Marvel Comics may present: The Game

[PTMidnite]

Page 1

Panel 1: (full page) The Earth from outer space on a large viewing screen in a high tech command center.

Grandmaster: (narration) What a splendid view. I forget all too often that there is such beauty in the cosmos.

Centurion: (narration) It is said that beauty is only skin deep and Earth is quite ugly and tainted at that level.

Page 2

Panel 1: The Grandmaster and Scarlet Centurion are sitting at a table with a chessboard on it in mid-play, they are in the command center, which is the typical Marvel futuristic type place.

Grandmaster: I didn’t live an eon to let a little pollution and violence spoil the grandeur on natures making.

Centurion: The fact that the Earth populated by the stupid, ignorant masses is enough to spoil all the wonders nature has to offer.

Grandmaster: You’re even more of a downer now then when you were Kang. That is unless you haven’t become him yet. You time travels are confusing, even to me.

Centurion: Kang is just my most foolish and dare I say suicidal counterpart.

Panel 2: Same as above except Centurion moves a knight to take Grandmaster’s queen out.

Grandmaster: One shouldn’t hate a part of himself. Kang, Immortus, and Rama-Tut are all parts of yourself whether you like it or not.

Centurion: Please. I loathe psychobabble from those pesky heroes and I certain don’t want it from a pompous elder of the universe.

Grandmaster: Then I’ll say no more on the subject, Centurion.

Centurion: We should get on with our real business then.

[PTMidnite]

Page 3

Panel 1: Tight shot of Grandmaster moving a bishop into check with Centurion’s king.

Panel 2: The Grandmaster sitting in his chair smirking.

Grandmaster: Checkmate.

Panel 3: Centurion smashing his fist on the chessboard sending pieces flying.

Centurion: Blast it! The game was mine.

Panel 4: Grandmaster again.

Grandmaster: I haven’t lost a game of chess since it was invented. I am not the master of games for nothing.

Panel 5: Centurion again and he’s still crossed.

Centurion: I’ve beaten the greatest champions all thru out the time stream.

Panel 6: The Grandmaster standing beside the table.

Grandmaster: All you get is overconfidence from beating those mortals. You’ve only bested the champions of Earth. Are you sure you’re not Kang? You’re just as short sighted as him.

Panel 7: Centurion half standing tossing the chessboard to the ground.

Centurion: Never compare me to him again.

Panel 8: Grandmaster and Centurion both standing.

Grandmaster: Doesn’t it ever dawn on you or any of your villainous counterparts to go back in time and kill your enemies when they were mere children and wipe their annoyance forever from time?

Centurion: This from someone that lost to a coin flip to DareDevil.

Panel 8: the same.

Grandmaster: I do not seek to conqueror anything at all. I just wish to pass infinity with a little entertainment. I am interested in how you know about the coin flip though.

Page 4

Panel 1: Centurion with his back turned to the reader with his arms raised in a dramatic pose.

Centurion: I am the master of time. I have seen every major event that has ever happen and that will ever happen in the course of this pathetic planet.

Panel 2: Centurion turning back around and pointing towards the reader.

Centurion: Now let’s get on with the game.

Panel 3: Grandmaster from a side angle with Centurion pointing at him.

Grandmaster: So master of time, are you going to win or not?

Centurion: I am the Scarlet Centurion and all I see in the future is victory.

Panel 4: Grandmaster is smirking once again and Centurion has his arm down now.

Grandmaster: Knowing the future didn’t seem to help your counterparts. But, getting back to my question: why don’t you just go back and kill say the Avengers when they were babies so your conquest would be easier?

Panel 5: Close up of Centurion.

Centurion: Grandmaster what do you take me for: a murderer of children. If one is to conqueror then one must have ones to conqueror. Without heroes then my victories would be pointless.

Panel 6: Close up of Grandmaster.

Grandmaster: I admire anyone that seeks challenges in life. But why rule time if Earth and its inhabitance are as tainted as you claim them to be?

Panel 7: Centurion smiling and looking right at the Grandmaster.

Centurion: To bring order to the time stream. This Earth in particular is full of violence and hate that is most unsatisfactory.

Panel 8: Centurion right in front of the viewing screen looking at Earth.

Centurion: The Avengers sent me to die lost in the very fabric of time.

Panel 9: Close up of Centurion looking over his shoulder.

Centurion: But death was not to come to me.

[PTMidnite]

Page 5

All panels on pages 5 and 6 have a wavy boarder to show that it takes place in the past.

Panel 1: Centurion floating thru the void of time. The void is yellow with silver obelisks floating in space.

Centurion: (narration) I floated for what seemed like an eternity in the void of time. I surly would have died if not for the fact that time stops with the time stream. Hence I was beyond the effects of aging and the need for food, water, and sleep.

Panel 2: shot of Centurion from behind looking into one of the obelisks and seeing Green Goblin I getting impaled by his goblin glider.

Centurion: (narration) I found out that the strange silver obelisks were windows into time in which I could view everything that had happened and everything that would ever happen. I did not peer into the time of my own dimension but that of the damned Avengers that banished me to this hell.

Panel 3: The panel is cut diagonally in half. The button half shows Inferno roster Avengers (The Captain, Mr. Fantastic, Invisible Woman, and Gilgamesh) fighting demons in infernonized New York. This part is upside down. The top half is a tight close up of Centurion laughing.

Centurion: (narration) I spent my time absorbing millions of year’s worth of information. Until there was nothing that I did not know.

Panel 4: Centurion flying towards Immortus’ place in limbo.

Centurion: (narration) But what worth did my power of knowledge have if I couldn’t use it? So, I searched the time stream until I found the floating palace of my counterpart: Immortus the lord of time itself.

Page 6

Panel 1: Immortus’ throne room. Centurion is choking Immortus to death while smirking.

Centurion: (narration) I took the liberty of killing the pathetic keeper of time who is nothing more then a glorified janitor. I wouldn’t mourn him Grandmaster since slaying him in one time even in limbo cannot wipe him from the time stream permanently. Time travelers are quite annoying that way.

Panel 2: Centurion (without his chest and arm armor on) working on his chest and arm armor on a table in a lab.

Centurion: (narration) I used Immortus’s technology to augment my armor to a level beyond any Kang has ever had. My counterparts relied too much of time machines for travel. I was able to make my suit run of the very energy of time so that I could travel time and space at will.

Panel 3: Centurion looking up at a silver obelisk in Immortus’ throne room.

Centurion: (narration) Time is not constant and is always changing. To make sure that the future I foresaw in the time stream would always be the correct one I made my armor capable of transporting the Obelisks of Time to me wherever I was. So that the future was always mine to know.

Panel 4: Close up of The Centurion holding the Earth in his hands in front of his face.

Centurion: (narrator) I planned to take over all time so that I could finally bring about a perfect world. A world which I ruled unopposed and there is no need for war because everyone that has ever lived and that will ever live follows me without question and with the utmost loyalty. Because human beings aren’t capable of making their own decisions without killing each other or harming their own planet.

[PTMidnite]

Page 7

Panel 1: Centurion with his arms behind his back and still in front of the monitor. The Grandmaster is looking at him from a few yards away.

Centurion: I simply am the only being that can bring the world the gift of ever lasting peace. Think about it Grandmaster: a world where people only know of peace. A world where war and violence are unheard of. A world where the concept of population is alien.

Panel 2: Centurion and Grandmaster in front of the monitor watching it. Kang (holding his right arm up in a dramatic pose) standing on top of a pile of soldiers in futuristic armor (that of the future Kang rules). The background is a devastated cityscape.

Grandmaster: I find your quest for peace to be very strange, Centurion. As Kang you brought war and devastation to untold fragments of time and even other dimensions.

Panel 3: Centurion and Grandmaster still in front of the monitor looking at one another. Centurion looks furious and has his right index finger right in Grandmaster’s face.

Centurion: How many times must I tell you that I’m not that mistake: Kang!

Grandmaster: Then why bring peace to a species that makes every excuse possible to kill their own kind?

Panel 4: Centurion with his hands on his hips looking really confident.

Centurion: By watching every event ever to unfold during the course of time, I bore witness to every mistake and failure of mankind. I saw the cruelty of the Nazi concentration camps down to the rape of a young woman. All of it made me sick to call myself a fellow human.

Panel 5: Close up of Centurion’s face sinisterly smiling.

Centurion: It would be no good to just fix these tragedies. They must never happen. For if man knows violence and hate he will use it. Therefore, I must cleanse the time stream of it.

Page 8

Panel 1: Grandmaster (laughing) standing across from Centurion.

Centurion: I regretfully must use violence to rid time of the mettlesome superheroes and villains. But, sometimes you have to end some lives to achieve progress.

Grandmaster: (laughing)

Centurion: You dare mock me with laughter!

Panel 2: Close up of Grandmaster smirking.

Grandmaster: You villains are so long winded. Having to explain your entire life story and motivations just to please you own narcissism. I almost feel like a hero after hearing your excessive rant.

Panel 3: Grandmaster (with his left arm stretched out to Centurion) standing a few feet away from Centurion in from of the monitor which has Earth from space on it.

Grandmaster: Your tell bores me and as such I will finally please you with the start of the game. For I live for only one reason: to challenge myself with the greatest games ever played. And today Scarlet Centurion we play not for any prize but to see if heroes are so easily vanquished. If you win, you shall have my help in you conquest. If I win, then I will have proven that not even with all your power and knowledge, is it any easy task to slay a hero.

[PTMidnite]

The internet on my computer is fucked up right now so when it's working I'll post the completed script that will likely never be published by Marvel under the Epic brand.

[PTMidnite]

Page 9

Panel 1
Ka-Zar (in loin cloth, leather boots with fur trim, fur wrist guards, belt with bag on the right hip, and quiver full of spears) swinging on a cable far above the streets of Manhattan.

Narrator: Far above the busy streets of Manhattan swings Ka-Zar, lord of the jungle. He once was a simple warrior fighting everyday to survive the harsh world of the Savage Land. But, one day he was taken from the only world he knew against his will and forced to return to the world he forgot: the world of man. In this strange new world he learned that he had a name forgotten long ago: Kevin Plunder. He ventured forth to seek a greater destiny. He became a husband, a father, and most importantly: a hero.

Page 10

Panel 1
Side view of Ka-Zar swinging.

Ka-Zar: (thought) It's nice to just get out and swing freely thru the air. I feel too cooped up in this city. Too many people, cars, and noise and not enough space and fresh air.

Panel 2
Ka-Zar pulls his grappling hook down towards him in mid-swing.

Ka-Zar: (thought) I wish Shanna would let me take Matthew out for a swing around the city but I guess it would be rather reckless. I never thought there would be a time when I would think that anything would be reckless.

Panel 3
Ka-Zar swinging the grappling hook and the hook catches the ledge of a building.

Ka-Zar: (thought) I'm either getting old or this world is finally taming the jungle lord.

Page 11

Panel 1
Top down view of Ka-Zar swinging from the perspective of The Fly (you can see his arms stretched out in front of him)

SFX: BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Panel 2
Side view of Ka-Zar swinging.

SFX: BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Ka-Zar: What the devil? That sounds like a fly only much larger. And New York isn't known to have giant insects.

Panel 3
The Fly shoulder ramming Ka-Zar in the back during mid-swing. Ka-Zar howls in pain.

Panel 4
The Fly looking down as Ka-Zar (with his grappling hook) plummets to the street below.

Panel 5
The Fly with his head tilted back laughing.

Fly: Ha Ha Ha Ha!

Narrator: This insect menace is called The Fly. He's just a two-bit crook that strong-armed his way to gaining the proportional powers of a common household fly. He's also been dead for years, murdered at the hands of Scourge: the villain slayer.

Panel 4
Same as the last but Ka-Zar's grappling line is wrapped around The Fly's lower legs.

Panel 5
The Fly looks down and sees that his legs are bind together.

[PTMidnite]

Page 12

Panel 1
Ka-Zar climbing up the cable shown from above.

Ka-Zar: I've been in New York for weeks and haven't run into any of you tights yet.

Panel 2
Tight on Ka-Zar smiling happily.

Ka-Zar: What kept you? I was getting bored.

Panel 3
The Fly looking down.

Fly: You want some fun, jungle boy. I'll give you the ride of your filthy life.

Panel 4
The Fly with Ka-Zar holding onto the cable is flying upwards quickly.

SFX: BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Panel 5
Angled downward shot of The Fly and Ka-Zar holding onto the cable a few stories above the buildings in the area.

Ka-Zar: Can't you go any faster, insect man? I want to really enjoy this.

Panel 6
The Fly flying down towards the street. The cable is arced and Ka-Zar is still right side up.

Fly: Then you'll really like this.

Panel 7
Ka-Zar (with his back towards the reader and upside down) holding onto the cable being pulled downward.

Page 13

Panel 1
The Grandmaster's ship, Grandmaster and Centurion are watching the monitor. The Fly heading towards the ground with Ka-Zar following him on the cable is on the monitor.

Grandmaster: So tell me, Centurion. What is going to be the outcome of this fight?

Centurion: The Fly will lose.

Panel 2
Grandmaster looking at Centurion.

Grandmaster: You don't sound too disappointed for the lose that will happen.

Panel 3
Centurion.

Centurion: Because in the end I'll win. Even though I have seen the defeat of each member of the Legion of the Unliving I know that I shall still be triumphant. You've lost the bet the moment you picked that worthless savage as your representative of the heroic spirit that can never be defeated. You should be used to accepting lost by now.

Panel 4
Close up of Grandmaster.

Grandmaster: I was playing against heroes, Centurion. They'll always want to win more then the likes of you. You wish only for selfish gain while they think nothing but to defeat evil to protect the innocent. Of course I'm being general of the subjects of heroes. I've pick Ka-Zar because he's one of the least likely to win against you but he will.

Panel 5
Centurion laughing.

Centurion: If anyone is to beat me it surly won't be a primitive in a loincloth. You should go to gamblers anonymous before you lose more then your services.

[PTMidnite]

Page 14

Panel 1
The Fly only two stories from a busy Manhattan street with Ka-Zar still hanging on.

Grandmaster: (narration) The way you go on you must have seen your future battle with Ka-Zar. How do you end his life?

Panel 2
Ka-Zar swings himself and is heading towards the Fly's back.

Centurion: (narration) I exist outside the time stream. Sadly that means that I cannot see what I will do, only what I have done.

Panel 3
Ka-Zar on The Fly's back with the cable now also wrapped around The Fly's neck.

Grandmaster: With the final outcome beyond your ability to see, don't you think that you're smug and arrogant attitude is unwarranted. Only those that know absolutely that victory is theirs should act as you do. And to know that one will win from the start of the game is admitting that the game is rigged. Which this game is clearly not.

Panel 4
Front shot of Ka-Zar pulling up on the Fly's neck and head making him fly just barely above car level on the busy Manhattan street.

Centurion: How many times must I repeat myself, Grandmaster? You must be getting hard of hearing in your old age; so I'll be a dear and repeat myself. One such as him could never beat time's true master.

Page 15

Panel 1
Side back shot of Ka-Zar riding The Fly. Ka-Zar pulling the cable tight and The Fly's head is slightly jerked back with his mouth open gagging.

Ka-Zar: Fun's fun but you did try to kill me back there. Now if you want to breath tell me why?

Fly: (gagging sound)

Panel 2
The Fly tires to fly upwards but Ka-Zar double fist smashes him on the back of his head.

Ka-Zar: I'm canceling this flight, now. (thinking) Mental note to Kevin: quit lame one-liners now or villains will lose respect for you like Spider-Man.

Panel 3
The Fly smashes into the roof of a car in stopped gridlock traffic. Ka-Zar is in the air like a rider being tossed by a bull holding onto the cable around Fly's neck with both hands.

Panel 4
Top down shot of Ka-Zar stomach up in mid-flip off of The Fly. The Fly is skipping off of the car he hit and is flying forward.

Panel 5
Long shot of a row of cars in traffic. Ten cars down the line The Fly is lying prone on it's roof there is a motion line traveling from the first car he hit bounce off of all the other cars and ending with him on the roof.

Page 16

Panel 1
Ka-Zar standing beside a car in the stopped traffic. An older man is peering out a rolled down window in the car Ka-Zar is standing next to.

Man: First the spandex wearing punks and those freakin' mutants but now we have almost naked ya-hoos gallivanting around. I knew this town was going to hell as soon as that no-good weirdo family moved in. The only thing fantastic about them is the fact the government hasn't shut them and their evil experiments down.

Panel 2
The guy is looking back out his car window.

Man: That's right run away before the police show up and arrest you for indecent exposure.

Panel 3
Ka-Zar walking up to the car (a really nice sports car with tinted windows) that The Fly is laying knocked out on.

Ka-Zar: (thinking) I hate having to take responsibly for damages but it's easier then getting sued and Shanna says it's good public relations for me and the company. And I definitely want to get away from my old brutish, stupid savage image.

Panel 4
Ka-Zar bent down at the driver side window of the sports car.

Ka-Zar: I'm sorry about the damage to your car and if you'll give your phone number I can make arrangements to pay you for the damages done to your car.

Panel 5
Close up of the car window rolled all most the whole way down. Grandmaster (with sunglasses on) is sitting in the drivers seat. He's glaring at Ka-Zar while pulling down his sunglasses.

Grandmaster: How do you like the game so far, Kevin?

Panel 6
Shot thru the inside on the car looking out the driver side window. Ka-Zar is standing there looking shocked.

Panel 7
Ka-Zar's point of view looking at Grandmaster who has his sunglasses back on right.

Grandmaster: I accepted you to scream "game" or something surprised liked that. I'm playing against a very impatient man so let's go straight to round two, shall we?

[PTMidnite]

Page 17

Panel 1
The rooftop (flat with the outer wall extending a few feet up) of Castle Plunder. A medieval style castle in the English countryside. It's a bright and beautiful day.

Panel 2
Same shoot except Ka-Zar (on the left) and Grandmaster (on the right) are now standing on the roof. Ka-Zar is looking around in shock.

Ka-Zar: What the?

Grandmaster: Welcome home to Castle Plunder.

Panel 3
Ka-Zar up in Grandmaster's face grabbing his tunic.

Ka-Zar: I'm a pretty reasonable guy so tell me what the hell is going on here or I'll throw you off my castle.

Grandmaster: I'm The Grandmaster and if you'd be so kind to unhand me I'll explain to you the rules of the game.

Panel 4
Grandmaster now unhanded is holding his sunglasses in his right hand.

Grandmaster: I've picked you out of all the heroes on this planet to represent me in a wager I have with another interesting individual. You must survive five rounds with my Legion of the Unliving to earn the right to challenge a great foe for the right to live. My money's on you Kevin Plunder so you best win.

Panel 5
Ka-Zar standing across from the Grandmaster.

Ka-Zar: You picked me to fight against super villains in a game where you're betting on whether I live or not.

Grandmaster: Exactly.

Page 18

Panel 1
Ka-Zar looking really happy is vigorously shaking Grandmaster's left hand with both of his hands. Grandmaster looks shocked.

Ka-Zar: Thank you.

Grandmaster: Huh.

Ka-Zar: City life with the family and everything was getting really dull. Now I have some real excitement. You're probably really evil and God knows what you're fiendish plan is but thank you.

Panel 2
Grandmaster with his hand pulled away looking quite disturbed.

Grandmaster: Aren't you even a little mad?

Panel 3
Ka-Zar smiling looking at Grandmaster.

Ka-Zar: Not at all.

Panel 4
Grandmaster grinning and snapping his fingers on his right hand.

Grandmaster: Since that's all settled let the next round begin.

Panel 5
Ka-Zar and Grandmaster looking towards the roof's ledge. The Fly is flying up past the ledge holding up a card that reads "ROUND 2"

Panel 6
Ka-Zar looking at Grandmaster while starching his head with the fingers on his right hand.

Ka-Zar: You seem like a powerful big time bad guy. Shouldn't that have been more melodramatic or over the top?

Grandmaster: You want over the top you got it.

Page 19

Panel 1
A section of the roof near the ledge.

Panel 2
The Fly is now there and he's wearing a pink tutu and ballet slippers while still wearing his mask.

Panel 3
The Fly has his arms in the air touching one another and is standing on his tiptoes like a ballerina.

Panel 4
The Fly still holding his arms up is bending down while still on his tiptoes like a ballerina.

Panel 5
He's jumps up and does a split in midair.

Panel 6
He's on his tiptoes with his right leg and has his left arm in the air.

Panel 7
He's spinning around on one leg. He has a motion lines showing that he's spinning.

Panel 8
The Fly standing regularly with both arms straight up in the air.

Panel 9
Same as before but a white puff of smoke appears in the air just above his hands.

SFX: POOF

Panel 10
Same as 8 but a card with "ROUND 2" is in his hands.

Panel 11
Ka-Zar and Grandmaster are in the foreground looking at the Fly standing there holding the card.

Ka-Zar: That was………..something.

[PTMidnite]

Page 20

Panel 1
Close up of Grandmaster holding his right hand up with his thumb pointed out to the side.

Grandmaster: Mr. Deacon has been very inhospitable since I brought him back to life. Since I have complete control over him and I intend to make his service to me not to his liking.

Panel 2
Close up of The Fly looking pissed off.

Fly: I didn't agree to this, to be made a fool.

Panel 3
Grandmaster standing right beside The Fly who is still holding the card up.

Grandmaster: You did a good job of making yourself look like a fool when you were alive.

Fly: Spider-Man's the one that made me look like a joke in the villain community and I'm not going to let you do it too.

Grandmaster: Since you don't seem to like serving me then it's back to Death's realm for you.

Panel 4
Grandmaster snapping his fingers on his right hand and the Fly is no longer there.

Panel 5
Grandmaster is looking at Ka-Zar and has his sunglasses back on with his right pointer finger and thumb grasping the rim like he just put them on.

Grandmaster: Now I leave you to your entertainment.

Panel 6
Same as last but Grandmaster is gone.

Ka-Zar: I should be more leery about this situation but after dealing with lawyers, running errands, and changing diapers for the better part of two weeks this is a relief.

Page 21

Panel 1
All black except for the tip of Mr. Fear's dull gray gun that is coming up diagonally from the bottom right hand corner.

Panel 2
Mr. Fear's hand holding the gun showing only the trigger, trigger guard, and part just above it angled the same as panel 1.

Panel 3
Mr. Fear's chest.

Fear: (narration) Fear.

Panel 4
All black except for Mr. Fear's purple hood.

Fear: (narration) A weakness all things have.

Panel 5
A close up of Mr. Fear's left eye.

Fear: (narration) Even The Grandmaster fears something.

Panel 6
Mr. Fear covered by shadows is seating in darkness.

Fear: (narration) I will find what that is and when I do……

Page 22

Panel 1
Mr. Fear standing up with his right hand raised in the air with a clutched fist and his head slightly tilted back. The background is all black.

Fear: Zoltan Drago shall live once more!

Narrator: Once a sculptor looking for a formula that would bring his wax figures to life. But, after accidentally creating a gas that would install fear into whom ever inhales its vapors, he became the master criminal Mr. Fear. Murdered for his criminal identity he now seeks a second chance at life but first he must defeat Ka-Zar.

[PTMidnite]

Okay, if you've read the whole thing then I would like to know what you think about it?

[John Roche]

It seems pretty interesting, actually.

[PTMidnite]

I'm working on the second issue right now and I need my brother to read over it. I'm not sure if I'm sending it into Marvel because I was reading Bill Jemas' submission info and I think I need to do a story arch before this to set Ka-Zar and his company up in New York.