Falcon – PUNCH Line – MK Stangeland Jr.

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: TV monitor showing the character select screen from SUPER SMASH BROTHERS BRAWL. There are four active player, though they are off-screen: SPIDER-MAN, JOHNNY STORM, BOBBY DRAKE, and SAM WILSON.

JOHNNY (1): (Off-Panel) I’m going to play as Sam’s character!

BOBBY: (Off-Panel) Falcon isn’t in this game…

JOHNNY (2): (Off-Panel) Captain Falcon.

SAM: (Off-Panel) …

Panel 2: The game is ongoing, with the characters of CAPTAIN FALCON, SNAKE, SONIC, and ICE CLIMBERS present on the BATTLEFIELD map.

JOHNNY (1): (Off-Panel) Here it comes!

JOHNNY (2): (Off-Panel) Say it with me now!

SAM: (Off-Panel) What are we saying?

BOBBY: (Off-Panel) Your hero name!

SAM: (Off-Panel) Falcon?

Panel 3: CAPTAIN FALCON has swung back for his signature move.

SPIDER-MAN, JOHNNY, and BOBBY: (Off-Screen) FALCON…

Panel 4: CAPTAIN FALCON performs his FALCON PUNCH to send SNAKE flying.

SPIDER-MAN, JOHNNY, and BOBBY: (Off-Screen) …PUNCH!

Panel 5: We see the couch where the four are sitting as they play the game. SPIDER-MAN sits on the far end, while JOHNNY STORM and BOBBY DRAKE sit on either side of SAM WILSON. JOHNNY and BOBBY give each other a high five over SAM’s head – there might be a touch of steam from the impact as a minor side-joke. SAM lets his head hang down into one of his hands in annoyance at the others antics.

WILSON: Someone please remind me how I let you people talk me into this.

(END PAGE)

Johnny Storm - Harbinger - R.A. Wonsowski

PAGE 22

Panel 1 - Foreground, JOHNNY STORM flying "flame-on" down a long palace hallway in Attilan.  The ceiling is high, but he is flying fairly close to the floor.  Through the crystalline and ornately appointed windows, we see that night has fallen.  He's smiling and waving goodnight over his shoulder to (behind him in the background) BEN GRIMM (the THING), CRYSTAL, and GORGON.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  The drinks come more frequently, since I've come back from the Negative Zone.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  Ben won't let me buy a single round.


Panel 2 - JOHNNY stands under a shower, water spraying in his face.  The water turns to steam on his skin.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  "Your money's no good, John," he says.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  He calls me "John" now.


Panel 3 - JOHNNY, in a red t-shirt and boxers, climbs into his Inhuman-designed bed.  The headboard and bed should have that organic, Jae Lee look to it.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  Never around Sue or Reed, just when it's us two.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  Like I earned it, or I finally grew into the name.  Like, "I'm a man now."

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  But...


Panel 4 - P.O.V. from above.  In the dark, in bed, JOHNNY stares at the ceiling.  One hand is pointing up towards us, a flame dimly illuminating his face.  His eyes are tired; he can't sleep.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  I'm afraid of the dark now.  Like a little kid, I can't quite sleep without a little light.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  Because "Johnny" knows...


Panel 5 - Zoom in a little bit (head and shoulders shot).  Same P.O.V., but JOHNNY's mouth is slightly open, a touch agape.  His eyes are glassy.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  He's been on the other side of the closet door.  He knows what scrabbles around in the dark there.


Panel 6 - Zoom in a bit more (only the face).  From JOHNNY's open mouth, an alien looking insect pokes its antennaed head and foreclaws from the corner of his mouth.  JOHNNY's eyes have rolled back.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  I hear the chitinous scratching in the walls, at the corners.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  "Chitinous."  That's a Reed-word.  I think it means "dreadful"...


Panel 7 - Zoom in to just JOHNNY's mouth.  Now four or five alien insects are crawling out of his mouth, and maybe a slug or worm or two.  There are more behind, as his cheeks are puffing and lumping with more insects.  One of the insects bears the face of ANNIHILUS.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  I think it means something horrible awaits me from the other side.

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  Awaiting me still...

CAPTION (JOHNNY):  Lord...

Human Torch - Light Up the World - J.D. Coughlan

Panel 1: Establishing shot of an icy wasteland on an alien planet. Maybe put two moons in the sky or something to show it's not Earth. It should look very cold and hellishly windy. There is a small group of travellers making their way through the snow.

JOHNNY (CAP): They say I'm the irresponsible one.

Panel 2: Closer on the alien travellers now. Wrapped up tight in arctic gear. One of them is stumbling over, the others look to him in alarm.

JOHNNY (CAP): That I'm only in this game for the fun, the fame, the girls.

Panel 3: The other travellers gather around their fallen comrade, helping him up. He gestures to them, "go on without me." Some of them look to each other in hopelessness. Even if they leave him, they may not survive.

JOHNNY (CAP): And, sure, that stuff's cool...

Panel 4: Same shot, but now there is a light shining down on them. They look to its off-panel source in awe. Some of the snow around them is beginning to melt.

JOHNNY (CAP): But if that's all I wanted, I'd just go on some crappy reality TV show.

Panel 5: Large. Johnny, in flame-on mode, hovers over the travellers, smiling.

JOHNNY (CAP): Truth is, helping people...

JOHNNY (CAP): Well that just warms my heart.

END OF PAGE

Human Torch- Blaze of Glory -Dan Hill

PAGE ONE

[Note: The entirety of this page should have a 60’s vibe in its colouring and style. Think the technicolour look of Thunderbirds or the original Lee/Kirby run.

1.1

Wide: the panel is filled with a CLOSE UP on a piece of Kirby-esque machinery.

JOHNNY CAPTION: “Four months since my powers vanished.”

1.2

Wide: a silver metallic fin fills the panel, a ‘go faster’ red stripe streaking across the top of it.

JOHNNY CAPTION: “God knows how long since we all got on that rocket.”

1.3

Wide: On JOHNNY STORM as he zips up a blue jumpsuit. It looks near identical to his Fantastic Four costume bar the zipper up the middle of it (it even has a number 4 embroidered on the breast).

JOHNNY CAPTION: “And all anyone asks is what I miss the most.”

JOHNNY CAPTION: “You know what I tell ‘em, Blaze?”

1.4

A tight shot on JOHNNY BLAZE. He’s wearing a pair of overalls and looks tired but jovial. He’s rubbing some grime off his hands with a rag.

BLAZE: Got a feeling you’re gonna tell me anyway, Storm.

BLAZE: She’s ready by the way.

1.5

On Johnny Storm grabbing a crash helmet from a nearby locker.

STORM: It’s the heat.

STORM: The rush.

1.6

Wide: we pull out to show a futuristic looking race-car in the middle of a workshop. When I say futuristic I mean the 60’s idea of futuristic (something like this: http://lester.demon.nl/superm/pix/sfx/tbirds/car4.jpg). The car is silver in colour with a red stripe running up the edges of them.

The hood of the car is propped open and we can see the silver, Kirby-esque engine inside. Johnny Storm is walking over to the car (emblazoned with the Number 4 in black writing), helmet in his hand. Blaze looks on proudly, hands on his hips.

BLAZE: Well, lets see what we can do about that.

STORM: Lets fire her up.

Human Torch - Changes - Ben Rosenthal

1.  Sue Storm is doing the dishes in the kitchen of the Baxter Building.  We see her from front on, with an empty doorway behind her.  From the door way someone is yelling to her.

JOHNNY (off Panel)

SUE! Check this out!

2.  Johnny is standing in the doorway in a towel.  He has just finished dyeing his hair black.  He points to it with both hands, clearly happy.  Sue is trying to work out who Johnny is.  She does not recognise him.

JOHNNY

You like it, sis?

SUE

J-Johnny?  Is that you?

JOHNNY

Yeah.  What you didn't recognise me with different coloured hair?

3.  Sue looks unsure.  Johnny cannot believe what he is hearing.

SUE

No.  You’ve always had blonde hair Johnny.  It’s a part of your character.  Changing it to black I…I just don’t know who you are.

JOHNNY

You’re kidding me right? 

4.  Johnny is pretty miffed.  He is lecturing Sue for her simplistic view of the world.

JOHNNY

Why does it matter what colour my hair is?  How I look isn't what makes me.  It’s what I do and what I represent that makes me.  Hair colour isn't a defining quality!

5.  Sue has turned her back on Johnny, while he is storming out of the room from where he entered in disgust, hands up in the air.

SUE

But your hair is blonde Johnny.  If it’s not blonde, it’s not you!

JOHNNY

I don’t understand what the hell is wrong with people.

Human Torch – Troll Bait – MK Stangeland Jr.

(8 Panels)

Panel 1: A mechanic’s garage inside the BAXTER BUILDING, where JOHNNY STORM, the HUMAN TORCH, is working on a car. A door can be seen in the background, where THING and ICEMAN are walking by.

THING: …just saying Johnny’s got some insecurity issues….

Panel 2: HUMAN TORCH’s head pokes up and he looks towards the door.

Panel 3: HUMAN TORCH leans out the doorway to look where THING and ICEMAN are going. THING and ICEMAN have knowing looks on their faces.

HUMAN TORCH: What do you mean I’ve got insecurity issues?

THING: Oh, uh, you heard that?

Panel 4: HUMAN TORCH stands in front of THING and ICEMAN with his arms crossed.

HUMAN TORCH: Ben…?

THING (1): Well, I suppose as your friend, I could tell ya…

THING (2): It’s just that, you’re already the most popular team member, but you still add all this other stuff, like your acting and cars.

THING (3): Which you use to pick up chicks?

ICEMAN: Sounds like insecurity to me.

Panel 5: HUMAN TORCH looks at THING and ICEMAN with a ‘oh yeah?’ looks.

HUMAN TORCH: You guys are nuts! That’s not a sign of insecurity.

Panel 6: And cut to an exterior scene over NEW YORK, where HUMAN TORCH is flying across the sky near where SPIDER-MAN is swinging.

HUMAN TORCH: Hey, Webhead, you don’t think I’m insecure, do you?

Panel 7: Split panel, with THING’s head in one half and SPIDER-MAN’s head in the other. THING is talking with SPIDER-MAN over the phone.

THING: (Stylistic picture of a Troll’s head next to a picture of the HUMAN TORCH’s head.)

SPIDER-MAN: (A X^D or :^b style emoticon face.)

Panel 8: (SPIDER-MAN does a ‘maybe’ type hand gesture with his free hand.)

SPIDER-MAN (1): Eh…

SPIDER-MAN (2): Well, I didn’t want to say anything, but…

(END PAGE)

Why the Human Torch?

FLAME ON!

With Thought Balloons currently 2 of 4 on members of Marvel’s First Family - last member showing up over two years ago - it seemed as though we were well overdue for member #3 to make an appearance.

So here we are with Johnny Storm, AKA the Human Torch. The team member that readers can probably relate to the most.

Oh sure, Ben Grimm may be the everyman who everyone can relate to, but how many of us could really imagine a depressing existence as a man stuck in an orange rocky skin?

Reed Richards? He may be at the top of Marvel’s IQ list, but that’s operating at a level of intelligence few readers can really comprehend. Not to mention aloof, has trouble connecting with his family at times, and if alternate universe versions of him are anything to go by, he may not be as mentally stable as he first appears. His wife Susan, meanwhile, is stuck with the responsibility of being the team adult.

Then you have Johnny Storm, who is the one that most readers would probably take after if they themselves really had superpowers. He uses his powers for fun as much as for fighting crime, relishes the attention that comes from the Fantastic Four’s status as celebrities, and isn’t above using the publics knowledge that he’s a superhero to pick up chicks.

As much as dead relatives and emotional guilt may make for classic origin stories and powerful motivators, the fact is that one of the real joys of superhero comics is getting to see them use their superpowers. Because superpowers are cool, and Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, is fully aware of this.

He’s also one of the few parts you’ll probably be able to get people to admit was well done in the live action Fantastic Four movies. As played by future Captain America actor Chris Evans, no less.

Go figure.