Dr. Fischer - Uncertainty - Ray Wonsowski

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Panel 1- my kitchen table, 3am.  My face is in my hands as I try to wade my way through another bout of writer's block. The only light is from the screen of my laptop, illuminating me weakly.

NO COPY

Panel 2 - same as panel 1, except from the side, DR. FISCHER peeks in curiously over my shoulder from the side of the panel.

NO COPY

Panel 3 - same as above, except DR. FISCHER now stands behind me, adressing the reader professorially, twirling a pencil between his fingers.

DR. FISCHER: According to quantum physics, just the act of observation changes the outcome of an event.

Panel 4 - DR. FISCHER now looks intently over my shoulder, but now I look up from my hands, annoyed that someone has interrupted my writer's block.

NO COPY

Panel 5 - DR. FISCHER has taken a smiling interest, as I type furiously what should happen in the next panel.

NO COPY

Panel 6 - DR. FISCHER is being mercilessly pummeled by DEADPOOL, RAINBOW DASH, TRUTH SAYING BASTARD SPIDEY (the anime version of Spider Jerusalem), and SAMMY HAGAR THOR.  I am typing and smiling evilly as I think of what else I can do to get rid of the nuisance.

ME: ...mmyep, science.

DR. FISCHER: ...my spleen...

Dr. Fischer - Retirement Planning - Grant McLaughlin

I apologize for such an esoteric page.  Hopefully some of you have read volume 8 or Atomic Robo, as this is predicated entirely on those issues.

1 - Atomic Robo HQ.  We're a few decades down the line from the present day.  It's Bernard's retirement party.  Part of a banner reading as much is visible in the background.  Lots of established characters are present, many quite a bit older (with the exception of Robo and Jenkins who both look pretty much the same).  Emma (the little girl from the 2011 Free Comic Book Day issue) is standing with Bernard (who is older, balder, and maybe a little pudgier), chatting.

EMMA: Any plans for what's next?

2 - An establishing shot of Kukenan-tepui, the flat-topped mountain in Guayana Region, Venezuela (and the one where the team fought off Doctor Dinosaur and company in volume 8).

CAPTION (BERNARD): Well...

3 - Bernard is walking out of the pink fluorescent crystal pool deep within the mountain.  Far out shot, emphasizing his smallness and apparent aloneness.

CAPTION (BERNARD): Nothing planned at this stage.

BERNARD (small text in a big balloon): Hello?

4 - 6 - These panels are a spiritual inversion of the final goodbye between Bernard and the chief's daughter rock creature that Bernard was maybe in love with?  There isn't a completed page online yet, but the inks are here (last row of panels).  Anyways, hopefully it will make more sense with some descriptors.

4 - A close-up of Bernard as he looks absolutely delighted at what he sees.

NO COPY

5 - A close-up of the chief's daughter rock monster.  Its emotional state is completely indecipherable.

NO COPY

6 - A shot of their hands reaching out and clasping each other, reunited after far too many years apart.

CAPTION (BERNARD): But I've got an idea or two.

Dr. Fischer – Still Working the Bugs Out – MK Stangeland Jr.

(Tesladyne has recently moved in to their island HQ.)

(6 Panels)

Panel 1: Bernard is working on geology equipment in a lab. A particular container is on a nearby counter. ATOMIC ROBO enters.

ROBO (1): I really hope you can make this quick, because I cannot keep up with all the to-dos that keep piling up.

ROBO (2): I’m starting to think they gave us this place just to mess with us.

Panel 2: BERNARD goes over to the container from PANEL 1.

BERNARD: Yeah, I was wondering if you knew anything about this.

Panel 3: BERNARD and ROBO look at the contents of the container – they’re crystal remnants left over from the explosion at the end of WHY DR. DINOSAUR HATES ATOMIC ROBO/ATOMIC ROBO HATES DR. DINOSAUR.

ROBO (1): Why do we have these?

ROBO (2): There is no reason anyone should have collected these.

Panel 4: BERNARD looks at ROBO. The panel is at an upward angle to show a bug crawling up the counter – it should be the kind of bug that’s ROBO’s worst nightmare – highly squishy and just small enough that it could squeeze through one of his joints.

BERNARD: You sure? I could give them a look and…

ROBO: No, it’s a waste of time. There is absolutely nothing special about them. Trust me.

Panel 5: The BUG from PANEL 4 comes into view. ROBO is noticeably distressed by its appearance.

ROBO: EEP!

Panel 6: ROBO grabs one of the larger crystal remnants and uses it to smash the bug.

SFX: SQUISH!

(END PAGE)

Why Dr. Bernard Fischer?

It ain’t easy being an action scientist. Especially when your name isn’t “Jenkins”. You never know when you might find yourself in an unnatural life-threatening situation – even within the confines of your home base; your work is unlikely to ever be appreciated by the outside world no matter how out there or groundbreaking it really is; and your entire life is likely to be overshadowed by your boss, an immortal robot genius who gets grumpy when people expect him to be point man on aforementioned dangerous situations just because he happens to be a super-invulnerable robot.

It’s especially hard when you don't fit the typical 'action hero' mold. The kind of scientist that tends to come to mind when one pictures Dr. Bernard Fischer. A scientist who originally became a one of Atomic Robo’s crew thanks to a happy – or unhappy, depending on how you look at it – accident and being able to put the right skills to work at just the right time.

But amongst all the craziness of Atomic Robo’s world, including and especially the larger-than life figures from real life that pop up on regular occasion, Dr. Fischer represents the kind of people who are a little more grounded in reality. The kind of action scientist that lets you believe that, with the right attitude, mindset, and a scientifically relevant doctorate of your own (after all, they do have standards to uphold), you too could have a shot of working for Atomic Robo at Tesladyne.

And that under the right circumstances, maybe, just maybe, you might have the opportunity to let out your own inner action scientist someday when you least expect it.

Bernard Fischer – an Action Scientist for the rest of us!

When your time to shine comes,
make sure you shine with all you got