich: Ummmedical! Medical supplies. The base desperately needed medical supplies.
Captain America: Why would medical supplies be kept top secret?
Henry Gyrich: Hurmm. That's classified information. Furthermore, I'd say it's in your own best interest to forget you saw anything.
Panel 3/Art: Captain America's face is showing subdued anger.
Henry Gyrich: Need I remind you of your duties as a patriotic symbol?
Panel 4/Art: Interior of the Avengers' Mansion, in the training room. Hawkeye's P.O.V. We see his extended arm about to fire a bow and arrow at a distant circular practice target. Since Hawkeye is slowly losing his eyesight, the target looks blurry.
Henry Gyrich (Caption #1): We have to maintain our focus.
Hawkeye (Caption #2): I know he's watching me. Don't even have to look.
Panel 5/Art: Hawkeye is aiming his bow. He is squinting his eyes. The Mighty Thor is off to the side with his arms crossed. Having just worked out himself, Thor has a towel over his shoulder. He is obviously scrutinizing Hawkeye's performance. Tony Stark and Carol Danvers ( Warbird ) are working out together.
Hawkeye (Thinking): What right does Thor have to scrutinize my training performance?! Been watching me for weeks now. Every training session--every minor skirmish with a megalomaniacal super-villain. Hasn't said anything, though. Doesn't have to. Thor's eyes say it all. He thinks I'm getting old.
Panel 6/Art: A Close-up on Hawkeye's face. He's still aiming at the target, hiding his frustration. A bead of sweat on his cheek. Gritting his teeth.
Hawkeye (Thinking): Too bad he's right. My doctor told me about a month ago. Premature sight loss, incurable.
PAGE EIGHT
Panel 1/Art: Thor gives Hawkeye a patronizing glare.
Hawkeye (Thinking): My hearing's never been too good, but my eyesight?
Panel 2/Art: Hawkeye lets the arrow fly.
Panel 3/Art: It hits the target. Dead center bullseye.
Hawkeye (Thinking): My name is Hawkeye, for God's sake.
Panel 4/Art: Hawkeye is leaving the training room after his hard workout. He's carrying his quiver over his shoulder. Thor is still in the same spot as the previous panels--still staring at Hawkeye, arms crossed. Tony and Carol are still working out.
Hawkeye (Thinking): 'Course I haven't told anybody a damned thing. Would have asked our newest member for some cosmic salvation--
Panel 5/Art: Hawkeye pauses--looking to his left, down a long, dark hallway. There he sees The Silver Surfer, silent and creepy, floating on his board. The Surfer looks almost emotionless.
Hawkeye (Thinking):--but I don't exactly trust him anymore.
Panel 6/Art: The Silver Surfer's emotionless face glistens through the darkness. He is looking very aloof.
Hawkeye (Thinking): We're all old friends, but since joining the team he's become uncharacteristically silent and stays to himself. And he looks at us in a creepy way--almost like humans look at an insect. Like he's conducting some kind of experiment.
PAGE NINE
Panel 1/Art: Hawkeye continues on his way, back to his quarters.
Hawkeye (Thinking): Maybe no one else notices. Maybe I'm paranoid, getting too old. It really doesn't matter. Something's fishy ... and Namor ain't here.
Panel 2/Art: Late at night. A dark room. Hawkeye is logged on at the Avengers' mainframe computer. He types in the name "Silver Surfer" for a database search. He's alone in the room.
Caption #1: Later that night.
Hawkeye (Thinking): Let's see ... a quick United Nations database search on the Surfer might shed some light.
Panel 3/Art: The computer monitor. The search results are standard at best. A photo of the Surfer, a brief biography--nothing new.
Hawkeye (Thinking): Hmmm. A photo of the Surfer, a brief biography--nothing new.
Panel 4/Art: The computer monitor. Hawkeye has typed the word "alien" after "Silver Surfer."
Hawkeye (Thinking): What if I cross-reference the word "alien" with "Silver Surfer?" Since I can't use "creepy" or "shiny."
Panel 5/Art: Hawkeye is looking at the monitor with a surprised expression.
Hawkeye (Caption #1): The government had a top secret file concerning the Silver Surfer and abductions. It was a great step forward, but I couldn't access the file. Even Gyrich wouldn't have that kind of clearance.
Panel 6/Art: Daytime. Outside a modest home in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hawkeye is landing his sky-cycle.
Hawkeye (Caption #1): I decided to look in to all recent abduction cases within the continental U.S. I spoke with a woman named Apryl, the assistant of a Washington state resident -- a Mr. Stewart Acheron (NASA) about his missing son Gabriel. She said that her employer was out of town on business and directed me to a woman in New Orleans.
PAGE TEN
Panel 1/Art: Interior of the house. The living room. Hawkeye is speaking with Denise Waters, a young African-American mother of seven-year-old Ellie, who is drawing pictures on some sheets of paper.
Hawkeye (Caption #2): Denise Waters, ex-fortune teller, mother of seven-year-old Ellie ... an apparent victim of alien abduction.
Denise Waters: The police seem to think that Ellie was taken by an old boyfriend ...
Hawkeye: What do you think, Ms. Waters? What really happened here?
Denise Waters: Do you believe in a higher power?
Hawkeye: What does that have-- ?
Panel 2/Art: Hawkeye and Ms. Waters continue their conversation. Ellie is still drawing.
Denise Waters: --There are powers in this world that we should never question. There are spirits that ask of us. We must simply do what we're asked. Ellie and I encountered one of those powers.
Hawkeye (Caption #3): Mr. Acheron's assistant made me aware that Ms. Waters spent some time in a psychiatric hospital. The woman could just be crazy.
Denise Waters: Want some coffee?
Hawkeye: Yes, please.
Panel 3/Art: Ms. Waters is in the kitchen pouring coffee. Ellie and Hawkeye are still in the living room.
Denise Waters: Ellie, baby--what do you want?
Ellie: Coffee!
Denise Waters: You'll have juice ...
Hawkeye: I've noticed that Ellie loves to draw.
Panel 4/Art: Back in the living room, Hawkeye looks in to an open closet. There's a shoe box full of Ellie's old drawings.
Denise Waters: Right! Where's my head? Check the closet. There's a shoe box full of her old drawings.
Panel 5/Art: Ms. Waters is still in the kitchen--stirring the coffee.
Denise Waters: She's an excellent artist ... though I don't think she got the eyes quite right. See how big they are? Mister--uh--Hawkeye? Did you--?
Panel 6/Art: Ms. Waters peeks in to the living room. Hawkeye is gone. Most of the shoe box's contents are scattered all over the floor. The contents consist of Ellie's sketches of her alien abductor. Aside from the overly enlarged eyes, the alien looks just like the Silver Surfer. Ellie is sitting on the sofa. ( Note: Hawkeye took some of the alien drawings with him.)
Denise Waters: --hear--?
PAGE ELEVEN
Panel 1/Art: A Close-up of one of Ellie's alien drawings. Again, except for the big eyes, it looks like Silver Surfer. It looks rather sinister.
Panel 2/Art: Night in New York City's Central Park. The Mighty Thor is purchasing a hot dog from a vendor. There is an extremely large patch of shrubbery and bushes behind Thor.
Caption #1: New York City's Central Park.
Thor: Ahh. The Gods deny themselves when they forsake such Earthly pleasures. One hot dog please. Plenty of sauerkraut.
Panel 3/Art: Thor is stuffing the hot dog in his mouth while his attention has turned to the voice coming from the thick thorny bushes behind him.
Voice (Weak and Strained): Ohhhhhh. Help me. Someone.
Thor: What? A troubled voice? Coming from the thorny brush?
Panel 4/Art: Thor is gently working his way through the extremely large and thorny bushes.
Thor: This thorny weed seems to have no end. 'Twould be the shortest of work for the dreaded Mjolnir but I must go through gently--for fear of harming the person I seek.
Panel 5/Art: An old woman's frail hand reaches for Thor through the thorny brush. She is dressed in a long, black, hooded cloak. Her face is partially obscured by the hood.
PAGE TWELVE
Panel 1/Art: Thor has freed the old woman from the bushes and brought her in to a clearing.
Thor: I hope I did not frighten you, old woman. Art thou well?
Panel 2/Art: A Close up on the old woman. Her head is covered by a black hood and her eyes are obscured by shadow. She is not responding to Thor's question, just staring at him.
Panel 3/Art: Thor looks confused. He thought he heard the woman speak.
Thor: My apologies ... though I thought I heard a voice ... it appears that you are mute. Please be more careful.
Panel 4/Art: With a wave of his hand, Thor has turned to leave.
Thor: Many ruffians frequent this park at nightfall.
Old Woman (in a scratching, wretched voice): Thank you, kettle vendor.
Panel 5/Art: Shocked and impressed, Thor turns to face the old woman.
Thor (Thinking): Kettle Vendor! That is an old name given to me by the true norsemen of antiquity. Few know it in this forgetful time, save scholars ... and gods.
Thor: What do you know of Norse myth?!
Old Woman: Myth? I know what is myth and what is not. I know of Asgard and the Rainbow Bridge. I know of the Valkyries and Odin's honoured dead.
Panel 6/Art: The old woman speaking.
Old Woman: And I know of Ragnarok. I read the signs.
Thor: Speak your mind, woman.
Old Woman: Ready yourself, Kettle Vendor. As prophesied the dreaded world serpent Jormungand rests in his watery prison. But unlike the prophecy – and this is most interesting – you will not fall before him.
PAGE THIRTEEN
Panel 1/Art: A Close-up on Thor's horrified face.
Old Woman: You will die a coward's death.
Panel 2/Art: Upon hearing this, Thor goes bananas. He holds Mjolnir to the sky and brings forth a terrible storm.(SFX: KRRAAAAK! SSHHHHOOOOSSHHH!) The old woman is still calmly standing in the same spot.
Thor: Lies! Lies! My death was promised from the dawn of time! I will fall when this world falls! An honoured death! Speak truth, woman, art thou Loki in disguise?!
Old Woman: Nay, Kettle Vendor. I am merely what you see. I bear witness to the lie that is your glory. Your legend is false. You will enter the next world on your knees.
Panel 3/Art: Thor uproots trees, scares civilians, etc. (SFX <uprooted trees: KRRRPOP! POP! POP! BBBRRRRAAACKK!) (SFX <random civilians>: Oh my--! --Gone insane--! AAAH!)
Panel 4/Art: He walks right up to the woman face to face. He's fuming. She's calm.
Old Woman: Do not accept my word as truth. Follow the signs. The first will come as a crisis of faith. A man shall betray his name.
Panel 5/Art: Just then an Avengers' alert sounds from Thor's belt (or whatever).
Panel 6/Art: Thor turns away and answers.
Thor: I am on my way. (SFX: click.) Now, woman, tell me again--
PAGE FOURTEEN
Panel 1/Art: He turns to face the old woman. She is gone. Disappeared.
Thor (Thinking): Gone!
Panel 2/Art: Interior of Avengers mansion. Hawkeye has entered Captain America's quarters. Captain America is seated, fixated on a CNN report. They're doing a report on Iraq. CNN is reporting that possible WMD's have been found in Iraq. The war has apparently been justified.
Captain America (Caption #1): Sometimes it's best to not know. And with the passage of time, anything can be denied or outright forgotten.
CNN Reporter: --Iraqi desert. With these recent developments have arisen new international controversy. World leaders are wary of any reports of recovered W.M.D.'s. France, Germany and Japan have become the first to publicly demand that the United States provide proof of the legitimacy of this claim.
Hawkeye: Listen Cap, can we talk? Cap?
Panel 3/Art: Hawkeye is sitting next to Cap. On the television are images of U.S. soldiers digging up buried weapons in Iraq.
CNN Reporter: This, of course, goes hand-in-hand with the widespread suspicion that the U.S. actually planted the weapons--thereby providing justification for the war.
Hawkeye: This is some Bull$#@. We don't do that kind thing. Never have, never will.
Captain America: What did you want to talk about Clint?
Hawkeye: It's about the Surfer ...
Panel 4/Art: Hawkeye is talking to Cap about the Surfer.
Hawkeye: He's been acting strange ... I don't trust him.
Captain America: Clint ... You're sounding paranoid.
Hawkeye: There's mor--
Captain America: Trust me Clint. Trust my judgement. Trust has gotten The Avengers this far. It'll take us home.
Hawkeye: I-I guess you're right. Trust is important.
Panel 5/Art: Cap is angrily storming out of the room. Hawkeye hasn't noticed Cap's anger. He is fixated on the television.
Captain America: Damn straight.
PAGE FIFTEEN
Panel 1/Art: Cap bursts in to Gyrich's quarters. He looks furious. Gyrich looks scared.
Panel 2/Art: Close up on Cap's enraged face. It's a cold rage, however. He isn't yelling or screaming. He can read the guilt on Gyrich's face. An Avengers' alert has sounded. Red siren lights fill the room.
SFX (The Avengers Alert): BRRRRREEEEEOOOOOBRRREEEEEOOOO!
Panel 3/Art: Close up on Gyrich's guilty face. He looks as if his heart has just dropped to his shoes. Red light bathes the room.
Dr. Morse (Caption #1): So what happened next?
Panel 4/Art: Back in the office of Dr. Ramsey Morse. We're facing Dr. Morse who is still seated behind his desk. Pym is off panel.
Henry Pym: Well, I apologized to Tony and offered to remove the new processor.
Dr. Morse: Was Mr. Stark satisfied with your apology?
Henry Pym: Uh ... no. No, at that moment I'd say he was more disconcerted than satisfied.
Dr. Morse: Oh. Why so?
Panel 5/Art: A flashback. Tony Stark has entered Dr. Pym's lab. He is holding the damaged Iron Man suit. Dr. Pym is working on an experiment with his back to the door. We don't see his face or any bare skin.
Panel 6/Art: Still in flashback. Dr. Pym has turned around to reveal that his skin has taken on the appearance of a brick wall. It's his camouflage experiment gone haywire. He's smiling like nothing is wrong. Tony Stark is taken aback.
Henry Pym (Caption #2): I'd done some research in to natural camouflage--chameleons and such. Tried to mimic the effect on a human subject. Got a little out of hand.
PAGE SIXTEEN
Panel 1/Art: Back in Dr. Morse's office. Henry Pym is still seated on the small couch. His skin has taken on the appearance of a tree--complete with leaves and branch growing from his head.
Dr. Morse: That explains a lot. Go on.
Panel 2/Art: Another flashback. Pym is in his lab, working alone on the damaged Iron Man suit.
Henry Pym (Caption #1): I told him three days. The armor took a week. I just had to get that processor running, right? To make up for my previous mistake, I added several unrequested modifications. A liquid cooling system for the main processor. A snare beam option to his repulsor ray mechanism. I also amplified the rocket boosters tenfold to make it easier to rocket in to low earth orbit.
Panel 3/Art: Still in flashback. Dr. Pym is in his lab giving Tony Stark a quick run through of the Iron Man armor's modifications. Stark has most of the armor on already. The Avengers alarm's red siren lights fill the lab.
SFX (The Avengers Alert): BRRRRREEEEEOOOOOBRRREEEEEOOOO!
Henry Pym (Caption #2): I was nearly finished when an Avengers' alarm sounded. I had to give Tony a quick run through of the modifications. Because he hadn't asked for any of this. He couldn't even recognize his controls' interface anymore. And with no time to learn the new controls he was off to battle. I assured him that the controls were still largely intuitive and that there was nothing to worry about. I was pleased with myself.
Panel 4/Art: Flashback. Washington D.C. A city block has been reduced to jagged rubble. Three classic Avengers' super-villains, Graviton, Whirlwind, and The Wrecker have dug an enormous hole in the asphalt to pull a device right out of an underground government lab. The Wrecker is pulling the device from the hole. The device is in a large crate. The Avengers, (Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Henry Pym, Wasp, Warbird, Iron Man and Silver Surfer), have arrived. Average citizens are running for dear life.
Caption #3: Washington D.C.
Dr. Morse (Caption #4): What was the emergency?
Henry Pym (Caption #5): Oh--Graviton, Whirlwind and The Wrecker had taken it upon themselves to steal some top secret military hardware. God knows what they had planned for it.
Dr. Morse (Caption #6): Wrecker. Wrecker. Wasn't he the one with the enchanted staff?
Henry Pym (Caption #7): A crowbar. It's an enchanted crowbar.
PAGE SEVENTEEN
Panel 1/Art: The team disburses. Captain America is shouting out orders to the team. Warbird rushes the Wrecker. Thor and Hawkeye follow her.
Dr. Morse (Caption #1): Right. Were the Avengers successful?
Captain America: Warbird, Hawkeye, Thor--handle the Wrecker!
Warbird: My pleasure!
Thor: Onward!
Hawkeye: Rick James, B*#@%!
Panel 2/Art: Iron Man and Henry Pym are pushing through the high velocity cyclone surrounding Whirlwind.
Captain America: Iron Man, Hank--subdue the Whirlwind!
Iron Man: We've got him, Cap!
Iron Man (Thinking): If we can get through this blasted cyclone! Wait, Hank said something about a snare beam...
Panel 3/Art: Silver Surfer is handling injured citizens.
Captain America: Surfer! Crowd control!
Panel 4/Art: The Wrecker knocks out Warbird with his crowbar as Thor and Hawkeye run to her aid.
Warbird: Ugggh!
Panel 5/Art: Thor has his hammer raised as he approaches The Wrecker. Behind him is Hawkeye, pulling an arrow from his quiver.
Hawkeye: Now play nice, big boy! We wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of all these people!
PAGE EIGHTEEN
Panel 1/Art: Captain America and the Wasp are fighting Graviton while dodging his gravity blasts.
Wasp: Cap! Keep clear of his gravity blasts!
Captain America: Thanks for the heads up Wasp!
Panel 2/Art: Close up on Graviton's face.
Graviton: Stay out of this matter Avenger! It's none of your concern!
Panel 3/Art: Cap drives his shield up between Graviton's arms--striking him on the chin--as Wasp blasts him in the face with an energy beam.
Captain America: You've just made it our business, mister!
Henry Pym (Caption #1): Were we successful? Well, yes--
Panel 4/Art: Henry Pym's skin has taken on the appearance of street asphalt--complete with yellow street line running down his face. He's trying to help Iron Man, who is in big trouble. His snare beams (from his palms) are unintentionally flailing civilians and objects around like rag dolls. Plumes of smoke billow from his rocket boosters. His helmet is filled almost up to his eyes in liquid coolant. Average citizens are running for dear life.
Henry Pym (Caption #2): --and no. The overall battlefield performance was a total disaster. Iron Man couldn't control his snare beam which latched on to everything around him. His rockets kept misfiring. His liquid cooling system burst. His snare beam was unintentionally flailing people and objects around like rag dolls.
Panel 5/Art: A close-up on Iron Man's eyes. His helmet is filling with liquid coolant. A drowning man's eyes.
Henry Pym (Caption #3): Ever see a man drown in liquid coolant?
PAGE NINETEEN
Panel 1/Art: Thor knocks the hell out of the Wrecker. Hawkeye looks on.
Thor: Hawkeye, seest thou the blow with which I topple this burly oaf?!
Hawkeye: Damn straight I do!
Thor (Whispers): A coward indeed! What a humor!
Panel 2/Art: Thor is shouting, pointing to a couple of injured civilians, hiding below a large, electrified, lop-sided radio tower with a broken steel support beam. The tower still has an unbroken support beam but it's about to give.
Thor: That steel support is about to give. Hawkeye, a trick arrow to fuse the steel!
Panel 3/Art: A close up on the injured civilians, hiding below the tower.
Panel 4/Art: Hawkeye is aiming his bow and arrow in the tower's direction. (Note: The tower has a large steel spike at its zenith.)
Hawkeye: Already on it!
Panel 5/Art: Hawkeye fires his trick arrow and misses the broken beam! Instead, it hits the unbroken beam, instantly breaking it!
PAGE TWENTY
Panel 1/Art: As the tower collapses, Thor races to the aid of the civilians.
Thor: Blind fool!
Panel 2/Art: The tower and its large, electrified spike are falling straight down to Thor, who is protecting the screaming civilians with his body.
SFX (Civilians): AAAAAAAHHHH!!
Panel 3/Art: The Silver Surfer levitates the tower in mid-fall using a cosmic beam from his hand. He makes it look effortless. Hawkeye looks on in awe.
Panel 4/Art: The civilians run away as Thor glares at Hawkeye. Silver Surfer is in the background, pulling apart the tower with his cosmic beam. He's going to use the strips of steel to capture the three villains.
Thor: I'll not be robbed of my destiny on this battlefield! The spectre of age has bitten thine heels! I see it e'en if others don't!
Hawkeye (Thinking): He makes it look so easy.
Panel 5/Art: Silver Surfer uses the steel strips to capture Whirlwind.
Hawkeye (Thinking): The alien.
PAGE TWENTY-ONE
Panel 1/Art: Silver Surfer uses the steel strips to capture the now injured Graviton.
Hawkeye (Thinking): Like wiping dust from a table.
Panel 2/Art: Silver Surfer uses the steel strips to capture the now unconscious Wrecker.
Hawkeye (Thinking): Shuffling a deck of cards. Maybe you're right, Cap. Maybe trust got us this far.
Panel 3/Art: Some days later Captain America is on a live CNN interview with reporter Denver North. Cap looks uneasy.
Hawkeye (Caption #1): But the truth will free us.
Caption #2: Some days later.
Captain America (Caption #3): Whom do I serve?
Denver North: Captain America, in these controversial times--is it difficult to wholeheartedly
support U.S. foreign policy?
Captain America: That depends on the policy, Denver.
Captain America (Caption #4): America or its government?
Panel 4/Art: Just off camera is Gyrich, hugging a clipboard, hanging on Cap's every word.
Captain America (Caption #5): Because they're not the same thing.
Denver North: Ha, ha--funny. Seriously, what about the presidential candidates? Both the Kerry and Bush campaigns have applauded the recovery of W.M.D.'s and denied rumors of planted weapons. Do you wish to comment?
Panel 5/Art: Cap's head and eyes have lowered.
PAGE TWENTY-TWO
Panel 1/Art: Identical to previous panel.
Denver North: Captain?
Panel 2/Art: Gyrich is looking rather aghast offstage.
Panel 3/Art: Cap is still looking down.
Captain America: Comment? To the candidates ... I have only this to say.
Captain America (Caption #1): Whom do I serve? Sometimes it's best to not know.
Panel 4/Art: Interior of Avenger's Mansion. Close up on the television, which is on CNN. Cap is staring directly in to the television camera. His furious eyes leave an indelible mark on our nation's soul.
Captain America: I-I don't believe you. Either of you. You've lied to your nation. You've lied to the world. And-And I will prove it. I owe that to my fallen brothers. God help those that stand in my way.
Captain America (Caption #2): But what you don't know may kill you.
Panel 5/Art: A panoramic panel. The Avengers are watching CNN. From left to right we have the reactions of Wasp, Henry Pym, Hawkeye, Warbird, Silver Surfer, Iron Man, and Thor. Everyone looks shocked except Silver Surfer (who looks completely emotionless) and Thor (who looks like a man who's read his own tombstone.)
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