Red Hulk - Through discipline... - Brian Manton

P1
Wide. A site of devastation - A small city in the aftermath of the Hulk. The National Guard head the emergency relief.

 CAP: We knew the world would not be the same.

 P2
Thunderbolt Ross standing by a makeshift hospital tent. His back to us, he looks out over the smouldering city.
CAP: A few people laughed, a few people cried. Most people were silent.

 P3
Doc Samson’s laboratory. Ross and Doc Samson having a heated argument.

 CAP: I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty, and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says,

 P4
Thin wide panel. The Red Hulk’s eyes - full of rage.

 CAP:  'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'

 P5
Wide. Nevada desert flatlands. Ross in the tattered remnants of his uniform, on his knees, exhausted.

 CAP: I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.



- Robert Oppenheimer

Red Hulk - We Need A Hulk - Niel Jacoby

Panel 1: Nick Fury(current Sam Jackson incarnation) and Thunderbolt Ross are in a secret discussion room deep within SHIELD headquarters. Thunderbolt Ross is sitting, Fury is pacing.

Fury: NOW, COULSON DID HIS JOB, AND HE DID IT DAMN WELL. WE'VE GOT A HANDLE ON MOST OF THE AVENGERS.

Ross: EVEN HULK?

Panel 2: Fury has stopped, and is pointing at Ross.

Fury: THAT'S WHAT I CALLED YOU HERE FOR. YOU KNOW HIM, YOU KNOW HOW WE CAN HARNESS HIM.

Ross: YOU KNOW I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TRACK DOWN THAT BIG GREEN MENACE! IF YOU THINK I'M HELPING YOU PLAY NICE WITH THAT... THAT MONSTER, YOU'RE OUT OF YOUR EVER-LOVIN' MIND!

Panel 3: Fury is getting in Ross's grill, and is slamming his fists on the table.

Fury: YEAH, I KNOW THAT, THADDEUS! I ALSO KNOW ABOUT THAT BIG RED SECRET YOU'VE BEEN HIDING, AND IF YOU DON'T HELP US KEEP THE HULK UNDER THE THUMB OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, YOU'LL BE SITTING IN THE HIGHEST-SECURITY PRISON MONEY CAN BUY UNTIL THOSE STARS ON YOUR HELMET BURN OUT AND DIE!

Panel 4: Close shot on Ross, trying to keep up his arrogant facade.

Ross: I...

Panel 5: Same frame, Ross just deflates, gives up.

Ross: I ACCEPT, YOU SON OF A BITCH.

Red Hulk – Psychological Warfare – MK Stangeland Jr.

(8 Panels)

Panel 1: RED HULK is walking north into the no mans land between NORTH KOREA and SOUTH KOREA.

Panel 2: A NORTH KOREAN SOLDIER sees RED HULK walking through a pair of binoculars.

Panel 3: The NK SOLDIER wonders what’s going on as he sees RED HULK WALKING.

NK SOLDIER: ?

Panel 4: RED HULK keeps walking.

Panel 5: RED HULK stops as he hears something click.

SFX: *click*

RED HULK: Is that land…?

Panel 6: View from the NK SOLDIER of a landmine exploding under RED HULK’s foot, obscuring him.

Panel 7: The explosion clears away to reveal that, naturally, RED HULK is unharmed.

RED HULK Heh, tickles.

Panel 8: A wide-eyed look of fear from the NK SOLDIER.

(END PAGE)

Red Hulk - Punishing - Grant McLaughlin

This takes place in the secret underground base the Thunderbolts currently have.  Let's go with a fixed angle for the panels.

1 - The main planning area of the Thunderbolts HQ - the one with the big table.  Deadpool sits alone, a picnic basket in front of him on the table.  He's placed a stereotypical red checkered table cloth on the table and has a loud napkin wrapped around his neck as a bib.  General Ross walks by, visible through a doorway in the background, confused by what he sees going on in the room.

NO COPY

2 - General Ross is entering the room.  He's still confused, but he looks more annoyed than anything.  Deadpool is taking some plates and food out of the picnic basket.

ROSS: What are you doing?

3 - Deadpool has a big sandwich in his hand and holds it as if ready to take a bit bite out of it.  Genreal Ross now stands before him next to the table, a slight frown on his face.

DEADPOOL: What does it look like?  I'm enjoying a loverly pic-a-nic basket.

4 - Deadpool has taken a bit out of the sandwich and is visibly chewing on it - for a little visual gag, Deadpool's mask should remain on in every panel.  General Ross continues to interrogate the strange mecercenary, showing his displeasure with his face and body language.

ROSS (1): I can see that.  Why are you doing that?

ROSS (2): Particularly considering everyone should be prepping for the upcoming mission.

5 - Deadpool has nearly finished the sandwich and is now holding a beer that he is about to take a swig from.  General Ross stands at attention, listening to Deadpool's answer.

DEADPOOL: You said to pack light.

6 - Deadpool chugs down the beer, the sandwich finished.  General Ross' position has not changed.

DEADPOOL: And only to bring the bear necessities.

7 - Deadpool looks towards General Ross, happy anticipation evident on his face, despite the mask - he's pretty proud of himself.  He might even have his arms out in a body-wide jazz hands pose.  General Ross is nearly unmoving, perhaps a slight furrowed brow of annoyance.

NO COPY

8 - Deadpool holds the same position.  General Ross has given up on the conversation and has turned around to march out of the room.

ROSS: Just get your things ready.  We dust off in five.

9 - General Ross is mostly out of the room - perhaps part of his back a leg are visibly through the door he exists from.  Deadpool stands up indignantly, perhaps knocking over his chair or some of the picnic.

DEADPOOL: Oh, come on!  Both of those references are nearly old enough for someone your age to be able to catch!

Red Hulk - But how? - Ben Rosenthal

All panels are framed the same - A side on view with AMAZING Spidey on the left of the panel and Rulk on the right.  They show each from the neck up.  

1.   Spider-Man is facing Rulk.  Rulk has a stern look on his face.  Spidey is looking inquisitive.

2.  Spidey is closer to Rulk, looking closely at his nose.

3.  Spidey is hanging down in front of Rulk's face, getting a closer look at his face.  From the angle it appears that Spidey is on Rulk's head.

4.  Spidey is now below Rulk's face, looking up his nose.

5.  Spidey is back to facing Rulk, very close to how the first panel looks.

SPIDEY
So where does the moustache go?

Red Hulk - Jump On Point - R.A.Wonsowski

(...ok, here's another weird one...)

Layout: double-page splash with 6 circular insets, linked by red lines to their character in the splash.

Splash -  A morning raid, chaos on the docks amid the cranes and containers at the North Korean port city of Rajin/Najin...North Korean soldiers are knocked back concussively, flying everywhere; a few struggle to find their feet.  There are two impact points - One is a crane housing in its base, the supports crumpling and exploding in a blaze of fire, bodies flying, a rocket's exhaust trail leads backward to the silhouette of a tugboat afloat on the Sea of Japan, where it originated.  The other is a crater caused by RED HULK, crouched from his sticking the landing, fists clenched, face darkened in inked blanks, his expression unreadable.  AGENT VENOM is in the foreground, firing two Desert Eagle pistols into soldiers off panel, but the muzzle flash is visible.  DEADPOOL is off to the side in the background, leaping around like a crazed Batroc, Uzi in one hand spitting bullets and mowing down soldiers, the other waving a katana.  ELEKTRA is back to back with RED HULK, her sais are in her belt loops, and she is wielding a heavy machine gun, and handling it expertly, cutting more soldiers in half.  From somewhere above, from an unseen airship, DEATH'S HEAD II rappels down midfield, firing flechettes into soldiers, as well.  Captions are from Ross's point of view.

DEATH'S HEAD II:  Seven kilometers straight below us, yes?  Access port is somewhere...


Inset 1 - Close-up, DEATH'S HEAD II.

CAPTION:  Stumbling across this alien "freelance peacekeeper" was ridiculously good luck.  Turns out the NK military eggheads stumbled across A.I.M.'s old research on the Minion Project.


Inset 2 - Close-up, DEADPOOL, who is grinning gleefully behind his mask.

CAPTION:  It was that chucklehead Wilson who volunteered us for this op.  Normally, he's a taco short of a combo plate, but the idea of human experimentation snapped to attention right quick.


Inset 3 - Mid-shot, FRANK CASTLE, a shoulder-mounted RPG-launcher visible.  He is on the tugboat, and his inset link points to its deck.

CAPTION:  Castle seconded in the next breath, when he found out slavers were producing the teenaged experimental stock.


Inset 4 - Close-up, AGENT VENOM.

CAPTION:  Corporal Thompson was the dissenter.  Pragmatic, doesn't trust anything that smacks of the off-earth, but his focus on the mission is laser-like; he and his "partner" both, cold and professional.


Inset 5 - Close-up, ELEKTRA.

CAPTION:  Ms. Natchios is here for personal reasons.  Someone named John Garrett is mixed in this somehow, and there's a storm raging beneath her calm, pale exterior.  And that's alright...


Inset 6 - Close-up, RED HULK, face silhouetted as he looks out from beneath his brow, the battle-rage upon him, but grinning toothily with anticipation for the coming fight.

CAPTION:  I've got enough anger for all of us.  And sometimes...

CAPTION:  ...sometimes I like to share it with bastards like these...

Why Red Hulk?

"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster." - Friedrich Nietzsche

I know, I know...

When the Red Hulk debuted 6 years ago, all I could think of was, "The House of Ideas finally ran out of ideas." Everything about "Rulk" (ugh) seemed derivative and ugly and flash-for-cash and I screamed "SHENANIGANS!"

...and then the other shoe dropped.

Red Hulk was General "Thunderbolt" Ross.

At first, I'm done. I felt like I was robbed. Ross had been Hulk-hunting forever, now all of a sudden, he IS one? "SHENANIGANS, I say!!"

But then I remember...Ross has always been of two minds with Hulk. On the one hand, it is a dangerous creature that destroys everything in its path. On the other, the unlimited offensive potential was much too great to be ignored, and was begging to be exploited.

Then the Illuminati/Avengers took it all out of his hands and banished the Hulk off-planet.

Imagine what that one act did to Ross.  One day's work for Earth's Mightiest put the comic book equivalent of 15 years of military career to shame, the laughing stock of the Pentagon brass.  And the stark realization that, in his heart of hearts, he neither wanted to destroy or capture the Hulk, but coveted its power.

Is it any wonder that he gave in to temptation?

General Ross and his Thunderbolts

Is it any wonder that he is more feared than Hulk Classic? The destructive power of gamma green, combined with the experienced military strategic mind of army green, wrapped in crimson rage. Unfit to be soldier or Avenger anymore, he assembled his own superhero squad, named after his old moniker and with a dark history of its own: Thunderbolts.

It is as the leader of the new T-bolts that Red Hulk really shines. Not only for his tactical brilliance, but Ross has assembled the most dangerous bunch of broken misfits and created a functioning dysfunctional family, each member looking to fill the hole in their souls.  All to redeem his life's work and his honour.

And you can't spell "redemption" without "RED"...

I swear, I can't NOT read it...