Captain Britain - Home of the Brave - J.D. Coughlan

Wide panels taking up the top and bottom rows, 2x2 grid in between.

Panel 1: Wide panel of George Square in Glasgow*. There is a large crowd to the left and one to the right, with Captain Britain (Brian Braddock) and a few police officers in the middle, holding the throngs back from one another.

CAPTION: George Square, Glasgow

CAPTION: September 19th, 2014

CAPTION: Scotland votes against independence from the UK in an historic referendum. Naturally, fighting breaks out between the pro- and anti-independence voters.

Panel 2: Mid-shot of Captain Britain. He holds up his hands in a gesture of peace.

BRIAN: (small) Angry Scots... Gimme extradimensional monsters any day...

BRIAN: People! Please remain calm! There is no need for violence!

Panel 3: Over Brian's shoulder. An angry man in the crowd shouts at him.

MAN: Shut it, Captain England!

Panel 4: Head-and-shoulders shot of Brian. He looks annoyed, but is trying to hold it back.

BRIAN: I represent all Britain, not just England.

BRIAN: And that still includes you guys, according to a little thing called democracy.

Panel 5: Wide shot angled slightly from above, of Captain Britain standing between the crowds. He is stood with his arms spread to both of them.

BRIAN: If you fight each other just because you disagree, well, then you're no better than all the things you accuse us English of.

O.P.: Is that so?

Panel 6: Wide panel from behind Brian's back as he turns to see a figure step out from the crowd. This figure is tall with red hair tied back and a trim beard. He wears a kilt and a tunic with the Scottish flag pattern on it. A large claymore is sheathed at his hip.

FIGURE: It's time the Scottish people had someone to stand up for them.

FIGURE: It's time for... (large) CAPTAIN SCOTLAND!

END OF PAGE

(*As seen in World War Z)

Captain Britain - Strive - Travis M. Holyfield

Panel 1: Brian Braddock, CAPTAIN BRITAIN, stands in a dark, quiet library in his country estate. He regards his helmet, sitting on a table in front of him. He thoughtfully swishes the glass of smoky liquor he holds in his hand.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): Though I am an educated man, I cannot claim to be wise.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): But I strive to grow in wisdom, and seek out those who can guide me.


Panel 2: A flashback. Captain Britain is  in a rainy graveyard. His uniform is torn and muddy, his body broken and bloody. He struggles to his feet, using a tombstone to brace himself. Approaching him with single-minded, deadly purpose, is THE FURY.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): I am not a brave man.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): But I strive to stand strong in the face of my fears.


Panel 3: Another flashback. We look on from over Captain Britain's shoulder as he hefts a boulder above his head. At his feet, battered almost beyond recognition, is the form of SLAYMASTER. Those of us who know Captain Britain's history know that there is murder in the air.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): I am not a just man.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): But I strive to recognize the right from the wrong, and always do the former.


Panel 4:  Another flashback. In the SECRET AVENGERS' headquarters, Captain Britain angirly shouts at HAWKEYE. BLACK WIDOW and VALKYRIE stand in the background, AGENT VENOM grips Cap's shoulder attempting to hold him back.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): I am not a humble man.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): But I strive to overcome my own pride, and heed the better angels of my nature.


Panel 5:  In a celestial crystal palace, Captain Britain kneels before the lady ROMA. She gently touches his shoulder. The assembled Captain Britain Corps stand at attention, watching the scene.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): I am not worthy to be Captain Britain.

CAPTAIN BRITAIN (CAPTION): But I will strive to be. And I will protect the multiverse until my death, or until another takes my watch.

Captain Britain – Captain Reject Corps – MK Stangeland Jr.

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: Multiverse Headquarters of the CAPTAIN BRITAIN CORPS. A version of CAPTAIN BRITAIN (SR BRITAIN) is giving a rundown to a new recruit (ROOKIE BRITAIN) as they walk down a rather dapper and royal-looking hallway.

ROOKIE BRITAIN: If I might ask, what about the universes that don’t have a Britain?

SR BRITAIN: What kind of crazy question is that?

Panel 2: ROOKIE BRITAIN tries to explain, though is a bit apprehensive and defensive.

ROOKIE BRITAIN (1): The Multiverse is a huge place, so as much as it pains me to admit it, there have to be versions where Britain doesn’t exist.

ROOKIE BRITAIN (2): So who takes their place in the Corps?

Panel 3: SR BRITAIN reluctantly accepts ROOKIE BRITAIN’s question.

SR BRITAIN (1): Oh, them.

SR BRITAIN (2): Technically, those guys are part of the Corps, but they tend to do their own thing.

Panel 4: SR BRITAIN and ROOKIE BRITAIN walk down the hallway away from the panel.

SR BRITAIN: We’ve got a pocket universe they hang out in or something.

Panel 5: A bar-type building that looks like a mix of various non-British styles. A sign overhead reads “WELCOME – NON-BRITAIN CORPS”. Assembled and hanging out are a number of CAPTAIN BRITAINS who are very much not CAPTAIN BRITAIN from universes where BRITAIN doesn’t actually exist, such as a CAPTAIN AMERICA/CAPTAIN BRITAIN hybrid, some kind of CAPTAIN ROBOT from an all-robot world, an alien from a universe where EARTH itself is nonexistent, etc. Have fun with it.

(END PAGE)

Captain Britain - Warpchild - Ray Wonsowski

Setting: interior, the Hellfire Club. 

Panel 1 - BRIAN BRADDOCK sits at a dimly-lit table. He's dressed in a bankers-grey three-piece, no tie. A lingerie-clad serving girl,foreground left, places a club soda with a lime in it on the table before him. BRADDOCK, however, is looking at the tall feminine figure, clad in fur-lined white robes, foreground right (her back toward us, long voluminous blonde hair cascading down her back). He's slightly taken aback, but slightly smirking.

BRADDOCK: Well now, I must admit this is the last place I'd expect you to ask for a meet.

Panel 2 - Reverse p.o.v. BRADDOCK is looking up at the tall voluptuous figure of the OPAL LUNA SATURNYNE, looking haughty, yet nervous. The serving girl is walking away.

SATURNYNE: Necessity forced the choice of venue, Captain.

BRADDOCK: There are better places to hide, Mastrix.

Panel 3 - SATURNYNE slides into the booth close to BRADDOCK. She is furtive, a bit frightened, and scanning the room.

SATURNYNE: That depends entirely on who you hide from.

BRADDOCK: Who? Who hunts you?

OFF PANEL: I do...

Panel 4 -  A white haired CHILD in a navy-blue dress suit, white shirt with a red and gold silk tie, about age 10 or 11, approaches the table, hand extended as if offering a hand shake. Foreground, the faces of BRADDOCK and SATURNYNE, silhouetted, express shock.

CHILD: Permit me to introduce myself. My name is Clifton Dover. I am the illegitimate son of James Jaspers.

CHILD: I am heir to the Warp.

Panel 5 - CLIFTON waves his fingers, levitating the struggling BRADDOCK and SATURNYNE. BRADDOCK's helmet has materialized, and his suit is transforming into his CAPTAIN BRITAIN uniform.

BRADDOCK: ..nh..

CLIFTON: In ten years, I am to become the Captain Albion of Earth 3294. In twenty, I force the Omniversal Matrix to bear my seed.

Panel 6 - Close up on the face of CLIFTON, who sweats at the brow, smiling closed-lipped at his manipulations.

CLIFTON: Whose birth will herald the destruction of the Captain Britain Corps across all timelines.

CLIFTON: But not before I kill this one's first...

Captain Britain - New Beginnings - Grant McLaughlin

The first and last panels would make up their own individual rows at the top and the bottom of the page.  The rest of the panels would be in between the two, all of equal size, and would number as many as is necessary (as will be explained below).

1 - Brian Braddock (in full Captain Britain regalia) and Meggan Puceneau (in full whatever her regalia might be) stand in front of a curtain, about to go onto a stage.

MEGGAN: You really think this will work?

BRIAN: God, I hope so.

The majority of the page should be small panels of Captain Britain

2 - ?? I'm imaging a series a small panels (like some David Aja-type stuff) depicting various scenes of Brian and Meggan making phone calls, writing letters, sending texts and emails, and so forth.  Perhaps interspersed between each of these would be the response panel, if you will: a hero answering the phone, checking their mail, looking at their texts, reading email / Facebook / twitter / whatever.  These could be really basic, or they could be slightly more ambitious (i.e. a shot of a Twitter handle belonging to Brian starting a message whose contents isn't clear) partially based on what you'd like and how much focus you want to throw in here.  The heroes seeing these calls could be a combination of known or brand new folk.  They all have specific nationalities in mind, but I'll save that for the final panel.

The only other thing to note is that we have some captions going throughout this process, which can be placed anywhere as long as their reading order is more or less the same.

CAPTION (BRIAN): We've put in the work.

CAPTION (BRIAN): Established our goals.

CAPTION (BRIAN): And reached out to friends.

CAPTION (BRIAN): Acquaintances.

CAPTION (BRIAN): Strangers.

FINAL PANEL - Brian and Meggan stand on a podium in an auditorium of some variety, looking out at a crowd of heroes from various Commonwealth countries.  People like Union Jack, Spitfire, or Elsa Bloodstone would be some good Brits.  Maybe some members of Alpha Flight, perhaps Wolverine if he's alive for Canada.  You could have Gateway or Manifold (as well as Slipstream) from Australia.  Kiwi Black is all I can find from New Zealand.  Perhaps the new Ms. Marvel as a Pakistani member (even if she's first generation American).  There's a couple of Indian heroes such as Karima Shapandar or Thunderbird.  Part of what I'm saying is that you'd probably have to create some new characters for this idea, but that's totally doable so no worries.

LETTERING NOTE: Captain Britain's final two words should be styled as a logo title.

CAPTION (BRIAN): All that's left is to give it the old college try.

BRIAN: Thank you all for being here and welcome to the inaugural meeting of the COMMONWEALTH CORPS!

Why Captain Britain?

There's a lot to like about the idea behind Captain Britain.

Mainstream superhero comics are unsurprisingly American-heavy when it comes to their stories and their characters, so anything that breaks that mold is a welcome sight.

I also kind of like this idea that Britain has their own state-personifying hero who isn't quite as well known as Captain America?  I mean, I doubt it was at all Marvel's intention, but it has a certain charm and parallelism to real world international politics that is kind of amusing (although under that logic, I suppose we should be getting way into Captain China soon...).

Most of all though, I think we can all agree that Captain Britain has one ballin' ass costume.

Seriously, what is not to love about that?

That being said, I will readily admit that the execution of Captain Britain has never quite sat right by me.  The mixture of Arthurian legend, magic, and modern day kind of leaves me a little cold.  Particularly when you really get into the whole Otherworld dealie and the idea of a multiverse of Captain Britain's protecting it all.  I mean, it's weirdly colonial and self-important and let's be honest why would it fall to Captain Britain to save reality a single time, let alone on multiple occasions?

Also not going to lie, but I'm not really sold on how Captain Britain seems to die constantly and is just as easily brought back from the great beyond.  I get that superhero death isn't the most permanent of states, but Brian Braddock has eaten it on what seems like no less than six separate occasions, which is pushing credulity at a certain point.

But part of the purpose of Thought Balloons is to give us the opportunity to put our own spin on things, so why not take on a character such as this?  There's a lot of potential there in my view, so maybe we can push him in a direction that's more to our liking.  Or maybe we're cool with how he is and want to try something new within that context.

It's all fair game and you're welcome to join in and offer your take in the Comments if you're so inclined.

Also, let's not forget that costume.

For reals though