Three Years - Influences - Niel Jacoby

Inset Panel 1: A younger Niel Jacoby pulls a copy of the Fourth World Omnibus from his library's shelf. He is curious.

Niel: THE FOURTH WORLD? HUH...

Full Splash: A collage of the sheer visual splendor of the Fourth World comics. Mister Miracle #1's cover, the double splash introducing Glorious Godfrey, The Glory Boat, etc.

Inset Panel 2: The younger Niel Jacoby has been blown back through 3 of his library's bookcases and lies frazzled in a pile of books. Think the opening scene of Back to the Future. The first volume of the Fourth World Omnibus has fallen to the floor in front of the bookcase, Kirby Dots emanating from it.

Niel(dazed): WILD!

Caption: AND A LIFELONG LOVE WAS BORN!

Mister Miracle - A Long Time Ago... - Ray Wonsowski

8 panel layout, 4 rows of 2, equal size.

Setting:  a truck stop diner.  In panels 1 to 7, we are focused on the same two booths.  In the left booth is a GUY with a dark beard, wearing a baseball cap and glasses, with a cup of coffee at his elbow.  He is writing in a notebook.  MISTER MIRACLE (in costume) is finishing his breakfast with his faithful friend and manager, OBERON, in the other booth.  The bearded guy should be back-to-back with MM.



Panel 1:  MR. MIRACLE is forking the last of his scrambled eggs into his mouth as OBERON lights his after-meal cigar.  The other guy is writing but looks frustrated.

CAPTION:  California, 1973.

OBERON:  So, tell me 'bout this other guy.  O'Ryan, is it?

MR. MIRACLE:  Orion.  He was born on Apokolips, where I grew up.

OBERON:  What's that place like, anyway?



Panel 2:  MM puts his fork on his plate, wiping his mouth with a napkin.  OBERON blows a smoke ring at the ceiling.  The other guy is eavesdropping.

MR. MIRACLE:  Well, imagine the moon, but completely covered by industry and technology gone mad.  And there's this pit that shoots fire and death.

OBERON:  Charming.

MR. MIRACLE:  Anyway, Orion's dad is the guy who runs the place.



Panel 3:  MM drapes his arm over the back of his seat as OBERON leans forward to listen.  The other guy is scratching furiously in his notebook as he's listening intently.

OBERON:  Darkseid.

MR. MIRACLE:  That's him.  Anyway, when I went there, his son was sent to my world where he was raised in relative peace.  But it didn't take.

OBERON:  Born for war.



Panel 4:  MM leans in.  OBERON ashes his cigar in his plate.  The other guy is writing as fast as he can.

MR. MIRACLE:  And someday, he's going to have to face off against his father.  Luckily, he's one with the Source.

OBERON:  The Source?

MR: MIRACLE:  Kind of like God.  It's a spiritual energy, I guess, that surrounds and binds everything together.



Panel 5:  OBERON's cigar is in his mouth as he opens his wallet.  MR. MIRACLE takes a last sip of coffee.  The other guy is leaned into his notebook, writing in intense concentration.

OBERON:  And Orion can tap it?

MR. MIRACLE:  He has to.  Darkseid's dangerous.  He's terror and anger personified.  He can kill you just by pointing and looking at you.  Thankfully, Orion had a wonderful old man for a teacher.

OBERON:  Yeah, well, so do you, kid.



Panel 6:  OBERON, cigar in his teeth, leaves some money on the table as he and MM get up to leave.  MM is smiling kindly.  The writer whips his head around (slightly panicked) to watch them go.  His pen is still scratching away.

MR. MIRACLE:  Ha!  Oberon, you could know me better than anyone.  Orion could probably learn a few tricks from you.

OBERON:  Bah!  Who'd traipse halfway across a galaxy to listen to a crotchety old dwarf like me?

MR. MIRACLE:  You'd be surprised...



Panel 7:  MR. MIRACLE and OBERON (puffing on his cigar) exit to the right, as a MAN in a suit and tie sits down at the writer's booth.  The writer looks up and smiles widely at him.  MM is rolling his eyes.

OBERON:  You know, maybe we should call that Flashman guy.  He could do something with that story of yours.

MR. MIRACLE:  Oh, please...

OBERON:  Think about it.  Movies, comic books, toys, LP records, your face on T-shirts and posters...

MAN IN SUIT:  George...



Panel 8:  Birds eye view of the writer's notebook on the diner table, facing the writer.  We only see the hands of the man in the suit across from him, folded.  The writer's pen is down, and his hands spread wide in excitement.  The notebook should be filled with notes such as:  The Source FORCE.  DARK SIDE.  STAR of DEATH.  SON v. FATHER = DESTINY!!  WAR in the STARS.  Son sent away, learn from Oberon Obiwan (kanomi? kanobi?) (or maybe a midget. Puppet?).  (include a rough sketch of the Death Star shooting its ray, and in small print "that's no moon")

CAPTION (Mr. Miracle):  Seriously, who would buy it?

Thank you, Jack Kirby - the ORIGINAL!

Mr. Miracle - Time Dies When You're Having Gun! - Niel Jacoby

Splash page: Mister Miracle, his hands tied in chains suspended from the minute hand of Big Ben, which now shows 5: 28, with a strange device right above the 6 on the clock face, dangles above a tank of ominous fluid, and we can see the red dots of snipers all around him. Oberon stands on a stage in the foreground and is gesturing to Scott.

Oberon: THE MYSTIFYING MISTER MIRACLE, THE WORLD'S FOREMOST ESCAPE ARTIST, MUST ESCAPE HIS BONDS IN THE NEXT 2 MINUTES, OR THE CHAIN SHALL DISENGAGE, SENDING HIM 80 METERS DOWNWARD, AN ALMOST CERTAINLY FATAL PLUNGE!

Oberon: AND EVEN IF IT'S NOT THE FALL THAT KILLS HIM, IT'LL BE THE SUDDEN GLOP AT THE END AS AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT FALL IS THIS TUB OF AN UNSPECIFIED ACID!

Oberon: BUT WHEN HE'S OUT OF HIS CHAINS, HE WON'T BE FINISHED, AS WE HAVE 100 TRAINED SNIPERS SET TO AIM AT THE MOMENT HE ESCAPES, AS HE MUST REACH THE PEAK OF BIG BEN WITHOUT CATCHING A BAD END!

Oberon: AND NOW, THE MAN WHO DEFIES DEATH, BUT NEVER TAXES, SCOTT FREE!

Mister Miracle - The Mind Maze - J.D. Coughlan

Full-page splash. There are images of: Darkseid looking smug, perhaps even grinning evilly, if it works; Mr. Miracle lying on a slab with his head in some kind of spherical device ("The Mind Maze") while Desaad stands over him, also looking evil; and Mr. Miracle trapped in a maze with spikes on the wall, trap-doors, and any other Indy-style traps you can fit in; but the predominant image is Mr. Miracle clutching his head, eyes wide in horror.

CAPTION: The Ultimate Evil has created the Ultimate Prison!

CAPTION: To break free from his own psyche, Mister Miracle must out-think... himself!

CAPTION: Can the Expert Escapist escape...

TITLE: THE MIND MAZE

END OF PAGE

Mister Miracle – The Highest Price – Shaun Richens.

PAGE ONE

Page Layout:

113

223

444

444

1. A black panel.

         CAPTION (MANGA KHAN)

         It’s time to wake up.

         CAPTION (MANGA KHAN)

         Someone is here to collect you.

2. We are looking straight on at MANGA KHAN from the waist up. He stands triumphant and proud, his arms folded across his chest, his cape flowing down behind him.

         MANGA KHAN

         I am pleased you have decided to arise at such an apt 

         moment.

3. A full body shot of MISTER MIRACLE. His hands and feet or bond in black shackles and seem to pulsate with a strange dark energy. His body is strapped to a wall his arms pinned up above his head.

         MIRACLE

         What do you want with me Khan?

         MANGA KHAN (O.P)

         Oh it is not I who wants you.

4. Half page splash. L-RON leads the being known as DARKSEID across the deck of the CLUSTER SHIP towards MANGA KHAN and his captive MISTER MIRACLE. A huge window looking out across the galaxy frames DARKSEID from behind; we can see stars and other parts of the massive CLUSTER SHIP space station in the window.  DARKSEID walks with his hands behind his back, a slight grin on his face.

         MANGA KHAN

         I am afraid I was made an offer I simply could 

         not refuse.

Mister Miracle – Mr. & Mrs. Free: Adventures in Suburbia – MK Stangeland Jr.

(9 Panels)

Panel 1: Exterior panel of part of MR. MIRACLE & BIG BARDA’s house in the suburbs during the night. A group of four black-masked thieves are pumping something in to their house.

NARRATION BOX: That night…

BURGLAR #1: These fools will never know what hit them!

Panel 2: Interior panel of SCOTT FREE and BARDA FREE in the basement of their house. Both are tied to chairs, and look like they were dragged out of bed while sleeping. SCOTT is wearing a pair of MR. MIRACLE boxer shorts, while BARDA is dressed in a tasteful looking night gown.

NARRATION BOX: With their house filled with knock out gas, SCOTT FREE And BARDA FREE are tied up in the basement, leaving the burglars free reign of their house!

Panel 3: Close up of SCOTT and BARDA tied to their chairs. SCOTT is amused by the situation, while BARDA looks down with a face that says ‘I don’t have to put up with this $#*^’.

SCOTT: Ha, these ropes are mere childs’ play!

Panel 4: Panel of just SCOTT in his chair, looking like he’s taking his time untying himself.

SFX: (Coming from off-panel as BARDA just flexes her muscles and breaks out of her chair, though we don’t actually see this happening.) CRACK!

SCOTT: Why, I could be out of these yesterday if I wanted to.

Panel 5: Panel of SCOTT continuing to untie himself at a leisurely pace, largely unconcerned by the situation and unaware that his wife is already upstairs dealing with the burglars.

SCOTT: Clearly, these fools did not do their research.

SFX: (Coming from off-panel as BARDA walks upstairs.) Thud! Thud! Thud!

BURGLAR #2: (Coming from off-panel as BARDA starts dealing with the burglars upstairs.) How did you…

SFX: (Coming from off-panel as BARDA starts dealing with the burglars upstairs.) WAK!

Panel 6: Panel of SCOTT in the chair, nearly untied, and whistling as he takes his time and continues to be unaware as to what his wife is up to.

SFX: (From SCOTT) *Whistle music notes*

SFX: (From upstairs.) SMACK! PUNCH! POW!

BURGLAR #3: Ow!

BURGLAR #4: UNCLE! UNCLE!

Panel 7: SCOTT stands up as he finishes untying himself.

SCOTT: Alright, honey. Give me a moment to untie you and we can go dish out some justice.

Panel 8: SCOTT looks to where BARDA’s chair used to be. There’s now a pile of broken chair pieces and torn rope lying there instead.

Panel 9: SCOTT looks up the stairs from the basement to where BARDA is poking her head around the corner to shout down to her husband.

BARDA: Scott, if you’re done playing around down there, could you come and give me a hand with these guys so we can drive them to the police station?

(END PAGE)

Mister Miracle - The Great Escape - Grant McLaughlin

This script takes place in the home of Mister Miracle and Big Barda.  There's nothing particularly special about it, but that's where it's happening.  Three rows of panels, two panels per row.

1 - Big Barda looks towards the stairs and yells up to her husband.  She is dressed in a classy looking dress.  The kind of thing you'd wear to the theatre or an expensive restaurant.

BIG BARDA: Scott, we need to get going!

2 - Extend the image from panel one, just dividing it by the gutter to show that it's a new panel.  Here we see the empty stairs.  No dialogue.

3 - Big Barda is walking up the stairs.

BIG BARDA: Scott?

4 - At the top of the stairs, Big Barda is walking down the hallway towards the room where Mister Miracle is.

BIG BARDA: Come on, we're going to be late.

5 - Big Barda standing in the doorway of the room where Mister Miracle is.  She looks a little upset, her hands on her hips.

BIG BARDA: Have you forgotten that you promised to take me to the ballet tonight?

6 - Mister Miracle, wearing some really plain and boring looking clothing, is halfway through slipping out the open window.  He looks towards Big Barda (and the reader) with an incredibly sheepish look on his face.

MISTER MIRACLE (1): Err...

MISTER MIRACLE (2): What gives you that idea?

Mister Miracle – Cheat – Ben Rosenthal

1.  FULL PAGE SPLASH

Mister Miracle is slumped  in a couch in a typical middle-class home.  He is watching a TV with a bottle of beer in his hand.  He looks bored, tired and dejected.  He hates his life.

CAPTION

Could it be?  Our MIRACLE MAN ensnared and cannot escape?  Can Mister Miracle escape from the trickiest trap yet – the dysfunctional relationship!

WIFE (off panel)

Have  you taken out the garbage yet?

MISTER MIRACLE

I will in a minute--

MISTER MIRACLE (smaller, under his breath so his wife does not hear)

--Your Highness.

Mister Miracle- Change -Dan Hill

As far as I know the concept of the New Gods haven't been introduced into the New 52 as yet. This is my take on Mister Miracle's re-emergence in that universe.

PAGE ONE

The page depicts the side of a tenement building at an angle, split into four wide panels on top of one another.

1.1
Night. A shot of the Bludhaven skyline. There is an orange tinge emanating from areas of the city in the background. At the bottom of the panel we can see the roof of a tenement building.

Smoke rises from the bottom of the panel.

CAP:  Bludhaven.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE):  The more things change, the more they stay the same.

1.2
We see the side of the tenement building, and a fire escape bolted to it. A few people look out of their windows or stand on the fire escape, all peering down.

Smoke still rises from below.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE):  Bludhaven is under attack.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE):  So it was before, so it is again.

1.3
We continue the pan down the side of the building. More fire escapes, more concerned and nosy citizens looking on.

This time though, on the side of the building, we can see graffiti-- the initials MM in red and yellow paint.

Smoke continues to rise.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE):  The rich become richer and the poor become poorer.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE):  So it was before, so it is again.

1.4
We are now at street level. We can see a large crowd of PROTESTORS has gathered. They carry signs depicting slogans reminiscent of the 99% movement. They are all angry, organised and vocal.

A makeshift signal fire sits in the middle of the group, smoke rising from it.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE): But this time I am here to show them that there is a different way.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE): A way out.

CAP(MISTER MIRACLE): An escape.

Why Mister Miracle?

After becoming disgruntled with Marvel in the early 70's, Jack Kirby turned to DC Comics and tried his hand at what he envisioned to be a finite series depicting a cosmic battle between good and evil. This conflict had its beginnings in the aftermath of Ragnarok itself before it found its way to Earth and the DCU. Originally consisting of the titles The Forever People, Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, The New Gods and Mister Miracle the series became known as the Fourth World saga and charted the battle between Apokolips and New Genesis and it's denizens, the aforementioned New Gods.

Amidst this pantheon we meet Scott Free (yes, really), son of the ruler of New Genesis. As part of the the agreement to keep the peace between the two worlds Scott was sent to live on Apokolips, where he rebels against the oppression of the world and it's ruler, Darkseid. Eventually he escapes Apokolips and heads to Earth, his actions reigniting the war between the two worlds. On Earth he is taken in by Thaddeus Brown, a circus escape artist ,with Scott proving to be an excellent escapologist himself. Soon after this, Thaddeus is murdered and Scott takes up his mentor's stage costume and name, Mister Miracle.

Since that time Scott has won his freedom from Darkseid, joined the JLA, tried to live the quiet life in the suburbs (with wife Big Barda) and even recruited his own protege/successor in Shiloh Norman (who has taken up the Mister Miracle mantle himself).

So why Mister Miracle? No situation is too impossible for him to escape from, he never gives up, he's part of a cosmic battle between good and evil and even death can't hold him forever. If Kirby himself is woven into the very fabric of modern superhero comics then Mister Miracle is a distillation of everything those comics do well-- big stories, big themes and, dare I say it?

Escapism.