Blonde Phantom - Multiple Alibis - Matt Duarte

The Blonde Phantom in "Multiple Alibis" by Matt Duarte

This page is to be laid out in six different panels. The first one is a wide panel across the page, the following three are small ones in the same row, the fifth one is of the same size as the first one, and last one is a big wide one, roughly one third of the page. The caption by The Blonde Phantom should look like handwriting, as it is a journal entry.

Panel 1

Description: The Blonde Phantom is standing atop a roof of a building. We can only see the bottom part of her striking red dress, which makes a sharp contrast against the dark night, and one of her fashionable high heels which is resting in the ledge of the buildiing. From where she is standing we can see a lone man wearing a trenchcoat walking into an abandoned warehouse.

CAPTION: The Blonde Phantom's Journal, December 12th, 1942

CAPTION: Here's a question that I never thought I would ask myself. What's more suspicious, a man with no alibi, or one with multiple ones? How can one man have been in four different places at once?

Panel 2

Description: The Blonde Phantom is standing in front of a croupier holding a photo (that we can't see), inside a casino. The croupier is looking sternly at it. We can only see Blonde Phantom's back, she is wearing her red dress.

CROUPIER: Yes, he was here last night. Cleaned the house, too. I remember that ridiculous green shirt he was wearing, not many people dressed like that around these parts.

Panel 3

Description: The Blonde Phantom is standing in front of a movie theater employee, outside of a theater. She is still holding the same photo, in the same position as the previous panel.

EMPLOYEE: I remember him from last night, he had a nice trench coat. We had to kick him out of the theater, because he was ruining how Casablanca ends to the rest of the patrons.

Panel 4

Description: The Blonde Phantom is standing in front of a police officer, in front of a empty jail. Again, she is still holding the same photo, still in the same position.

POLICE OFFICER: He was wondering around drunk last night. We picked him up and let him sleep it off. Sorry Phantom, we let him go this morning.

Panel 5

Description: The Blonde Phantom is now right outside the door of the place she was watching earlier. She is holding her gun and about to kick the door in.

CAPTION: And to top it all off, last night, one of my informants saw him go in an dead end alley with another person, but only he came out. Good thing he was able to snap a photo of him as he was coming out of the alley that helped me track him down.

Panel 6

Description: We see the Blonde Phantom, having just come across the door. She is holding her gun, and shouting. Before her, stand several dupes and the original James Madrox, The Multiple Man who is in front of all the dupes. They are all holding up their arms, but their expressions are all different. They are all wearing their trademark green shirts and long trenchcoats.

CAPTION:I don't know what this creep's deal is, but something strange is going on, and it is my duty as the Blonde Phantom to investigate.

BLONDE PHANTOM (big font, screaming): Hands up in the air, creep!

BLONDE PHANTOM (smaller font): What the...

DUPE 1: It's a raid! Every dupe for himself!

DUPE 2: Ooh, I like her dress!

DUPE 3: Man, they really knew how to make femme fatales in this time period.

DUPE 4: Please, the domino mask is sooo Golden Age.

JAMIE MADROX: Quiet, all of you! Maybe she can help us get back to the future. Hi, I'm Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man.

Next: Crisis on Infinite Noirs!

Blonde Phantom - The Mousetrap - Rol Hirst

Panel One.

A 40s era Daily Bugle front page. The headline reads ‘Starlet Found Dead In Locked Dressing Room’. A stock photo of an attractive blonde starlet accompanies the story. We can read the first paragraph of the report, as follows…

Popular star of stage and screen, Camille Dahl, was found dead yesterday in her Broadway dressing room. Miss Dahl, 31, who famously fainted at last year’s Academy Awards ceremony when a small rodent scampered onto the stage, had been appearing in Cole Porter’s latest…

CAP (BLONDE PHANTOM): WHO KILLED CAMILLE DAHL?

Panel Two.

Backstage at a Broadway theatre – inside the star’s dressing room. There is a taped police body outline on the floor marking where the actress was found dead. PI Mark Mason is questioning the theatre manager, a squat balding man in his 50s with milk bottle bottom spectacles. Mark’s assistant, Louise Grant, is standing to one side, examining the crime scene. The sole door to the room is shattered, having been kicked in.

CAP (BP): THE POLICE SAID SUICIDE, BUT CAMILLE’S AGENT SUSPECTED FOUL PLAY… WHICH IS WHERE MY BOSS, PI MARK MASON, CAME IN…

MANAGER: I WAS TALKING WITH SANDRA, THE UNDERSTUDY, WHEN WE HEARD THE SCREAM FROM CAMILLE’S DRESSING ROOM…

Panel Three.

Flashback (wavy panel border). Sandra the understudy, a less glamorous version of the starlet, crouches beside the body. Camille wears a scarlet dress, slightly darker in colour than the one worn by the Blonde Phantom herself. Her body is lying on its side, facing away from the manager so he / we can only see it from behind. Sandra wears ordinary clothes and has a handbag hanging from her shoulder. She turns back to shriek at the stage manager, who's standing stunned by the broken door he’s just kicked in. There is no visible blood. In the top corner of the panel, the manager’s talking head continues his account.

MANAGER: …THE DOOR WAS LOCKED, SO WHEN CAMILLE DIDN’T RESPOND, WE HAD TO BREAK IT DOWN. SHE WAS JUST LYING THERE… I FROZE – I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

SANDRA: SHE’S DEAD, JACK! CALL THE POLICE!

Panel Four.

While Mason continues to listen to the manager (in the background / off-panel), Louise crouches down to examine something she’s noticed on the floor. Small black droppings. On one side of Louise’s face we see half of the Blonde Phantom’s Domino mask, reminding the reader of her secret identity.

MANAGER: I CAN’T IMAGINE WHY CAMILLE WOULD STAB HERSELF IN THE CHEST LIKE THAT, BUT WHO ELSE COULD HAVE DONE IT?

MANAGER: THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE HERE AND NO OTHER WAY INTO THE ROOM.

LOUISE (THOUGHT BALLOON): …MOUSE DROPPINGS?

Panel Five.

Later that night. A shadowy corridor backstage at the theatre. The Blonde Phantom holds Sandra at gunpoint. Sandra, realising the game is up, bursts into tears.

CAP (BP): THIS WAS CLEARLY A CASE FOR THE BLONDE PHANTOM…

SANDRA: HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS ME?

BLONDE PHANTOM: I SHOWED YOUR PHOTO TO THE OWNER OF THE LOCAL PET STORE. YOU BOUGHT THE MOUSE THAT VERY MORNING, LEFT IT IN CAMILLE’S DRESSING ROOM, THEN WAITED TILL YOU HEARD HER SCREAM...

Panel Six.

Another wavy flashback panel, similar to panel three… except in this one the stage manager has turned away to fetch the police… while Sandra pulls a dagger from her handbag… and the mouse scurries across the floor towards the bag. We can see Camille from the front this time – she hasn’t been stabbed… yet.

BLONDE PHANTOM: YOU KNEW SHE’D FAINT – THEN WHILE THE STAGE MANAGER WAS AWAY CALLING THE POLICE – YOU TOOK YOUR CHANCE…

Panel Seven.

The Blonde Phantom watches as police lead Sandra away in handcuffs. BP is holding the cute little mouse in the palm of her hand.

BLONDE PHANTOM: YOU MIGHT HAVE GOT AWAY WITH IT TOO – IF YOUR FURRY COLLABORATOR HADN’T LEFT BEHIND A FEW TELL-TALE CLUES…

SANDRA: SHE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN THE STAR – I PLAYED THAT ROLE BETTER THAN SHE EVER DID…

MOUSE: SQUEAK!

Blonde Phantom – Blonde Ambition – Ryan K Lindsay

1. A man is propped up in bed. He’s a well built man, good looking, ruffled sex-hair, the covers only up to his waist. There is a lamp on by the bedside, his gun in the shoulder holster hangs next to it off the bed post.

Caption: Ever since the cowboys it’s been a man’s need to ride.
Caption: We ride on planes to cross the nation to take down criminals.

2. The man’s hand is reaching out to his bedside table where we can see a glass one-third full of whiskey. Through that glass is a napkin with a message scrawled on it in lipstick: ‘The Alley. Now.’

Caption: We ride cross town in cabs to meet wives who hate us and kids who don’t know us.

3. The man is sipping from his glass as he watches a sexy and naked girl walk across the foreground of the panel. We don't see much of her, just a flash of skin.

Caption: We ride flunkies til we get what we need from them.

4. The lady is standing by the window of the room and slipping back into her fantastic red dress. We should see some of her in the reflection in the window, she’s gorgeous.

Caption: Then we ride ourselves for never being what we know no one could ever be.

5. The lady is holding up her hair and leaning over to kiss the man, or perhaps whisper something in his ear.

Caption: But it’s rare to be the one who’s taken for a ride.

6. The lady is walking away and putting on her black domino mask. She has a smile on her face and in the background the man is still in the same position, glass in his hand, though now his shoulder holster no longer has a gun in it.

Caption: And she didn’t even need a saddle, just a few words.
Blonde Phantom: Thanks.

Blonde Phantom - A Serving of Bad Luck - Simon McDonald

1. Night; atop a New York skyscraper. Felicia Hardy - THE BLACK CAT - is looking into her unzipped duffel bag; we see jewels glinting in the moonlight. There's a smug smile on her face; she's pulled off a big score and gotten away. Again.

BLONDE PHANTOM

(off panel)

Felicia.

2. Felicia, her head turned, sees THE BLONDE PHANTOM standing a few feet from her, arms crossed, her mouth a hard line. She's trying to full off an intimidating aura, but it's not quite succeeding. 

BLONDE PHANTOM

You have something I need.

3. Felicia, glancing at the jewels clenched tightly in her hands.

BLACK CAT

Jewels?

4. On The Blonde Phantom; still stoic, still unflinching.

BLONDE PHANTOM

Expertise.

5. On Felicia, slyly smiling, staring at Blonde Phantom. Her fingers are splayed, she's released the jewels; they're falling to the ground.

BLACK CAT (1)

My services come as part of a two-for-one deal.

BLONDE PHANTOM

Oh, yeah?

BLACK CAT (2)

Yeah. Every word of advice I offer - - 

6. A web - literally a web, shot by our friendly neighborhood Spider-man (off-panel) - traps both Black Cat and Blonde Phantom.

SFX

Thwap!

7. Felicia, rolling her eyes; she's used to this. It's probably a weekly / monthly routine. Blonde Phantom's reaction is a little stronger. Eyes wide, panicky.

BLACK CAT

(continued)

 - - comes with a serving of bad luck.

... CONTINUED!

Blonde Phantom – The Phantom’s Menace - Ben Rosenthal

This page is your basic three-rowed grid. The first four panels take place along the top of the page, but with Panel 3 joining Panels 2 and Panel 4 together. Panels 5 – 7 are all of the same size, taking up the second row of the grid. The last panel is a mini splash, taking up the width of the last line of the grid. Unless specified, the panels are all of the same size.

The following could take place in current continuity.

1. A mostly black panel, except for what appears to be a square window illuminated to the right hand side of the panel. It is back lit, with the letters “SDROCER” written on it.


TEXT BOX: “Here’s the problem with being framed”.

2. Same panel as before, but now a torch light is illuminating the words on the window of the door.

3. This is a much smaller panel, approx a quarter of the size of the other panels. Half of this panel is placed in the bottom right of Panel 2, with the other half in the bottom left of Panel 4. It shows a close up of the old fashioned rounded door knob shaking. The sound effect ‘CLICK’ is in the top left hand corner of this panel.

4. The door is open and light from the hallway floods into the room. We can now see slight outlines of many filing cabinets lining the wall the left. A desk on which a lamp sits is half visible from the left of the panel. Standing in the doorway is the silhouette of The Blonde Phantom.

TEXT BOX: “If you’re going down for something you didn’t do, you’re much more willing to break the law to prove you haven’t broken a law.”

5. A close up of an open filing cabinet. Fingers are flicking through the files, searching.

TEXT BOX: “Ironic, considering I earned my living working in a law firm.”

6. Same panel as above, but a file has been pulled out half way. We can see the start of a name written on the front of the folder – ‘Morr’. The rest of the name has not yet been revealed.

TEXT BOX: “But some things are bigger than the law. Love, life...”

7. The lamp on the table that we saw earlier has now been switched on, and light floods colour into the room. This panel shows The Blonde Phantom reading the open file. Her eyes are focused on the paper within.

TEXT BOX: “...and death.”

8. This panel takes up the width of the bottom of the page. It shows closer shot of The Blonde Phantom, with the file still open in her hands. We can see the full name on the folder – Morris Walters. We see her from her hip up, looking off into the distance deep in thought. In the background, a silhouette of a man stands in the illuminated doorway. The Phantom Blonde is not aware of his presence.

TEXT BOX: “I’ll find who did this to you, my love.”

Blonde Phantom - The Best Dressed Detective - Max Barnard

The Premise: I love Blonde Phantom and tried to crack out a worthy script. Didn't have enough time, so here's a fun one-page story involving ANONYMOUS DRUGS where some boxes are labelled SOAP.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Page 1 - 7 Panels

1-- A Maggia family thug is in a doorway, yelling towards the reader. He should probably looks pretty plain, as I don't think crimelord lackeys would be conspicuous when smuggling [ANONYMOUS DRUG]. It's important to note now that everything in all these panels needs to look quite dark and very much 'noir' (however you quantify noir qualities in comic book form. I myself think of dark and serious looking art, but I'm not an artist so I won't directly define such a quality), unless stated otherwise.

SPEECH BUBBLE/MAGGIA THUG - How did YOU get in here?!


2-- We look out from his POV into the room, a poorly lit warehouse with crates in disarray on the floor. One is opened, with [ANONYMOUS DRUG] contained within. Standing next to the crate is a shadowy figure, of whom we can only see two things: her silhouette (which is holding a crowbar), and her iconic costume... It's Blonde Phantom, if that helps on the artistic side of things.

SPEECH BUBBLE/BLONDE PHANTOM - Oh, me? I'm a detective, I know how to find out things. Things like drug smuggling operations by that DASTARDLY Maggia family, where those drug smuggling operations take place, and how to stop the criminals in their tracks.


3-- We should probably switch to a view that suitably emphasises both characters here, like a nice 'Two-Shot' as the people in the film world would call it. Blonde Phantom should be on the left, with her Crowbar-less hand up to her head in dismay at the foolish words of the Maggia Thug. The Maggia Thug is laughing now, and pointing a sub-machine gun at the Blonde Phantom.

SPEECH BUBBLE/MAGGIA THUG - YOU?! Stop ME? HA! I'd like to see you manage that in your ridiculous outfit, you frail, pathetic little girl!


4-- Same sorta shot for consistency here. The Blonde Phantom has now leapt towards the Thug, and has swung her foot high into the air, stilleto first, straight up. Her dress should really be billowing now, to create an almost majestic image of a heroine flying towards her prey in action. The Maggia Thug has flung his weapon to the side in shock and is covering his face, flinching.

SPEECH BUBBLE[small]/MAGGIA THUG - Eep!


5-- We change view to POV again, as the Blonde Phantom looms over the Thug (presumably because he has fallen to the floor and is looking up at her. Her leg is now resting on top of one of the BOXES of [ANONYMOUS DRUG], delightfully labeled "SOAP". She has a smirk, a raised eyebrow and most importantly is now entirely visible in her full glory.

SPEECH BUBBLE/BLONDE PHANTOM - I may well be the best dressed detective-slash-masked heroine that anyone has just about ever heard of, but I'm also strong-willed, intelligent, and most importantly...


6-- A nice cartoony panel of Blonde Phantom, yelling, doing an exaggerated uppercut, absolutely destroying the mouth and teeth of the Maggia Thug. It'd be best if this was as goreless as possible, if only to avoid it making her seem ridiculously strong(er than how I perceive her in my heart). A multi-coloured explosion behind this thematically opposed action shot would probably be best-suited to the situation.

SPEECH BUBBLE/BLONDE PHANTOM - BAD-ASS!!!


7-- The reader is now looking down at the warehouse floor, with the Maggia Thug sprawled out on the floor and the Blonde Phantom with her shoulders slumped, looking down.

SPEECH BUBBLE/BLONDE PHANTOM - Aw, sneezes, I can't interrogate a man with a broken jaw!



[Author's note: This is probably the worst of my script ideas so far. I've been incredibly busy and have only had time to throw out 5 basic scripts for this week (FIVE?!), 4 of which I've picked to take more time on and release as B-sides on my site. So look forward to those!]

Why The Blonde Phantom?

Honestly? Because she's my Golden Age gal, and one of the best characters in the history of comics. But YOU'VE never heard of her, so I'll throw in some actual information!

The Blonde Phantom is the result of Timely Comics (Marvel's predecessor, for those who don't know) moving away from their tales of super-heroics towards new and interesting things (In her case a movement to have some female-led comic books to appeal to young ladies. She was Louise Grant, a Detective's assistant by day, doing secretarial work for her boss, but by night she donned a domino mask and a kick-ass dress and fought crime! If that isn't the sort of concept YOU want to be involved with then clearly we need to start seeing other people!

After a fair while in that fine Golden Age spotlight she kinda just disappeared (along with a lot of Timely characters, but that's besides the point). She re-appeared in She-Hulk, but ignore all that. No, a great deal of the motivation for putting this character out there this week is in two recent releases.

The first was her 70th anniversary one-shot in All-Select Comics, where we got a tale of a classic hero in a pulpish, noirish setting, showing her fighting skills and detective acumen years after her adventures had ended. It's this dark-yet-fun styling that made me think this was well-suited to our group, seeing as more than one of the people on here are fond of stories like Ed Brubaker's Criminal & Incognito, and moreso Daredevil. That sort of angle on the character would be a joy to behold ,and indeed hopefully will be a reality in the coming week.

The second was a one-off story in Marvel Adventures Super Heroes 14, an all-ages tale of her and Hawkeye doing their share of ass-kickery and detective investigation. I cited this as a specific highlight to our cadre simply because it captures the essence of EVERYTHING positive in the character. Hopefully that recommendation has had a positive effect on everyone and we'll see a real grip on the character.



Anyway, I'm rambling (and probably not doing THAT good a job representing a favourite of mine), so I'll finish by saying this: I didn't JUST choose the Blonde Phantom because she's my favourite female in comics, or because her costume is the best, or those two recent appearances. No, I also chose her because we're on our FIFTH CHARACTER AND WE'VE ONLY HAD MEN. I mean I know we're exclusively a group of men at the moment (though I have my feminine moments), but geez... C'mon guys. Femme it up a little!



Read about The Blonde Phantom at:

Wikipedia!
The Marvel Database!!
ON AN OLD GEOCITIES PAGE OF JESS NEVINS'!!!