I Believe In Heroes

By Caleb Gillen

PAGE ONE.

PANEL 1. Close-up on a young boy’s hand, grasping a plastic superhero toy. The toy looks similar to tokusatsu heroes like Kamen Rider and Ultraman.

CAPTION: I believe in heroes. Call it immature, call it naïve, call it whatever you want. It’s the truth.

PANEL 2. The panel’s angle is from the back of the boy’s head. A young child around the age of eight, ELIJAH SHORMAN, watches a superhero show called SUPER FORCE FIVE, a Power Rangers-style team show.

CAPTION: When I was a kid, I wanted more than anything for superheroes to be real. I wanted to fight evil and always save the day at the end of the episode.

PANEL 3. Elijah Shorman, around the same age as the last panel, plays with action figures and a playset of the Super Force Five.

CAPTION: I didn’t think for a moment that a world with superheroes could be a bad thing.

PANEL 4. Elijah, a few years older than in the last couple panels, sits and watches TV, on a similar angle as PANEL 2. On the TV, a young DR. CRYSALIS is on a talk show.

CAPTION: Lo and behold, my wish came true. Superpowers, through a serum developed by a man named Dr. Crysalis, became a reality… for a steep price.

PANEL 5. Close-up on an arm being injected with “the Serum”. The Serum is a lime green-colored liquid that’s injected via syringe.

CAPTION: For those with the money for powers, reality became a playground. There was no way to reverse the powers and so the police became intimidated by those with abilities. Dr. Crysalis disappeared overnight. While the Serum went out of production, there were soon plenty of black market reproductions.

PAGE TWO.

PANEL 1. A small expository panel, showing the outside of an alley in the middle of the city.

PANEL 2. Jonah, present day, is pinned against a wall by a large man, his face bruised and bleeding and the rest of his body is not in the finest shape, either. There isn’t a clear shot in this panel of the man pinning him down, MEAT, as we see him from the back and the focus is on Jonah’s mangled state. However, we can clearly see that he’s white and bald.

MEAT: Smooth move, Punching Bag. You’ve screwed me over again.

CAPTION: The dude looking like he’s taken a few rounds with Mike Tyson is me. Real name’s Elijah Shorman, not Punching Bag.

PANEL 3. We get a look at Meat through Elijah’s viewpoint. He’s a ridiculously built weight-lifter with a not-too-pretty face. His clothing is a little ripped up.

MEAT: .You goddamn moron. I just can’t stand folks like you, Punching Bag. Whenever I see you I just have an irresistible itch…

CAPTION: I call this guy Meat. Powers: Super Strength, Roid Rage.

PANEL 4. The panel is taken up by a full shot of Jonah’s head, from his chin to the top of his head. Jonah is punched in the face by Meat in this panel, making a small spurt of blood erupt from his mouth.

MEAT (Off-Panel): … to put you in your place.

PANEL 5. The panel’s angle comes in from the side, to the left of the panel Jonah is leaning against the alleyway walls. Meat is in the center of the panel, showing his back to the reader as he walks away.

MEAT: If I see you again, you’re dead.

PAGE THREE.

PANEL 1. The panel gets a full head-to-toe look at Jonah, as he attempts to move from the wall. He first tries to move his arm and leg forward.

SFX: CRACK!

ELIJAH: Ow-!

PANEL 2. The panel’s viewpoint is from the side of Elijah as we see him fall down onto the cement floor, face forward. It’s very clearly early evening, as there’s an orange glow coming from the sky, indicating sundown.

ELIJAH: Urgh- Can’t… move.

PANEL 3. Using the same angle as Panel 2, we see Elijah face-down and asleep, as it’s very clearly night. A shadowy figure is in the background, looking over Elijah.

PANEL 4. Close-up on the face of the shadowy figure, MARTA. The bottom half of her face is obscured by shadow while the top half is clearly visible.

MARTA: Idiot.

PAGE FOUR.

PANEL 1. A small, wide panel only showing Elijah’s closed pair of eyes.

PANEL 2. The same eyes open, and as if zooming out of a shot on a film, the panel opens up to see more of Elijah. Elijah is lying on a hospital bed, his arm connected to an IV and in hospital garments. His face is covered in bandages and bruises, and the rest of his body is covered by blanket. In bed with him is the same action figure from Page 1.

MARTA (Off-Panel): Rise and shine, moron.

PANEL 3. Elijah sits up, as angle turns, with him looking toward Marta in the foreground. Marta is the focus of the panel, as she sits in a seat close to his bed.

MARTA: I can’t keep on doing this, you know. Your mistakes are yours: I shouldn’t have to clean up after your messes.

CAPTION: Marta Lorne. Best Friend, Rescuer when I get my ass kicked, and occasionally a pain in the ass.

MARTA: I understand what you’re trying to do, but you’re going to kill yourself one of these days and then I won’t be bringing you to the hospital, I’ll be bringing you to the morgue.

PANEL 4. Small, in-set square panel of Elijah’s head. Elijah laughs.

ELIJAH: Well, you’d still be bringing me to the hospital. That’s not how things work-

PAGE FIVE.

PANEL 1. The panel is of Marta from the waist-up, as she stands up and crosses her arms. Marta is clearly frustrated with Elijah, but simply sighs.

MARTA: Don’t be a smart-ass, Elijah. You know that doesn’t gel with me.

PANEL 2. We only see Elijah’s face, as he sweats under Marta’s pressure, a nervous smile creeping on his face.

ELIJAH: Sorry. Thanks, Marta.

PANEL 3. Marta sits down in a plastic and sips a can of generic cola from a straw, crossing her legs as she does so. In the panel we see her full figure, showing off an annoyed body language.

MARTA: I can’t keep on doing this, Elijah. You come out worse and worse from these fights and one of these days I’m not gonna come back for you.

PANEL 4. Elijah sits up, cupping his face in his left hand, his elbow on a bedside table, a bored expression coming on to his face.

ELIJAH: We go through this every time you grab me, man. I’m sick of this conversation- I have to do this.

PANEL 5. Marta screams out, the panel focusing on her face. She’s gone from annoyed to angry.

MARTA: Why?! So you can fulfill some childhood fantasy? Are you sure you want to risk your damn life on that? You’re too wea-

PANEL 6. A small-in-set panel to Panel 7. Elijah’s fist pounds onto the table.

SFX: BAM!

PANEL 7. Elijah is furious as well, his fist still on the table. He, from the waist-up, is in the center of the panel.

ELIJAH: I know I’m weak, but it’s what I have to do. It’s the only way I can close my eyes at night-

PAGE SIX.

PANEL 1. A small panel, close-up on the left side of Marta’s face. Her eye quivers and tears up, but she fights it back.

PANEL 2. Marta is at the door, looking back at Elijah. The panel is seen from Marta’s back, as she

grabs the knob of the door.

MARTA: Fine. But the next time you’re in the gutter, I won’t be there to save you.

Have a nice life.

PANEL 3. A small, inset panel. The door slams as it closes.

SFX: SLAM!

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PAGE SEVEN.

PANEL 1. Elijah, bandaged and carrying a wooden bat, walks the city streets, passing by brick building after brick building. The panel is from the side, resting the bat on his shoulder as he walks.

CAPTION: The next day…

CAPTION: Marta is right, I’m weak. I’ve known that for a long time, but at the same time…

PANEL 2. Close-up on Elijah’s pocket, where the action figure peeks out.

CAPTION: I can’t help feeling like it’s my responsibility to do this. I can’t help the need to want to change things, even a little at a time…

PANEL 3. The panel focuses on Eljah’s head, as his expression clearly shows him deep in though.

CAPTION: I also can’t help that I don’t have the strength to change things the way I wish I could…

PANEL 4. Elijah’s head darts back as the panel widens up, as Elijah looks ready to act. The panel’s angle sees Elijah facing forward as he turns to face his challenge.

DR. CRYSALIS (Off-Panel): HELP!

CAPTION: …Yet, stubborn as I am, I can’t help but to keep on trying.

PAGE EIGHT.

PANEL 1. The angle is from above, but not directly. We see five copies of the same man, RABBIT, a greasy-looking white guy in a gray hoodie and a five o’clock shadow, surround DR. CRYSALIS with mean looks on everyone’s faces. All of them stand in a near-empty parking lot.

PANEL 2. The panel seems to close up on one of the copies of RABBIT, as a wooden bat connects with the back of his skull. The copy of RABBIT looks surprised as a bit of blood comes out of his gaping mouth.

SFX: CRACK!

PANEL 3. Elijah stands victorious with a bat in hand, standing over a cloud of strange purple smoke and sparks of light. We get a full body view of him as the clone evaporates, grinning.

ELIJAH: If I were you, sir, I would get the hell out of here.

PANEL 4. Several clones jump forward in the foreground, seemingly towards the reader, but in Elijah’s first person perspective. Dr. Crysalis, in the background, runs away in the confusion.

PAGE NINE.

PANEL 1. The bat connects to a single clone in the face, ass we see from the side of the clone.

ELIJAH: I call this guy Rabbit, because he multiplies. You’d think he’d have some kind of super speed, but my nicknames are disappointing.

PANEL 2. Elijah’s bat connects with several clones at once into a single swing. We see this in a wider shot than the first, seeing Elijah in motion through after-images.

PANEL 3. Elijah’s back is to the panel’s angle, as in the background he sees the strange purple smoke billow from the clones he’s destroyed. However, at his back several hands grab his arms…

PANEL 4. Multiple clones of Rabbit grab a stunned Elijah, stopping any motion from possibly happening. We get a wider angle in order to get a full look at all the clones on Elijah.

PANEL 5. We get a look at Rabbit from the waist-up, cracking his knuckles as he grins wildly.

RABBIT: Too easy, Punching Bag.

PAGE TEN.

PANEL 1. Several fists collide with Elijah’s chest at the same time, the panel focusing on the collision between the two, centering in on the chest.

SFX: OOF!

PANEL 2. The panel is on Elijah’s face. Elijah’s eyes are unclear, as he spits out a large amount of saliva.

PANEL 3. Three fists hit Elijah’s face at the same time, the panel widening out to illustrate the impact.

SFX: CRACK!

PANEL 4. We get an over-head view of Elijah, hitting the floor. He looks completely exhausted as around him, the clones look over. Elijah is clearly dazed.

PANEL 5. The panel only shows Elijah’s eyes, closed.

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PAGE ELEVEN.

PANEL 1. Elijah’s eyes open. The panel is a wider shot, showing the same hospital room as before, but bandaged even more than last time. Elijah lays in a hospital bed, looking absolutely destroyed. The same action figure is next to him on the bed.

DR. CRYSALIS (Off-Panel): Not many would do what you did.

PANEL 2. The panel’s angle is from Elijah’s right side. Elijah sits up and turns his body to the left, to see Dr. Crysalis in the hospital room chair. Dr. Crysalis smiles, a cane in hand as he sits down.

ELIJAH: Wait, I know you…

PANEL 3. The panel closes in on Dr. Crysalis as we get a full-body view of him, getting up from his chair. His gaze is lost behind the reflection in his glasses.

ELIJAH: You’re the one who created the serum, you-

DR. CRYSALIS: Not so loud, boy. I come here in peace...

PANEL 4. We get a waist-up look of Dr. Crysalis as he reaches into his ragged lab coat. We get a mostly obscured look at the anti-super weapon: an insanely high-tech wristwatch with a black and red design and a large yellow button.

DR. CRYSALIS: …and also with a gift.

PAGE TWELVE.

PANEL 1. The shot widens out to give a better look at the situation and for this panel to be the main focus of the page. Dr. Crysalis puts the watch onto Elijah’s wrist, grabbing his left arm with the other hand. Elijah looks absolutely dumbstruck. Dr. Crysalis giving Elijah a watch is the last thing he’d expected today.

DR. CRYSALIS: A gift of power, to finally have the ability to change this world. The Adaptive Anti-Power Weapon.

PANEL 2. We get an angle from Elijah’s left side as he looks down at the watch, still completely surprised and dumb-struck at what’s happening.

ELIJAH: Wh-what the hell is this?!

DR. CRYSALIS: Something I’ve designed to fight those with special abilities. It’s a weapon that adapts to your will.

ELIJAH: Why are you giving it to me, then?

PANEL 3. The panel’s view of Dr. Crysalis is from the waist-up, as he has his back to the reader. Dr. Crysalis grins for the first time, ready to walk out the door.

DR. CRYSALIS: Why, indeed? Come to your own conclusions, or seek them out. It hardly matters to me. All that matters…

PANEL 4. Close-up on the action figure.

DR. CRYSALIS: (Off-panel): …Is that justice is served.

PAGE THIRTEEN.

PANEL 1. On an unknown coffee table, a phone vibrates. A hand reaches forward to grasp it.

CAPTION: Elsewhere.

SFX: Vrrr!

PANEL 2. Close-up on Marta’s face as she looks at her phone, the light of the phone being the only thing that illuminates the room. Marta looks at the phone’s screen groggily, the panel’s angle from the back of the phone.

PANEL 3. Text Message screen. Elijah’s face is seen as an avatar, next to each of his text messages.

ELIJAH (Text): Hey, I need to show you something. Something big.

PANEL 4. Text message screen. The previous text is also seen.

ELIJAH (Text): It’s really important. It could change everything…

PANEL 5. Text message screen. Close-up on a single text.

ELIJAH (Text): I won’t have to be Punching Bag anymore.

PAGE FOURTEEN.

PANEL 1. We see Elijah’s fingers text at his cell phone, as we see the phone from the front. Elijah sends another text, with a picture of a map attached to it.

ELIJAH (Text): Meet me here.

MEAT (Off-panel): Hey, Punching Bag…

PANEL 2. The panel’s view is angled behind Elijah’s back, as we can clearly see the size difference between both him and Meat. Meat towers over Elijah, covering him in shadow. He grins maniacally, as if happy to see him. Meat and Elijah are in a tight alley between two red brick walls, a set of fire escapes starting just above Meat’s head.

MEAT: I thought I told you that if I saw ya again, I’d kill ya. Looks like it’s your day to die.

ELIJAH: Yeah, you might think so…

PANEL 3: Close-up on Elijah’s wrist, as he presses the yellow button the watch. The yellow button lights up as he does so.

ELIJAH: …but I think today’s my lucky day.

PAGE FIFTEEN.

PANEL 1: We get a full-body look at Elijah, as a bright light envelops his entire body. In the foreground, Meat winces, the bright light too much for his eyes.

PANEL 2: Elijah is in a over-the-top, tokusatsu-style pose, we get a full look at Elijah’s new costume. The wrist watch still stays on his left arm’s wrist.

PANEL 3: In-set panel in Panel 2, focusing on Elijah’s helmet.

PANEL 4: In-set panel in Panel 2, focusing on Elijah’s hand.

PANEL 5: In-set panel in Panel 2, focusing on the wrist watch.

PAGE SIXTEEN.

PANEL 1: The panel is from the front of Meat, as he uses his large, meaty arms to punch forward, at Elijah.

CAPTION: The first thing any half-rate superhero should do…

PANEL 2: The panel’s view comes from Meat’s back this time. Meat only finds himself hitting the air, with Elijah dodging to the side.

CAPTION: … is relocate this fight to somewhere where there’s a little wiggle room.

PANEL 3: Side view, the main focus being the side of the building. Elijah is a blur, climbing up the fire escapes along the building at incredible speed, reaching the top.

At the bottom of the panel, we see Meat’s head below the bottom of the fire escape, with an angry expression on it and a throbbing vein.

CAPTION: WOOSH!

PANEL 4: The panel’s view is angled more from the top. Meat is absolutely angry, his face red and covered in pulsating veins. Still, Meat is in a stance as if readying himself for a jump, kneeling and putting his arms up into the air.

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PAGE SEVENTEEN.

PANEL 1: The panel’s angle is similar to the last panel. Meat jumps up, his entire massive body rocketing upward. Meat’s strength leaves a large impression into the concrete ground. It’s important that Meat is in the air in this panel in order to show the motion from the last panel to the next.

PANEL 2: BIG panel. Meat lands onto the edge of the roof, leaving large cracks onto the brick building. Meat is in a landing position, steadying his feet onto the roof, though his stance isn’t too different from when he was in the ground. His face is still red and full of frustration, grimacing as he lands. In the foreground, the panel’s view is to Elijah’s back, being placed at the left section of the panel. His body language clearly shows him to be off-guard. Elijah wasn’t not expecting for Meat to get here so quickly and in such a manner.

SFX: THOOM!

ELIJAH: What the-

PANEL 3: Small, in-set panel within Panel 2, in the lower right corner. The panel only shows Meat’s face, turning from a grimace to manic grin.

PANEL 4: The panel’s view is from the side of the action. To the right of the panel is Meat, landing a devastating blow to Elijah on the left, the force of the blow is devestating. Elijah takes the hit, his armor breaking where the fist collides, in his chest. Elijah’s pose indicates the wind being knocked out of him.

SFX: BAM!

PAGE EIGHTEEN.

PANEL 1: We see from the front Elijah, kneeling down and trying to keep steady with both his legs and his left arm. Elijah is clearly weakened, the chest piece of his armor having large cracks from the previous attack with some blood oozing out of the broken armor. Elijah shakes from the attack.

SFX: Huff. Huff.

PANEL 2. The panel is from Meat’s front, from his neck up. Meat laughs, opening his mouth jovially.

SFX: HAHAHA

MEAT: Oh? Not quite the big hero you thought you’d be, Punching Bag?

PANEL 3. Panels 3-4 should be wide, horizontal panels of similar size.Focus on Elijah’s head, the panel viewing him from the front.

ELIJAH: I can’t- I won’t let you go. You have to answer- answer for what you’ve done.

PANEL 4. The panel’s view is the same as panel 2, with Meat’s expression changed from laughing to now bored of what Elijah is saying.

MEAT: Oh, you people talk about answering for this and laws that. If we have the power to do something, we do it, and there’s nothin’ that you can do to stop us.

PAGE NINETEEN.

PANEL 1: We get a full panel frontal look at Elijah, as he begins to steady himself and recover. He stops shaking, and begins to completely stand up, but does so slowly. His right hand glows faintly with a unique red energy, an aura of sorts. It should be noted that it this point the right hand is open.

ELIJAH: You’ll answer for every single injustice. Just because you have power, doesn’t give you the right to abuse it. The police are afraid of you…

PANEL 2: Finally, Elijah completely stands up, looking ready to finally finish this fight. The panel’s view is similar to Panel 1.

ELIJAH: …But that doesn’t mean you’re above the law. That doesn’t mean you can treat normal people like toys…

PANEL 3: Close-up on Elijah’s right hand. The red energy is even stronger, enveloping Elijah’s now-clenched fist.

ELIJAH: … and that doesn’t mean you won’t have to answer to me.

PANEL 4: Big panel. Elijah, standing up, faces Meat. The panel gets a good look at the two of them, standing in front of each other, bracing for a final showdown. There’s not a smile on either of their faces as they ready themselves to throw down.

PAGE TWENTY.

Large splash page. Elijah finally beats Meat, his right fist connecting to with Meat’s stomach. The red energy of his right fist explodes, dealing an insane punch to Elijah’s opponent. Meat’s expression looks absolutely defeated, in complete shock as he spits out blood. The angle is from behind Elijah’s left shoulder, giving a good view of what’s happening.

PAGE TWENTY-ONE.

PANEL 1: BIG Panel. Elijah stands over Meat’s unconscious body. We get a look of this from above what’s happening, though not directly above.

CAPTION: I believe in Heroes.

PANEL 2: Close-up on Elijah’s left wrist. Elijah presses the button on the watch, as the rest of his body turns into the strange bright light as before.

CAPTION: Call it naïve, call it immature…

PANEL 3: Elijah stands on top of the roof, smiling lightly. Elijah’s look isn’t absolute happiness or glee: it’s something different. Elijah looks… content. The panel mainly focuses on him from the front, at waist-up.

CAPTION: It’s the truth.

MARTA (Off-Panel): Elijah...

PANEL 4: BIG panel. The panel looks at Marta from the front, as she stands over the unconscious body of MEAT. There’s a look on her face: it’s a combination of fear and absolute wonder… which is what we leave the comic on.

MARTA: Did… you do this?

END.