Recap Page – The Super President Action Force Team: “The Days That Shall Not Live In Infamy” – MK Stangeland Jr.

Panel 1: Pulled panel, with ABRAHAM LINCOLN reading a letter.

LINCOLN: King George has gone back in time to stop America from winning its independence!

TEXT BOX: A threat to history itself!

Panel 2: Pulled panel – inside shot of a TIME MACHINE designed to reference the famous DeLorean Time Machine from Back to the Future, but removed enough to be lawyer-friendly and more in line with the larger version designed to hold more passengers as was utilized in the Back to the Future Ride. JOHN F KENNEDY is in the drivers seat, next to him in the front passenger seat is EISENHOWER. Riding with them are RONALD REAGAN, GERALD FORD, RICHARD NIXON, LYNDON JOHNSON, and HARRY TRUMAN.

EISENHOWER: Let’s go save General Washington.

TEXT BOX: A team on a mission to save reality itself!

Panel 3: Pulled panels, showing a series of chaos from failures to stop KING GEORGE.

TEXT BOX: An enemy that remains one step ahead!

Panel 4: Pulled panel – EISENHOWER is vanishing from history as he tries to put in a final order.

EISENHOWER (1): The answer was obvious the whole time.

EISENHOWER (2): We’ve been reacting when we should be on the offensive!

TEXT BOX: One last hope for victory!

Panel 5: Pulled panel – EISENHOWER is nearly gone as he says a few last words.

EISENHOWER (1): You have to go back…to the future.

EISENHOWER (2): (Fading and shrinking as it goes on) You have to stop…King George…before he can…use…his…time…machine…

Panel 6: The remaining members of the team stand looking at the empty space where EISENHOWER was just standing; aside from EISENHOWER, TRUMAN is also absent, having vanished earlier.

TEXT BOX: Can the remaining members of the Super President Action Force Team stop King George before it’s too late, or is history as we know it DOOMED?!

(END PAGE)

USSR – The Super President Action Force Team: “Back Down, You USSR!” – MK Stangeland Jr.

(Oh hey, look, they’re back! It only took about three and a half years to get around to it.)

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: A Soviet command base – it’s a classic-style villain command center, complete with a big table map that commands the center of the room. JOSEPH STALIN stands next to the map, and is joined by STALIN-BOTS.

STALIN: <Let them come! Once my master weapon - the COMMU-RAY OF COMMAND – fires, nothing will be able to stop us!>

STALIN-BOT: <So sure of that, are you?>

Panel 2: Stalin turns in surprise to look at the nearby STALIN-BOT that spoke back to him.

STALIN: <What?! My own robot dares to question me?>

Panel 3: The STALIN-BOT pulls its head away – actually a mask – to reveal that the robot is actually WINSTON CHURCHILL – an ally of the SPAFT - in disguise. He points a gun at STALIN.

CHURCHILL (1): Hardly!

CHURCHILL (2): Surrender, Stalin! The jig is up!

Panel 4: STALIN looks defiant, ready to laugh off this particular turn of events. Other STALIN-BOTs move in.

STALIN (1): <CHURCHILL?!>

STALIN (2): <You fool, you dare to face me alone!?>

Panel 5: Other STALIN-BOTS remove their masks to reveal that RONALD REAGAN, HARRY TRUMAN, and a small team of GROVER CLEVELANDS were also disguised the way that CHURCHILL was. Also present is RICHARD NIXON, who looks like he just appeared out of nowhere. Those remaining STALIN-BOTS which are real confused by this turn of events.

RONALD REAGAN: Hardly, you emperor of evil!

HARRY TRUMAN: This plot stops here!

RICHARD NIXON: You won’t be kickin’ anyone around anymore!

(END PAGE)

The President of the United States - Earth 10 - Ray Wonsowski

(okay, dusting off another moldy-oldie idea...one of my first ideas some 15 years back was for an Elseworlds story - a cross between the Freedom Fighters and P.K.Dick's Man in the High Castle.  The timeline would have worked out like this:

1938 - Kal-el's rocket crashes in Kansas, found by Kents.
1939 - The parents of Bruce Wayne (age 10) murdered
1941 - Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor; Diana of Themyscyria sanctioned into "Man's World"
1942 - Hitler obtains the Spear of Longinus.*
1945 - Hydrogen bomb developed by Japanese dropped on Los Angeles.
1945 - Atomic V-3 missile exploded in Detroit and London by Nazi Germany.  
1945 - Allies surrender; Uncle Sam found dead, Diana disappears.
1947 - Axis Treaty ratified.  USA split at the Rocky Mountains:  Mountain range and West to Japan, East of the Rockies to Germany.
* - this one event shuts down every non-Judeo-Christian mystically powered person, including Alan Scott, Kent and Inza Nelson, Dr. Occult, the Marvel family, Johnny Thunder and T-Bolt, Zatara, Dan Garrett, Sargon, etc.

...which brings us to the present of the story, 1969...)

Layout:
111
234
567
888

Panel 1 - The War Room:
screen 1                       screen 2                             screen 3

Screen 1 has a shot of Helena Kosmatos, also known as Fury -
 
 - beating down on Japanese soldiers in Hawaii.
Screen 2 shows a long-haired and greying, but smiling, Jay Garrick in his classic Flash get-up, including the metal winged helmet, putting flowers in the barrels of rifles of Japanese army at super-speed, in San Francisco cheered on by hippies.
Screen 3 is the current core of the FREEDOM FIGHTERS:  Black Condor (looking very noir), Damage (looking very pulp), and Phantom Lady (looking very Barbarella) powered up and facing off Yakuza gangsters and San Diego cops.
Every seat at the table is filled, mostly Pentagon/military higher-ups, a few suits.  One suit in particular, his face is hidden in shadow (the PRESIDENT). - - oh, and in the middle of the War Room table is a little flag on a stand: the US flag, except...


CAPTION:  The War Room, 300 ft. beneath the Pentagon.  1430 hours Washington time.

UNATTRIBUTED SPEECH BALLOON:  ...how Japan could let this happen!  The Spear...


Panel 2 - GENERAL WADE EILING pointing at us from across the table.  CAPTAIN NATHANIEL ADAM stands at attention behind his left shoulder, holding a sheaf of manila files.

EILING:  First off, Mr. President, the Spear only protects the Reich.  More specifically, the forces under the Fuhrer's control.  As long as Reichschancellor Goering holds it, we're good.


Panel 3 - CAPTAIN ADAM lightly tosses the files across the table to us.  GENERAL EILING continues speaking.

EILING:  It's been particularly effective against the magical mystery men.  But as you'll see, science is another story altogether.


Panel 4 - CAPTAIN ADAM stands at attention behind EILING again.

EILING:  This leaves the Japanese West extremely vulnerable, and these new supers at our doorstep.  We need to be ready.


Panel 5 - Same as above, except behind EILING, ADAM is joined by Blackhawk Squadron Leader CAPTAIN JANOS PROHASKA, saluting.

EILING:  Captain Adam here will be stepping down from Blackhawk command.  Captain Prohaska has kindly agreed to give up the Warsaw post to help us out.


Panel 6 - Same as above, except at the bottom of the panel, there's a black and white photograph of four scientists standing in front of a large Kirby-esque machine.

EILING:  This is so Captain Adam can finish the treatments prescribed by Doctors Einstein, Erdel, Stein, and Allen.  If Project Firestorm is a success...


Panel 7 - The PRESIDENT, whose face has been in shadow, puts the photo on the table as he looks up at the wall screens.

EILING:  (off-panel) In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to have your...friend...act as a deterrent.  In case this all spills over the mountains.


Panel 8 - The PRESIDENT leans forward, revealing the face of BRUCE WAYNE, serious and determined look in his eyes.

PRESIDENT WAYNE:  Put Corporal Kent on standby.  Go to Defcon 3.  Tell Commanders Jordan and Curry they're up.

PRESIDENT WAYNE:  Assure the Fuhrer that the Reichstadt of Amerika stands ready.  Seig Heil.

The President Of The United States of America - The Day After - Niel Jacoby

Panel 1: The President of the United States, same one as in the real world, sits at his desk, one hand holding his phone to his ear, other hand holding some sort of paperwork he's reading over. He's determined and more occupied with the work at hand than the conversation, but still has a smile on his face. A clock in the background reads 8:30.

Caption: NOVEMBER 7, 2012

PHONE: EVEN THOUGH WE AS A NATION MAY HAVE DISAGREEMENTS AMONG OURSELVES, WE CAN STILL WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE PROBLEMS WHEN IT REALLY COUNTS. I'VE GOT TO SAY I'M GLAD WE HAVE A PRESIDENT WHO TRULY UNDERSTANDS THAT.

POTUS: ME TOO, CAP. AND I ALWAYS DID LOOK UP TO YOU.

Panel 2: Same mileu as the first, different paperwork, same expression, 8:50.

PHONE: VERILY, I KNOW NIGH LITTLE OF THINE MORTAL POLITICS, BUT THEY SEEM A DAMN SIGHT HARDER THAN SIMPLY KILLING THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE VILLAGE TO OBTAIN DOMINANCE OVER HIS LAND AND WOMEN. I DOFF MY WINGED CAP TO THEE, AS THOU HAST CONQUERED A SYSTEM I FALL SHORT OF EVEN UNDERSTANDING, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE. BUT EVEN YOU HAVE NOT KNOCKED OUT THE TEETH OF THE MIDGARD SERPENT WHILST THOU WEREST EVEN IN ITS OWN MOUTH, SO AS MY COMPATRIOT CLINT BARTON WOULDST SAY, "NEENER NEENER".

POTUS: YOU EVER DEAL WITH A TICKED-OFF HILLARY CLINTON?

PHONE: ...

POTUS: I REST MY CASE.

Panel 3: Same general environs as the 1st and 2nd, 9:16. The president is looking a bit annoyed.

PHONE: LISTEN, BUB, EVEN THOUGH YA GOT TA BIN LADEN BEFORE I HAD THE CHANCE, I DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST YA.

PHONE(SMALLER): LOGAN! THE PRESIDENT IS A BUSY MAN AND DOESN'T NEED THE HASSLE OF YOU CALLING HIM ALL THE TIME! LET HIM GET BACK TO HIS JOB!

PHONE: *SIGH* FINE, KITTY. I'LL LET THE PRESIDENT GET BACK TO WHAT HE WAS DOING.

POTUS: YOU'D BETTER LISTEN TO HER, LOGAN. SHE SEEMS LIKE SHE'S GOT A BETTER HEAD ON HER SHOULDERS THAN YOU DO.

PHONE: AH, WHADDA YOU KNOW? YOU DON'T HAVE ADAMANTIUM BONES.

Panel 4: 10:02. The president doesn't even look like he's listening, just going through the paperwork.

PHONE: HEY BARRY, THIS IS DEADPOOL. I JUST WANTED TO SAY, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART--

Panel 5: 10:03. The president has the phone at arm's length, and is calling out to the other room.

PHONE(Much louder than before): BABA BOOEY BABA BOOEY HOWARD STERN'S PENIS!

POTUS: ANYONE KNOW IF WE CAN JUST BLOCK ALL CALLS FROM CANADA FOR THIS PHONE? MAYBE REDIRECT THEM TO DIAMOND JOE? ANYONE?

The President of the United States - The Man Behind the Man - J.D. Coughlan

SET-UP: In a parallel universe, where Lex Luthor's presidency resulted in his dictator-like takeover of America, Lois Lane, freedom fighter, is captured and taken to Luthor.

Panel 1: Lois, hands shackled behind her back, is being put on her knees by Metallo and Parasite. She is angry, looking up at an off-panel Luthor.

LOIS: You've destroyed everything this country stood for, Luthor.

Panel 2: Luthor now in view, nonchalant, gesturing to Parasite and Metallo to stand back. There are a few bodyguards and officials in the background too. Lois continues her rant.

LOIS: Your old pals get cushy jobs while our former heroes are killed, unjustly imprisoned, or hunted like criminals.

Panel 3: Parasite and Metallo are now standing far back (out of panel if necessary) and Luthor is approaching Lois.

LOIS: Gotham is a wasteland, Keystone City is a crime empire, Star City is a police state...

Panel 4: Luthor bending down to eye-level with Lois, putting a hand on her shoulder. He is smug.

LUTHOR: Lois, Lois, Lois...

Panel 5: Same as Panel 4, even Luthor's smug expression.

LUTHOR: (small) Help me.

Panel 6: Same as before, but now Luthor is giving Lois a serious "You heard me right" expression.

LUTHOR: You know I've always had this country's best interests at heart.

END OF PAGE

The President of The United States. – Four Years. – Shaun Richens.

PAGE ONE - 7 PANELS.

LAYOUT.

123

444

567

1. On the bridge of the H.A.M.M.E.R Helicarrier. BARACK OBAMA is talking to the new leader of the organization, NORMAN OSBORN. The president has bodyguards in suits and shades with him. A few members of H.A.M.M.E.R are at work around the room.

CAPTION OBAMA:

We have witnessed dark times.

2. In the city of Broxton, Oklahoma. Captain America, Thor and some Asgardian Warriors walk the streets with OBAMA as crowds cheer them on.

Caption Obama 1:

We have had are very freedoms besieged.

CAPTION OBAMA 2:

But had heroes rise to defend them.

3. A close up on Thors hammer MJOLNIR. It rests in a crater handle pointing skyward.

CAPTION OBAMA:

Sadly we have seen heroes fall in the very face of fear.

4. OBAMA stands at a podium on a stage talking to a large crowd of reports and citizens. The white house stands proudly in background. The day is bright and clear.

OBAMA 1:

These four years have tested all of us, even our greatest heroes. But we have come out together and far stronger for our hardships.

(LINKED)

OBAMA 2:

We stand as one. Truly united as one great nation. Now is the greatest moment to call yourself an American. As we move forward to the next four years.

5. OBAMA walks down the steps at the side of the stage, flanked by bodyguards. The two s.h.i.e.l.d agents from the picture above stand waiting to talk to OBAMA.

SFX  (0.P) (Coming from the crowd):

CLAPPING. CHEERING.

6. The woman S.H.I.E.L.D agent, PRESTON approaches the President.

PRESTON:

Wonderful speech Mr. President. I am sorry to say I am here with bad news however.

7. Close up on PRESTONs face. She looks worried at what she about to say.

PRESTON 1:

It’s President Lincoln sir.

(LINKED)

PRSTON 2:

He is coming to kill you. 

The President Of The United States- Chosen -Dan Hill

Page One

1.1
OPEN on a CLOSE UP of a certificate of graduation. We can only see part of the certificate, that it’s for Choate School in Massachusetts and that the person graduating has the surname KENNEDY.

CAPTION

Leadership chooses some at a very young age.

1.2
CUT TO a shot of the Lincoln’s Inn Fields building in London (part of the London School of Economics). It’s daytime and people go about their business. Their dress suggests we are in the late 30’s.

A YOUNG MAN with his back to us, arm in arm with a LADY FRIEND, walks towards the buildings entrance.

Reference: /wiki/File_The_Land_Registry_Offices,_Lincoln_Inn_Fields.webp

CAPTION

Like a searing hot poker it places its mark on those ‘born to lead’.

1.3
CUT TO a shot of Langdell Hall at Harvard. Again, this is a daytime shot with the dress sense of the STUDENTS passing by suggesting we are in the late 30’s/early 40’s.

The same YOUNG MAN walks towards CAMERA from the hall’s entrance. We can’t see him entirely due to his distance from us, but he doesn’t look too dissimilar to a young JFK.

However, this is in fact his brother, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langdell_Hall

CAPTION

Some see this as a blessing or an honour.

1.4
WIDE PANEL: CUT TO a shot of Joseph in silhouette standing in front of a PB4Y-2 parked on an airstrip as the sun rises in the background.

Even from the silhouette we can tell Joseph is in flightgear, his hair blowing in the early morning breeze.

Reference: /features/2000/images/images_5/liberatorlg_7.webp

CAPTION

Others would see this weight of expectation as a curse.

1.5
WIDE PANEL: CUT TO a B-24 LIBERATOR (a BQ-8 variant to be exact) flying through the early evening sky.

Reference: http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/app1/bq-8.html

CAPTION

Some are chosen.

RADIO

Roger that base. We are approximately ten minutes out from bail out, we--

1.6
WIDE PANEL: FIXED PANEL. The plane suddenly explodes in a spectacular FIREBALL. 

CAPTION

Some are not.

1.7
WIDE PANEL: CUT TO a shot looking up at a young JFK as he sits on the edge of a military bunk, a telegram in his hands.

He rests his elbows on his knees as he tries to take everything in, pale as a sheet.

CAPTION

Some have leadership thrust upon them.

Not sure I really pulled this one off. For more on the 'story' behind this one, go here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_P._Kennedy,_Jr.

The Presidents of the United States of America - Cover - Grant McLaughlin

1 - 1930s America.  Two characters are emerging from New York's Radio City Music Hall.  One is Chris, a young and bald man dressed in a three piece suit and fedora.  The other is a classy starlet who is also dressed to the nines.  She hangs on his arm and the two look happy together.  A shadowy figure lurks in the background, as yet unseen by the beaming couple.

CHRIS: That was an amazing performance this evening, darling.

2 - The shadowy figure emerges from the shadows.  He is also dressed in fancy, era-appropriate clothing, but he has a television for a head (think The One Electronic or Prince Robot IV).  He stands in front of the couple, firing a revolver at the starlet.  She is struck by the bullet and falls from Chris' arms.  Chris is terrified by what's happening.

SHADOWY FIGURE: Sic semper tyrannis!

3 - The video-headed man runs off into the night.  Chris kneels on the ground, holding the dying woman in his arms.  He looks heartbroken.  She looks to be in a bad way.  Have them literally spotlit under one of the streetlights.  Some rain begins to fall.

CHRIS: Stay with me, baby.  Stay with me.

STARLET: Christopher, I'll always lov--

4 - The rain falls harder.  The starlet is no more.  Chris, while still heartbroken, is now also filled with rage and determination.  He looks towards where the shadowy figure ran off, but the figure is long gone.

CHRIS: You'll pay for this, Video.

5 - Present day.  The Chris from the first four panels is Chris Ballew, lead vocalist and bassitarist for the Presidents of the United States of America.  He's in a playing space with bandmates Jason Finn and Andrew McKeag.  They were clearly in the middle of a jam session, as each holds or sits at their respective instruments, but they've paused for some storytelling.  Andrew looks incredulous.  Chris looks earnest, not recognizing the ridiculousness of his words.

ANDREW: Look, I know I wasn't in the band back then, but everyone knows that it was a cover of the Buggles' song.

CHRIS: Yeah, but my version of the story is way more interesting.

The President of the United States – The Super President Action Force Team – MK Stangeland Jr.

(5 Panels)

Panel 1: Exterior panel in the upper atmosphere over the UNITED STATES. Taking up the majority of the panel is SPACESHIP ONE, which looks kind of like the WHITE HOUSE if it were a spaceship instead of a building.

An explosion has erupted from one end, though it’s not a powerful enough explosion to cripple the ship.

SFX: Kra-BOOM!

Panel 2: Interior panel, the bridge of SPACESHIP ONE – it’s effectively a cross between the oval office and the bridge of the starship ENTERPRISE (one or more of them – the best features of each, probably).

This panel focuses on FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT (FDR), who is sitting at an information computer terminal. He’s dressed in suit and has his head looking over his shoulder as he shouts to GEORGE WASHINGTON, who is off panel.

FDR: GENERAL WASHINGTON, we’ve been ambushed by CommuNazi Terrorists!

Panel 3: Panel shows the central portion of the bridge. GEORGE WASHINGTON, the captain of SPACESHIP ONE and the leader of everyone here, is seated in the captains chair – and the chair should most obviously be a captains chair that non-verbally communicates “this is where the captain sits” by the way it’s designed. ABRAHAM LINCOLN sits in a chair nearby in the XO’s chair. WASHINGTON is dressed in a Revolutionary era generals uniform but with somewhat modernized look to it, while LINCOLN is in a basic but appropriate suit and wearing a stovepipe hat.

In the background we can see DWIGHT D. EISNEHOWER standing at a control station for the ships security officer. He’s wearing a WWII era generals uniform.

EISENHOWER: CommuNazi Terrorists?

EISENHOWER (2): The worst kind of scum!

Panel 4: WASHINGTON has stood up from his chair as he gives orders. The way he’s standing and the angle of the panel should make him look as heroic, leader like, and presidential as possible.

WASHINGTON: We cannot let this stand!

WASHINGTON (2): Alert all teams!

WASHINGTON (3): And ROOSEVELT…

Panel 5: Close up on WASHINGTON’s face as he looks at FDR and gives one more order. The intention is the make this panel look as dramatic as possible and give the words as much weight as possible, signifying that what he’s saying means something big.

WASHINGTON: Tell TRUMAN to throw TEDDY ROOSEVELT at them!

(END PAGE)

Why The President of the United States?

Because as you may or may not have heard, the United States of America - a country that I and some of my fellow thought ballooners call home - had an election last week to decide who’s going to be the leader of our country for the next four years. This is kind of a big deal seeing how the United States is a very important country and the person who’s elected to run it is called, among other things, the ‘leader of the free world’.

So it seemed appropriate to pick such an individual during a week around election time since this person – whether as an individual or as the office itself – has also managed to become an important figure in popular culture, comics included. Especially so for major publishers from the United States like Marvel and DC.

See, their major heroes are usually FROM the United States of America, so it’s only natural for their writers to occasionally want to have the heroes they’re writing for interact with the President. We’ve seen everything from major supervillains trying to kill or kidnap whoever’s in office to Ronald Regan forming a team of action heroes to four years ago when Marvel both did their well-publicized guest appearance by Obama in Spider-Man and the fictional candidacy of Stephen Colbert.

And that’s when they choose to either use the actual president or an otherwise nameless ‘Mr. President’. See, the OTHER fun thing about comics is imagining what might happen if their fictional characters were in the role. DC has had President Lex Luthor, Ultimate Marvel currently has President Captain America, and Old Man Logan even featured the flip side by placing Red Skull in the role.

So feel free to have some fun with this one – you could use it as an opportunity to write for your own favorite real-life President either past or present, or maybe even to imagine what it would be like if so and so were elected to (or took over) the office instead.

Enjoy!